Guinea Pigs And Friends

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2008-10-28T10:02:00.003-07:00

At Guinea Pigs & Friends you can learn all about how to keep your furry friends happy and healthy. You will learn about various eating habits and ideal feed. Creating optimal habitats, Bedding and maintenance. Hygiene and general health. Pampering and love, along with plenty more useful information and tips for ensuring your pet lives a long and happy life. Look to the left side to find the correct animal and section for you.

I have reasearched all of the information on this site, from books and many more reliable places.

Friends guinea pig, and guinea pigs friends are good ways to find this site. I would try friends guinea pig, or guinea pigs friends, would work i guess.

I hope the information on this site, friends guinea pig helped.

My name is Alexander Boyd, and i have created this site for fellow rodent lovers. I have created this site so that i can help all of you care for your pets the best you can, and have them live the longest lives. So i hope you get allot of use full information from this site.

Health Concerns

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Health concerns

[edit] Teeth problems
Misalignment of incisors due to injury or malnutrition may result in overgrowth, which can cause injury to the roof of the mouth. Symptoms include a dropped or loss of appetite, drooling, weight loss, or foul breath.[7]

[edit] Trauma
Common injuries are caused by gerbils being dropped or falling, usually while inside of an "exercise ball", which can cause broken limbs or a fractured spine (for which there is no cure).[7][8]

[edit] Neglect
A common problem for all small rodents is neglect, which can cause the gerbils to not receive adequate food and water, causing serious health concerns, including dehydration, starvation, stomach ulcers, eating of bedding material, and cannibalism.[7]

[edit] Wet tail
While gerbils do not get wet tail, diarrhea can occur, usually caused by a virulent strain of E. coli or Salmonella, which is most common among weaning gerbils (3-6 weeks). Symptoms include lethargy, thinness, increased irritability, hunched posture, fluid or bloody diarrhea, and a wet, soiled anal area and tail. It is treatable with antibiotics, yet the gerbil may remain a carrier of the germ and spread it to other uninfected gerbils. For this reason, a gerbil that has had diarrhea should not be chosen to breed with.

[edit] Epilepsy
Between 20 percent and 50 percent of all pet gerbils have the seizure disorder epilepsy.[9] The seizures are caused by fright, handling, or a new environment. The attacks can be mild to severe but do not typically appear to have any long-term effects, except for rare cases where death results from very severe seizures.[10]

[edit] Tumors
Tumors, both benign and malignant, are fairly common in pet gerbils, and are most common in females over the age of 2. Usually, the tumors involve the ovaries, causing an extended abdomen, or the skin cancer, with tumors most often developing around the ears, feet, mid-abdomen, and base of the tail, appearing as a lump or abscess.[10]

[edit] Tail sloughing
Gerbils can lose their tails due to improper handling, being attacked by another animal, or getting their tail stuck. The first sign is a loss of fur from the tip of the tail, then, the skinless tail dies off and sloughs, with the stump usually healing without complications.[10]

[edit] Tyzzer's disease
The most common infectious disease in gerbils is Tyzzer's disease, which is often caused by either stress or bacteria, and produces symptoms such as ruffled fur, lethargy, hunched posture, poor appetite, diarrhoea, and often death. It quickly spreads between gerbils in close contact.[10]

[edit] Deafness and inner ear problems
A problem with the inner ear can be spotted by a gerbil leaning to one side quite obviously. The fluids in the ears affect balance. However, this does not appear to affect the gerbils too much, which have an aptitude of just getting on with things, and getting used to their conditions.

[edit] Extremes of temperature
As desert animals, it is easy to make the mistake that as gerbils are used to bitter cold in the night and boiling heat in the day, they can be left in direct sunlight or in subzero temperatures. This can cause damage to a gerbil. The reason they survive in the desert is because they take frequent shelter in their tunnels. Many gerbils living together and plenty of bedding helps gerbils stay warm. In heat, they will trample their bedding flat. Heat can make gerbils noticeably lethargic, so the choice of shade is important. They do sweat when very hot, and become thirsty more often than usual.

[edit] Respiratory problems
Forgetting to clean a pet gerbil's cage for weeks can be a problem. Ammonia will build up, and gerbils may have trouble breathing. In the wild, gerbils will dig more burrows when their current one is filthy, but in cages this cannot happen. Symptoms of a respiratory infection may include exhaustion, apathy, and a strange clicking or wheezing noise. One way to help solve this problem is to give the gerbil antibiotics.

[edit] Birth defects
Gerbils are quite hardy, and it is rare for them to get sick. Seizures are common. Direct inbreeding may produce blind or deaf young with short life expectancies, and missing limbs.

[edit] Swimming
Due to their small limbs, they suffer from an inability to swim well.

Reasons for popularity

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There are several reasons for the popularity of gerbils as household pets. The animals are typically non-aggressive, and they rarely bite unprovoked or without stress. They are small and easy to handle, since they are sociable creatures that enjoy the company of humans and other gerbils.[5][6] Gerbils also have adapted their kidneys to produce a minimum of waste to conserve body fluids which makes them very clean with little odor.

The pets are incredibly industrious and will explore new environments, and they will build, construct, and enjoy elaborate networks of tunnels if given an environment that allows for it. This is easily observable as gerbils are active during all hours of the day, as opposed to the more nocturnal rodent pets. They can "recycle" everyday paper-based items, such as cardboard products like toilet paper tubes and brown paper bags, into toys and nesting material, chewing the material into small bits. If the chewed material is allowed to accumulate to a depth of 4-6 inches deep, they will tunnel through it.

Breeding

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Mating:

Gerbils will mate for several hours, in frequent short bursts followed by short chases where the female allows the male to catch her. Once he catches her, the female will squeak and make flick motions to get the male off of her. Males will not attack females except in rare circumstances which may also include them having been separated from their original mates, or widowed. A female may attack a male, but usually he is more than a match for her.

Raising Young:

Baby stages
When first born, gerbil babies are blind, deaf, hairless, and helpless. They drink their mother's milk. The young squeak softly when feeding and being picked up. Eventually they grow bigger, and within a week, they will begin to show skin pigment, indicating their possible fur color and markings. Soon after this, a thin downy fur will grow on them, and they will begin to make their fast yet unsteady way out of the nest when the bed is disturbed. This survival technique helps the babies get out of harm's way in case of a territory invasion.

