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Once you have decided on the type of pet you want to get, you need to think about whether the animal you have chosen will be happy living a solitary life or if it would prefer some company. Many small animals such as gerbils and guinea pigs actually get depressed if they are kept alone and this can lead to behaviour problems.

Gerbils – Must be kept in groups. If you are not planning on breeding the best thing to do is to get two females or two males, preferably from the same
litter. Two same-sex Gerbils will normally bond as closely as a mated pair and will be perfectly happy together.

Mice – Social animals who live in groups in the wild. Females are easy to keep in pairs or groups and get along well. Males can be aggressive if paired with other males and it is best to take advice from an experienced breeder if you wish to keep a pair of male mice together.

Rats – Rats love the company of others and will spend many happy hours grooming a friend in a hammock. Keeping a rat alone will result in them becoming unhappy and withdrawn and is not generally recommended.

Hamsters – Syrian hamsters are solitary animals who hate the company of others and will happily fight to the death if housed together. Dwarf hamsters however are entirely different and much prefer to live in pairs or groups.

Rabbits – The best and easiest pairing is a neutered male and a spayed female. It is possible to have any pairing of males and females especially if they’ve been brought up together from birth but a male and female are the most likely to get along.

Guinea Pigs – As a herd animal guinea pigs love the company of other piggies and will keep each other company. A lone guinea pig will normally be extremely unhappy on its own. One point to note is that guinea pigs and rabbits do not always get along and should not be paired together.

Ferrets – prefer to be in pairs or groups.

Chinchillas
– best in a pair of the same sex.

How many pets do you have? Have you managed to successfully pair your pets? Let us know via our facebook or twitter pages.