The Low-Maintenance Pet

A few months back (around the time Mira P. got her rats) I also got a few rats as well. It was a pretty tough decision because we wanted them to be absolutely healthy, and happy. So we decided to get them from a rat breeder (little did we know about  rat shelters). We did hardcore research and even measured cages to see what would fit them best. I guess all the work was worth it, but in the end the rats are usually sitting on shoulders or laying on your lap. They are not playing with any fancy toys, they are playing with their brothers.

This is a reason why I appreciate rats so much! They would rather be social. Lots of people want social pets, but they overlook rats because of their tails and think of them as sewer rats (even though they have been raised and bred by humans since the 18th or 19th century) and instead they choose dogs. But the problem with that is dog are lots of hard work and aren't a very good first pet, that's why so many of them in shelters. People can not handle dogs. But rats are a lot like dogs, they are social and so friendly. When I open the rat cage the rats come running up to me and start licking my hand. They love being with you and being handled. Rats can be trained, and also potty trained as well. They are also low maintenance pets.

So please, the next time you want a pet... at least consider a rat. They are fantastic pets, and are a perfect first pet.

Thank you, Miranda J.

Guinea Pigs!

By Mira P

We've (my family and I) had two pairs of guinea pigs, the first, a pair of girls named Kiki and Whiskers and our current pair, two girls named Sugar and Charkie (like charcoal). Guinea pigs are a great pet. I, unfortunately, am allergic to them.

As much as I hate to admit it, my gut reaction when someone tells me they're getting a guinea pig is "no! Don't get a guinea pig!" Mostly because most people I know (not most people in general) don't really know how to take proper care of a guinea pig; they are oftentimes seen as an over-sized hamster.

This myth that a guinea pig is a big hamster can be deadly. Guinea pigs are actually rather complicated to take care of, and aren't the same as hamster at all. The first and most important thing - cage size. People commonly get the wrong sized cage for a guinea pig. Guinea pigs need a lot of space, because they like to run around and popcorn. (visit Cavy Cages for more info on cage size) I have never seen an appropriate sized cage for a guinea pig at a pet store - never.

I once read a book where the author most likely mixed up "hamster" and "guinea pig" or "rat" and "guinea pig". It included a scene where the "guinea pig" ran away and got lost (guinea pigs are not small and would likely be found moderately quickly, but of course, they could also get lost. My guinea pigs have never shown an interest), where they picked the guinea pig's cage up (a cage shouldn't be small enough that you can pick it up) and one of them said "close the top or she will climb out" (a guinea pig could jump out if their cage is low enough, but they can't climb out).

It was a minor mistake, but it just shows that guinea pigs and hamsters are too easily mixed up. What do you guys think?