1. Good quality food that is species-specific:

We have recommended foods on our diet page to help with your selection process.  It is important to ensure that your small mammal receives plenty of vitamins and minerals.  Ideally, food should be dispersed to encourage foraging, but if using bowls, please ensure that they are cleaned on a daily basis.

 

Guinea-pigs, chinchillas and degus have an absolute requirement for vitamin C, in high levels – they cannot make their own. Lack of vitamin C results in scurvy, so it’s really important to provide vitamin-C rich foods, such as red peppers and citrus fruit. Whenever they are feeling under the weather, this requirement doubles.

 

We strongly recommend feeding vitamin C supplements as part of their daily nutrition plan – these supplements are often seen as tasty snacks!

 

2. Grass and hay

These are essential for your pet and should form over 80% of their diet.  Please see our diet page (insert link) for more information.  These species are designed to live solely on grass, hay and weeds – feeding concentrated foods can be really bad for the teeth. Grass and hay encourage their mouth to move in the correct way, wearing the teeth down and ensuring the best oral health.

 

3. Fresh water

This must be available and accessible at all times.  Small mammals frequently find using a water bottle difficult – no wild small animal will crane its head at an odd position to drink if there is a ground source available!  Please offer water in a bowl instead of or as well as a water bottle.

Bottles and bowls should be cleaned regularly to avoid build-up of algae and bacteria that can cause ill health or block the water bottle spout.  Ideally, water should be left to stand for a day before being offered to your pet to allow the fluoride (present in tap water) to break down.

 

4. A hutch or cage of suitable size should be available.

Guinea-pig and degu cages must be raised from the floor to avoid them becoming damp; all enclosures must have shelter from the elements.  Chinchillas need huge spaces to spring around in, and their cages must provide height as well as floor area. Rabbits need at least one raised area to sit in, and plenty of space to run around in.

 

All species should have a separate bedroom area to the communal social area. Housing should be cleaned out well on a regular basis, ideally on a daily basis. A deep clean should be done at least twice a week.  This is essential to prevent flies from laying their eggs in the moist hay or on your pet. Litter training is possible in most species.

 

Please contact us if you are thinking of purchasing any of these species for more information.

 

5. Do not be tempted to house different species together!

This is a cause of tremendous stress to your pets, who will not show you outwardly that they are suffering. Rabbits and guinea-pigs are a common mix, but guinea-pigs are bullied badly by rabbits, and if mounted by rabbits, the internal injuries suffered by guinea-pigs can be fatal.

 

6. Space to exercise:

Ideally, all species should have plenty of space available in a garden, or somewhere with access to fresh grass. However, house pets and those living in areas of concrete etc. are very happy, provided they have space to run around and you provide hay or grass ad libitum!

Exercise is extremely important to help stimulate gut movement and prevent obesity. These animals would forage all day in the wild, so require huge amounts of exercise.

 

7. Sand bath:

Chinchillas in particular need daily bathing in rough material to promote skin and hair health and to encourage normal social behaviour.

 

8. Environmental enrichment:

Hiding places are essential for all of these species, whether indoor or outdoor, and help to dramatically reduce stress. Hides can range from commercially available products to bits of old drain pipe or flower pots.  A variety of toys should also be provided, ideally of a type that can be gnawed on.

 

9. Safety from predators, including your pets, at all times.

Never leave your dog or cat with your small mammal when unsupervised. Although they may be the best of friends, instinct is strong in predatory species. It only takes one slip for your dog or cat to kill your small pet by accident, leaving everyone devastated. Instinct cannot be overridden, so we can never blame dogs, cats or other predatory species from hunting – it is just their nature!

 

10. Regular health care:

Rabbits need vaccinations every year and will receive a full health check at this time. However, we recommend bi-annual check-ups as a bare minimum for all species. This enables you to keep up-to-date with their general health, and especially their dental health.  Guinea-pigs, chinchillas and degus do not need vaccinations routinely, but we recommend bi-annual checks for the same reasons.

 

These species are prey species and are designed to hide any signs of ill health until they cannot keep going any longer.  If you notice any change in your pet, please bring them for a check-up as soon as possible.