The fur will grow thicker and longer, and by three weeks some of them may have one of their eyes open. Around this point, they begin to be weaned, eating food and not relying so much on milk. At this point, it would help to provide a soft food like an oat and milk mixture for them. The gerbils will become more active and their tails will lengthen and give them more balance so they can stand upright. When fully weaned and beginning to play fight with one another, they will soon be ready to move away, if required.

A mother will often be stern with how quickly the babies are weaned if she is expecting a new litter. A less fertile mother may let her litter suckle for longer. Older mothers often do not have as good a milk supply, and need plentiful water available to replenish it.

A litter will be of about 4-8 gerbils on average, although losses due to runts, defects and infanticide, or occasional, unexplainable persecution from other gerbils sometimes make the eventual litter one or two short.

Reproducing:

The most common ways of checking the sex of a young gerbil are: 1) Turning the gerbil over and checking the gap size between the genital organs of the gerbil. Female gerbils have a small gap between the two areas, while males have a much larger gap. 2) Although not always clear in childhood and adolescence, male gerbils have a fur covered bulge at the base of their tails, on their underside. This is their scrotal pouch. Females have smooth, round back ends.

Males are generally larger than females in adulthood, in length, height, and width. A gerbil can also be sexed by looking at its underside when it is a blind, deaf baby. There will be either a thick line in the middle of the stomach (the scent marker) if it is a male, or eight dots (four on the left side, four on the right) (soon to be teats) if it is a female.

Gerbil social behavior

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Gerbils often have what looks like boxing matches; this is most common amongst young gerbils (gerbil "pups"). These are gentle play fights which usually end in the winner pinning down the loser and grooming it. However, if a pair of gerbils are fighting closely in a ball shape, with both gerbils biting deeply and drawing blood, careful but swift intervention is in order by the pet owner, using a jar or oven mitts to avoid getting bitten.

Gerbils like to sleep in a group, often on top of each other. Sometimes they will absentmindedly groom each other when half asleep. Gerbils have a form of purring called "bruxing" which they do when they are being groomed or while they enjoy being stroked in the hand by their owner.

Squeaks can occasionally be heard from them, and a squeak is usually an indication of annoyance. When another gerbil steps on another without thinking, it will give a squeak, or when a gerbil tries to steal another's food, it will turn with a squeak, and when a male tries to mate an unsuspecting female, she may well turn around sharply to face him and squeak at him. Gerbil pups will squeak more often when very young, sometimes when feeding or if they have strayed from the nest.

Gerbils will raise their hackles and arch their backs to show aggression, often turned to the side and leaning against the other gerbil's body. Usually this is a warning that a fight is about to occur, and if this behavior is observed it is wise to quickly intervene.

Gerbils will also alert each other to danger by thumping on their hind legs, usually triple thumps repeated in a steady sequence. Gerbils will also thump when sexually excited. Younger gerbils are more likely to start thumping than older ones.

Cleaning

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Cleansing
Gerbils do not need water to get clean - what cleans them is a sand bath. When taking gerbils out for exercise, a small basin of cool sand will be much appreciated, and true to instinct, a gerbil will roll over in the sand. The effect is instantaneous - their fur becomes much smoother and shinier.

Food & Drink

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Food:
Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and peanuts are favorites of most gerbils, though they have individual preferences and too many sunflower seeds may result in illness. They also enjoy fruit peels such as that from a banana. In fact, gerbils will eat almost anything: dog biscuits and chews; rat food; rabbit food; guinea pig food; oats; and various "special" treats from pet shops, which in fact were not appreciated nearly as much as some parsnip cores. Most weeds dubbed as safe for grazing animals like rabbits or guinea pigs can be eaten by gerbils as well. Pet gerbils will especially enjoy live crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts as food, tearing the insect apart and eating the juicy insides. It is good for you to feed your gerbil vegetables such as carrots or an apple. Take care not to feed them too much of these foods as they contain a lot of moisture and can cause an upset stomach.

Avoid lettuces, as the nitrates can prevent oxygenation of the blood,[4] and citrus fruits, which are known carcinogens. Sugary treats are bad for gerbils; they rot the teeth and the sugar is hard for a gerbil to digest. Lastly, do not feed your gerbils food with high water content, such as celery or watermelon, as the water will cause the gerbil to have the runs, or "wet-tail" as it is commonly known.

Drink:
Although gerbils can go without water for a few days, provided they have plenty of moist food, they will always take water if it is available. Water should be provided in a pet habitat such as a tank so that the gerbil always has access to water.

General behaviour & habits

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Behaviour:

Normal gerbil behavior includes jumping, climbing, chewing, and digging. The digging motions are very common: the gerbil moves its arms rapidly.

They are curious and not easily startled. They love to burrow and hide.

Gerbils are social animals, and prefer to live in groups. Often very large groups live well together, as long as the living environment is big enough; otherwise, the gerbils may become frustrated and attack one another. Groups of females are much more quarrelsome than groups of males, but if fighting occurs among males it is usually much more vicious. Males will very rarely attack females.

Habits:
Gerbils are not naturally agressive creatures; unlike hamsters, they would rather nibble a potential source of food and only fully bite when threatened. Gerbils do not make noises often, although some gerbils can squeal when scared. To communicate with other members of the species they 'thump' repeatedly using their back legs. This is often seen when a gerbil is frightened to warn other gerbils of the danger.

Living in the dessert

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The typical Mongolian gerbil is a desert species, and lives underground in a network of tunnels, which include chambers with families. Adults move away and meet others from other chambers, extend the network, create their own chamber, and breed. Gerbils come up for food and water; there is no evidence of hoarding food, but gerbils will eat a lot of fatty foods in one sitting, suggesting supplies in the form of fat reserves rather than food storage. Gerbils do not hibernate and are diurnal. Their long tails help them to balance when they stand up on their hind legs.

