Mice or Rats As Pets for Children

Mice or rats can make great pets for children. However, children under 10 should be supervised when holding or petting small pets, as they require gentle handling. Despite popular belief, both mice and rats are naturally clean animals, so they will not smell bad unless you don't clean out their cage regularly.

  1. Rats

    • Rats are friendly, intelligent and social animals. The average life expectancy of a pet rat is two to five years, and the average length of a pet rat, excluding the tail, is 9 to 11 inches. If handled regularly, a pet rat will rarely if ever bite, will love to be petted and will be easy to train. Male rats are more docile and cuddly and females are more active and playful, so you should choose a specific gender based on what would most suit your child. Rats should be kept in same-sex pairs or groups.

    Mice

    • Mice make lower-maintenance pets than rats, so they may be more suitable if you or your child don't have enough time to regularly handle your pets. Mice can be handled regularly, but they are equally happy in their cage. As with rats, they should be kept in same-sex pairs or groups, because they are social creatures. Mice live, on average, between one and two years. They are much smaller than rats, at around 3 to 4 inches, minus the tail.

    Housing

    • You will need to supply your rats or mice with a large cage, relative to their size and how many you are planning to keep. Ask for advice at the pet store when you go to buy the cage if you are unsure. You also need to get your new pet chewable toys, ropes or ladders for climbing, a wheel and a tunnel or house to sleep in. You should bed your new pet with either paper bedding, pellet bedding, aspen shavings or walnut shavings and clean out the cage at least twice per week.

    Choosing Your Pet

    • The most common place to buy a pet mouse or rat is from a pet store. It is also possible to buy your pet from a private breeder. Contact your local fancy rat or mouse club for more information on breeders. Take your child with you to help choose the animal --- after all, this is going to be his new pet. Pick out a healthy-looking pet. Make sure there is no discharge coming from the nose or eyes, as these can be signs of a respiratory infection.