The more I read about them, the more I see it as bad reputation/information. The two we currently have don't smell at all. There's a couple things that go along with this though, first they have a very clean home since it's new and secondly, the male hasn't reached sexual maturity yet so he's not scenting. I'd say that the smell has more to do with the caretakers. If you don't wash their pouches and such, they will start to smell like their pouch. (which could be bad if they pee in it a lot)

They are very clean animals though, like cats. They don't ever need a bath. As far as the biting goes, I have been bitten by both of them. This pair is only about 16 weeks out of the pouch. I don't think they could really hurt you if they even wanted to. Their teeth aren't really made for tearing flesh. And they don't chew things like rodents. There are known cases of them chewing on things, but it's not a common thing like with rats, mice or hamsters.

The business about them being very expensive to take care of doesn't really make any sense to me. Even if you go with homemade diets, most of them make a months worth of food that you can keep in the freezer. Then on top of that, they get two little pieces of fruit and veggies. We're trying out different foods now. I have read too much about malnutrition with the homemade diets, it's making me look into alternatives that will offer a good balance.

The best advice I can give you is do a lot of research and realize that with any animal, there are groups out there that go a little overkill with the care of their beloved animals. Talk to owners to get their opinions and ask your vet. I'm not in a good position to really talk about all their needs since I've only had mine for a week

I'll be sure to post updates in the future and feel free to contact me if you ever want more information about our experience.