Gerbil movement is more like hopping than running, and their large back feet are furry on the bottom to protect them from the heat of the sand. Gerbils are fast but overly inquisitive. In their natural environment, they are mostly insectivores, and additionally gain moisture from desert plants that store water in them. A gerbil has fur all over its body, including the tail, as this prevents it from getting sunburned.

Gerbils as Pets

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Gerbils were first introduced to the pet industry in 1964. These were the Mongolian gerbils. Their value as pets was soon appreciated and they are now found in pet shops all over the UK and USA. It is illegal to purchase, import, or keep a gerbil as a pet in the U.S. state of California.

Having gerbils as pets is quite common amongs america,canada and many many other countries.

The fact is a gerbil being your pet can have rewards.

So gerbils as a pet is not a bad idea.

Gerbils:

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A gerbil is a small mammal of the order Rodentia. Once known simply as "desert rats", the gerbil subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats. Most are primarily diurnal [1] (though some, including the common household pet, do exhibit crepuscular behavior), and almost all are omnivorous.

The word "gerbil" is a diminutive form of "jerboa", though the jerboas are an unrelated group of rodents occupying a similar ecological niche.

One Mongolian species, Meriones unguiculatus, also known as the Clawed Jird, is a gentle and hardy animal that has become a popular pet. It was first brought to the United States in 1954 by Dr. Victor Schwentker for use in research.[2]

Gerbils are typically between six and twelve inches (150 to 300 mm) long, including the tail which makes up approximately one half of their total length. One species however, the Great Gerbil, or Rhombomys opimus, originally native to Turkmenistan, can grow to more than 16 inches (400 mm) in length. The average adult gerbil weighs approximately 2 1/2 ounces. As of August 19, 2003, officials in western China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region began releasing eagles to combat the damage they say the great gerbils have done to eleven million acres (46,000 km²) of grassland.

Gerbils As pets

-What a rabbit is

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What a rabbit is:

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), Cottontail rabbit (genus Sylvilagus; 13 species), and the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi, endangered species on Amami Ōshima, Japan). There are many other species of rabbit, and these, along with pikas and hares, make up the order Lagomorpha

-Behaviour

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Behaviore:

While the European rabbit is the best-known species, it is probably also the least typical, as there is considerable variability in the natural history of rabbits. Many rabbits dig burrows, but cottontails and hispid hares do not. The European rabbit constructs the most extensive burrow systems, called warrens. Nonburrowing rabbits make surface nests called forms, generally under dense protective cover. The European rabbit occupies open landscapes such as fields, parks, and gardens, although it has colonized habitats from stony deserts to subalpine valleys. It is the most social rabbit, sometimes forming groups in warrens of up to 20 individuals. However, even in European rabbits' social behaviour can be quite flexible, depending on habitat and other local conditions, so that at times the primary social unit is a territorial breeding pair. Most rabbits are relatively solitary and sometimes territorial, coming together only to breed or occasionally to forage in small groups. During territorial disputes rabbits will sometimes “box,” using their front limbs. Rabbits are active throughout the year; no species is known to hibernate. Rabbits are generally nocturnal, and they also are relatively silent. Other than loud screams when frightened or caught by a predator, the only auditory signal known for most species is a loud foot thump made to indicate alarm or aggression. Notable exceptions are the Amami rabbit and the volcano rabbit of Mexico, which both utter a variety of calls. [1]

Instead of sound, scent seems to play a predominant role in the communication systems of most rabbits; they possess well-developed glands throughout their body and rub them on fixed objects to convey group identity, sex, age, social and reproductive status, and territory ownership. Urine is also used in chemical communication. When danger is perceived, the general tendency of rabbits is to freeze and hide under cover. If chased by a predator, they engage in quick, irregular movement, designed more to evade and confuse than to outdistance a pursuer. Skeletal adaptations such as long hind limbs and a strengthened pelvic girdle enable their agility and speed (up to 48 km [30 miles] per hour). [1]

- A Rabbit as a pet

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Rabbit as a pet:

Pet rabbits kept indoors are referred to as house rabbits. House rabbits typically have an indoor pen or cage and a rabbit-safe place to run and exercise, such as an exercise pen, living room or family room. Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box and some can learn to come when called. Domestic rabbits that do not live indoors can also often serve as companions for their owners, typically living in an easily accessible hutch outside the home. Some pet rabbits live in outside hutches during the day for the benefit of fresh air and natural daylight and are brought inside at night.

Whether indoor or outdoor, pet rabbits' pens are often equipped with enrichment activities such as shelves, tunnels, balls, and other toys. Pet rabbits are often provided additional space in which to get exercise, simulating the open space a rabbit would traverse in the wild. Exercise pens or lawn pens are often used to provide a safe place for rabbits to run.

A pet rabbit's diet typically consists of unlimited Timothy hay, a small amount of pellets, and a small portion of fresh vegetables.

Rabbits are social animals. Rabbits as pets can find their companionship with a variety of creatures, including humans, other rabbits, guinea pigs, and sometimes even cats and dogs. Rabbits do not make good pets for small children because they do not know how to stay quiet, calm, and gentle around rabbits. As prey animals, rabbits are alert, timid creatures that startle easily. They have fragile bones, especially in their backs, that require support on the belly and bottom when picked up. Children 10 years old and older usually have the maturity required to care for a rabbit.

The service and therapy animals organization Delta Society has used pet rabbits as therapy for adults and children since the 1970s.

-Breeding

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Breeding:

Most rabbits produce many offspring each year, although scarcity of resources may cause this potential to be suppressed. A combination of factors allows the high rates of reproduction commonly associated with rabbits. Rabbits generally are able to breed at a young age, and many regularly conceive litters of up to seven young, often doing so four or five times a year due to the fact that a rabbit's gestation period is only 28 to 31 days.[9]. In addition, females exhibit induced ovulation, their ovaries releasing eggs in response to copulation rather than according to a regular cycle. They can also undergo postpartum estrus, conceiving immediately after a litter has been born. [1]

Newborn rabbits are naked, blind, and helpless at birth (altricial). Mothers are remarkably inattentive to their young and are almost absentee parents, commonly nursing their young only once per day and for just a few minutes. To overcome this lack of attention, the milk of rabbits is highly nutritious and among the richest of that of all mammals. The young grow rapidly, and most are weaned in about a month. Males (bucks) do not assist in rearing the kittens. [1] The mother rabbit is able to become pregnant again 4 days after the birth of her kittens.[citation needed]

Excersise and Health

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Exercise:
Rabbits require around 2 hours of exercise a day, as they are very active creatures in the wild. If you cannot give your rabbit at least 2 hours of exercise a day be sure to keep plenty of toys in there.

