Pet Selection

Small animals make wonderful pets, but not all species work well for all potential owners. When helping a customer select a pet, factors to consider include temperament, size, suitability for households with children, housing needs and care requirements.

In addition to other information throughout this module, general guidelines include:

• Mice and rats make excellent pets for children over the age of six and for adults. Rats in particular are intelligent and can be very sweet, contrary to their negative characterization in TV shows and movies.

• Hamsters are easily frightened and may bite when scared, making them a better pet for children over eight years old. They require patient handling to become tame. Dwarf hamsters typically are less prone to bite than the larger Syrian hamsters, but they move very quickly and must be controlled carefully to avoid escape.

• Gerbils are best suited for children over eight. While they are very social and less likely to bite, their speed allows them to escape easily and evade capture. Most enjoy the company of other gerbils, making them a good choice for customers who want to keep multiple small animals.

• Guinea pigs are a good choice for almost anyone, including children as young as four years old. They tend not to bite or scratch and generally are quite tame even without additional socialization.

• Chinchillas are recommended only for children over the age of ten. Chinchillas generally do not like to be held or petted and require very gentle handling. Although they can be trained to sit on their owners’ hand or shoulder, they are very active and prefer to move around.

• Rabbits make great pets for children that are seven years old or older, especially dwarf rabbits. Although friendly, rabbits can kick or scratch; they require careful handling to avoid injury.

• Ferrets are best suited for children over the age of nine or adults. They are very playful, curious and energetic animals; because they can fit into very small areas, precautions must be taken when they are out of their cage.
  
  Although ferrets can be nippy when young, once tamed they make excellent pets. Ferrets are not rodents and require yearly checkups and vaccines, unlike other small animals in this module.

• Hedgehogs require gentle handling to help tame them. They are best with kids over the age of ten who are looking for a quieter pet.

• Sugar gliders generally are not considered good pets for children, due to their care and attention requirements. Gliders live in groups in the wild and at least two should be kept together to provide company for each other.