Daisies Animal Sanctuary
Small Animal Services
The Responsibility of keeping pets
“Nevertheless, the fact remains that when we choose a pet, we select for our special attention an individual from a species compatible with our wishes, and usually from a breed that has been modified by us in a way that satisfies our personal whims. We then intoduce it to an environment designed primarily for our convenience and interact comanionably with at times of our own choosing” (UFAW "Limping Towards Eden")
Which pet is best for you?
Many people assume a rabbit is their favoured pet, but how many acctually consider anything else? Many different species of pets hold many different qualities that suit different people. For instance, the degus and chinchillas in my opinion are much simpler and cleaner to keep. The smelly ones like rats, rabbits and ferrets are much more interactive and affectionate, yet mice-like species can very very entertaining to watch. It is important to do your research so as to reduce the problems you may encounter once it is in your home.
Basic Rabbit Care
Rabbits are social creatures and need company of their own kind and therefore should really be kept in pairs.
Environment – are you going to keep your rabbit outdoors or indoors – each rescue centre will have its own ideas about this – some will approve of indoor rabbits and some will not – speak to your local centre first to find out what their policies are.
Rabbits need a lot of space. Hutches / cages should be as big as possible with a minimum guide being that the rabbit should be able to make 4 full hops across its hutch before reaching the wall and they should be able to stand fully upright on their hind legs without hitting the roof.
Most people still keep their bunnies outside in a hutch and therefore this needs to be raised off the ground and be fully waterproof. Site the hutch away from direct, full sunlight and sharp draughts. Many people place their rabbit hutches inside sheds to shelter them from the elements. Please do not ever place the hutch in a used garage – car fumes are not good for bunny. Bunnies kept in hutches should have daily access to an exercise area or run. This too should be as big as you can make it – again, most rescue centres will have their own requirements and guidelines in this respect so check out what they are first. In the winter it can be hard to allow your bunny access and again, a bunny shed provides a very good solution. If your hutch is situated in the shed then no matter what the weather you can pop open the door and your bunny can have exercise in the shed all day long – some people go further and add a catflap to the shed leading to an outdoor run so that the bunny can chose whether to be inside or outside. PLEASE ensure that all outside enclosures for rabbits are fully secure – a fitted lid and secure base so that bunnies cannot dig out and predators cannot dig in.
Indoor bunnies need just as much exercise as outdoor bunnies and therefore they will need access to a fully bunny-proofed room for at least 2 hours every day.
EXPENSE – fairly cheap to run - food in the form of dried pellets plus daily supply of fresh fruit and veg. Jabs for myxi and vhd once or twice a year, (depending on area), and neutering are essential. On top of this you will have your unexpected vet bills in case of injury or illness.
CARE – depending on the type of rabbit you get – long haired rabbits will require regular daily or every other day grooming. All rabbits need their eyes, teeth and claws checking on a weekly basis – teeth and claws may require regular trimming. Keep a close eye on your bunny's bottom to ensure that it is clean and dry – if you notice a build up of poo in this area remove it immediately to prevent the risk of fly-strike.
TEMPERAMENT – obviously all bunnies are different and each will have its own individual temperament. However it should be noted that most rabbits are fairly timid, and as prey animals, most do not really like to be picked up – in the “wild” if they were lifted from the ground this would usually mean they were about to die! However, a lot of rabbits do like a stroke and groom from their human and will come to you for this purpose. They are very playful and inquisitive and lots of fun to watch. They are quite easily frightened so keep them out of the way of noisy children and busy areas of the house or garden.
LIFE EXPECTANCY – average around 8 years – Please bear this in mind when thinking of homing a rabbit – especially if it is meant to be as a pet for a child, in this time most children will lose interest and it will be left to the adult to take full responsibility of the rabbit.
Things to get BEFORE bringing a rabbit into your home
Hutch / Cage
Run For exercise outside of the hutch
Food bowl x 2 One for dry mix and one for fresh feed
Water bottle x 2 Best to have two in case you break one or one freezes during the winter
Bottle snug not essential but VERY handy to prevent bottles freezing in the winter and also helping keep water cool in the summer
Bedding Hay / Straw
Litter tray the amount of trays depends on your set up – you will want at least 1 in the hutch or cage plus 1 in any free running area or run
Toys Plant pots, balls, toilet roll tubes, tunnels, old phone books – things they can dig in, chew on, throw about, jump onto or hide under
Newspaper A staple for any hutch! Get lots in before bunny comes home because you really will get through it!
