A pet can be quite fun to have, but when thinking about having an Illinois rodent as a pet, there are specific species particularly interesting? Most often, personal taste will determine the type of pet rodent a person may desire. The large variety of rodents means that their behavior, eating habit differs. Here are just a few types of Chicago rodents often chosen as household pets.



Commonly chosen pet rodents
• The Gerbils - They are similar in appearance as hamsters and can be, white, orange, grey, brown or black. Gerbils are quite active, they love climbing and digging requires a lot of space to move around. They can be quite friendly with enough care and attention, but may prove difficult for young kids to handle has they tend to nip.

• The Guinea pig – Also known as cavies, have a cute plump appearance. They like being cuddled and can often recognize their caregivers and may sometimes even whistle at them. They are quite social and like living in a group. Guineas pigs like to explore and to chew therefore providing lots of hiding places and things to chew can keep them from becoming bored.

• Mice and rats - These Illinois rodents’ despite being sometimes a nuisance make nice pets and can be entertaining to watch. They are almost very cautious around human and may require lots of getting used to for them to interact with a human.

• The Hamster – Quite shy, these rodents often do not like being handled and are prone to nipping. They are mostly nocturnal becoming quite active during the night. They like running and would likely enjoy exercise wheels, and toys to chew on.

Rodents as household pets
Rodents can be fantastic household pets. They reproduce almost quite easily, particularly when mice are concerned, if breeding is uncontrolled, their number can double or triple within just a span of two months. Rats and mice are quite intelligent and can be taught simple trick like for instance sit, or even to respond to their name. Some Chicago rodents like hamsters and gerbils prefer food such as carrots, fruits, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. Mice and rats on the contrary are scavengers and may eat almost anything that includes bread, meat, eggs, etc. Rodents almost have a short lifespan of up to 4 to 5 years for pocket pets (mice, rats, gerbils) and up to ten years for a beaver for instance.

Rodents are transmitter of diseases such as salmonellosis, tularaemia, rat fever, plague, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, Lassa fever, leptospirosis, lymphocytic chorio-meningitis (LCM). These will depend and is often common in certain Illinois species. Nevertheless, household rodents can be kept healthy with regular check up from a veterinarian. Keeping rodents as pets will depend on personal taste. They can be great pets and with the care and attention required, they can be interesting Chicago animals to keep as pets. To learn more about our services, visit the Chicago wildlife removal home page.