The topic of which small rodents could make the best pet when given the option of either hamsters or mice has been raging since people initially opted to have the tiny creatures as pets. Yet, the answer to the question, quite simply, boils down to whether or not you want a pet to interact with or admire. So, this leads to the question: which is better for a pet: a hamster or a mouse?
Hamsters aren’t exactly the most social rodent you can get as a pet, but they do enjoy some interaction and play from time to time. To that end, you may often find yourself snuggling on a hamster should you get it as a pet mouse.
However, mice are extremely skittish and are not very keen on being picked up and held, let alone being played routinely. The bigger differences between the two will become more apparent as we dive into their larger defining qualities.
This article will discuss the main differences between hamsters and mice, including lifespan, personality, size, diet, housing needs, activity levels, grooming, and health concerns. All of these things are important if you wish to find out which animal suits your lifestyle and what you want. For more information, please continue reading below.
What Is the Difference Between a Hamster and a Mouse?
Aside from the aforementioned interaction differences, things like size, lifespan, diet, and more encompass many facets of what makes the two unique. You should utilize these differences to decide which would make an excellent pet for you and fit your lifestyle and family.
Getting either of them to find out you do not have the time to make your hamster feel truly loved and appreciated would only hinder the animal’s life and potentially leave you feeling guilty. The same can be said if you value expressing your love to your pets via physical interaction, just for your mice to avoid you at all costs.
Bearing the above information in mind, we’ll start with how long you can expect your rodent friend to be an able and healthy companion before moving into some more nuanced information. Please bear in mind, however, that some of these factions vary greatly depending on the species of hamster or mouse you get.
1. Lifespan
The average lifespan of mice and hamsters is relatively similar. Still, they can be extended slightly beyond their expected values if you give your respective pet a fantastic balanced diet and a lifestyle that allows them to be mobile and healthy enough to exceed their average life expectancies.
Hamster
As adorable as hamsters are, they typically only live for around a year and a half to about three years at most. This entirely depends on the species you get and other underlying health factors that can creep up over time.
Suppose you want to extend your hamster’s life as humanly as possible. In that case, you’ll want to double down on your efforts to keep them active. Always ensure they have clean water and a clean cage to avoid any potential negative health effects, and give them as many fresh greens as possible.
One final tidbit that may give you a few precious years with your new pet is what manner of cage or terrarium you choose to be their home. Hamsters with extra space and the ability to burrow lead happier and more fulfilling lives, ultimately making them live longer.
Mouse
On the other hand, we have mice, which can last about two years on the short end. Certain species, like the Pachyuromys Duprasi, can have a lifespan of a whopping five to seven years! That alone is incredible compared to hamsters, but again, this variation highly depends on the mouse’s enjoyment of its living arrangement and overall activity.
However, the overarching higher life expectancy is only observed in domesticated mice. In the wild, mice live to be roughly 18 months old or less due to being prey for other animals. To that end, avoid having mice as pets if you have cats and other animals that could view your rodent friend as their next meal.
One of the biggest reasons to avoid this scenario is to prevent the natural Tom and Jerry dynamic. More importantly, keeping your mouse from experiencing the constant stress of knowing it is being hunted but cannot hide from the predator sufficiently is essential. This ongoing stress could dramatically reduce your mouse’s life, so this situation is best avoided if possible.
2. Size
Regarding raw size, hamsters typically are the larger of the two rodents. Factors like their differing activity rates and diets heavily contribute to this, but other notable changes between species can make them slightly closer in range.
In keeping with that same notion, differences in size can change quite dramatically between differing species, so you’ll want to double down on your research to ensure you get a squeaky friend you can happily hold or safely admire.
Hamster
Being the bigger of the two rodents by default makes hamsters a solid choice if you want to get a “larger” rodent as a pet, but bigger does not always mean better, as the pursuit of getting a giant fluffy hamster is often met by health issues creeping up over time.
If your hamster is getting far larger than its species is supposed to be, you may be overfeeding the poor creature, thus reducing its quality of life. Obesity might make your hamster cuter, softer, and warmer in your hand, but this is not worth sacrificing your little friend’s health for.
Assuming length was a part of the conversation, some hamster species can grow up to seven inches long and weigh about 6.2 to 7.9 oz. This is especially true of fully-grown golden hamsters.
Mouse
Mice are typically much smaller than hamsters, both in mass and in length, but their long skinny tails can make up the vast majority of the difference in size if you were to assume that as counting.
Your average house mouse weighs only about half an ounce, making it incredibly fragile and probably contributing to its dislike of being handled.
If your mouse exceeds this weight, you are probably overfeeding it. While mice typically have an easier time losing excess weight because they are more flighty and active, overfeeding is still bad for their health and can negatively impact their well-being.