Health:
If there are any health concerns please visit the vet.

Food & Water

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Food & Water:
Rabbits are herbivores so do not feed them meat, they still need some protein.

There diet should be:

-Constant Timothy hay, as much as they need.

-As much rabbit pellet food as your pet store says the rabbit needs for its size and age, should be about a quarter cup if older then 6 months.

-2 cups vegetables and legumes daily.

-Fruit but only as a treat so very little.

-Use Alfalfa hay if you rabbit is under 6 months or is a nursing or pregnant mother.

List of good vegetables:

-Celery (strings removed)

-Alfalfa sprouts

-Dandelion flowers and leaves

-Kale

-Radish tops and sprouts

-Carrots

-Broccoli (mostly stems and leaves)

-Fresh herbs such as;

-Basil

-Parsley

-Cilantro

-Mint

Almost any fruit is good such as pears, apples, grapes, bannanas, etc

Never feed Your Rabbit any of the Following:

-Green Beans

-Potatoes

-Beets

-Avocado

-Cabbage

-Sweet potato

-Corn

-Onion

-Rhubarb

-Crackers

-or anything with un natural sugar in it.

Do not make sudden changes in your rabbits diet as it can cause stomach aches disarray and other bad things, if you want to change the diet slowly add the new food to there old.

Water:

Plastic sipper bottles are best.

-Bedding

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Bedding:
Should be wood shavings or hay. Yours should have your rabbit cage cleaned about once a week along with the litter box, the food and water bowls should be cleaned every day. Do not use strong smelling bedding or anything that your rabbit is allergic to.

Playing & Handling

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Playing & Handling:
When picking your rabbit up you will want to hold it with one hand on its bottom and one hand on its chest area, be careful not to move to fast when your rabbit is in your hands or on you. Never place a rabbit on something high that it could fall off, as a rabbit may not notice the edge. For playing your rabbit should have many toys such as a paper bag, Plastic toys, and stuff to chew on. You may also take your rabbit out of his or her cage and place it in an enclosed area that a rabbit couldn’t get far from, and play games with it.

-Housing

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Housing:
I recommend that you keep your rabbit inside your house in a cage at least 3ft by 3ft the more the better, but it all depends on the breed of the rabbit as some are much larger. you should be able to tell by the look of the rabbit if it is comfortable in its new home. The cage for most rabbits should be at least 2ft high. you should have a cave like den in the cage for your rabbit to hide and sleep. You will need food and water bowls, a litter box, as rabbits are trainable, but with all this in the cage there still need room for your rabbit times about 5. For the actual cage a metal or hard plastic or other non-chewable materials are the best, i would personally recommend an opening from the top. And the base of the cage should be solid and not a mesh or wiring.

What a ferret is

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What a Ferret is:

The ferret is a domestic mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Domestic ferrets typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur, are predators, have an average length of approximately 20 inches (51 cm) including a 5 inch (13 cm) tail, weigh about 1.5-4 pounds (0.8-2 kg) (males are typically substantially larger than the females),[1] and have a natural lifespan of 7 to 10 years.[2][3][4]

Several other small, elongated carnivorous mammals belonging to the family Mustelidae (weasels) also have the word "ferret" in their common names, including an endangered species, the Black-footed Ferret. The ferret is a very close relative of the polecat, but it is as yet unclear whether it is a domesticated form of the European Polecat, the Steppe Polecat, or some hybrid of the two.

The history of the ferret's domestication is uncertain, like that of most other domestic animals. It is very likely that ferrets have been domesticated for at least 2,500 years, but it is not certain for what purpose the ferret was originally domesticated. They are still used for hunting rabbits in some parts of the world today, but increasingly they are being kept simply as pets.

Being so closely related to polecats, ferrets are quite easily able to hybridize with them, and this has occasionally resulted in feral colonies of ferret polecat hybrids that have been perceived to have caused damage to native fauna, perhaps most notably in New Zealand. As a result, some parts of the world have imposed restrictions on the keeping of ferrets.

Ferret as a pet

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A ferret for a pet:

In the United States, ferrets were relatively rare pets until the 1980s. Dr. Wendy Winstead, a veterinarian and former folk singer who had her first ferret in 1969, sold ferrets to a number of celebrities including Dick Smothers and David Carradine while making television appearances on programs such as the David Letterman Show with ferrets in the 1980s,[17] writing books and promoting them until her death in the 1990s from cancer. A government study by the California State Bird and Mammal Conservation Program found that by 1996, approximately 800,000 or so domestic ferrets were likely being kept as pets in the United States.[18]

Exercise & Health care

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Exercise:
Ferrets love exercise (playtime) they need lots of stuff like toys to keep them entertained, they also need supervised playtime out of there cage to keep them happy, but make sure they are never left alone outside of there cage because they can escape through just about anything. Some very good ferret toys are found around the house:

-Paper Bags

-Tennis Balls or Baseballs

-String

-Pop Bottles

-Tubes

There are so many things a ferret would love to play with but before you allow your ferret to play with something ask yourself is this safe? do i care if this gets destroyed? And can this hurt my ferret in anyway?

Healthcare:

Like on the Guinea pigs page if you think your ferret has a problem then go see a vet.

Brushing & nail care

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Brushing & Nail care;
Ferrets do not need allot of brushing but every now and again they will enjoy one.

They need there nails to be trimmed this can be one of the most uncomfortable things because overgrown nails can cause discomfort and even pain, do not attempt cutting there nails without proper instruction on how to do so for it can hurt your ferret.

