Rodent pets: types, description and content features

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Many dream of pets, but are afraid to get them because of the possibility of certain troubles. The dog must be walked daily, played with it in the fresh air, trained. The cat, on the other hand, will have to be accustomed to the tray for a long time, and then constantly make sure that it does not spoil furniture and other personal items in the house.

All these difficulties make a modern person, who spends most of the day at work, postpone the purchase of a pet. However, for those who still cannot imagine their life without an animal, there is a way out of a difficult situation. It consists in acquiring a pet rodent. Fortunately, there are a lot of varieties of these decorative animals now. You can choose a pet for every taste and temperament. Caring for him will be as simple as possible. It will only be necessary to clean the cage from time to time and pamper the animal with toys so that it does not get bored in it.

Acquisitionpet for baby

Quite often the purchase of a pet rodent is done for the sake of the child. Children really like various animals, and many parents are unable to refuse their child. However, such a step must be taken with all responsibility. After all, even the smallest rodents are not toys. And so you can not buy them solely for entertainment. Therefore, the age of the child, as well as the seriousness of his intentions, should be taken into account. It is best not to acquire a pet until the child reaches school age. Going to school will make him more serious and responsible, and caring for a pet will help him become more disciplined.

Children under preschool age will not understand how to care for, clean the cage, feed, water, and take into account all the features of keeping a pet rodent. Instead, they may inadvertently harm and hurt him without realizing their actions and without feeling compassion. There is also a risk that the animal's food will get into the baby's mouth, which will not affect him favorably. Adults should not completely indulge him in requests for a pet. Only by explaining to your child the full degree of responsibility for the animal, you can acquire it and instill in this child a love for animals.

The most popular rodent is the hamster

When you think about a pet rodent, an animal like a hamster immediately comes to mind. It is on him that most often the eye falls in the pet store. The animal is a small rodent of dense build with short legs.and tail, as well as small ears. Depending on the variety of the hamster, its body can be from 5 to 35 cm long. The fur of these animals is thick, dense, and has a huge variety of colors. The most popular for home keeping are the Dzungarian and Syrian species of rodents.

Hamster pets are modest in size, so you don't have to give them too much space in the house. A small cage is suitable for a habitat. However, it must be borne in mind that Syrian hamsters need a more spacious house than Dzungarian ones. It is quite easy to care for such a pet, and he needs very little food. However, when deciding to purchase a hamster, it is worth remembering that some animals can be very aggressive.

Especially those sold in pet stores. There the animals are kept in poor conditions. Hamsters there can be seen imprisoned in one large cage, which should never be done. By nature, they prefer a solitary lifestyle. And in a forced company with other animals, they become angry and constantly fight among themselves. Therefore, it is better to buy a rodent home from a nursery, where the psyche of animals is carefully monitored and all the necessary conditions are created for this. Only from the breeder can you get a guarantee that the animal will be tame and kind.

Features of keeping and caring for a hamster

When choosing a hamster, it is better to opt for Syrian ones. Although they are larger than the Dzungars in size, they are very friendly and tame. Their little brothers, unlikefrom them, they do not like to communicate with a person. During the day, hamsters always sleep, but in the evening they begin active life. Therefore, it is better not to touch them during the day, the animal will obviously not be in the mood to play. Also, you can not buy two hamsters at once. They will definitely fight and fight, until the death.

To provide the animal with a comfortable life, you need to purchase a spacious cage, as well as fill it with all kinds of accessories. The cage should have tunnels, houses, slides and a wheel. The hamster will constantly run and frolic among these objects, and the wheel will become his favorite pastime. You can also buy a special transparent ball for walking the hamster around the room. He happily runs in it, without causing himself the slightest harm. It is impossible to let a rodent walk around the apartment without it. Otherwise, he will quickly find where he can get stuck, get hurt, and also undoubtedly gnaw on one of the things.

As for the nutrition of the hamster, it is extremely unpretentious in it. The animal will be happy to feast on special grain food for rodents from the pet store, and will not resist vegetables and fruits. Hamsters love carrots, cucumbers, apples, celery and raw corn the most.

Calm and friendly guinea pigs

They are in second place in the list of the most popular pet rodents. Guinea pigs are much larger than hamsters. The length of their body is from 25 to 35 cm. The body of these animals has a rounded shape, and the short tail is almost invisible, so the fluffy pig looks like a round ball of wool. ATdepending on the sex and variety of animals, their weight can be from 800 g to 1.5 kg. The most popular colors of guinea pigs are brown, gray and red. Quite often, these colors are mixed, forming a tricolor on the animal's body.

Pigs are known for their cleanliness. Therefore, acquiring this rodent, you can not be afraid of an unpleasant odor. They are also non-allergenic animals, which is extremely important when a child or adults with a predisposition to allergies live in the house.

These pets have a very friendly and peaceful nature, as well as a gentle disposition and good he alth, unlike hamsters, who often get sick and live no more than three years. If you take good care of your guinea pig and carefully monitor its condition, it can live up to eight years. These pets make good contact with people because of their developed intelligence. They can even be taught some commands, while treating them with some kind of treat. It is for the calmness, friendliness and intelligence of guinea pigs that both children and adults love.

