Small Animal - Pet Care at a Glance
In the UK this term, in general, encompasses:
• Mice and rats
• Ferrets
• Hamsters and gerbils
• Rabbits
• Guinea pigs
• Chinchillas
• Degus
While owning one (or more) of these animals is clearly different from caring for a St Bernard dog, small animal does not necessarily mean ‘small commitment’.
These make adorable pets. ‘Fancy’ mice, as pet mice are called, have varying markings and coat types. They love to play, burrow and search for food. Mice and rats have periods of activity during both day and night. If handled gently they seldom bite.
Pick up these small rodents by scooping them up in a can or your cupped hands. You can also pick them up by grasping them at the base of the tail. NB: Never grasp or pull at the tip of the tail; the skin may tear and strip off the tail.
Because mice and rats can squeeze through very small spaces they need to be kept in an escape-proof cage. They love ladders, nest boxes, toys and an exercise wheel. Bedding must be changed once or twice a week.
Mice and rats are omnivores but need a good amount of protein. We recommend you buy processed rodent foods which come as dry blocks or pellets. Mice like sunflower seeds but bear in mind that these contain low levels of calcium yet are high in fat and cholesterol so use these as treats. A purely seed-based diet can lead to obesity and nutritional deficiencies.
Mice and rats usually eat at night. The adult mouse will eat around 15g of feed and drink 15ml of water per 100g of its body weight a day. The adult rat requires less. He will eat around 5g of feed and drink 10ml of water per 100g of his body weight each day.
If these rodents don’t take in enough water (via a bottle with a sipper tube) they can suffer not only from dehydration but also low body weight, infertility and even death.
Mice and rats are susceptible to some diseases: Mycoplasma pulmonis; Tyzzer's disease; Sendai virus and ringtail among them. Tumours are also common.
Symptoms that indicate your mouse or rat might be suffering include difficulty breathing, sniffles, sneezes, squinting or red-coloured tears from the eyes, diarrhoea, nasal discharge, lethargy, a rough coat, poor appetite.
Mice live from up to three years. Rats can live between two and four years.
These are a longer-term prospect - they live up to the age of eight or even 12. The males (hobs) are bigger than the female (jills). Unless you want a lot of ferrets on your hands get them spayed or neutered.
Ferrets love to play but they sleep a lot too – up to 18 hours a day. They tend to be active at dawn and dusk but will often adapt their habits to fit in with your schedule.
For housing give them a lot of space. They can be kept indoors or outdoors. Use a large hutch or an escape-proof shed with a litter tray that is emptied daily. They love playing in tunnels and are a delight to watch.
Keep ferrets out of the sun – even weak sun – as the heat can kill them. Old clothes or blankets make ideal bedding. The aromatic oils of wood shavings can adversely affect their lungs so avoid this. Straw is harsh on the skin while hay is too dusty.
You can take ferrets for walks. You need a special harness for this.
Diet-wise ferrets need lots of protein and fat but very little carbohydrate. Cheap food will result in ill health or even the ferret’s death so buy good quality ferret or cat kibble.
There are different species of hamsters – Syrian, Dwarf and Chinese. Different species should never be kept together. Syrians are quite tame but should be kept as sole pets in one cage; Dwarf hamsters are fast and very agile; Chinese hamsters are friendly and agile.
Try to adopt a young hamster or gerbil and study it carefully to determine its health. They should be curious, comfortable with being handled and have bright eyes and healthy coats.
Both hamsters and gerbils need strong cages not made of wood (they will chew their way out!). Provide gnawing materials such as a piece of wood. Loud noises stress hamsters so keep them away from the television, CD player or loud household appliances.
For hamster bedding use undyed and unscented toilet paper, facial tissue, or soft paper towels. These will be shredded by the hamster to make a nest. Hamsters need a lot of exercise – they range for miles at night in the wild – so provide a good quality exercise wheel. (Make sure it is a quiet one or you will be woken in the night!)
Gerbils like exercise wheels too but prefer to hide. Specially constructed hides can be bought from a pet store. A ladder or see-saw will also please your gerbil.
To ensure a healthy diet for your hamster or gerbil choose commercially produced pelleted food. You can add a small amount of loose mixture which comprises grains, seeds and dried vegetables. Feed your pet at the same time every day. Don’t give too much and remove food not eaten the previous day before feeding. Always provide fresh water via a bottle sipper.
If a hamster or gerbil is unwell - for example, is wheezing - isolate from the group to prevent the spread of illnesses, such as flu and wet tail. Both hamsters and gerbils can catch colds and ‘flu from humans so do not handle him if you are suffering. If you are worried about any symptoms contact your vet.
Hamsters live between two and three years, although some do live longer.
Gerbils live from between three and five years.
Rabbits are extremely popular as pets. Some even become 'house rabbits' enjoying all the comfort of the owner’s home.
For rabbits kept outdoors, provide a large hutch with two compartments: one for daytime, one for nesting and night-time. Line the hutch with newspaper and add sawdust or wood shavings for extra warmth. Put hay in the sleeping compartment.
Cramped, poor housing is a major cause of ill health in rabbits. Rabbits also suffer in extremes of temperature so keep the hutch in a sheltered place. Attach a thick piece of canvas to the roof which you can lower at night to keep the rabbit(s) warm.
Rabbits need exercise, usually through the use of a run which must be escape- and predator-proof. Rabbits love to play with boxes, flowerpots and logs. They need outdoor exercise every day as they require sunlight to produce vitamin D. The run should be moved daily so that the rabbit can nibble on fresh, untreated grass.