Food It is best to stick with whatever the rescue centre is feeding at first – rabbit's stomachs are very sensitive to change and any change in diet or introduction of new foods needs to be done slowly by mixing small amounts of the new food in with the old food.
Courtesy of Sarah Spencer
Basic Guinea Pig Care
Guinea pigs make delightful pets but, as with all animals, they require effort on the part of their owner to ensure they have a happy life.
Before bringing a guinea pig into your home, make sure that it will be the right pet for you. Do some research and find out what guinea pigs need before you get one. Once you have decided to get your piggy, invest in a good book for hints & tips on proper piggy care.
Guinea pigs are social (herd) animals and require company of their own kind. It is unkind to keep a guinea pig on its own
To avoid unwanted litters, a good combination is female litter mates. If space allows, a neutered male with 3-4 sows works well too.
Housing
Guinea pigs should, ideally, be housed indoors or in a secure shed which is cool in summer and can be heated in winter. They must be able to run around and exercise their muscles so they will need access to an outside or indoor run. The size of the run will depend on the number of animals. Being prey animals, they like to hide so tunnels, houses, cardboard boxes etc within the run will make them feel safe. Ensure there are enough hidey holes for all the guinea pigs in the herd. Try to allow them time out of the cage every day – at least 3 to 4 hours is a minimum guideline.
Guinea pig houses need cleaning regularly. Again, depending on numbers, 2 to 3 times a week. Line the floor of the cage with newspaper then add shavings or other substrate. At cleaning time, simply roll up the newspaper with the soiled shavings and dispose of. Good quality barley straw (not chopped) is required for the sleeping area and good quality hay for the rack.
If you have room to let your guinea pigs exercise indoors remember to keep them away from electrical wiring, houseplants and anything you hold dear because they will nibble!
Especially hazardous are plastic bags. For some reason guineas seem to be drawn to them but it can be fatal if they manage to eat any.
Never leave the guinea unattended when it is roaming free especially if you have other pets in the house.
Guinea pigs love to go onto grass in the summer and it is highly nutritious for them. However, never put them on to wet grass – wait until it has dried out completely. Also, never put them on grass that has been treated with herbicide/pesticide or been used as a toilet by cats and dogs. Make sure the run is secure and partially shaded to protect them from the heat and have water available at all times.
In very hot weather, fill some empty plastic bottles with water & freeze them overnight. The next day, put them in the run and the guineas will lie against them to keep cool if they begin to feel the heat.
Feeding
Guinea pigs need a diet high in Vitamin C to maintain optimum good health. Proprietary dry foods have this vitamin added but the piggies will also need good quality fresh fruit and vegetables to keep them topped up with this important vitamin. Old & stale fruit and veg has little nutritional value so if you wouldn’t eat it yourself, don’t give it to your guinea pigs! Fresh water must be available at all times. Dry food only needs to be fed once a day according to the guidelines on the pack.
Handling
This is an important part of bonding with your guinea pig. Try to handle them every day. Pick them up with both hands and hold them close to your body. Talk quietly to them and stroke them. They particularly like to be stroked under the chin and will often close their eyes and make little contented squeaking noises.
Toys
There are endless toys in the shops for guinea pigs but it’s easy to amuse the herd without spending a fortune. For example, stuff an empty toilet roll with hay. The piggies will love throwing it around and nibbling it as well! Make a cardboard box tunnel. It will be played in, chewed and thrown around but they will love it and it’s easily replaceable. Hide bits of carrot or chicory around the run and watch them find it.
Some pet shops sell willow balls. These are a good investment because they can be stuffed with hay, the guineas will have fun rolling them around and the willow can be safely nibbled by them. One of mine pulls all the hay out and gets inside it!
Healthcare
Guinea pigs are hardy creatures and, with the correct care, should remain healthy. They will need their claws trimmed regularly though and your vet can do this if you don’t feel confident to do it yourself. Check ears regularly too and clean the outer ear if necessary with a cotton bud and saline solution (but avoid getting water in the ear canal). Check the fur for mites & fleas and treat accordingly. Bald patches could indicate mange or ringworm and a visit to the vet would be necessary for treatment.
