Why is socialization important?

Many pet owners prefer to own more than one small pet because they don't want their pets to be lonely. While the concept is positive and caring, it's important to understand the different socialization characteristics for the different animals. If the pets are aggressive and unaccepting of each other, it can lead to fights, injuries, and even death. Potential pet owners should fully research the socialization traits of any small animal they are interested in before buying more than one pet.

Socialization for Common Small Pets

While most small pets will have appealing, gentle behavior with humans, their socialization behavior within their own breed can be more aggressive. For example, mice and rats should be raised together from the time they're young if you want them to live together peacefully. Adults can be territorial and violent if new animals are introduced into their habitat. Gerbils will live companionably with other gerbils that were raised with them, but adult males are prone to fighting if females are present. They can live together peacefully if they have plenty of room and no females are around. Females can live companionably with other females or with a single male. By contrast, hamsters are very territorial and should be kept separate from other hamsters at all times. Male rabbits will generally fight if kept together, but neutering usually eliminates the problem. Female rabbits will live companionably with other rabbits, but the best results are always achieved if the rabbits are raised together.