Gerbils vs Hamsters vs Mice

[g]

Does anyone have all 3? How do they compare in terms of:

-Handleability
-Friendliness
-Smell

I’ve had a pair of gerbils for a few months and am just curious. I chose them bc they’re diurnal and reportedly smell less. I’ve been wondering about the others, though.

Thanks.

[LilyandDaisy]

I haven't had mice but I've had hamsters.

Roborovski hamsters of either sex and also male Russian dwarfs have a musky smell. It's not really a bad smell but it can be quite strong. Female Syrian hamsters smell when they go into heat which is about every four days. How strong it is varies between hamsters and some people seem to be more sensitive to it than others. Male Syrians and female Russian dwarfs don't usually smell at all.

While I haven't had mice, they are known to be quite smelly, especially the unneutered males.

Roborovski hamsters are very shy, not exactly friendly (though not unfriendly - they almost never bite), and not easily handleable. They can be tamed but it takes a lot of time and patience. They are not hamsters you can just pick up and play with when you want to - they like you to respect their personal space! They're very sweet though and winning the trust of a Roborovski is a very rewarding experience.

Syrian hamsters are reasonably friendly in the sense that they will react positively to your presence, but often it's just because they want to be taken out of their cage. They are often quite easy to handle though some are very jumpy, especially when young. They are strictly nocturnal in captivity and people often find it disappointing that they never see their Syrian because they don't get up until the early morning. I think some Syrians deliberately wait until all humans have gone to bed before emerging. Some of them do get up earlier in the evening though, especially if they've been conditioned to expect food and out of cage time at that time.

Russian dwarf hamsters vary between extremely shy and self-contained and incredibly friendly and outgoing, with lots of grey area in the middle. Most can be handled. Some can be nippy.

There are also Chinese hamsters but I have no experience with those.

[betty]

I have had mice (and harvest mice) and they are very friendly and handleable. They can have a smell - but most mouse people just get used to it - so it isn't any worse than having a doggy smell I suppose? I can always smell it now when I visit a mouse friend - but couldn't really smell it myself when I had them?

I found them amazing to house, watch and the enrichment options were endless. Because they were smaller in size and more agile - the entire top to bottom of the enclosure could be made use of - and of course with females you can have a herd of them at once. Males can only safely live in singles - but they are just as friendly and inquisitive.

Unlike other small animals - I find that mice never seem to actively jump off of people either - so once on your hand they are more likely to run up your arm than look over the edge of your hand or leap off.

In this respect they are like Chinese hamsters. I have only ever had 2 of these (seperately and many years apart) so I can't give an up-to-date description - but I can say they I loved watching them and setting up cool enclosures. They were very climby and super clingy when handled. I don't remember them being pungent (but then I did just say I didn't notice the smell of my male mice) I just rmember their giant conkers - quite the package there.

All three dwarfs I had were, sadly, rejects from the pet trade and none of them were handleable (at all) - although I believe that was because of the way I housed them (many many moons ago) rather than a permanent behaviour trait. A friend has since had a decent colony of dwarfs living together in a mini metropolis (I have never seen so many wheels in one enclosure!!!) and they could randomly pick up any one of them without them being stressed or grumpy. Perhaps I need to try these again myself after a bit more up-to-date research?

[Markpd]

Literally made me, Lol with giant conkers!

Interesting to read, even though I'm not getting any more pets.
I wonder, does anyone keep European Hamsters as pets? (Although I recall reading in Percy Parslows book (of Syrian Hamsters), where he mentioned the Euro ones can bite through steel meshed gloves!! So maybe not the best pet! (even if they can be tamed?).

[g]

Thanks for all of the great information. Part of me is tempted to try mice, but I'm not sure whether I can handle the smell. They'd be kept in a spare room that I sleep in when I have over night guests.

[g]

Dec 10, 2021 12:55:10 GMT -8 Markpd said:

Literally made me, Lol with giant conkers!

Interesting to read, even though I'm not getting any more pets.
I wonder, does anyone keep European Hamsters as pets? (Although I recall reading in Percy Parslows book (of Syrian Hamsters), where he mentioned the Euro ones can bite through steel meshed gloves!! So maybe not the best pet! (even if they can be tamed?).

I think European hamsters are critically endangered and cannot be kept in captivity. 

[Markpd]

Now you mention it, I recall hearing that too, but I also recall from the book I mentioned (printed in the 80s!), that Euro hamsters were bred for food and fur!
Anyway, perhaps there is still some captive breeding happening??

[LilyandDaisy]

Some people do have European hamsters, but not really as pets. More like private conservation projects.

[thebeck]

Although I am late to this thread, I want to add to it.

I have kept hamsters (syrians) for more decades than I can to admitt at this time. I have found that given enough space to be comfortable with enough "enrichment" syrian hamsters can become very friendly and will come when called by name. At one time my male syrian ("stir" - as in 'hamp-ster', I really have no imagination when it comes to names) lived in a wire cage on the same shelf as a group of female mice in a wire cage. Every night one of the female mice would actually sneak out of her cage to visit Stir and in the morning would return to her own cage. (I never did figure out how she got out). Hamsters can be surprisingly social with their caregiver. Also, hamsters can be potty trained cutting down on total cage cleaning.

As for mice -- I have also kept groups of females together. Decades ago (before cats), I had three females living in a 6 foot tall braided ficus tree, set up with ladders, platforms for wheels and food/water and small bird houses as nest boxes. In the plant pot I had a colony of pillbugs and springtails which kept the soil clean and fresh. Rarely did the mice climb up/down the trunk of the tree and never did they jump from the plant pot.. If the mice are keep somewhere around 18-24 inches off of the floor, they will not jump down. This was as close to 'no maintenance' as one could get and provided hours of entertainment watching them in the branches (also see youtube video "a cool way to keep mice", which shows mice being kept on wall shelves)

Male mice do have an ordor and require more cleaning, more often, than a group of females. Also, generally, one can add another female mouse to an existing group without isse.

Personally, I love keeping groups of female mice. Love building "perfect" little worlds for them. Gerbil, on the other hand, I find challenging keeping them entertained and well supplied with chewable. Mice, generally, tend to be timid but curious, while gerbils are bold and curious. Both very endearing.