Afraid to go to the Pet Store....

[Skeever]

Because of who I may bring home....I know one pet store has hybrid hamsters, and white mice. The other is likely to have a single gerbil and a single hamster, unless it goes by how often they get full litters.

I know the mice and ham store had more than one young in their cages, whereas the store I got Ziggy from had lone rodents in the cage at the time.

If I see the right rodent, all is lost. I'm thinking ahead should I chose to own a second rodent whether it will be a mouse or a gerbil....

Another Syrian is a distinct possibility if I see one, heh......

All the googling is showing preferences of the writers. I'm trying to figure out, for a pet that is on par with ham maintenance, sociability and 'escape' quotient....

I've narrowed it down that a mouse would be 'tamer' than a gerbil. Still, an escape artist, but less frenetic? Which of the two is more likely to socialize with a human? I had a hands off gerbil as a kid, so I don't remember much interaction really. And if the shop where I got Ziggy only has one gerbil, which is not ideal at all, is it better to give it a home, then see if it can be introduced to another?

Or is a male mouse more likely to thrive with being solo if it gets a lot of human attention, play time, and free range.

Would love to hear answers and experiences. I'm still nervous about getting supplies at the pet shop if I see someone in dire need of a home

Of course there could be a round ball of hamster fur in the cards....

At the moment, I've been thinking out loud about it and internet searching provides biases on both sides so......

Thanks

[spyro87]

Well, I can't really help you much on the mouse, hamster or gerbil front - I've only ever had hamsters.. so I'm biased and would opt you bring home a hamster

BUT, I just wanted to say, be very careful about entering the dreaded pet store... I went from 0 hams at the beginning of May, to now owning 5 (but having had 6 rip Benny) hams in July...
Pet stores are dangerous... as are google searches etc etc... that's how I located a store with Roborovski hamsters... and my 6th baby came home...

But honestly, I would go to the store you know has rodents, many rodents. I will encourage your rodent addiction as I know how bleh it is to have other tell you, you can't have more rodents......

[Esmy]

Purchasing via internet can fix this. lol

[JBH316]

I've never had mice but I had a trio of gerbils and they were super friendly

With regards to the lone gerbil, if it were me I'd probably have to take it home. Worst case scenario would be that you can't successfully introduce it to another gerbil but it would at least have a large enclosure full of enrichment (which they prob won't have at the pet store) so it's life would still be much improved.

[Skeever]

Not where I live. Otherwise I'd have a rat. Which, if they are ever sold here, are so looked down on as wild vermin it seems impossible.

Even the mice are probably feeders....

While I could arrange a form of payment online, delivery etc is out of the question, lol....supplies, books or anything.....too easy to get lost in transit.

[Hekomi]

I've gotten better, mainly because of my horrible June. x__x;

We went into one of the worse stores on Saturday and I didn't buy anything, though two "black bear" sisters were pretty dang cute.

[Skeever]

JBH, that's my thinking. Better than a barren cage in a pet store!

Hekomi, I really have to go in and out fast when I do need something.....I'm worried this time, I'm going on a pay day before the weekend

[Flamestriker]

I had a similar problem once...I looked in to different pets such as African Pigmy Hedgehogs, Guinea Pigs, Chinchillas, and another species of pet who's name I cannot remember, but in the end it always comes down to hamsters for me.

Why?

They are cute, relatively silent (wheels excluded), small in size, comical, cute, nocturnal (which suits me fine because I work during the day) adorable, and most importantly very cute. For me, hamsters make the perfect pet.

I know next to nothing about other rodents, so I am afraid that I cannot answer your questions about mice. I also rescue hamsters, and indeed Peanut, my Syrian, was PTS on Saturday. I estimated her age at 3 years. She was fully grown when I had her, and this year I would have had her 3 years...and she was such a character, nosey as anything, curious to a fault, involved in as much mischief as she could get in, and she charmed everyone who met her. Please do not pass up on taking in a hammy who needs a loving home.

[Skeever]

I certainly wouldn't pass up a hammy, but I am leery of the cage of white hybrids...given all the health concerns I might face. I almost got two of them last time, when I saw them away from the pack grooming each other....it was adorable, heh.

We all start off with one hammy. They're the 'gateway' rodent....

[Flamestriker]

Originally Posted by Skeever

I certainly wouldn't pass up a hammy, but I am leery of the cage of white hybrids...given all the health concerns I might face. I almost got two of them last time, when I saw them away from the pack grooming each other....it was adorable, heh.

We all start off with one hammy. They're the 'gateway' rodent....

True But at the moment I only have one left out of the five...for now. dun dun dun! Let's see how long that lasts especially with an empty Alexander cage.