They’re both petite,
sweet and make
great pets, but which
is for you? A rat or a
mouse? Carrol Baker
discovers the pros andcons of owning these
pint-sized pets.Photos: Emielcia/BigStock.com, Kuttelvaserova/BigStock.com32
PETS | Small animal special
http://www.petsmagazine.com.au
Rats and mice are social animals that enjoy
human company. They’re naturally nocturnal
but will usually adjust their snooze time so
they’re awake when you are. Wendy Carbery,
secretary of the Australian Rat Fanciers Society,
says rats are a bit like small pooches. “Rats
are like little pocket-sized dogs. They’re very
aff ectionate,” she says. “If they could, they’d be
with you 24/7, being part of everything you do.”
Mice like hanging with people, too. Andrew
Norris from Tilly’s Mousery says although they
generally aren’t as friendly as rats, they can
be social. “When I walk past the cage, some of
mine will come over and hang off the bars to
say hello,” he says.MY HOUSE
Both need a clean and safe environment to
live in and they’re usually kept in enclosures.
It needs to be secure and roomy enough for
them to comfortably get around in. If you’re
small on space, a mouse’s house will take up
less room. Some landlords will welcome a
mouse, but not a pet rat.
Andrew describes mice as easy-care pets.
“Feed them, change their water daily, clean
their cage once a week, and that’s really all
you need to do,” he says.
Rats are relatively easy to look after, too —Rats are fun-loving, mischievous and
intelligent. Mice are cute, enjoyable to
watch and easy to care for. So which makes
a better pet? With whiskers twitching and
tails swishing, we did some super sleuthing
to fi nd out!HUMAN INTERACTION
Some people think mice are just smaller
versions of rats, but they are very diff erent.
Both mice and rats come in a range of patterns,
colours and coat types.Rats can have personalities much
bigger than their petite bodies!Roguish Roguish
rats rats
vsvs^
Mighty Mighty
MiceMice