3. Diet
Continuing with the concept of nutrition and how it correlates to a healthy life, we enter the ever-popular area of dieting. On most fronts, hamsters and mice share similarities regarding what they can and cannot eat and what foods will give them the energy to run laps around their cages or play a little after dinner.
A proper diet and a wide array of energy-burning toys will help give your animals the quality of life they deserve. So, if you plan on splurging on high-quality food, ensure you are doing the same with their toys, as it can make all the difference in the long run.
Hamster
A hamster’s diet usually consists of various fresh greens and veggies. Things like broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, and more will make your little friend flips with joy when it’s time to dine in, but these little fluff balls can also enjoy fruits and mixed seeds.
Everything from bananas, strawberries, apples, blueberries, mangos, and flax seeds will bring your hamster’s culinary needs to full fruition. H
However, for a shorter time, you can go with pellet blend alternatives that take away some of the hassles of making “meal prep” less cumbersome. Even still, you’d be wise to sprinkle some fresh veggies and fruits into your hamster’s diet, if nothing more for variety’s sake.
Mouse
On the other hand, mice can eat a slightly wider variety of foods, some of which are extremely surprising. Everything from fruits, seeds, and certain baking supplies can easily reach a mouse’s plate. Believe it or not, mice can even eat certain kinds of meat!
Now, while your mice can gorge themselves on plants of various kinds, insects, and even people-pleasing treats like chocolate and peanut butter, these foods could be better for your mice daily. Further, they might not fit its nutritional needs if you have a species of mouse that isn’t accustomed to these foods.
As with most pets, you’ll want to take some time to look at what foods your pet can have and what can put its life in danger. This is especially true if you have never owned a mouse (or hamster, for that matter). The rule of thumb would be to pick a species that interests you and do a simple Google search as to what foods might be dangerous for them.
4. Social Behaviors
Getting into the meat and potatoes of what truly defines these pets, we get to social behaviors. There are some very stark contrasts between the two animals. For one, hamsters enjoy being played with to some degree anyway, whilst mice are very against the idea in general, making them rather unfulfilling as pets to people with a proclivity to interact with the pets they have.
Another key aspect to consider is how hamsters and mice get along with others of their species, if you were interested in owning multiples of them, of course.
Being knowledgeable on this kind of social reaction can mean all the difference between you having a happy horde of hamsters or opening up what could only be described as a wrestling match between your animals, as they vie for either alpha male or try their best to beat the last one standing (and I do mean this in the sense of the animal kingdom, not WWE).
Hamster
As we’ve said a few times, hamsters enjoy being played with and having regular human interaction. However, this trait is not innately acquired by all hamsters because it is a learned behavior. This means you’ll have to do the leg work of routinely interacting with your hamster, petting it, holding it, and the like to make it truly begin enjoying these activities (or admitting they like it in some cases).
One of the best examples of this would be a wild adult hamster. If they have had very limited to no physical contact with humans, they will view you as a giant, clumsy threat, either trying to eat them or accidentally hurting them. To that end, they will avoid you and potentially bite and scratch to escape your presence.
If you raise the hamster from a young age, you can gradually bond with it to the point where it is perfectly content sitting in your hand or getting some good pets in.
Hamsters are also traditionally solitary animals, meaning they like living alone. When introduced to other hamsters (outside of mating purposes), they are highly likely to either flee or, worse, attack their inmates, so it’s ideal to get multiple cages for individual hamsters if you intend on owning more than one.
Mouse
Opposites attract, which couldn’t be truer than in the differing natures of mice and hamsters. While a hamster can be taught to love being petted and coddled, mice almost always despise the act.
While there are cases where a mouse truly enjoys being petted and played with, these instances are few and far between. A mouse should not be expected to avoid being let down, which could lead to neglecting the mouse, which isn’t fair to the animal.
Mice are fascinating and intelligent creatures. They truly press home how different they are from hamsters. Mice love living with more of their own kind and often form close-knit communities where they play amongst each other and rely on one another for company and even safety should the need arise.
While you certainly would want to get a horde of mice because they are nice to each other (rhyme fully intended), there is something special to be said of watching a community of animals love and play with one another, especially when you are more or less on the outside looking in due to them not being social with humans (in most cases).
Keeping in stride with this train of thought, while mice love living amongst more of their kind, they are swift to get depressed, angry, and even aggressive if they live alone. The isolation can drive them mad, for lack of a better word. To that end, you’d be better off getting mice in pairs, at the very least, if you intend to get one as a pet.
5. Activity Levels
The amount of general activity your pet has can have a massive effect on not only its quality of life but also its happiness. This rings true for both the animal kingdom and human society, so it only makes sense that such a mantra would resonate for both hamsters and mice.
