Most small animals have similar requirements for their care. Please read this sheet first, and then go on to the specific care sheets that may have more information about the particular species that you are interested in keeping. This general care sheet is most pertinent to the small rodents; mice, rats, gerbils and hamsters. Rabbits and guinea pigs require significantly different care, and they will only be briefly discussed in this sheet.

Mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters and guinea pigs are all rodents. Rabbits are Lagomorphs, and are related to rodents.

All of these small animals can make very rewarding pets. The small rodents all have different personalities, but they are all intelligent and curious animals. Rabbits are also interesting pets, and can even be kept without a cage and trained to use a litter box like a cat. All of these animals enjoy interacting with their owners, so be sure that you have time to spend with your pet before you commit to keeping a small animal.

Housing and Environment

Specific housing instructions are covered in more detail in the individual species care sheets. There are some general guidelines for their housing. Most small animals will do very well in a standard 10 gallon or 20 gallon aquarium. A secure lid is essential for any aquarium used to house small animals. Water is usually provided with a bottle hanging from the rim; make sure that the lid fits securely around the water bottle hanger. Small animals are excellent escape artists. They can squeeze out of very small openings, so be certain that their cage is escape-proof before moving your pets into their new home.

Plastic cages, such as the various modular cages made for rodents, can also work well, but there are some drawbacks. Ventilation is often poor in these cages and they may have to be cleaned more often. Animals that chew persistently may chew holes in these cages. Finally, the tubes connecting the modules may be too small for large hamsters or for rats.

Wire cages may work for small animals, but they have drawbacks. First, wire bottom cages can lead to foot injuries, and are not appropriate for most small animals. Rabbits are an exception to this. Wire cages with solid floors may work, but there are a few things to consider. Your pet is likely to dig a lot, and if the cage does not have solid walls this is likely to lead to animal bedding on your floor. Wire cages do offer excellent ventilation. The down side of this is that they are susceptible to getting too cool if placed in a drafty area. If you choose a wire cage, make sure it is placed in an area free of drafts and warm enough for your pet.

All small animals will need a food bowl. They are likely to chew through most food dishes; making plastic bowls a poor choice. Heavy ceramic bowls, available at most pet stores, are an excellent choice. Metal bowls won’t be chewed, but they are often light-weight enough that they can be easily tipped over.

A water bottle is the best method of providing water for your pet. Glass water bottles work very well, and are a good option if you can find them. Plastic water bottles are much more readily available. Your pet is likely to chew on these, but you can get a metal bottle guard that server as a hanger and to protect the bottle. Bottles with a narrow tip sipper that work by surface tension and bottles with bearings in the sipper will work equally as well. Make sure you choose a bottle and hanger combination that is an appropriate height for your pet’s cage. A 10 or 20 gallon aquarium is only 12 inches high, and it will have an inch or two of bedding in the bottom. If you buy a bottle that is too long the sipper will be sitting in the bedding. Rabbits, being larger, tend to drink an awful lot; make sure you purchase a large water bottle made for rabbits, otherwise your pet may run out of water.

All small animals need hiding areas to feel secure. If they are kept in a bare cage they will tend to be very nervous. All of these small animals are often food for other animals in the wild. Even though they have been domesticated for many years they still have a need for a hiding place. There are many options available for small animal hiding boxes. Most small animals will appreciate any small enclosed space, especially if it has multiple openings that they can run in and out of. Pet stores carry a number of different types of hiding areas, including small plastic boxes, hollowed out logs, vegetable pulp based ‘cardboard’ tubes, plastic tubes and many other choices. Keep in mind, your pet is likely to chew on these, so replace them as needed.

Small animals need to be provided with some sort of nesting material for their hiding place. Give your pets some sort of cotton batting or other soft nesting material made for small animals. Your pet store should have several types of nesting material available.

Typical small animal pets are very smart and active. They really need to be provided with enrichment opportunities, as you won’t be around to play with them all the time. Most small animals will appreciate some sort of structure that they can crawl through and climb on, ideally with multiple openings. This can often serve as a combination of a hiding area and a play set for your pets. Your pets will also appreciate toys designed for small animals available at pet stores. They may also play with toys made for birds, especially the types that allow you to hide treat foods inside of the toy. Many small animals also like to climb, and you can give them ladders and platforms to climb on. Many rodents may appreciate small hardwood perches, such as manzanita perches for birds or reptiles. These can also be found at many pet stores. Your pets will chew on the perches, but they are a hard wood and will last for quite a while. Regarding chewing, your small animal pet will need chew blocks and toys to chew on to help keep their teeth from overgrowing.

Exercise wheels will be used by most rodents, and are an excellent addition to their cage. Ideally, try to find an exercise wheel that has a solid floor instead of wire. Also, make sure it is sized appropriately. A rat or a gerbil may have a hard time utilizing an exercise wheel made for a mouse.

There are some considerations for placement of the cage. Most small animals are nocturnal, and they should not have their cage placed in a particularly busy or noisy location that could keep them awake all day. On the other hand, if you place the cage too far out of the way then they may have a more difficult time getting adjusted to people. Try to find a balance between the extremes. Also, avoid placing the cage in an area that will have lights on and off during the evening, as this can be stressful to your pet.

