Small children and hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, mice and gerbils

Most children love animals, and adding a furry, four-legged addition to your family can be a positive experience for all involved. If you are considering getting a hamster, guinea pig, rat, mouse or gerbil for your little ones, read on to find out which species will best fit your needs, and how you can best meet your new pet's needs.

Talk it over first

Have you thought about who will be the "owner" of the animal? It's ideal if everyone is involved in the decision-making and caretaking, and the responsibilities involved with the family pet should be shared by all. Children under the age of ten are rarely able to care for a pet on their own. Even if you believe your child is able to meet all of the animal's needs, you will still need to supervise and, ultimately, be responsible for the pet. It's not uncommon for children to lapse in their cleaning or feeding duties, in which case parents will need to take over.

You may have heard that having a pet teaches a child responsibility; ideally, a child should show that he is responsible in other ways before you bring home an animal. Having and caring for a pet is a major privilege for people of any age.

As you begin to think about getting a pet, it's a great idea to do research with your child. Search the Web, read books, talk to responsible companion animal caretakers that you know. Find out the housing, exercise and nutritional requirements of the particular species you are interested in. And most critters do best living with their own kind, so please keep that in mind when planning. Draw up a schedule of animal care duties and make sure that all of you have the time it takes for a pet. Your little critters are going to be a very important part of the family, after all!

Get the right pet rodent and kids can have lots of fun

In many ways, small animals are excellent "starter" pets for children. The key is to select the species that best fits into your family.

Guinea pigs

For many, the gentle guinea pig is a perfect choice. Their larger size and docile disposition makes them easier for children to handle than other companion rodents, and they are active during the day. Also, guinea pigs are not big on scratching, clawing or other potentially destructive behaviors, and they rarely bite. They do require a bit more room than most critters, so make sure you have the space.

Gerbils

Because they are gentle, hardy, slow to bite and relatively easy to clean up after, gerbils are recommended as family pets. They are active during the day, which fits in with many schedules. And, as an added bonus, gerbils tend to smell less than other companion rodents.

Hamsters – not recommended

We realize that hamsters are one of the most popular small pets, but because of their nocturnal nature and tendency to bite when mishandled, they are not appropriate for families with young children. Experts feel that children under the age of six should not be allowed to handle hamsters, and those over six should do so only with adult supervision.

Rats are great for older children

Friendly, hardy and very smart, rats are touted as great pets for older children. Younger kids, though, are a different story. Sure, they may love a rat, but may express that love by squeezing or otherwise mishandling an animal. It's smart to allow little ones to play with the rat only when supervised by an adult. On the plus side, these accommodating rodents will readily adapt to the family's schedule.

Proper handling can prevent nips

Once you've taken the plunge and your furry friends have settled in, it's important that you teach your children (and all adults in the family, for that matter) the proper way to handle your pets. There have been many stories of small animals biting and scratching because their enthusiastic young caretakers have squeezed them, picked them up too fast or accidentally dropped them. Companion rodents are very fragile, and can easily get injured from falling or otherwise being mishandled.