Snuffly noses & runny eyes could indicate a cold so keep the piggy warm and seek veterinary advice. Sometimes, the eye can be scratched by a piece of hay and will look opaque. This means that it has developed an ulcer and will need ointment from the vet to treat it. Never put your fingers in the guinea pigs eyes or try to remove foreign bodies. That is a job for the vet.
This is meant as a general guide only to keeping guinea pigs. Please do your research before you buy a guinea pig and have a good book to hand to refer to when necessary. There are many websites offering advice too.
Guinea pigs are delightful to have as pets but they have to be right for you.
Basic Rat Care
Fantastic pets – of all the “small” pets they are generally about the friendliest – often seeking their owner out for company and interaction. They like to play and they need a lot of room. You need to keep them in groups of at least 2 as they are social creatures. Your main considerations will be:
Environment – rats will need as big a cage as possible – I’m currently waiting for the Tommy 102 T3 to come in stock on zooplus.co.uk – it is 102 cm long, 53 cm wide and 156 cm high (it has 3 levels). This is the roomiest cage I could find although there are smaller ones on the market that would probably suffice, but I say you should get the best you can afford and I’ve seen cages much smaller for more money! Rats need things to climb and snuggle in so provide plenty of ramps and ladders in the cage along with hammocks, boxes filled with bedding, bundles of old fleece material etc. for them to snuggle in and play with. They need to chew to keep their teeth from over-growing so provide them with gnaw sticks, nuts in their shells etc. for this purpose (you can even use those little nyla-bone things designed for dogs!). Rats need to be kept at a fairly even temperature - they can cope withR colder conditions better than they can warm conditions and they can very quickly over-heat so do not place them in an area that will get very warm, i.e. a conservatory.
Environment Enrichment – as mentioned above, rats like to climb and burrow so provide them with toys and ladders to climb along, with other items such as the sleeve from an old jumper or a pair of child’s trousers, these are great. Provide them with cardboard boxes filled with bedding to chew on and burrow into, and tubes, balls, willow tunnels etc. are all appreciated. Some rats will use a wheel (make sure it is plenty big enough!) but normally only if they are introduced to it at a young age.
Expense – the main expense will be the purchase of the cage and the toys and accessories you buy to go in the cage, although a lot of toys and cage accessories can be sourced from around the house or charity shops.
Feeding – rat nuggets plus a small amount of rat muesli and dried dog food is a good staple diet. Ssupplement this with a small amount of fresh food daily too – I basically give my boys a little bit of what I have for my dinner! Do not feed them spicy foods. Also, rats have a sweet tooth so best avoid sweets and chocolate unless you want a very plump rat on your hands! Also, raw sprouts are not very good for them apparently!
You should also consider whether you would like to get male or female rats. The females tend to be slightly smaller and a lot more alert and inquisitive than the males, they rush around a lot more and are less likely to just want to sit and have a cuddle – great fun to watch and play with though. The males are bigger and a lot more laid back. Both mark their “territory” with urine but this can be greatly diminished in males by neutering, however in females it is unlikely that you will be able to stop them marking.
Things to get BEFORE bringing a rat into your home
Cage
Cage accessories ramps, tunnels, shelves, hammocks, bed, toys, litter tray, chew toys etc.
Food bowl heavy ceramic dishes are best as these cannot be chewed or tipped over – one for hard food such as their pellets and mix, and one for fresh foods.
Water bottle better than a bowl as a bowl can be tipped over and the water will soon become soiled with food and bits of bedding – depending on the size of your cage you may prefer to add more than one bottle, i.e. if the cage is multi level then have a bottle on each level
Bedding Material - I find shredded paper from my shredding machine at home is ideal for the base of the cage. I also use the shredded paper stuff you get in the pet shop for bedding – it is in long strands and feels soft. Avoid using the cotton wool type bedding as this can be bad for your hamster – also, wood shavings are not ideal and some can cause respiratory problems in small animals.
Food - Good quality rat pellets / nuggets plus a good quality rat muesli and dried dog biscuits supplemented daily with fresh fruit, veg and meat (a little of whatever you are eating for dinner is usually appreciated!)
Most rescue centres will not home check for a rat, they may however ask to see the cage that you intend to keep the animal in so take it along to the centre when you visit.
Courtesy of Sarah Spencer