Small animals: Which one?

Small animals: Which one?

There is no doubt small animals make a fantastic first pet, children find them fun and interesting and even adults melt under their cute looks and behaviour. They are relatively easy to look after and endlessly reward their owners with hours of fun and endless affection, which is what makes them so popular. However, how do you choose what type of small animal is right for you? Ultimately research and contact will be the best way to answer this for yourself, but to help you along the way, here is our quick guide to the most popular types.

Hamsters:
Being small and fluffy as well as having many various coat markings, hamsters are one of the most popular small animal groups. They are often chosen as first pets for children and make playful companions.

Character: Curious and adventurous, fairly intelligent. With the right handling are fairly tame and calm creatures, although will bite if scared or upset. Hamsters are nocturnal and live inside.

Housing: Solid bottomed cage, with either bars or ventilated plastic. Sawdust and paper shreds are used for bedding. Due to their intelligent and active nature they must also have toys in the cage. Must be escape proof. Syrians should be housed alone, although some other species will live together.

Food: Hamsters are omnivorous so can eat a wide range of treats, although they are healthiest when on a staple of dried hamster mix.

Life span: One to three years.


Rat:
Being larger than the hamster and somewhat more active rats make great and entertaining animals. Although not for everyone, their behaviour and large variety of colours makes them very popular.

Character: Highly intelligent, very curious and active. Less likely to bite, but will if annoyed. Can become very tame and can become great companionable pets.

Housing: Large wire cage with at least two levels to allow for exercise. Needs to be solid bottomed and escape proof. Rats are nocturnal and live inside. Can live together if put in single sex groups from an early age.

Food: Omnivorous, they eat a huge range of foods. They do best on a staple of dried rat mix with a variety of treats.

Life span: Two to four years.

Guinea pigs:
Being a larger size, these small animals make great pets as some people find them easier to handle. They are very responsive to their owners and will vocalise during feeding time or when their owners are near, this trait along with their cute looks are some of the reason they are so popular as pets.

Character: Very sociable, clever and active. They can be nervous but with the right handling become extremely tame and will more than often freeze rather than bite.

Housing: They should be housed in a hutch or large cage space, with access to an outdoors run in the summer. In the winter they need to be housed indoors, either in a large cage space or hutch. The cage doesn’t need to be tall as they don’t jump around but they need to have a lot of floor space, as they are active creatures. Soft bedding such as woodshavings or straw should be used. Can be housed with littermates or single sex groups. Must not be housed with rabbits.

Food: Herbivorous, they require a lot of fibrous foods to maintain health. It is best to feed a dry mix specially for guinea pigs and supplement with hay, vegetables and other treats to help wear down teeth.

Life span: Five to eight years.

Rabbits:

With so many breeds and so many different breed characteristics rabbits make truly fascinating pets. It is clear why they are so popular, with their defined personalities and interesting behaviours.

Character: Playful, loving and active. Social but this needs to be maintained to stop them from becoming shy. Companionable if handled well.

Housing: A large hutch, with access to a run in the summer. Rabbits should be taken indoors during the winter. Can be allowed to free roam indoors if done so from a young age and it being safe to do so. The hutch needs to be thoroughly cleaned to avoid fly strike. Can be housed together, space permitting and a male and a female can be placed provided they are neutered. Can also place two does together. Should never be housed with guinea pigs.

Food: Frequent feeding of either a dry mix or a nugget mix formulated for rabbits. This should be supplemented with treats and hay to help wear down the teeth.

Life span: Five to ten years.

Gerbil:

Lively and entertaining, these little critters are a fun pet that makes a fun difference from other small animals. Highly active they will fascinate many owners.

Character: Friendly, inquisitive and social. Very active animals.

Housing: A ‘Plexi’ glass tank known as a gerbilarium is best used as this will allow sufficient ventilation and ensure there are no unwanted escapes! Thick layers of sawdust should be used in the lower half to allow burrowing and digging tunnels. Should be housed with littermates (to prevent fighting) in same sex pairs. They will happily live with mixed sex groups but litters will occur. You should not house them alone.

Food: A dry mix of gerbil food should be a staple, along with various treats. Their diet needs to be carefully handled as they can be susceptible to high fat intake which can cause health issues.

Life span: Three to five years.

Mouse:

Small and cute as well as tame mice make great pets although are probably more suited to older children and adults due to their smaller size.

Character: Happy, playful and active although can be timid or shy at first.

Housing: Solid floored cages, especially built for mice, either with smaller metal bars or plastic sides that they cannot gnaw. A secure lid and soft bedding, much like a hamster is needed. They also require hiding places in order to feel secure. Can be kept in single sex groups or pairs. Males, however, will dispute over territory and produce a musky odour.

Food: Omnivorous, they should be fed a wide variety of treats alongside a staple of dried mouse food. You need to be careful with fat and sugar levels.

