Before you say anything NO my daughter won't be holding it, expecting to play with with it etc. I have explained to her that small animals like hamsers don't like being held, and are fragile, so she can look at them, but she is not allowed to take them out of the cage. Especially not without me or her father being present. We want to get her learning about being responsible as early as possible. She will help out with cleaning the cage, making sure there is enough bedding/toys in there, and that there is plenty of food for it. Obviously, we're not going to leave the cage in her room (she was upset about it, but we did explain that they will make noise because they're digging, running around on the wheel etc and she won't be able to get to sleep). It will be in the living room. However, we don't know what type pet rodent to get her as a starter pet. We have a cat but we will close the door to the living room every night, so she won't get in. What do you think is a good starter pet for a child is? I was thinking gerbils, but my husband thinks mice might be a good idea. Our daughter doesn't mind, she's just excited about getting her 'own' pet. Also we know that some rodents like company, so we don't mind getting two.
A cat would be less of a problem.
SOURCE: Can i feed my hamster rat and mouse food?
If this was the other way around, I would say it'd be okay for a couple of days. Hamsters have a pretty advanced digestion system and can get bloaty and sick when fed the wrong things. But never fear if you google hamster food you can find some more ''organic?" supplements until you can make it back to your local store. Rats/Mice on the other hand are made to hoard their food. They don't stuff it in their cheeks, although mine likes to sometimes it seems, they like to hide their food. Doing this they burn more energy and need a higher energy/protein diet.
I don't buy rat food, I make my own. I did the same with my hamster too with the store bought mix. Here's a list from my memory you can give hamsters that you may have around the house.
Carrots
Apples
Granola (Good for teeth!)
Cooked red meat (like hamburger meat)
Water Chestnuts
Nuts
Shelled almonds (more fun!)
Bread/Toast (My friend made peanut buttered toast for her hammy)
Fish (fully cooked!)
Eggs (Scrambled/Boiled no fried)
Cheese (in moderation)
Mealworms and crickets (you probably don't have these but for future reference :) )
Dog Biscuits (Try to stay away from some high in protein, and it's good for their teeth!)
Hope that helps!
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