.. I'm thinking of dragging a poor, unsuspecting, fuzzy mammal into my life. (No, nalroth doesn't count.) Cats and bigger are kind of out of the question (for now), so I was thinking a rodent-type creature. I was leaning towards a mouse (because they're so kawaaaaaaaiiiii~!), but after doing a little research and chatting with at least one pet store manager, I'm thinking a rat might be a better way to go.

Now, here comes the opportunity for audience participation: what kind of cage would I need to get? The only ones they had at the (as far as I know, only) petstore were going for ~$60, which after a quick search online seems ridiculous. What dimensions should I be looking at? Features I should avoid or be sure to have (wheels, plastic siding, etc)? I'm hoping at least a few of you out there (*cough-cough-leesalogic-cough*) might have a few words of advice for an eager mommy-to-be?

Thanks guys!
*runs off squee-ing*