Life span: One to three years.

Chinchilla:

Large fluffy and extremely active, chinchillas are good pets if you have the space, they are good for older children and will be loved by all. Their sweet natures nad sociable habits mean they are fascinating creatures.

Character: Very fast and lively characters with a sweet and inquisitive side. Can be slightly timid but usually warm up to their owners quickly.

Housing: Chinchillas need very large cages as they will jump, run and dart around them. A specialised chinchilla cage is best as they have removable trays at the bottom for frequent cleaning. There doesn’t need to be any substrate as they mainly climb but toys, platforms and things to keep them amused are always appreciated. A sand bath that is changed daily should also be available. You can keep chinchillas in pairs or polygamous groups of two to three females to one male.

Food: Chinchillas are true herbivores and as such have delicate digestion, therefore a special chinchilla dry food or pellet should be given. Treats should also accompany this but should be marked safe for chinchillas to avoid giving too much sugar or protein. Hay should also always be available, as they need a lot of fibre and also need to wear down their teeth.

Life span: Ten to twenty years.

Degu:

Lively, social and vocal they love human interaction so make great pets. Perhaps more suited to the more experienced keeper, due to the level of care they require. They do however have a low record of disease, which means they can be very straightforward in their health.

Character: Social, lively, good natured and very curious.

Housing: Their cage needs to be large, focusing on height as they love to climb, much like chinchillas they don’t need bedding although aspen would be appreciated. They also need a sand bath and plenty of toys to keep their active minds busy. They cannot be kept singularly as they are highly social and will not do well with human interaction alone, they need at least one cage mate and will rarely fight. They are active during the day.

Food: True herbivores, they need plenty of hay for their digestive systems. Although degus are becoming more popular, foods for them are not as easily available. Instead you should aim to feed a diet suitable for chinchillas, making sure it is nugget form to stop selective feeding. You also need to avoid sugary foods and treats, as they can get diabetes more easily than other small animals.

Life span: Five to eight years.

Ferrets:
Ferrets are lively and very intelligent, they are active creatures with more complex needs than any of the other small animals and are probably best suited to someone with more experience of pet ownership.

Character: inquisitive, intelligent, active and independent.

Housing: Best put in large wire cages, with multiple levels to allow adequate exercise. They can also be kept in large outdoors enclosures if space permits as well as freely in the house as they can be litter trained. They are social and will prefer living with at least one other ferret, although large groups and un-neutered companions may fight so it is best to keep neutered males and females. They also need plenty of toys or opportunity to use their active minds.

Food: Ferrets are carnivores, so they have largely different diets to any of the other small animals here. They can be fed on a high quality kibble to provide all the protein and fat, some ferret owners will also provide treats such as thawed chicks, tinned meat and raw meats.

Life span: Five to eleven years.

Exercise for small animals

Exercise for Small Animals

Rodents, being part of the mammal family, are curious and intelligent little creatures. Because of this they can get bored very quickly! When boredom sets in they can become destructive to their environment, gnawing and chewing on their enclosures. This is why it is important to give your little companion plenty of things to do, by providing him or her plenty of exercise. There are lots of ways to do this, all of which are fun and rewarding for both you and your pet!

Gnaw Toys

Rodents need to keep their teeth in check. Gnawing is a part of their daily routine and if they don’t have anything interesting to chew they will use bowls, water bottles and even their enclosures. Providing a gnaw toy will prevent this and give your little friend something to think about. There is a wide variety and it’s best if they type of chew you provide is changed regularly, to keep your pets interest. You should also replace the toy when it has become old or over chewed!

Kabob Mini Salad bites are perfect toys for all small animals, made from wood they come in a variety of interesting shapes. They are even better teamed with the Kabob for small animals, which you can slide multiple gnaw toys on as well as treats to provide hours of fun for your rabbit or guinea pig. If you prefer something more natural, willow rings or willow balls are interesting objects that won’t only keep your pet’s teeth in check but will also give somewhere to hide in or clamber through. Playstix are another good toy, which consists of bendable log strips, providing a gnaw-able refuge for your pet. You can also provide interest to your rodents diet, by adding small amounts of vegetables and other hard treats, such as dried fruit or rodent biscuits. Slat and mineral licks attached to the cage also provide interest and give your pet a good source of extra nourishment.

Out and About

On top of gnawing, rodents need to be able to travel. A hamster can run up to 10 miles per night, which goes to show how active our small pets can be! On top of handling items should be placed in the cage or given to your pet when being handled to allow your little friend to carry out this active lifestyle. There are a number of toys that can help you do this.

Hamster balls and wheels.