-Bathing

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Bathing your Ferret:
Most ferrets on the market come descented but they may still have a musk on them and you may want to occasionally bathe them. To bathe a ferret the easiest way is to fill your sink up 5cm high with luke warm water then place your ferret gently in it. you should take a washcloth and dampen it in the water then run it through your ferrets fur and be sure to avoid the eyes if you want to use soap then use a tearless baby shampoo or a ferret shampoo and apply this to the dampened washcloth and fallow previous instructions. After this you need to rinse the soap out thoroughly and make sure to keep him warm until he his dry, you can dry your ferret with a dry towel but be gentle. You shouldn’t over bathe once every 2 weeks is plenty, over bathing can cause oily skin & fur.

Food & Water

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Food & Water:
There are so many food to choose from so no matter what one you choose make sure that it is high in protein because of how active ferrets are they need plenty of protein, some ferrets will over eat so you may want to remove the food over night. You need to have a secure food dish because ferrets are heavy enough to spill and knock them around you need to have pretty much everything attached properly and securely. You should have a secure water bottle and refill it constantly because ferrets drink allot. You can give your ferrets treats occasionally because if you give them treats too often they will get addicted and that is all they will eat.

-Housing & Bedding

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Ferret House:
You should have a very large cage because ferrets are very active and need plenty of room to run around, play, eat and drink, and go to the bathroom. The cage should have tubes and tunnels so your ferret can run around and play make sure there is also plenty of open room. Because there are so maney cages out there and accessories I know it is hard to choose so here are some recommendations;

Make sure to put a place for your ferret too go to the bathroom, because ferrets are quite easily litter trained like cats. To cover the bottom of your cage you should use shavings, if you want to save money or be environmental then i suggest you use a rewash able towel, make sure that there is no lose fabric strands for your ferret to get caught in.

Bedding:
Choosing bedding for your ferret depends on your budget so make sure to see witch one suits your budget and your ferret best. You will need to change the bedding about once a week in till your ferret is litter trained when your ferret is litter trained you will have to know when to change it.

-What a hamster is

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What A Hamster IS:

Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 18 species, classified in six or seven genera.

The name hamster is derived from the German word Hamster, itself from earlier OHG hamustro, from ORuss choměstorǔ, which is either a blend of the root of Russ khomiak "hamster" and a Baltic word (cf. Lith staras "hamster")[1] or of Iranian origin (cf. Av hamaēstar "oppressor")[2].

Behavior can vary depending on their environment, genetics, and interaction with people. Because they are easy to breed in captivity, hamsters are often used as lab animals in more economically developed countries. Recently hamsters have also become established as popular small family pets.

Hamsters are crepuscular. In the wild, they burrow underground in the daylight to avoid being caught by predators. They are most active around dusk and dawn, which has led many people to mistake them for being nocturnal. Their diet contains a variety of foods, including dried food, berries, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables. In the wild they will eat any wheat, nuts and small bits of fruit and vegetables that they might find lying around on the ground, and will occasionally eat small insects such as small crickets or mealworms. They have elongated fur-lined pouches on both sides of their heads which extend to their shoulders, which they stuff full of food to be brought back to the colony or to be eaten later

-Breeding

2008-10-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

Breeding:

Hamsters become fertile at different ages dependent on their species, but this can be from one month to three months of age. Male hamsters remain fertile for the rest of their lives, though females do not. Females are in heat approximately every four days.

Breeding season is from April to October, with two to five litters of 1 to 13 young being born after a gestation period of 16 to 23 days.[3] Gestation lasts 16 to 18 days for Syrian hamsters, 18 to 21 days for the Russian hamsters, 21 to 23 days for Chinese hamsters and 23 to 30 for Roborovski Hamsters. The average litter for Syrians is about 7, but can be as great as 24, which is the maximum number of pups that can be contained in the uterus. Campbell's Dwarf Hamsters tend to have 4 to 8 in a litter but can have up to 14. Winter White Russian Dwarf Hamsters tend to have slightly smaller litters, as do Chinese and Roborovski hamsters.

Siberian hamsters form close, monogamous bonds with their mates. If separated, they may become very depressed. This happens especially in males. Males will become inactive, eat more, and even show some behavioral changes similar to some types of depression in humans. This can even cause obesity in the hamster.

Chinese hamster females are known for being aggressive toward the male if kept together for too long. In some cases, male Chinese hamsters have died after being attacked by the female. If breeding Chinese hamsters, it is recommended to separate the pair after mating.

Hamsters are born hairless and blind in a nest which the mother will have prepared in advance. She uses shredded material such as leaves in the wild but prefers cotton or toilet paper in captivity. After one week they begin to explore outside the nest. They are completely weaned after three weeks, or four for Roborovski Hamsters. Most breeders will sell the hamsters to shops when the hamsters are anywhere from two to eight weeks old.

-Handling & Health

2008-10-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

Handling:
When taking your hamster out of its cage or picking it up from anywhere for that matter you should always have one hand under its but and one hand on its chest, you should never run with your hamster in your hands or shake your hamster, do not place him on a high ledge he or she can fall off and be sure to make your hamster feel safe.

Health:
If you are concerned about health problems with your hamster consult your vet.

-Exercise

2008-10-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Exercise:
With all the tubes in your cage your hamster can get allot of exercise running around through that, so you should add more things for your hamster to do for example a hamster wheel but add as many things as you would like to give your hamster good exercise and to keep him healthy.

PLAYING WITH YOUR HAMSTER: Another good exercise for your hamster is to take him out of his cage, be sure to follow proper handling instructions witch are listed just below here when taking your hamster out of the cage, after you take him out of the cage you can either place him in an enclosed area with no were for your hamster to escape or hold on to him/her properly, you can let him run around or you can put him into a hamster ball, if you can think of other safe activities for your hamster to do feel free to do them.

-Bedding & Housing

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Bedding:
Most beading's can be bought at your pet store, but be sure to avoid cotton bedding or anything like that if they eat it, it can get stuck in there teeth or worse it can stick to there throat. .

