By unique I mean not a dog or a cat. I'm more leaning towards pocket pet suggestions but reptile or other animal suggestions are welcome too (:. I'm interested in a pet to spend a lot of home-time with...I'm basing my choice more so on personality unless they are a terrible bother to take care of or there's something I simply cannot do for it so it lives happily in my care. So far, I've liked these animals:
*Rats
*Ferrets
*Mini Pigs
*Sugar Gliders

Anyone who's been a companion to an animal that they had/have a very nice experience with please share your animal. Give me your input on what kind of animal I should adopt! (I plan on looking on things like Petfinder or breeders)

I agree, rats may be your best bet here, although ferrets might be a good choice too depending on your situation and how much you will be able to spend on vet care. By "mini pigs," do you mean miniature pigs (like pot-bellied pigs) or guinea pigs? Guinea pigs are good pets, pigs not so much unless you have a lot of space and time to dedicate to them. pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

Rats are great, interactive pets that do best in groups of two or more. The downside to rats is that they have fairly short life spans (1-3 years...I had one rat make it to two years, the others all died between 6 months and 1 1/2 years of age from either respiratory disease or tumors). They are generally healthy except that they are prone to respiratory diseases and mammary tumors. Getting pet rats from a breeder who breeds for health and longevity is your best bet for healthy, long-lived rats (my oldest rat was from a breeder and her grandsire was 3 years old and still kicking when I got her).

Ferrets do have an odor to them, even when they are descented. Also, because they are neutered so young (generally before 6 weeks of age) and because most pet ferrets available in the USA are mass-bred by marshall farms they are prone to adrenal disease as they age which can be expensive to treat. I work at an exotic vet and ferrets have been one of the more expensive patients we've seen. Ferrets also need yearly vaccines, rabies (for legal reasons because if they bite someone and are not vaccinated they are treated the same as wildlife...ie they are euthanized and the brain sent off for rabies testing) and distemper (because they can get distemper and it is fatal if they do get it...you can carry this virus in on your shoes). They are also prone to GI obstructions (seriously, if a ferret gets a hairball they need surgery to remove it or they will die!). But they do live longer than many other pocket pets and they are nothing if not entertaining.

pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

Sugar Gliders do not make good pets. Period. They have very sharp teeth, are generally not friendly, and we just do not know much about their proper care. In fact, most of the information on their care is based more on what hasn't killed them than on what is best for their health. They need a very large cage and are nocturnal so are likely to be asleep most of the time that you are awake.

Guinea pigs make great pets. I really liked mine and when my son is old enough to start wanting a pet of his own, they are right at the top of my list. They typically live 4-6 years and are easy to care for. They are friendly, rarely aggressive, and generally healthy. The biggest things you need to look out for are GI stasis and dental problems (which are often related to each other). They can get tumors, but they are not as prone to them as rats and rabbits.

Chinchillas can also be good pets, but like someone else pointed out they can live 10-20 years so they are a commitment. The biggest problem with chinchillas is again GI stasis and dental issues, which can shorten their lifespan.

rats are very intelligent funny and sweet little creatures. but they are like dogs and require a decent amount of attention. and just like dogs they can be trained yup! they can be trained to do their "duties" in a small litter box. they are also very easily entertained. GOOD LUCK :)

loves rats :P

Get a Pokemon please. Maybe a Pikachu or a Poliwrath would do perfectly.

I have a chinchilla named moo and i love him hes fluffy!!!!1 try tht

get a chowowa u know a hand bag dogggggggggggg

Out of the ones you've listed and the little you've said about what you want and can handle, I think rats sound best for you. They do best in pairs, so get 2 or more (I'd do 2), and get them a nice sized cage with a metal wheel (no spokes to catch toes and tails and a solid running surface to protect little feet), and do some research on them to learn their diets, chew toys, etc. They're smart, trainable, and from what I've heard (never owned them, but have read lots about them) they like being held and carried around.