I prefer Syrian hammys because dwarfs are more squirmy and bitey but I have never owned mice before. But I love Syrians. Also I'm so sorry for your loss of frosty.

 

I had some Syrians a few years ago, and loved them

 

Mice are about 100x worse about smell than rats so that's what deters me from getting any. Otherwise, I work with them at work and they're very curious and intelligent, just not quite as affectionate as rats. I've never owned hamsters so I can't really make any comparison there.

 

I've never had a potty trained mouse. But I had one that came when called.. Generally they are friendly and curious. Humans rats and mice are onmiverous scavengers and opportunistic predators. Our brains are wired in a similar way... If you figure rats are a few steps below humans, then mice would be a few steps below rats.

Otherwise our personalities would be similar and compatible.

 

Never had hamsters, they don't exist in my country. The only experience with mice I've had is when I had to look after the classroom pet when I was 10 years old lol. it. Was quite curious and didn't mind being handled but it prefred to crawl over me rather than directly interact with me like a rat would but that could be due to not be socialized. It also pooped everywhere but I did hear you can littertrain them. But man, its cage reeked of urine, It must of been a male. Even after cleaning the cage it started to smell the next day. They're also suprisingly quite intelligent with the right kind of training. I came across a user on youtube who teaches them amazing tricks. There username is "mouseagility" or something along those lines but if you think mice are dumb her videos will change your mind.

 

use to have a hamster years ago he was very friendly and cuddly and never did bite

 

Mice are awesome! I don't interact with them much, but they're adorable and tiny and very fun to watch. Mine don't smell one bit. It all depends on the bedding. I haven't even cleaned mine out yet and I've had them since the 30th of May. They don't bite (except when they confuse my fingers for food) and love getting treats. One even likes climbing into my hand. ^_^

I've never had a hamster, so I can't really compare them to mice or anything. I just know I stinkin' love my mice so far.

I highly doubt you can completely potty train them, but they do have "potty spots" usually, so it's nearly as good as being potty trained, right? lol.

 

I had a 'teddy bear' hamster once, it escaped every night and bit me every morning when I went to put it back in it's cage... The thing would wait on the kitchen counter every morning for me to pick it up and put it back in it's cage... and it bit me anyway...

Seriously, I must have been a lot stupider 30 years ago.

 

Mice are super fun and smart but they smell pretty bad. I like syrian hamsters, all mine have been sweet and cuddly, never bitten, and I have had several. Dwarf hamsters are cute and can be kept in groups (some types, like robos) but they are more skittish, flighty and more likely to bite. But I did have 2 robos that were pretty calm and didnt bite. It all depends on the individual.

 

I have had a syrian hamster and a roborovski. The robo was the complete opposite of the syrian. Very active, fast, and I was never able to pick him up. I could feed him treats though and he would sit in my hand. I did adopt him, and I'm sure if you get one that is socialized you can hold them. I also currently have two gerbils so I know a lot about them. They love to dig and chew and are pretty social.

 

The question is, do you want to handle the pet or do you want more of a "watch it" pet? I have 2 dwarfs... Robos, and they can be very fun to watch.. They are also virtually odor-free compared to rats, which is a plus, but they are not really good to handle. Everyone I've spoken to that has mice, says they smell way worse than rats, so I'd choose a dwarf hamster over a mouse. Syrians are slower and easier to handle, so go for them if you want something more interactive.

 

Just want to throw this out there...

If you like mice, but don't like the smell, look into African Soft Furs. They have almost 0 smell. They are bigger than mice, but very similar in behavior and care, though they are less handle-able unless you get them from a good pet line. Otherwise, they're more for watching but boy are they fun to watch! They dig, they climb, and they obsess over wheels. Just make sure you get them from a non-biting line. They're known for being bitey, but I get mine from someone who carefully bred out biting and they are never aggressive towards me at all. The breeder is even able to handle babies without their mothers getting aggressive towards her.

African Soft Furs are amazing little things. I almost like them more than my rats overall.