As you might know from reading my blog, I share my apartment with four pet rats and three pet mice. Rats and mice make great pets, as they are fairly low maintenance when compared to a dog or a cat. However, they are still very intelligent, fully of energy, and lots of fun to have around.
Pictured above (from left to right) are my four rats, Isabella, Chloe, Georgie, and Amy. They are the best of friends!
Pets are social creatures
Rats and mice are both social critters. They love playing with their buddies, but then they are happy to snuggle up with a friend once playtime is over and it’s time for a nap. Most pets, whether it’s a rat, dog, cat, or bird, enjoy having another animal as a buddy, especially if they spend most of the day at home without people around. It gets pretty boring if you’re by yourself all day!
Many pet behavior problems surface when pets are bored. If the animal is not getting enough exercise and attention from interacting with other animals and people, the animal has to find ways to entertain herself, such as chewing up your couch! Getting a second pet can give your first pet a friend who will keep her engaged, both physically and mentally.
Note: While most animals are social creatures and enjoy having a buddy, some aren’t social! So, it’s extra important to know your species and to get to know your individual pets, before introducing a new animal to your household. For example, male mice (even litter mates) will usually kill each other once they reach adulthood. My three male mice are neutered, which reduces their hormone levels. They get along great and I often catch them grooming each other or napping together. You can see Jack and Dickens snuggling together in the photo above.
P.A.L.’s new video: Pets want to have a friend!
Earlier in the summer I posted how my pet rats add life. I’m working some this summer with the P.A.L (Pets Add Life) campaign. P.A.L. promotes responsible pet ownership, including spaying and neutering your pet, and the benefits of adopting a pet. All worthy causes, I feel!
P.A.L. recently released a humorous new video on their where an energetic dog, an overly-talkative cockatiel, and a grumpy white cat are interviewed regarding how they feel about being an only pet. P.A.L. wants to make sure that when people adopt or purchase animals that people are thinking about the animal’s needs and providing a happy life for their pet.
Check it out here:
What do you think?
How many pets do you have? Does your pet have a friend? If you have multiple pets, do your pets get along?
Do you think the benefits of having multiple pets outweigh the extra costs (including time and money)? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear about your pets and what you think!
This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership.
My dog does not have a pal from her own species. I take her on walks and try to give her the attention she needs. However, I know that she gets bored sometimes. Do you have suggestions for ways that I can relieve her boredom and enrich her life? (I do not want to purchase another dog.) Joy
Hi Joy,
This is a great question!
I think this actually would be a good question to turn into a full blog post. 🙂
However, here are a few different ideas for activities that can help relieve boredom.
–Take your pet on walks. (Which you are already doing!)
–Take your pet on other outings, such as to the dog park or to local restaurants
–Arrange play dates with other pet owners
–Train your dog. Teaching tricks to your pup can be a great way to relieve boredom
–Play games with your dog. Fetch, tug, hide-and-seek, to name a few.
–Buy (or make) puzzle toys for your pet. One popular brand is Kong, but there are many varieties of puzzle toys available now. The basic idea is that the dog has to perform some sort of activity to get to the food or treat.
Hope that gives you a few new ideas!
cheers,
Mary
The film was great!
I have been thinking a bit about this recently, since I have been updating my knowledge on rabbit keeping, hoping to In the rabbit world at least, there seems to be a misunderstanding about what it means to be a social animal. Some people (mostly breeders) are arguing that rabbits aren’t heard animals since they need some space of their own, and may fight if they are confined together in a small area. So they are fearing that the well-meaning, but ignorant animal welfare authorities will force them to keep their rabbits together, with much stress and fighting as a result. And they continue with their old rabbit keeping practices, with single rabbits housed in small cages, content with that they are doing what’s best for their rabbits.
But of course being social doesn’t mean that you will love every other member of your species, or that you will be happy cramped up with someone without any means of getting away. So I think that an important part of informing people of their animals social needs is to talk about how to find a friendly species companion and how to house them properly for it to work. If you are bored, biting your mate can also be entertainment.
Åsa
Hi Åsa,
Thanks for the comment. Really great points!
Proper housing is so important for any animal. But, as you have seen with the rabbits, I think animals are often not kept in ideal housing conditions, they are kept in housing that is most convenient for the human.
I think this is common with a lot of smaller sized animals, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, etc. Then animal is often kept in a cage that is much too small and not given nearly enough time out of the cage.
Also, as you mention, improper housing can quickly lead to behavior issues, such as fighting between animals.
I think people are becoming more educated and concerned about their animals’ needs, but I think we still have a ways to go.
~Mary
What about pals of a different species? Our neighbor has a parrot that apparently really enjoys the neighbor’s two dogs. The parrot calls them by name to get them to come to the bird’s cage. I’m not sure whether the dogs like being bossed around by the bird though.
That’s a great point, Jerry!
Pets often enjoy having other animals around, even if they aren’t of the same species. Sounds like your neighbor’s parrot finds the dogs quite entertaining!
cheers,
Mary