Small animals will be comfortable at most household room temperatures. Avoid placing the cage in drafty areas. If their location gets particularly cold you may need to provide supplemental heating. Hot locations, such as a garage or outdoors during the summer, are very stressful and inappropriate for any small animals, and may even be life-threatening.

Substrate

You can find an array of bedding options at your local pet store. There are a number of good choices for a substrate for your pet.

Cedar shavings should be avoided. They are thought to lead to respiratory problems from both the dust and the odor associated with cedar. Pine shavings, although not as overwhelming as cedar, are still dusty and somewhat aromatic. Avoid either of these beddings, as there are many better choices available now a day.

One of the best options for bedding for small animals is a shredded or pelleted paper product. There are many brands available at your local store. These are relatively good at controlling odor, and can give your pet an opportunity to tunnel through the substrate.

Shredded aspen is another excellent choice. It does not have dust or aroma problems associated with wood shavings. It holds its form better than other substrates, making it the best bedding for your pets to make tunnels.

Pelleted wood bedding can also make a good substrate. It is particularly good at absorbing odors. It is not dusty like the wood shavings. It does take some time to expand beyond the pelleted state (which it does as it absorbs urine), so you should be sure to provide plenty of nesting material if you choose pelleted wood bedding.

Diet

Zeigler® MonsterDiets™ are designed to be a complete diet for your pet. In most cases this diet can be offered free choice to your small animals. Older and/or obese animals may need to have their feed intake limited, but under normal circumstances allow your pets to eat as much as they want.

Adding other feeds to your pet’s diet is not a good idea. While treats can be offered occasionally, most of these animals are very small. Even a small amount of treats can fill them up, causing them to eat less of their normal diet. Zeigler® MonsterDiets™ are a complete diet, but if the overall food intake reduces the amount of the MonsterDiet™ that your pet eats, then there are risks of deficiencies. In small amounts, seed mixes and fruits or vegetables can be offered as treats. These may be particularly beneficial when making friends with your new pet, but be very cautious not to overdo it on the treat foods.

Maintenance

All small animals should be offered fresh food daily. Most of these pets will eat frequently throughout the day and night. They should not be allowed to run out of food.

Make sure that you change your pet’s water daily. Fresh clean water is critical to their health. If your pet is running out of water then you need to get a larger water bottle or provide multiple water bottles.

Your pet’s bedding must be changed and the cage cleaned on a regular basis. This will vary depending upon the species of small mammal, the number of animals in a cage, and the size and type of cage. As a general guideline, you can plan on cleaning the cage about once a week. Keep in mind that if you can detect a noticeable odor coming from the cage it is probably overwhelming to your pets. If you notice an odor before the end of a week then you should probably change the bedding more frequently then once a week.

You will also need to clean the cage out regularly. Generally, you can plan on doing this when you change out the bedding, but if you have a single animal in a large cage, you may be OK cleaning out the cage every other time you change the bedding. To clean the cage, transfer your pets and a small amount of their bedding to a small holding container, dump the bedding, and wash the cage using a detergent or disinfectant. A weak bleach solution (1:30 bleach to water) works well for cleaning the cage. Make certain that you rinse the cage thoroughly before putting your pets back into their cage. If you can detect any odor of bleach or other disinfectant then you need to keep rinsing the cage. You should also wash the cage fixtures, including all non-porous toys, food bowls, water bottle, etc, on a regular basis. Porous materials cannot be adequately disinfected, and should be disposed of when they are too dirty.

Replace the bedding, and add a small amount of old bedding back into the cage with your pets. By adding old bedding to the cage your pets will not feel the need to immediately mark their cage, and this will help make them feel more secure.

Rabbit cages, due to the nature of their housing and their particularly strong urine, need to be cleaned frequently. See the rabbit care sheet for more details on this topic.

Handling

Most small animals are amenable to handling, and grow to enjoy interacting with their owners. The best method of handling your pet will vary depending upon which type of small animal you choose. Check the species-specific care sheet for more details.

Health

Health problems in your small animal pet can be a serious problem. While they are not particularly prone to health problems, their small size and high metabolism means that they can rapidly decline in health if they do get sick. At the first sign of a health problem, you should consult with a qualified small mammal veterinarian. You can find a list of veterinarians that may be able to help you out by checking the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians web site at www.aemv.org.

There are a few warning signs of health problems that you should keep in mind.

A runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing or coughing may signal a respiratory infection. Runny stool, or staining near the vent may be a sign of gastrointestinal problems, or a general infection. If you notice any of these problems, revisit your husbandry. Make sure you are using an appropriate dust-free bedding, make sure the temperatures are correct, and make sure that your pet’s diet hasn’t had too many treats in it lately.

These signs can be related to any of a host of viral and/or bacterial problems that small mammals can contract. The best way to prevent this is to eliminate any contact with other rodents. If you have other rodents in the house, quarantine is essential. New rodents should never be introduced to old rodents, and should not even be housed in the same room until you are sure there are no health problems with the new rodents. If you have multiple cages of rodents in the same house, do not handle them together, and always make sure you wash your hands between cages