Ella - scared of gerbils, eh? How about hamsters, mice and rats? I've had pet hamsters, and they're kind of fun, except they racket around all night long! A friend of mine, Heidi, has a whole bunch of pet mice and a couple of rats, and they are SO friendly and cute. Another friend had a rat he used to carry around in his jacket pocket. Its name was Pestilence...nice little creature.