LOOKING AFTER YOUR SMALL ANIMAL
All small mammals commonly kept as pets chew and gnaw, so the cage should be designed or made to withstand chewing. Cages of hard plastic and steel or wire are best.
The rabbit and guinea pig should be kept in a cage with enough room to exercise, eat and sleep. They can also be kept in open-top enclosures placed on the floor. You may place the enclosure in the garden but do ensure that your pet has proper shelter and protection against stray animals.
The hamster, gerbil, mouse and chinchilla are climbers and should be kept in a cage that is tall and closed at the top. There should be space for exercise, eating and sleeping. A running wheel or similar exercise item should be provided.
Always provide sufficient clean bedding in the form of straw or hay,wood shavings, sawdust or shredded paper. The bedding will absorb wet waste and allow the animals to build a 'nest' for security. Wet or soiled bedding should be regularly discarded. Do not use shredded newspaper as the newsprint may be toxic to some of the smaller animals. Chinchillas should be provided with a dust bath, which helps to remove excess moisture and oil in their fur and keeps the chinchillas clean.
Most small mammals can be kept in pairs or small groups so long as they have sufficient space and are compatible. Personality clashes between individual animals are less likely if the animals have been kept together from young.
The chinchilla has a very thick luxuriant coat that makes it more suited to a cool, dry environment. Air-conditioning should therefore be provided wherever possible. At the very least, a fan should be provided to circulate the air. However the fan should be faced away from the cage or set on oscillation mode.
Commercial pellets are readily available for feeding different types of small mammals. Feed the pellets suited to the respective animals. The animals are herbivorous and should be provided with hay (as bedding and food), greens, cabbage and salad crops, carrots, apple, etc. Dried fruits and nuts also add variety to the diet. Guinea pigs need Vitamin C in their diet. As Vitamin C in commercial foods is stable for up to 3 months only, supplementation should be considered if the date of manufacture is not known.
These animals have teeth that grow continuously throughout their lives hence you should provide a piece of chalk (calcium carbonate), cuttlefish bone or softwood for them to chew on so that their incisors do not overgrow. Overgrown incisors can result in the animal starving because it cannot eat. Periodically, the incisors may need to be trimmed by your veterinarian.
The hamster has two cheek pouches for storing and transporting food. Check periodically that these are not impacted or infected. Consult your veterinarian if necessary.
Clean, fresh drinking water can be dispensed in heavy water bowls which cannot overturn or in commercial water droppers hung on the cage.
Be gentle when handling your pet as it isfragile and can be prone to injury.
Hamsters and mice may bite. Do not pick up your pet rabbit by its ears, but scruff it and quickly support its body with the other hand. Cradle it in your arm with its head in the crook of your elbow.
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