I would personally suggest wood chips or bedding like hay that they can eat, no matter what you choose make sure it doesn’t have a strong cent, because that can effect your pet hamster in a really bad way. For changing the bedding you should remove your hamster put him or her in a safe place for the time being and then remove everything else in your hamsters cage through everything that is garbage in the garbage and things like the food bowl water bottle and house should go off to the side then replace the bedding this is a good time to wash the food bowl and water bottle replace them fill up the hamsters food, put everything else back in then put your hamster back in. you should do this every 1-2 weeks or sooner if it smells really bad.

Housing:
The house that your hamster lives in should be a good sized cage with plenty of tubes running around everywhere to give him exercise, but be sure there are no openings because hamsters can get through pretty small cracks. You should have a good starter cage with attachments for tubes witch you can find at your local pet store and add on as you can afford.

-Food & Water

2008-10-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

Food & Water:
As there are many different types of hamsters favourites of foods can very, but there are certain basics to give your hamster. The best way to find out what your hamster will like is to test it.

As with the guinea pig the best source of water for a hamster is through a sippy bottle, the things you hang from the side of the cage. You should make sure that this always has plenty of water in it, and that the water is fresh, because no animal wants dirty water if they can help it.

Now for food, hamsters like almost all green vegetables and almost every other type of vegetable for that matter, carrots, celery, and plenty more. They will also enjoy fruits but not anything sour like oranges lemons limes or believe it or not apples, nothing like that.

You should make sure to provide your hamster hard foods to chew on because like all rodents they have continuously growing teeth that need to be gnawed down.

Hamsters in the wild would eat things like grasses, wind blown seeds, and grain, many people think hamsters are herbivores but they are actually omnivores, they need protein in there natural habitat they would find things like grubs.

For what you should feed them in there cage other then the vegetables you should go to your pet store find some pellets and hay but make sure your buying the best and that there is plenty of protein in them.

You should almost always have fresh food in the hamsters food bowl but not a lot at a time as hamsters do not eat that much but they will rarely over eat.

Make sure to clean the food and water bottle every day.

-What mice are

2008-10-27T07:49:00.001-07:00

What a Mouse Is:

A mouse (plural mice)known as a Tate, is a small animal that belongs to one of numerous species of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (Mus musculus). It is also a popular pet. The American white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) also sometimes live in houses.

Although mice may live up to two and a half years in the lab, the average mouse in the wild lives only about 4 months, primarily due to heavy predation. Cats, wild dogs, foxes, birds of prey, snakes and even certain kinds of insects have been known to prey heavily upon mice. Nevertheless, due to its remarkable adaptability to almost any environment, and its ability to live commensally with humans, the mouse is regarded to be the second most successful mammalian genus living on Earth today, after humans.

Mice are sometimes considered harmful pests, damaging and eating crops and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces. In western North America, breathing dust that has come in contact with mouse feces has been linked to the deadly hantavirus. The original motivation for the domestication of cats is thought to have been for their predation of mice and their relatives, the rats.

-Breeding

2008-10-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Breeding:

Breeding onset is at about 50 days of age in both females and males, although females may have their first estrus at 25-40 days. Mice are polyestrous and breed year round; ovulation is spontaneous. The duration of the estrous cycle is 4-5 days and estrus itself lasts about 12 hours, occurring in the evening. Vaginal smears are useful in timed matings to determine the stage of the estrous cycle. Mating is usually nocturnal and may be confirmed by the presence of a copulatory plug in the vagina up to 24 hours post-copulation. The presence of sperm on a vaginal smear is also a reliable indicator of mating.[5]

Female mice housed together tend to go into anestrus and do not cycle. If exposed to a male mouse or the pheromones of a male mouse, most of the females will go into estrus in about 72 hours. This synchronization of the estrous cycle is known as the Whitten effect. The exposure of a recently bred mouse to the pheromones of a strange male mouse may prevent implantation (or pseudopregnancy), a phenomenon known as the Bruce effect.[5]

The average gestation period is 20 days. A fertile postpartum estrus occurs 14-24 hours following parturition, and simultaneous lactation and gestation prolongs gestation 3-10 days due to delayed implantation. The average litter size is 10-12 during optimum production, but is highly strain dependent. As a general rule, inbred mice tend to have longer gestation periods and smaller litters than outbred and hybrid mice. The young are called pups and weigh 0.5–1.5 g (0.018–0.053 oz) at birth, are hairless, and have closed eyelids and ears. Cannibalism is uncommon, but females should not be disturbed during parturition and for at least 2 days postpartum. Pups are weaned at 3 weeks of age; weaning weight is 10–12 g (0.35–0.42 oz). If the postpartum estrus is not utilized, the female resumes cycling 2-5 days postweaning.[5]

Newborn male mice are distinguished from newborn females by noting the greater anogenital distance and larger genital papilla in the male. This is best accomplished by lifting the tails of littermates and comparing perineums.[5]

Rat & mice as pets

2008-10-27T07:45:00.002-07:00

Rats As Pets:

Specially bred rats have been kept as pets at least since the late 19th century. Pet rats are typically of variants of the species Brown rat, but Black rats and Giant pouched rats are also known to be kept. Pet rats behave differently than their wild counterparts depending on how many generations they have been kept as pets.[citation needed] Pet rats do not pose any more of a health risk than pets such as cats and dogs.[1] Tamed rats are generally friendly and can be taught to perform selected behaviors.

Mice as Pets:

Many people buy mice as companion pets. They can be playful, loving and can grow used to being handled. Pet mice should not be left unsupervised outside as they have many natural predators, including but not limited to, Birds, Cats and Dogs. Male mice tend to have a stronger odor than the females, making females preferable. Well looked after mice can make ideal pets. Some common mouse care products are:

-Handling & health concerns

2008-10-27T07:45:00.001-07:00

Handling:
Many people will just grab there pets however they feel, but this can seriously hurt them and make them feel uncomfortable around you.

How you should grab your pet mouse or rat is by putting one hand on under its rear and the other under its chest.

Health Concerns:
If you see any problems or are worried visit your vet.

-Exercise & play

2008-10-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Exercise & Play:
Mice and rats are very active creatures, if you do not give them enough play toys and things to do they will try to escape and may even hurt themselves, you should be sure to supply it with things like play wheels, chew toys toilette paper rolls, plastic tubes, and other stuff to keep them happy and content. If you want to remove your pet rat or mouse from its cage you should have an enclosed area for him ready or be sure you can hold onto him properly, be sure to follow later on instructions on picking your pet up.

