What are the most affectionate domestic rodents?
And here’s one thing we haven’t told you yet, besides the hamster we can adopt other rodents that are very happy to have a human with them.
A little mouse that it is all tail and small body, but that we can assure you to have no fear of getting on the hands and it seems indeed almost to be happy.
A little friend who has few claims and also prefers to have company in his cage, it has an average life of five years and, together with the species of guinea pigs (or guinea pigs) are animals that mistakenly think many are dirty.
They love to stay in the sandbox and clean often.
We can therefore give the primacy of affectionate and above all clean and intelligent animals (as few would be ready to bet) to the category of rats and guinea pigs!
Naturally hamsters are also worth mentioning, in Italy it has been a few years since these little friends gained a place among the main pets, but in other places, such as in England, their affection has been rewarded for years.
We know well that these little friends have a short life but in these years they know how to give us a series of emotions that will remain forever in our hearts.
They are also very intelligent and clean but at the beginning it is up to us to win their trust, because they start with a sort of distrust of man and only after they trust us do they seek a relationship.
After dog and cat in the homes of Italians according to the main surveys are found rabbits as pets, therefore always from the family of small rodents.
Surely they are really very intelligent and affectionate animals, but for them it is necessary to do some reasoning before adopting them.
Even if you can buy in all the pet stores you have to know that the captivity for them is really difficult to hold, if you adopt it you also have to foresee many hours of freedom or you will always have a very sad little one.
Even just running around free at home can make him happy but never too many hours in a cage, no matter how big it may be, it doesn’t make him happy.
Another very important aspect to consider it is its delicacy, its small bones could also break easily if you do not learn to take it in your arms with the necessary care, so if you want to make it live in contact with small children think about it very well.
Even veterinarians advise you to never lift it from the ground by taking it with your hands, but to let it go up and then move it or at least let it move to get caught.
I will never tire of repeating to you that when you decide to adopt a small rodent you must always evaluate both the conditions that make us happy but also their needs, sometimes it is better to give up for the good of both.
These are absolutely the sweetest and most affectionate breeds, other small rodents such as chinchillas and squirrels they are always nice friends that you can adopt, but you will have to take into account that by their nature they do not like contact with humans and therefore it will be difficult to interact.
What and how many breeds of domestic rodents are there?
We must make a distinction between domestic rodents and all those present in nature.
In fact, we are talking about as many as 500 species of small animals, but less than ten are those that can survive in captivity.
In addition, among the latter there are species that are happy and live well the captivity and others that instead remain throughout their lives on the defensive against humans.
Let’s start with our friends hamsters, small rodents with an average life of four years, used to live in captivity and happy only if managed with due care, in fact they have habits that cannot be deviated because they are part of their nature: they must run, they prefer daytime rest and play at night, they love to gnaw and don’t want others like them in their cage.
For more information on the world of hamsters, please refer to this page where you will find an infinity of information, from food advice, to cages, from DIY games to hamster training.
If they do not have the right space, they become nervous and understand their discomfort.
If you try to win their trust, surely you can establish a good relationship.
1) The Guinea Pigs
or also called guinea pigs, are more long-lived animals, so it is good to know that they can exceed the decade, they need care and attention, so consider these details well before deciding to adopt them.
They love the company, they live well as a couple and are affectionate and attentive even to the humans who adopt them. They are not afraid of man and therefore are able to give very much affection.
2) The Dwarf Rabbit
it is similar to guinea pigs in many characteristics, it lives a few years less and is more fearful, it must be conquered in terms of trust just like the small hamsters.
3) The Chinchilla
which is reminiscent of a large squirrel with a coat that tends to shades of gray. It is a small animal that risked extinction years ago due to its fur coat.
Fortunately, he has now been reconsidered as a loving animal and is out of danger. His character is solitary, he does not like contacts with similar and human but he is very intelligent and knows how to conquer it he will amaze you for how many things he is able to learn.
4) The Citello
or European squirrel, is a small daytime rodent, who loves to jump and run, is not very happy to live in captivity and in my humble opinion for him it is really a suffering, personally I prefer to see him in passing in some walk in the mountains than to know he is suffering in a cage, no matter how big and comfortable it is.
5) I Degu
they are small rodents that have a strange characteristic that you should know before adopting it. In case they think they are in a moment of danger they have a small layer of epidermis on the tail that they leave and no longer grows again.
They have little paws with claws that they need for climbing, they are not lovers of man and therefore they don’t think of adopting them and being able to have a relationship.
6) The Gerbil
it is a small rodent similar to the hamster, with a more independent soul, it loves to observe what is around it and is very curious. Adoption is recommended to those who unfortunately do not have much time to devote to their pet.
