Want to get small pet to help cope

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So since I live alone, I'm thinking of getting a small pet to help me cope in life. I'm considering a corn snake, leopard gecko(Would be my first reptile either way) or two rats. Rats are more intelligent and sociable (I would get 2 so that the rat 1 won't get lonely while I'm at work) and medical treatment is easier to find. The downside is they are more high maintenance than the reptiles and they are not as immune to diseases. The reptiles are not as high strung as the rats and are more laid back. Their main problem is I'm having trouble finding a vet in my area who could treat them. My local pet store has corn snakes but not pre-killed mice to feed them and they claim to have leopard geckos though all I've seen of them are what seem to be empty cages (though they are nocturnal) and the store has food readily available for geckos.

The reptiles' lifespans puts the rat to shame as the geckos can live for 15 years and the snakes can reach 20 if cared for well enough, compared to 3 years for the rats. Rats are also noisy, the snake is silent and the gecko can vocalize if it wanted to.

Which of the 3 would you choose?

Get a kitten and love it and care for it, and change its litter, and give it water, and feed it, and scratch it behind its ears and around its neck and pet it and stroke it.

I'm not allowed to have cats where I live

Rats are awesome, amazingly interactive (snakes are lovely too but they ain't so into you).
Rats are clever and loving and funny. They dont ever really settle unless they are tired, but they will come when called and loved to snuggle in your clothes.

Two is good, they need each other.

Keep them clean and they wont smell, they like to groom and can smell just musky. They will know you and trust you and seek your company, warmth and food. (I'm not sure how much a snake forms an attachment)

People are weird about their tails, I think they are lovely.
They will do brilliant tricks if you take the time to teach them (like rat basketball)
Did I say I love rats.

I wish I could have a rat again but I travel too much, i used to keep one on my coat but its not practical anymore.

I'm more of a cat person, but I think you should get a rat.

I've never actually had a hamster in the past, and he made a lovely pet! He was innocent, sociable and friendly, and I enjoyed the company at night.

I've had hamsters and mice before and the reason I'm not considering either of them is because of the greater intelligence in rats. Rats won't nip you as often as their tiny cousins. Another cool thing I know about rats is that they will seek you out if you have a good relationship with it. But no matter the choice, my mother and sister are grossed out by all 3 options.

Are degus available where you live? I got a pair of them because rats are illegal here. They are sociable, have much longer lifespans than the rats, and have cute little tufted tails instead of rat tails.

LINK to Degus

I really enjoyed having guinea pigs as a boy.

Books sometimes state their maximum lifespan as seven years, but realistically more like five.

If you can't have a cat, you probably can't have a rat either. Of the three I would get two rats - you can't cuddle a reptile. But I'm with the cat people - they are great companions.

The no cats thing is something from the body corporate, we are allowed to have other animals.

Rats then. But there's always bunnies too . . .

I throw my vote to the rats. Rats are way more cuddly than the other options and I would prefer them to reptiles any day. Plus they're cute.

Good idea getting a pet to help you out. As long as you are capable of giving them proper care and attention.

I've actually had all of the animals you mention. All great choices really.

Leopard Geckos are low maintenance. Their requirements are pretty low as far as reptiles go too. You will be spending quite a bit of money to feed them though, so if money is an issue, I would not advise you get a leopard gecko. Crickets are really expensive especially if you don't go by way of the internet to purchase them, or know which site to get them from. Any pet store bought feeder is going to be more expensive than they would be if you bought them on the internet. Meal worms are decently priced usually and you can refrigerate them to keep them alive longer. ***Some people say that meal worms should not be the staple meal due to their nutrition + the chitinous shell that can make it hard on their stomach to digest. The rest of the feeder bugs are expensive. Pinky mice are a nice and healthy rare treat for them and will not come at a high price.

All of these animals are best bought from a highly reputable breeder come to think of it. They will be better behaved and healthier than most pet store shops. They are well priced and you have a higher choice of which color or (morph) that you'd like. Pet stores usually do not care or know much about reptiles and small animals, it's just a fact.

True, herp vets are hard to come by. I used to have a country wide list of vets categorized by the state. I'll look around for it and if I can find it, I'll send you the link. It's in the best interest of the reptile to not get one if there are no vets that you can take them too. If you can buy rodents online, it is much cheaper in bulk. They come frozen at your door. If you're not sensitive, you can feed live small mice to a snake, just don't leave them unattended. There are also multiple ways to instantly kill adult mice yourself for the safety of your snake, but I won't go into that since a lot of people can be sensitive about that. Overall, corn snakes are great pets too. I am not sure if these small reptiles actually like us though, but instead recognize us as the thing that provides them food. They will come to you and get on you if you interact with them daily and their behavior is good, but I am not sure if they actually like us, like a rat would.

Rats can be really rewarding pets. They are like the dogs of the rodent family. I wouldn't get a pet store rat though, they're often bred for the sake of being feeders, so they are in lower quality health, and are not used to being handled which can lead to problems getting close with them. Try looking for rat breeders in your area. Most people will not ship live rodents because in most cases it is illegal and if they do it comes at a hefty price. Well kept rats should not be much more expensive than a pet store rat either.

Mice are good pets too. Again, best bet for that is from a local highly rated breeder. I've had pet mice that were very intelligent, sweet and friendly. They would come up to me and on me, chirp, liked to be petted, and they would never poop or pee on me.

Honestly, if I had a yard, I would have gotten a bulldog immediately (or drive back to my hometown personally to get my labrador) and get the reptiles a few months later.

I favor the reptiles over the rat because I doubt I can fulfill a rat's social and spacial needs. The reptiles are more socially independent. But maybe I should just get a couple of hamsters.

Rats are great pets if you're looking for an affectionate animal (you won't get that from a Snake or Lizard.) However, the short lifespan thing is brutal. You get attached to them and before you know it they're gone. I stopped getting rats for this reason. Maybe try a pair of guinea pigs or chinchillas...... They can be affectionate but tend to live longer.

I've looked around and found some ratteries but as I read through their sites, I can help but feel some passive aggressiveness Seriously, I understand that the rats are most likely close to them but I just don't feel comfortable adopting from these people. I can't help but feel that if I deal with them that they would report me to some animal rights society the moment one of my rats dies.

I still can't find any good breeders or vets in my area for reptiles and according to some people on my local reptile forum, the country is experiencing a shortage of mouse feeders. I thought of bearded dragons because they can eat vegetables but I just don't like them for some reason.