-Bedding

2008-10-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

Bedding:
You should use a hay or wood chip bedding along the bottom of the cage at least 6cm thick if they are pushing it around so you can see the bottom make it thicker. You should replace the bedding about once a week. If you are going wood shavings aspen is your best choice, if you are going hay then make sure it is absorbent your other options are pelleted bottoming and paper shavings, i would recommend aspen wood chips though. When cleaning the cage you should clean the food bowls water bottle and replace the bedding.

-Housing

2008-10-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Housing:
It is important to keep them in a good solid cage as they can chew there way out of bad cages. One of the best cages for your pet mouse or rat is one with wire siding and a solid bottom with at least 2-inch's high solid walls. 10x30 cage is a good for 2 rats or 4 mice and you can go bigger no problem. smaller would not be to good for them. Keep the cage in a quite safe area because loud noises can disturb scare or deafen your pet.

-Feeding & Drinking

2008-10-27T07:37:00.001-07:00

Food And Water:
Food is very important in there diet as they can get obese very easily it can also cause other health problems if not fed well. You should avoid the fatty food and get a lot of fibre in there diet, you should get a commercial food recommended by your local pet store, you should feed them that and fresh fruits such as:

-Apples

-Carrots

-Broccoli

-Pear

-etc there are many more fruits that would suit them depending on your pet mousses or rats needs and likes. You can feed you mouse or rat some seeds but they are high in oil so feed it to them as a treat. Whatever you feed your mouse make sure it is in a bowl that will not spill easily because if it does it can get contaminated quit quickly. Do not leave uneaten food in the cage through it out every morning and replace it with fresh stuff.

Water, you should have a sippy bottle and replace the water with fresh cool water twice a day. as with food dishes the water bottle should be cleaned out and sterilized once a day or a minimum of every other day.

-What is this gunea-pig

2008-10-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

What is this so called guinea pig?

The Guinea pig (also commonly called the cavy after its scientific name) is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not pigs, nor do they come from Guinea. They originated in the Andes, and studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as Cavia aperea, C. fulgida or C. tschudii, and therefore do not exist naturally in the wild.[1][2] The guinea pig plays an important role in the folk culture of many Indigenous South American groups, especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies.[3] Since the 1960s, efforts have been made to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.[4]

In Western societies, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a household pet since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, their responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them, continue to make the guinea pig a popular pet. Organizations devoted to competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds of guinea pig, with varying coat colors and compositions, are cultivated by breeders.

Guinea pig is also used as a metaphor in English for a subject of experimentation; this usage became common in the first half of the 20th century. Biological experimentation on guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century; the animals were frequently used as a model organism in the 19th and 20th centuries, but have since been largely replaced by other rodents such as mice and rats. They are still used in research, primarily as models for human medical conditions such as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy, and pregnancy complications.

-Breeding

2008-10-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

Breeding:

The guinea pig is able to breed year-round, with birth peaks usually coming in the spring; as many as five litters can be produced per year.[8] The gestation period lasts from 59–72 days, with an average of 63–68 days.[42] Because of the long gestation period and the large size of the pups, pregnant females may become large and aubergine-shaped, although the change in size and shape varies. Newborn pups are well-developed with hair, teeth, claws and partial eyesight;[53] they are immediately mobile, and begin eating solid food immediately, though they continue to suckle. Litters yield 1–6 pups, with an average of three;[28] the largest recorded litter size is 17.[62] In smaller litters, difficulties may occur during labour due to over-sized pups. Large litters result in higher incidences of stillbirth, but because the pups are delivered at an advanced stage of development, lack of access to the mother's milk has little effect on the mortality rate of newborns.[63] Cohabitating females assist in mothering duties if lactating.[64]

Guinea pig pup at eight hours oldMale and female guinea pigs do not differ in external appearance apart from general size. The position of the anus is very close to the genitals in both sexes. Female genitals are distinguished by a Y-shaped configuration formed from a vulvar flap; while the male genitals may look similar with the penis and anus forming a like shape, the penis will protrude if pressure is applied to the surrounding hair.[65] The male's testes may also be visible externally from scrotal swelling.

Males reach sexual maturity at 3–5 weeks; females can be fertile as early as four weeks and can carry litters before they are adults.[66] Females that have never given birth commonly develop irreversible fusing of the pubic symphysis, a joint in the pelvis, after six months of age.[42] If they become pregnant after this has happened, the birth canal will not widen sufficiently; this may lead to dystocia and death as they attempt to give birth.[67] Females can become pregnant 6–48 hours after giving birth, but it is not healthy for a female to be thus constantly pregnant.[68]

Toxemia of pregnancy is common and kills many pregnant females. Signs of toxemia include anorexia, lack of energy, excessive salivation, a sweet or fruity breath odor due to ketones, and seizures in advanced cases.[69] Pregnancy toxemia appears to be most common in hot climates.[70] Other serious complications of pregnancy can include a prolapsed uterus

-Being friends

2008-10-27T07:29:00.001-07:00

Friends:
You can be friends with your guinea pig quite easiley but before handling him and playing with him you should wait about a week in that week start feeding him from your hand petting him in the cage and brushing him. The reason for all of this is that guinea pigs are very shy and if you rush they may be very frightened and run away from you.

It is also good to have 2 guinea pigs because they love company, but if you are going to have 2 make sure they are both male or both female.

-Cleaning & Caring

2008-10-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

Cleaning & Caring:
Guinea pigs need there nails trimmed and fur brushed, trimming there nails can be very difficult so make sure to have someone show or tell you how to do it before doing it yourself because you can hurt them if you do it wrong. If your guinea pig is smelly or greasy you can bath him bye filling up your sink with water, make sure his face stays dry. if you are using shampoo make sure to get it from a vet, if so then make sure to rinse it all out bye taking soap free water and poring it gently on your guinea pig. Use a towel to dry him be very gentle to not hurt your piggy, never use a blow dryer because the heat can hurt guinea pigs.

