Do mice make good pets if I have kids? - Would rats be better?

No. They will let the mice run loose, breed, then chew up your brand new car's soy plastic wiring and your car will malfunction then the class action judge will deny your lawsuit in favor of car makers.
 
This guy I know from San Francisco says gerbils are a lot of fun
 
Get a hairless rat instead. They're smarter, safer, and actually will play with you like a dog.
 
Mice are nice but they are awful pets for kids. Little kids shouldn't have tiny, pocket-pets. They lack empathy for little creatures. The animals get pulled around and they get dropped.
Also the adult ends up looking after these animals bought on a whim. Usually the people in the pet shop know little about caring for these animals. More often than not you'll get recommended woodshavings or sawdust to put in their cages too, which is unhealthy.

I had rats for years and while they are lovely animals they get very sick which results in short, ill lives. I spent thousands of dollars down the vet over the years.
 
KONG-D'SNT-TAP said:
Seems like a strange pet.

Why not just get hamsters
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Hmmm, I originally was reading that mice are better and more social and interactive than hamsters. And that hamsters are more likely to bite. But more articles are saying hamsters are a bit calmer. Plus you only need and want 1 hamster as they like to be alone whereas mice like 2 or more. Also apparently mice can stink more than hamsters.
I may have to look into the hamster or those tiny teddy bear looking hamsters.
 
steve38 said:
Mice or rats will attract any snakes that are in the area. We ended up with a cobra in our house last year as a result of some 'pet' mice. 0/10 experience.

One good thing about mice, though, is that they're not very affectionate and have a short lifespan....so your kids will have a soft introduction into losing a pet.
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Well luckily there are no cobras in my area and I've never actually seen a snake anywhere near my house. I'm sure they are around though as there are (or at least used to be) rats that would run along my fence at night and in the ivy/bushes.
 
Get a Guniea Pig. Little more $ but a way better pet. Probly live 5-6 years.
 
Fugazy said:
Get a Guniea Pig. Little more $ but a way better pet. Probly live 5-6 years.
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I had a pet guinea pig once. That little bastard bit me all the time and bit HARD!
 
TheNinja said:
Hmmm, I originally was reading that mice are better and more social and interactive than hamsters. And that hamsters are more likely to bite. But more articles are saying hamsters are a bit calmer. Plus you only need and want 1 hamster as they like to be alone whereas mice like 2 or more. Also apparently mice can stink more than hamsters.
I may have to look into the hamster or those tiny teddy bear looking hamsters.
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Plus you can stick them up your butt if your kids don’t like them
 
TheNinja said:
I had a pet guinea pig once. That little bastard bit me all the time and bit HARD!
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Haha, yeah, some of my family had 1 for a long time. It was a cute fucker, super shiny light brown coat, was friendly and would chirp and make little noises to communicate.

I once kept it for a few weeks and built little mazes for it and all kinds of stuff.

I also once tried to pick her up before I really knew how, and she bit theeee fuck out of my hand and squealed at me lol. It didn't break skin, but yeah it hurt like hell.
 
Rats make significantly better pets, especially female rats. If you do go with either make sure you meet the animals before buying and have the cage fully set up and ready to go. I wouldn’t even get them from a pet store, I’d find a local breeder that raises them for temperament.

It was mentioned above about kids having difficulty with pocket pets which is definitely true. So make sure your kids aren’t going to drop, squeeze or pull on these animals. Also know, even though they are good bites can totally happen.
 
I had some when I was a kid as well as various hamsters and gerbils. They generally have a better temperament than hamsters and were less nocturnal. Get female ones as they piss and smell less than the male ones.
 
Like others have said I'd get a pair of rats. They're really smart, they like being handled and they don't usually bite. Perfect for kids.
 
TheNinja said:
Perfect! My kids will get bored with them after a year anyway. At least I won't be stuck with an animal that I have to take care of for another 10 years :)
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When your kids get bored will you just flush the mouse Down the toilet then?
 
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