Grooming with a soft bristle brush keeps the coat clean and removes excess hair, important when the rabbit is moulting. Long-haired rabbits need daily grooming.
These herbivores must be fed twice a day. Dry rabbit mixes or nuggets are available to buy and they can also eat hay, grass, root vegetables, fruit and herbage.
Have your rabbit vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease. Both conditions are potentially fatal and booster vaccinations will be needed each year.
Consult your vet if you see any signs of ill health.
Rabbits can live up to 10 years.
In the wild these friendly, loving animals, which originate from Peru, roam the countryside in groups comprising one male, some females and their young. For this reason, pet guinea pigs are best kept in pairs or larger groups. Team same sex pairs or female(s) with a neutered male.
Long-haired guinea pigs should be groomed every day to avoid their hair becoming matted and painful.
Do not house guinea pigs with rabbits as the latter can injure them with their powerful kicks!
Keep the cage or hutch out of direct sunlight and away from radiators or draughts. If kept outdoors over winter, place their hutch in a shed or in shelter next to the house. Provide lots of hay and place newspaper over the wire window to keep draughts out.
Clean the cage or hutch once a week, if not more frequently. Use a pet-safe disinfectant.
Exercise your guinea pigs in a safe, enclosed run in the garden or large room in your home, away from other pets.
Like humans, guinea pigs need vitamin C in their diet, so feed them on a commercial guinea pig food. Add in vegetables (preferably three per day). Grass and dandelions go down well too as extras. They also need large amounts of fresh hay. Counter the guinea pig ‘sweet tooth’ by offering fruit just twice a week.
Talking of teeth, make sure your guinea pigs can gnaw on branches and mineral stones to wear down their constantly growing teeth.
You’ll know your guinea pig is ill if you see listlessness, mucus or crustiness around the eyes or nose, or if they go off their food. Flystrike can be deadly.
Guinea pigs suffering from obesity, dental problems, diarrhoea, arthritis and skin wounds are at high risk of flystrike. With this disease flies lay their eggs around a guinea pig’s anus. The resulting maggots eat away at the surrounding flesh.
If you think your pet has flystrike or exhibits any other symptoms of illness call your vet at once.
Guinea pigs live from between five to seven years or longer.
These beautiful creatures, with their soft fur and large ears and eyes, originate from the Andes mountain range.
House them in a large, multi-level cage made of galvanised welded wire mesh. Include branches, platforms and a special fresh daily dust bath. Their thick fur makes them susceptible to heat stroke, so ensure they do not get hot. Handle them very carefully; clumsy treatment can cause fractured ribs. Use this time to examine him for any signs of ill health. Consult your vet immediately if you have any doubts.
Chinchillas need daily exercise outside of the cage – for up to two hours – at night. Make sure the room is escape proof but keep the cage door open so they know they have a safe place to go to at any time. To return your chinchilla to his cage place a treat or dust bath inside the cage. Do not chase and try to catch a chinchilla as this will scare and stress it. Stress will affect appetite and general health.
Chinchillas cannot regulate their own body temperature and during hot spells heat exhaustion can set in and kill them. But don’t open windows either or the chinchilla will escape.
They fare best, diet-wise, on commercially produced chinchilla pellet along with good quality hay and fresh water. Chinchillas are intolerant of sugar and fruit so give tiny amounts as a very occasional treat. Avoid peanuts and other fatty foods. In the wild the chinchilla diet is sparse.
They can live up to ten years of age though some have made it beyond age 15.
Degus are friendly, playful animals who become very tame if handled from an early age. Their social nature means they should live in groups; isolation makes them aggressive and anxious.
Two degus need a wire cage similar to those used for ferrets and chinchillas. Big and multi-level is best. The cage needs a solid floor and solid ledges/platforms (not wire) as degus can have trouble with their feet. Give them pet-safe bedding at the bottom of the cage plus a nest box with nesting material (hay, for example) to help them feel secure. Change the bedding once a week - more often if you have several degus.
An exercise wheel (also solid, not wire) is essential as are thick branches which they will use for climbing on and chewing. Willow balls and toys made for rabbits will be enthusiastically received as will and cotton rope and wood toys made for parrots. You can also attach a mineral or salt block designed for rodents to the cage.
Degus need dust baths. Give them a shallow bowl with two inches of chinchilla bath dust (sand) twice a week.
Degu-proof feeding bowls and a water bottle with a sipper tube complete the picture.
Feed degus on commercial degu food or a combination of high quality chinchilla or guinea pig pellets along with rodent blocks. Provide grass hay at all times. Small amount of alfalfa hay go down well too. Peeled, uncooked, pesticide-free vegetables, such as sweet potato and carrots, can be offered in small amounts. Some degu experts advise against feeding these animals on vegetables belonging to the cabbage family.
Diabetes is a risk for degus as they are unable to metabolise sugar so do not feed them fruit.
Sunflower seeds, peanuts and whole nuts may be fed as an occasional treat only. Too much fat causes liver disease.
Degus are also prone to mouth diseases. If the teeth start to become white take your degu to a vet immediately. Mouth diseases are often fatal.
Bubblefoot is a disease that affects the degu’s feet so watch out for hobbling. Never grab or try to pick up a degu by the tail; they can lose part of it.
Degus can live from to the age of five and up to, in some cases, the age of nine.
DISCLAIMER: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained here it is for educational purposes only. The writer of this article and flynnthedog can not diagnose any physical, mental or behavioural condition in animals nor prescribe treatment. We urge you to consult your vet if you have any concerns about your pet.
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