Health: if you see any health problems consult your local vet. this goes the same for any other pet on this website including Ferrets, Hamsters, Pet Mice, or Rabbits

-Holding &exercising

2008-10-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

Handling:
When you are removing the guinea pig from its cage be sure not to startle it because it will run away and hide. When picking up place one hand under its ribcage area and the other on its bottom, pick up slowly. Do not place your guinea pig on any high places that it can fall off or hurt its self. When holding the guinea pig be sure not to squeeze him be gentle and safe. Your guinea pig may be afraid of humans at first but if you are careful with him it wont be long till he/she will love to be picked up.

Exercise:
Guinea pigs like all animals need exercise, you can help them to get exercise bye giving them a larger cage or having a large enclosed area for them to run around and play well you watch, they are usually more active when happy or in pairs.

-Caging

2008-10-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Cage:
Guinea pig cages should not be looked at as a cage, they should be looked at as a home, because unlike dog cages were you put your dog when it sleeps or when you are out the guinea pig spends most of the time in its cage. So the cage should be at least 2.5 ft by 2.5 ft

for one pig and for each additional pig you should as at least 2 ft by 2ft of cage size but bigger wont hurt. The walls should be at least 1 foot high. because guinea pigs natural habit when they are scared or startled is to run to shelter you should have a house in your guinea pig cage about twice the size of the pig and with an opening it can just fit in, you need one house per pig.

Bedding: Is the stuff that goes on the bottom of the cage, you should get a quality bedding like if not using this then make sure you are using one that isn’t to strong smelling. DO NOT USE CEDAR WOODCHIPS; Guinea pigs are allergic to them so they can cause health problems. The Bedding shouldn’t have to be more then 2cm thick, if you see the bottom of the cage after your pig has been running through it then add more after the next cleaning.

Cleaning: You should clean the cage about once a week, that includes removing the guinea pig(s) putting it or them in a safe environment for the time being, then remove the bedding and anything else wash the cage itself the house or houses sterilize the water bottle and food bowls dry everything, then put fresh bedding in then the cage then the food and attach the water bottle and finally the guinea pig(s) should only take 10-20 minutes.

-Food & Drink

2008-10-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

What Guinea pigs Eat and Drink:
First off lets start off with what you should never feed you guinea pig:

-Potatoes and potato skins

-Iceberg lettuce (most other lettuce is okay)

-Rhubarb

-Beans

-Cauliflower

-Chocolate

Chocolate and potato skins and potatoes have been known to kill or make Guinea pigs sick.

The other stuff is very unhealthy. If you are not sure about a food item you are going to feed you guinea pig then don’t feed them it until you have researched further.

Now what too feed your guinea pig: Guinea pigs need a lot of fibre and vitamin C (because just like humans they cannot produce vitamin C and need to do bowl movements.

-Guinea pigs need and love hay, do to the fact that it provides a good source of fibre and guinea pigs need lots of fibre.

-Hay, the best type of hay for your Guinea pig is Timothy hay unless they are very young under 4 months, pregnant or nursing sows then use alfalfa based hay. You should make sure there is always hay in the cage for your Guinea pig (it is best if it is not touching the ground so it dose not get contaminated).

-Pellet food, one very important thing here is that you never feed theme any other type of pellet food then guinea pig food, do too the fact that guinea pig food contains vitamin C and others are not as healthy for them. Make sure you get a good brand of food because that is one of the main things guinea pigs eat, as in hay give them as much as they need usually a small handful per piggy, but if there is a lot left over the next day then add less in the mornings, also if the bowl is constantly empty the next day then add more.

-Water, very important make sure that there sippy bottle always has plenty of fresh cool water in it.

-Veggies and fruits, if your guinea pig dose not get enough of these then it will not have enough vitamin C in its system witch could cause scurvy. Most vegetables are good for your guinea pig(s) except of course the ones I mentioned earlier (again of course if you are not sure of something you are planning pm feeding your guinea pig look it up) some of the best fruits and veggies are: apples, carrots, pear, and most lettuces (never iceberg), there are many more that are suitable. Some guinea pigs can be very picky about what they eat so make sure you introduce what you want to feed to them when they are still young.

Contact Me

2008-10-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hey, if you have a question/comment, or you want to link to my website or me to link to you, then email me at Boyddelsin@gmail.com .

Also if you have any article of witch you wish to submit, such as information on rodents please email them to the same address and if they are good you will see them up soon

Pet Mice & Rats:

2008-08-24T19:59:00.001-07:00

Mice and rats can be found around some houses and many other places but these aren’t the types you want as pets, you want the ones from your local pet store the ones free of germs and diseases. Mice and rats can be very clean and smart animals rats have even been known to respond to their name. They are nocturnal but can adjust to be awake during the day so you can enjoy watching them play and eat, rats and mice can be very playful and gentle and even fun sometimes they will if treated well be affectionate, mice and rats rarely ever bit only if your finger smells like food or they are protecting something. Because of how social mice and rats are it is best to keep them together so you should have 2 otherwise they may be lonely.

More rat Info(for none pet information

Hamsters:

2008-08-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

If you are planning on getting a hamster or already have one or more hamsters then you may want to read this information, it should help with keeping them alive there 1-3 years. An average hamsters life is around 2 years, but in some cases they live 3 years or even slightly more, but if you are unlucky your pet hamster may only live one year.

Ferrets:

2008-08-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

Ferrets make great pets for people who have patients, and love animals. Ferrets are like balls of energy they are fast and almost always moving.

Rabbits:

2008-08-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

Rabbits are great pets for almost anyone who loves animals, they are furry and fun to play with. Theu dont require to much ateention and get aong in pairs.

Guinea Pigs:

2008-08-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

Guinea pigs (also know as cavy) are gentle and lovable pets, perfect for just about anyone.

Guinea pigs are of the rodent family but are very cute, and in comparison to pretty much every other rodent very clean. Guinea pigs love attention and are quite friendly with humans. Guinea pigs rarely ever bit as long as you are gentle and do not scare them they shouldn’t try too run away. Guinea pigs should live about 4-7 years if well cared for, may live slightly more or less.

what a guinea pig is