Hamster or Mouse?

[AmityvilleHams]

The Ikea Detolf expanded by using a melamine base and sealing the glass panels on the front and back and making sides and a lid would actually be better for a Syrian than a 40 gallon breeder.It wouldn't cost much either,since you end up with a square meter cage for under $120 compared to a cage that is less than half that size.

However,the 40 breeder is still a great option for mice as would be the Detolf on its own with a lid which would also be great for a dwarf hamster also.

Also as long as you seal a DIY cage or the Detolf with a melamine base properly(aquarium sealant is perfect for this)you will not have any problems with urine soaking into the wood/melamine.An extra precaution is using nonadhesive contact paper,but that isn't always easy to find though really it's the edges you need to worry about and as long as those are sealed well you shouldn't have problems

[Dina02]

I've had mice for about 3 years, both males and females and they are quite different from hamsters.
Male mice have to live alone, and as others have said, they do smell a lot. But they also require quite a lot of attention from you, as they are very social and because they fight with other males, you need to be their new best friend. My males would be out almost all day long whenever I was home. Females are a bit easier because they have to live in groups of at least 3, so they have company but do also require some time out of their cage.
Mice are also way more active during the day, my hamster wakes up at around 11 pm, where my mice would wake as soon as I was in the same room as them

Because mice are so active they need a lot of toys, especially to climb, they looove to climb ^_^ My male mice became extremely tame and would happily sit still and let me pet them - but that does not mean every mouse is like that. My females had too much energy and would never sit still

I find that hamsters (at least my syrian) is more calm than mice, but still he still makes a wonderful pet and I know that hamsters can also be very tame

So it really depends on what kind of person you are, and what animal would be best for you