For anyone looking to get a pet, one of the first things that you should do is look to work out what kind of pet you want. Many pet styles exist, with so many different things to consider. If you like something yappy and lively, get a dog. If you want something cold yet cool, go for a cat. If you want something hilarious, though? Go for a gopher.
The gopher is a fine choice of pet for anyone looking to get something totally out of sync with the norm. Very rare pets in the first place, you might find it hard to locate a domesticated gopher. Similar to a beaver in many ways, these buck-toothed creatures are more than happy to get quite chompy – including on your fingers!
So, you should look to try and make sure you pick a gopher that is going to come domesticated. If you are able to raise it from a young age, where your presence becomes far more enjoyable for it, then you should be able to raise a pet gopher without any issue.
The biggest question, though, is should you get a gopher?
What Size Does a Gopher Grow To?
It depends, really. Often, gophers can vary in size – anything from around five inches upward to around one foot and a half. You should make concessions for that. You need to create a safe space for the gopher, and most of the time this would include using a large, caged area. Since they love to build tunnels, too, we recommend finding a location that would allow your gopher to continue to do that.
It should have something to tunnel in, as it is their main past-time. It will quickly become frustrated without the ability to tunnel, so keep that in mind. You also need to make sure that you protect the gopher, as many creatures see gopher as a lovely dinner.
Everything from hawks to skunks would love a gopher for their food, so make sure your gopher is well protected from any potential invaders. In terms of diet, you should be looking to try and find shrubs and leaves for the gopher to enjoy. They will also love to eat roots which grow under the soil, so keep that in mind.
Alfalfa is an easily purchased gopher food that you can use, too. However, in winter you will need to get used to buying it food as foraging meals becomes much harder for the gopher naturally. Also, try and get a little water dish that it can drink from on a regular basis.
Lastly, try and spend some social time with the gopher to see if it will become better behaved and more domesticated. While they can be quite challenging to get to come round to being domesticated, the gopher is a very enjoyable creature to have at home. Avoid its teeth, and you can form a very happy, long-lasting relationship!