Having a cage or enclosure that offers your pets a robust variety of play options will keep them entertained, healthy, and usually more social than hamsters or mice that have fewer options to express themselves physically.
Hamster
The somewhat endearing mental image of a hamster in a cage is heartwarming and practical. It is one of the premier ways a hamster can get its exercise without being fully committed to feeling that it’s working out more than playing, so it only makes sense that it is pivotal that you own one for your little furry friend.
However, a wheel will not be enough to keep your hamster content or healthy. To that end, you’ll want to get a fine assortment of smaller toys to keep your hamster busy. Things like a small ball, loose bedding for them to burrow in, and even artificial tubing (which simulates pre-built burrows) can give your hamster a grander sense of freedom and allow it to express itself during playtime.
Being the social rodents they are, getting a hamster ball can also allow your pet to safely explore the entirety of your home. However, be mindful that these small bubbles will prevent them from getting stuck in places they shouldn’t. They offer no protection should they get too close to stairs or encounter your dog, for example, so being vigilant is still important even when they are inside one.
Mouse
Mice enjoy several of the same playful tendencies hamsters have, with the only real difference being that we are to be kept outside the loop.
So, they can still enjoy a nice running wheel, but being smaller and more agile, they can get a greater sense of joy from more unique toys, like hanging rope nets, miniature obstacle courses of ladders and wood buildings, and the same popular burrows we spoke of earlier. You can even create a DIY mouse tunnel and change it up occasionally.
Assuming you do get several mice at once, they will also be pleased to play amongst themselves, with games like tag, hide-and-seek, and just rolling around on one another. Mice are very self-sufficient in entertainment, and with as little as they want to do with us, that could be a good thing.
6. Grooming
Very few animals like being dirty (excluding pigs, of course, but even they enjoy mud baths for a unique reason). In most cases, giving your hamster or mouse a traditional bath with soap and water is an inferior choice, so what we typically consider grooming is already off to a poor start.
As it turns out, hamsters and mice groom themselves quite efficiently and don’t need a human’s helping hand to remain squeaky clean (get it), outside of certain health-related issues that can occur, like sores, bumps or digestion issues that make things more… messy… than usual.
Even then, there are specific ways you can groom your rodents so that no amount of soap or dousing in water ever needs to occur. While we are on the topic, normal bathing routines can be an extremely traumatizing experience for both animals, which will obviously destroy any bonds you’ve made with them should they be subjected to it.
Hamster
Your hamster can sometimes smell pungent or be slightly dirtier than you are okay with. To that end, your hamster will usually care for its own hygienic needs because they constantly grooms themselves using their paws and the unique oil they secrete.
The oil your hamster creates is a protective barrier that enshrouds its entire coat, keeping dirt, grime, and other gross things from clinging to its fur. This allows it to “wipe” off the most common dust and yucky materials.
If your hamster isn’t doing a good enough job, you can buy a sterilized sand pit and give them a sand bath. This will further enhance your hamster’s cleaning regimen by lightly dusting away anything that doesn’t belong on its coat.
Mouse
Mice groom themselves in much the same way that hamsters do. By indulging in self-grooming with oils that are naturally secreted from their skin and hair, they keep themselves sufficiently clean without any need for you to interact with them too often.
The same sand pits that hamsters use can be employed to give your mice delightful, hands-free grooming. Yet, keep in mind that you’ll want to go with a dust-free variant, as mice have very delicate respiratory systems, and anything getting in their lungs can make them very sick.
7. Housing Needs
Everyone loves a big house for the most part, and when that house is full of entertainment, covers your essential needs, and truly allows you to relax, there are very few experiences in the world that can match that feeling, and these rodents couldn’t agree with that sentiment more.
As it turns out, both hamsters and mice love burrowing, as it allows them to do as nature intended and “hide” from their natural predators while continually playing at the same time. To that end, any cages or enclosures you intend on getting should have the option for them to burrow, as it’s a very important aspect of their fundamental existence, and denying them this is akin to limiting their life.
Understandably, the burrow-based lifestyle is great for pets, but it comes with an entirely different set of challenges that you will have to overcome to make this dream a reality for your rodents.
The primary issue here is keeping the entire thing hygienic and sanitary. Your hamsters relieving themselves in the tunnels they make can be very difficult to clean and keep up with, so replacing the entire net of bedding would have to become a routine that you are used to.
Hamster
The amount of space a hamster needs to thrive depends on their species. Still, on average, you’ll want a cage of at least 700 square inches, with enough depth to let their bedding settle comfortably enough for them to walk and feel as if they are navigating through nature, not a prison.
