Hamsters can make quite messy pets. Try to use natural bedding materials for them. Soft hay is best, Harry Hamster bedding is nice and soft and snug for them. Avoid the artificial bedding which looks like cotton wool, as this can sometimes be swallowed by the hamster and get stuck in their tummies which will make them very sick. MICE and RATS Mice and rats make lively, interesting pets.
Rats are active throughout the day, mice have a tendency to be slightly more nocturnal.
If properly looked after and cleaned out regularly, they are not as smelly as is often claimed. The females are relatively odourless compared with the males, the males' odour being associated with scent marking of its territory. They need regular cleaning, males perhaps on a daily basis. They tame very easily, and once used to handling will very seldom ever bite. A variety of housing is available for mice and rats, including wooden, plastic or metal cages.