Is there any difference between mice and rats as pets?I sometimes hear people talk about how great rats are as pets but I never hear anyone talk about keeping mice as pets, although mice are cuter and less disgusting.
Yes. Mice are more antisocial and still suffer with the constant peeing and pooping problem rats have but with none of the upsides that comes with having a companion animal that is literally pocket sized. Keeping a domesticated mouse is more like keeping an undomesticated black rat ironically. But if you want cute factor and small size they are still ok, although you would be better off with something like a gerbil or russian/syrian hamster
>>5083934Rats are friendlier and much smarter
>>5083934>the virgin Maus vs the chad Ratte
There's a huge difference. Rats are pretty high maintenance pets. They're extremely intelligent and social and require more of your immediate time and attention. They need more complex mental stimulation and enrichment and they need it frequently because they are so smart. This comes with the upside of building a strong emotional bond and makes them more trainable. They're basically tiny cats that don't live very long.Mice are more ornamental. They don't really build that strong bond with humans the way rats do and don't need as much space to explore. Rats want to be your friends, mice are fine with a landlord.Personally, I prefer mice because they are less "hands on", but are still pleasant to interact with. They still need regular handling to keep them tame, but the best part of mice is watching a group of them function as a community in their own environment. They're always on the move and they do silly things and interact with each other in funny ways. They don't need you to play with them all the time, that's what a dog is for. They're busy.Mice are objectively a lot cuter, but they are in no way less disgusting. You can toilet train a rat to an extent and probably could a mouse if you really wanted to, but it'd be harder. My mice seemed to toilet train themselves and pushed all their soiled bedding into their designated piss and shit corner so they weren't walking in it between changings.
>>5083968>Rats want to be your friends, mice are fine with a landlord
>>5083968
rats have GIGANTIC nuts
>>5084051Thats an upside