Keeping the above statement in mind, however, creating a space that is accommodating for burrowing will allow your hamster to really live. While this will obviously be a bit more expensive, it’s well worth it in terms of health benefits and mental well-being for your animal.
Mouse
Mice require much more room than hamsters because you usually have several of them at once as opposed to obviously only providing for one. To that end, you’ll typically want to go with a ten-gallon tank when housing mice, upscaling this value depending on precisely how many you have. The idea is that none of them are clustered, cramped, and forced into the same small pockets for extended periods of time.
Another aspect to be aware of is the simple concept of burrowing for these little guys as well. Much like hamsters, mice love to dig and root around, making their own complex array of tunnels to explore and navigate at their leisure.
As you might expect, accommodating the tunnels will increase the size of the tank itself and, as we noted, give you a few more chores regarding its general upkeep, but it’s worth it when you see the raw enjoyment they get from rooting around safely.
8. Health Concerns
Each rodent comes with its own set of health concerns and risks that will inevitably creep up out of the woodwork. Now, a vast majority of these concerns will only become more prominent with age, making them very difficult to deal with until there is truly nothing that can be done. However, setting yourself up for success with a good diet and a healthy, active lifestyle can combat some of these issues.
Other issues that may arise will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, or more specifically, concerns that only arise with certain species of hamsters or mice. As always, when you are purchasing or obtaining your new pet, do a bit of research on what to expect so you can plan accordingly.
Hamster
Because hamsters are large and often enjoy sleeping for the vast majority of the day, they are very prone to obesity. This means you’ll have to do your part in keeping them active and providing them with a myriad of entertaining options that will keep them on their feet and healthy.
Other issues hamsters can get are wet tail, which are essentially diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, sores and abscesses, and general inactivity.
Wet tail is most prominent in baby hamsters that have just been weaned and can prove highly deadly if left untreated, as dehydration will quickly kill them. Lung issues can be avoided easily by routinely cleaning your hamster’s cage, and this hygiene check can also keep most sores and abscesses at bay.
Mouse
Like all rodents, mice can suffer from many of the same potential illnesses and health complications, the most prominent being respiratory infections, skin irritations, and other miscellaneous viruses.
Unlike hamsters, however, mice are much more prone to being afflicted with pinworms, tapeworms, and other parasitic insects like lice, fleas, and even fur mites.
The same benefits you get from mice loving to live amongst each other can also inevitably cause unexpected health concerns, like wounds from males vying for alpha males can hurt each other, and these wounds can become infected.
A mouse’s diet can also cause concern, as fatty foods can cause things like cancers and tumors, but they can also be stricken with geriatric diseases that are very difficult to diagnose without a veterinary level of expertise.
Additional Health Concerns for You Regarding Mice
Mice are generally heralded in some areas as the harbingers of disease and illness. While some of this is rooted in misinformation, a lot of it has a firm grounding in irrefutable fact. This is in part due to mice being carriers of a litany of different kinds of dangerous diseases and the leading cause of some of the most dangerous viral and bacterial outbreaks the world has ever seen.
Things like Hantavirus are still very prominent today and can be spread quite easily if you are unaware. Another potential concern is mouse feces, which is riddled with other bacteria that can lead to other extreme medical concerns for humans. So, be careful when cleaning cages and enclosures to avoid mishaps.
A good breeder will typically have tests done on parents and children with documentation to prove their animals are free of these issues. Still, you should express your diligence to ensure the safety of everyone in your home.
While this information can seem slightly jarring or even frightening to some, it is merely a fact, and this guide could not be considered proper without alerting potential pet owners to possible circumstances.
Are Hamsters Related to Mice?
Yes, but only loosely, as this relation was only extended to “New World Mice,” Even then, several scientific communities dismissed this conversation’s specifics, leading to much speculation as to just how closely related the two animals are.
While some overlapping visual and physiological similarities are easy to see, these are only observed in certain species, hence the labeling “New World Mice.”
Are Hamsters Friendlier Than Mice?
Yes, hamsters are friendlier to humans than mice. They are much more likely to allow you to interact with them regularly and endure you picking them up, playing with them, coddling them, and the like.
However, if you were to assume the term friendly to refer to how social they are amongst others of their species, mice would then take that crown, as mice love to live with one another and enjoy playing together, whilst hamsters are extremely aggressive and territorial in comparison, making them quite the opposite.
Conclusion
Deciding which rodent would make the best pet for you truly boils down to whether or not you want to interact with it or if you are perfectly fine observing from afar. Other slight issues can arise when you consider your household dynamic, including things like cats, dogs, and small children. Another layer of difficulty can be added depending on how busy you are at work and how much time you can spare for the animals themselves.