For smaller rodents, such as hamsters, you can buy hamster balls, allowing you to put your pet in a safe place while cleaning out the cage or changing water and food. It gives them the opportunity to roam freely and burn off some energy! Some hamster balls have changeable doors so you can stand the ball on a frame so it can act like a hamster wheel, or if you leave it in a pen, your pet can freely choose to go in and out of the toy. When using a play ball you should always secure the area, making sure no escapes down stairs or in potentially dangerous areas are able to happen.

Hamster wheels are also a great way of exercising your pet, either in its enclosure or in a run. Although they still have the name ‘hamster wheel’ many are sized appropriately for rats, guinea pigs and even ferrets! Placing one in your pets housing gives it the opportunity to exercise whenever it likes, keeping it happier and healthier. You should always aim to choose the plastic variety as they are safer and have no areas for feet or tails to be caught in.

Temporary pens and runs

If you like to let your pet roam free you can use runs and temporary pens to make sure it doesn’t get into trouble! Wooden runs are best suited for outdoors or larger rodents such as rabbits. If you want to section an area off in your home the foldaway hamster fort is perfect. It is a durable cardboard ‘castle’ with many partitions, effectively creating a maze for your small pet. This is a great way of letting him or her run free whilst you can sit and watch or join in the fun by placing tasty treats in the partitions. Another idea is to section an area off and provide tunnels and hides. These of course could also be placed in your pets enclosure. The ‘soft tunnel’ is a fabric tunnel that your hamster, gerbil or rat will love to tunnel through and play with.

Leads

If you like to let your pet roam free a lead and harness set could be perfect. Ferrets, rabbits and even guinea pigs can safely roam around whilst sporting a stylish harness and lead combo. This is a great way to know where your pet is going and whilst allowing it to explore a little. If you own a hamster, you can also use a ‘lead’ although this is to see where your little critter is going so you can keep it safe while exploring indoors.

Ladders, hides and other cage items

The fun doesn’t have to stop when your pet is back safely in it’s cage! There are a number of toys to keep you pet occupied when it’s relaxing at home. Changing these toys regularly to keep him or her occupied. The crazy climber is perfect for rats, mice and hamsters as you can attach it to the top of the cage and allow your pet to either climb around on top of the ladder like platform or play with the items hanging off of it. You can also purchase a number of hammocks for pets such as ferrets and rats, allowing them to go through suspended tunnels, giving them that extra exercise they need. If your pet isn’t much of a climber you might want to provide tunnels or plastic hides for him or her to explore. They might even decide to make a nest in there! The Bunny shake and chew is another great toy that you can put treats and gnaws toys on. It rattles as it is moved and is great for rabbits, who love the noise as well as guinea pigs and rats. You might even catch your pet throwing it and chasing it!

Whatever combination of toys you choose, remember to swap them round frequently. This will prevent boredom for your pet and will provide both of you with hours of fun and enjoyment.

Hamster care

Biology
Lifespan: 2-3 years
Earliest breeding age: Male - 6 weeks;
Female - from 4 weeks
Weaning: 21 days
Daily water amount: approx. 30ml
Daily food amount: approx. 10-15g
Hamsters are mainly nocturnal animals. There are different species of Hamster. The most common, the Golden or Syrian Hamster, should be kept singularly except for short periods when breeding. Other species of hamster (Russian and Chinese) are best kept as a ‘single sex pair’ (2 males or 2 females together) as long as they are together from a very early age.
Housing
There are a number of different types of hamster cage on the market. The most common being a wire cage with a plastic base, and sometimes having a second or third floor above. Woodshavings make ideal bedding/ flooring material for hamster cages and shredded paper is an excellent alternative. Hamsters are actually very house-proud creatures and can be very easy to toilet train. Place a jam jar containing some paper bedding in the area your hamster normally uses to wee. Most hamsters quickly get the idea and do all their wees in the “wee-jar” making the cage much easier to keep clean and smelling fresh. Hamsters are generally solitary creatures that in the wild live in constant fear of being preyed upon. Secure hiding places where they feel safe and get privacy are important. The cage should have some type of box or house for the hamster to retreat into, and a good idea is to have a deep layer of shredded paper in the base for the hamster to burrow into. The wee jar should be cleaned daily the rest of the cage can then be left about two weeks between cleaning.
Toys
Provide your hamster with a wheel for exercise. Hamsters can be destructive by nature and one of the best toys to give them is something they can chew. You will find chew sticks available in pet shops. A hamster ball is useful when cleaning out but they should not be left in it for too long or unsupervised.
Food and water
Hamsters are Omnivorous, which literally means they eat everything! Dry “Hamster mix” from the pet shop is a good basic diet but it should be supplemented with lots of other things. In small amounts fruits and vegetables are good, as are small amounts of meat and occasional chicken or lamb bones. Hamsters can become bored of their cages so anything that keeps them occupied is good. Scattering dry food items all around the cage (mixed in with the paper) provides lots of good activity and exercise. Fresh water should be available at all times, and should be changed daily.