The noses. The whiskers. How can you resist? This thread is for input on how "rodent" caretakers take care of their little ones. Any ideas on what your rats/mice/hamsters/gerbils/etc like are welcome. (I have kept hamsters and rats and am certainly not a vet or "expert" but I have about 8 years of small animal keeping). It is simply a short overview of basic tips. If you want to adopt a rodent, please do more research. I just thought this thread would be helpful. This post is NOT about rabbits! Rabbits require as much care (if properly cared for) as a dog or cat. They need a large space to run and hop, a more specialized diet, and they are not rodents. I hope no one is keeping their rabbit locked up in a hamster cage. They also are not rodents, but belong in the "leporidae" family of the "lagomorpha" order (thanks, wikipedia) If you keep rats, mice, etc. (or want to) here are just a couple things to spice up their habitat. They are really curious creatures and like to explore. I know these things seem like no-brainers if you have little ones, but this is kind of for people like my friend who got 2 little mice at the shelter...(she found a nice cage at goodwill for cheap!) If you have a wire cage or some sort of hole you can tie something onto in a plastic one, try a climb-up treat box. I used an old tofu box and a plastic zip-tie. I just poked 2 holes in the tofu box, threaded the zip tie through, and it makes a nice, (free!) shelf for them. You can put anything in it. I have fresh romaine lettuce (don't feed animals iceburg. No nutrients really), flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds (raw unsalted). You can also put bedding in the hideaway box. Be sure to use all cotton. The bedding here is a pair of old pajama pants that I cut up. You can see the ladies are already making the bed. Rodents also like those bird toys with the bells and stuff on them. Mine aren't too hot on them but some animals are. They like to run so get a wheel for them, too. If you have room, get one wheel for each. Sheets- you can get a fullsize clean sheet for $2 at a thrift store/goodwill. If your animal has a large cage, you may consider covering part of it with a sheet. My girls can look out the window but the like the sheet. They are calmer with it and they like to pull it through the holes in the cage. 100% cotton again. I read that hamsters can only digest cotton so I never got anything else from then on. Feeding-I get the standard pellet and seed mix sold nationwide. Alfalfa is also great for them. Don't feed them all fruits and veggies. They need the alfalfa and seed mixture. They do sell rat food but sometimes it's not always available. I use the hamster/gerbil mix and my girls are healthy. Regarding cages: Wire/Holes in the floor- Please make sure the slats are small enough together to where your little ones don't have their feet fall through. This can hurt them. I tried repeatedly to put papers/plastic down for a smooth surface and they would have none of it. Their feet are fine. The slats in the floor are closer together than the slats on the sides of the cage Glass Aquariums-You must clean these more often because air doesn't circulate as well. The plus side is no slats. With glass aquariums, I have noticed that the animals tend to use one spot to use the restroom in. Young enough, you can potty train them! They sell little corner potties at the store for a few bucks. You cannot use the glass aquarium for fish after you have had a mouse/rat/whoever in it. The seals leak because the animals chew. Be sure to change the cae often (glass, plastic, wire, whatever). It will smell fresher and be better for them. Pics: treat box, Pesto making her bed, Thora coming to see the camera. I have old girls. 2-3.
I have a hamster. He's cute but he might have a cold. He likes to eat fig newtons and carrots. I ought to take a picture of him.
you should (pictures)! I encourage everyone on this thread ot show their rodent pics. I hope he gets better. If he has wet tail take him to the vet. Maybe his chips are bothering him? By chips I mean the cedar or other wood shavings. Some have dust that can irritate.
That might be it. His tail isn't wet, but he keeps doing this wheezy thing. It's scary. he's only 3 months old.
I have a rat, he's big and fat and I lloovvee him. I had toys in his cage before but he wasn't interested in them, all he likes to do is eat.
Oh my yes, rabbits are NOT rodents! Thanks for pointing that out Pamela I have 3 guinea pigs. They're at the larger end of the "pet" rodents, but they're still rodents. They live in our living room, where they can see us & be a part of the family. I truly believe that these loveable furfaces require MUCH more room than the standard "pet store" cage. The most wonderful website I have ever found on how to make your own cage for a fraction of what a pet store would charge for a smaller cage, is cavycages.com They have information on absolutely everything from the best foods, to the recommended cage size for 1-4 piggies. My piggies live in a homemade 3x5 cage. It is actually sitting on a homemade table that stores all of their hay, food & "stuff" underneath it... but I couldn't get a picture of the whole cage while it was on there. As you can see, I don't use traditional bedding. I use fleece... the same stuff you can get as ready-made blankets for $4 apiece, or buy by the yard. It is washable, and my piggies' feet are so much healthier for the change. I use a tiny dustpan & broom to sweep the droppings out once per day to keep it neat, and change & wash the fleeces once per week. What you can't see, is that there is a layer of towels (bought at garage sales for a quarter apiece) underneath to help keep their feet dry. All in all, I think this is a great way to line larger cages. It would cost me a fortune to fill this with aspen shavings, and I would forever be vacuuming it out of the carpet! My son made a digital layout of our piggies as a homework assignment: Mr. Pigg is the red & white Crested American at the top of the page. He is approximately 6 years old, and is the sweetest little old man on the planet. We have had him since October 2001, when he came to live with us. He loves nothing more than to snuggle up under my son's chin & fall asleep there. Junior was adopted at 5 weeks old, from the Humane Society. He's the red Abysinnian. He is now 18 months old, and he is a flirt. We cannot walk within visual distance of the cage, without him calling out to pet him & tell him how beautiful he is. He prefers to "talk" with my daughter, and give piggie kisses to whoever will accept them. And Oreo is the black & white... shiny coated one. We rescued him from becoming snake food, or worse. He has lived with us since November and has a few personality issues. Currently he is living in a blocked-off 2x3 corner of the large cage, (the other boys have a 3x3 square) where he can see the other boys, but cannot attack or bite them. We know he was neglected & suspect abuse as well, but he is slowly allowing us to handle him. Those are my furbabies I do so love walking in the door to see three fuzzy faces who are so happy to see me, and want nothing more than to have me talk to them for a minute or so. I had never seen myself as a "rodent person" before Mr. Pigg came to live in our home & hearts, and now I don't know that I could ever live without them. love, mom
Aww wow they have nice accomodations! I have never kept guinea pigs. I read that they are one of the few mamals that cannot product their own vitamin C and that's why you have to supplement their diet with oranges. They reaally do "weee!" like pigs, too.
What a great thread, all these lovely little darlings. Over the years we've kept gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats and rabbits. What pleasure they gave, all had their own little personalities, the pics here bring back such memories.
No, they need Vitamin C every day. We find that red bell peppers are their favorite source. Oranges are good, but can create mouth-sores... so we only give them oranges as a very rare treat. It's not nearly as scary as it sounds, and the wheeking is addictive. When we're on vacation, I MISS it! Junior is also a "chirper." In the middle of the night, he sings a song that sounds exactly like a songbird has been let go in the house! love, mom
Ok..so Denis, my hamster is definitely not doing well. He's lethargic, has this weird coughing/snorting sound, his one eye looks funny. I think he may have a respiratory infection Do vets even take hamsters/gerbils/mice as patients?
yes, my hamster has been to see a vet. the vet will probably give you antibiotics in droplet form. But call first, not all vets service hamsters.