7) Duprasi
it is in everything and for everything a gerbil, also in the character, it only differentiates it the tail, that it has a shape to club, it serves her for maintaining some reserves of food and water.
8) White Mice and Dancing Mice
Are two types of small rodents that we should all learn to appreciate. Unique intelligence and curiosity, a good faith in humans and all this also seasoned with the affection that no one would expect from them.
We also think to debunk the myth that they are dirty animals, they are in fact among the rodents that spend more time in the sandbox for the toilet.
9) Red and Japanese Squirrel
They are two beautiful animals with lively eyes and very fast shots, they love to climb and run, but they are certainly not affectionate species, unfortunately, many of those that are found on the market are taken directly from their areas of origin and are therefore particularly suspicious.
To have their trust one must work very patiently and it is not certain that one will succeed in obtaining it.
10) The Surmolotto
A small rodent very similar to common mice, which we can say a really affectionate, very intelligent animal.
If followed with due care this little rodent is able to learn a lot from his human and really give great satisfaction
Not much is taken into consideration solely because of its appearance as a common rat.
Large domestic rodents
If you have decided to launch yourself into the adoption of a large domestic rodent, know that the choices are limited, let us talk about some species of rabbit and guinea pig.
They are small animals that need a lot of space and the possibility of being free every day.
You can get great satisfaction with them if we talk about the emotional relationship, but if they don’t have the proper attention, they are saddened and live badly.
The Guinea Pigs
They have a weight that varies from one to three kilos, they are animals with a soft coat and they love to clean themselves in the sandbox.
They are very affectionate and love cuddles, for them the human is not afraid indeed it is synonymous with curiosity, they are intelligent and very attentive to what is happening around.
Even domestic bunnies
They have an average pso that oscillates around two kilos, but they are much more delicate than we can think, even much more than small animals like rats.
They don’t like to be touched and they need large spaces to play.
They are very intelligent and capable of learning commands.
Adopt them only if you feel able to cultivate the relationship with them, if you don’t have time, forget it or you’ll have to deal with their sad look that it’s not right to condemn them to have.
The most active rodents during the day
We talked about the various species we can adopt, but one feature that we have not yet mentioned is that many are purely nocturnal animals.
With hamsters, chinchillas and squirrels the actual relationship can be established from late afternoon, and if you intend to keep the cage in the bedroom then I strongly advise against adopting them, or you may have trouble resting at night.
Think instead of species like the guinea pig or rabbits, they are rodents that they are active more by day than by night, they love to play and so from the morning you will have the chance to start interacting.
Of course we have already said that they are more complicated to manage but with a little effort to meet their needs and you can have a loyal and very attentive domestic rodent and make you understand how well he wants you.
We then move on to a particular category, the mice, both white and dancers they do not have a precise sleep waking rhythm.
Among them there are some specimens that make siestas during the whole 24 hours, maybe of short duration and then pass in full activity a few hours.
When you adopt a rodent you have to be aware of all its needs, as all living beings in fact have their own vital rhythm and if they are disturbed they could be nervous, personally my best wishes to go to that country I gave them to people who have disturbed my sleep, they, as good rodents, would make you understand it with little funny bites.
So depending on the type of relationship you are looking for and what time frame you can dedicate to a small friend choose the right species according to the averages of habits I told you.
Non-demanding rodents to keep at home
Every single little creature that we adopt in our homes is still a commitment.
Speaking of rodent friends, there are some species that we can define as independent, or that are not attracted by the relationship with humans and are happy if they are limited to giving them what is useful for survival.
This is impossible to implement with rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and mice.
If instead you take a Dogu or a squirrel you can also just think about food and water and you don’t have to force them out of their cage, this must have well-cut features of size and for them it’s already a dignified life.
Of course, you must not forget that order and cleanliness remain obligations that a master must follow to respect.
When they talk to me about undemanding animals, sincerely I get goose bumps, because for me every single living being that joins the family is on a par with me, worthy of attention and affection.
Even the goldfish is a commitment to keep constantly in mind, it must be cleaned, fed and even he can give small satisfactions if he is considered part of the family.
All give responsibility, it is not possible to leave them alone for days and therefore it must be foreseen that in the years in which they will be by our side whenever we should be absent they will have to follow us or have someone who takes care of them in our place, we will surely never be able to exempt ourselves from these responsibility.
If we only know that it will not be possible for us to keep this commitment, we will categorically avoid bringing any living species home.
You don’t go back lightly, adopting is for life not until we are happy to do it.
So in conclusion, we are of the opinion there is no undemanding animal, we can only distinguish those who seek a relationship with their human from those with an independent character.