Is it possible to make friends with a rodent?

Rodents are very interesting and funny animals. But many people think that it is not worth getting them as pets, because you cannot establish contact with them like with a cat or a dog. Sure, a chinchilla won’t bring you slippers or purr on your knees, but does that mean you can’t interact with it? Rodents are very contact and inquisitive, some of them are strongly attached to their owners and love to spend time with them. The main thing is to find the right approach.

In nature, there are a lot of species of rodents, and each of them has its own way of life, temperament and character. When starting a rodent, you need to clearly understand your goals. If you are interested in their habits and you are ready to watch them from the side, decorative mice, hamsters, degus are ideal for you. If two-way communication is a priority for you, choose chinchillas and guinea pigs. Well, for born trainers, decorative rats will be a real gift, because they can be taught so many interesting tricks!

Guinea pigs, chinchillas and decorative rats are the most social rodents. You can and should communicate with them, they need it! Rodents, just like cats and dogs, suffer from a lack of attention and lack of games with the owner. They are very smart and talented, and their abilities need to be developed. For example, did you know that rodents can even parse individual words of human speech?

From the owners of rodents you can often hear that their pet responds to the name, cuddling with pleasure, loves to sit on the shoulder or palm, performs amazing tricks on the whistle … And these are not necessarily exaggerations! Indeed, at home, a pet can develop a huge number of skills that were not inherent in nature. The intelligence of these animals is so flexible!

Keeping a rodent is always a unique experience. If we are used to humanizing cats and dogs and we intuitively understand their needs and behavior, then the world of rodents is a constant discovery. The laws they live by are very different from ours. By studying the habits of rodents, observing them and establishing contact with them, we learn more about nature and its creatures, develop and grow personally.

Some people think that rodents are not as interesting as cats or dogs. Others are sure that taming a “non-social” at first glance rodent is much more interesting and enjoyable than making friends with a dog that is human-oriented by default. As they say, to each his own.

But if you did not dare to start a rodent just because you were afraid of his indifference, feel free to cast aside doubts. Believe me, soon you will see in practice how good-natured, contact and quick-witted these tiny pets can be!