The advantages of this cute animal as a pet are clear. They have absolutely no flaws. Although some may be confused by the size of a guinea pig, which is strikingly different from the modest dimensions of a hamster. Of course, a small cage for a pig is not suitable. She should have a spacious, bright home with a minimum length of 80 cm. The larger the size of the house, the happier the fluffy pet will feel. Also, we must not forget that even with spacious housing, the animal will need daily walks alongfree territory. In summer, you can take a pig with you for a walk, while putting on a harness. However, you need to make sure that there are no other animals nearby that could pounce on the baby and harm him.

Maintenance and care of the pig

The cage of this animal should be well equipped so that the pet is as comfortable as possible in it. There must be a house made of wood or plastic so that the pig can hide and sleep in it. The bottom of the cage should be covered with sawdust. As a filler, ordinary cat litter made from sawdust is perfect. It will absorb pet excrement well and eliminate the unpleasant odor that will come from them. Do not use granular filler, as the paws of guinea pigs are very delicate and have thin skin that is easy to scratch on it.

The animal's diet consists of grain feed, vegetables, hay, tree branches and fresh grass. You can buy pre-mixed food at any pet store. As for the grass, it can be grown on a window sill from oat grains or torn in a nearby ravine. It is important to remember that you only need to collect weed on your own in nature, away from roads, dog walking areas and industrial production.

The most favorite delicacy of this good-natured rodent is hay. In addition to its nutritional component, hay helps the animals grind down the teeth that grow in them throughout their lives. It also perfectly stimulates the metabolism of the animal. Regardless of,what food is the main food for a pig, hay must be present in the daily diet. It should be given even during the summer season, when the animal has constant access to fresh grass.

Decorative mice

If there is very little space in the apartment, but you really want to have a pet, you can pay attention to such a rodent as a decorative mouse. These babies have very modest sizes, and therefore even a very small cage will suit them. Decorative mice can also get along well in glass containers, the main thing is to prevent the animal from escaping. Because of their small size, they can squeeze through just about anywhere.

The length of the body of a domestic mouse is from six to nine cm. They have a narrow muzzle, expressive large eyes that look like beads, as well as round and large ears. The small size of mice, as well as a high level of intelligence and lack of exactingness in food, make them one of the most popular types of rodent pets.

They get used to a person very quickly, and being tame, they become more interesting to watch. After getting used to a person, a house mouse will recognize him by smell, react to his nickname and happily climb up his hand. You can also purchase a couple of pets at once to make them more fun. It is only important to take into account the fact that if a heterosexual couple is settled together, it will soon begin to actively breed.

Decorative mice content

After acquiring a new pet, you need to take care of its safe keeping. A small domestic rodent will need its own home in the form of a shallow terrarium or cage. Since the mouse is a herd animal, it will need to be given enough attention so that it does not get bored. Therefore, the cage needs to be equipped with a large number of various accessories.

It should contain a ball, toys, a wooden jogging wheel, various tunnels and decorative houses. When choosing these items, you must carefully ensure that they are not painted with varnish or paint. It is common for a mouse to gnaw on everything that surrounds it, and these substances will be extremely destructive for it. Also, you do not need to put ladders of thin rods in the cage. The animal can catch on her paw and get stuck in it.

In nature, mice eat a variety of grains. Decorative breeds do not differ in variety in these predilections. Therefore, you can give a new resident raw grains of oats, sunflowers, wheat, millet. The pet will not refuse such delicacies as fruits, crushed chicken egg shells, nuts and vegetables. Also, do not forget about animal feed, which should be in the diet of mice. These are primarily crickets, worms, caterpillars. This food can be purchased at the pet store. In addition, the mouse must be fed with green plants: dandelion and grass.

Chinchillas are luxurious and energetic beauties

If you want to buy not just a rodent, which most of the time will belead to the cage, and a real pet-friend who loves communication and games, you need to pay attention to the chinchilla. As pets, they are the most sociable and friendly of the entire rodent order. Chinchilla will not remain indifferent to any living creature in the house. She will be friends with both a cat and a dog, and even with other small pets in the form of hamsters or mice. The activity and kindness of this fluffy creature will make him a favorite of the whole family.

Description, maintenance and care of chinchilla

In choosing a chinchilla as a pet, it is also important that it has luxurious external data. This is partly what made her so popular among the people. The chinchilla has a huge fluffy tail, as well as long whiskers that help the animal navigate well in the dark. When you look at her, attention immediately focuses on the eyes of the animal - they are very beautiful and expressive.

Chinchilla is very similar to the Chilean degu squirrel in the features of keeping at home. They are the same size, and therefore they need a spacious and large cage with shelves and houses.

The fur of these animals is thick and long. Such a fur coat helps protect against drafts, so the animals rarely catch a cold while living at home. In order for their fur to always be neat, clean and beautiful, it is necessary to put a bowl with a mixture of volcanic ash and sand in the cage. There, the chinchilla will bathe and clean itself, as being in the water is contraindicated for them.

Besidesbaths in a cage for her, you need to put a bowl of hay and special ready-made food. You can feed your pet with germinated cereals, dry dandelions, clover, plantain, nettle and pumpkin seeds. Also, juicy grass and vegetables should be connected to the diet from time to time. But you need to give them little by little, since from such food a chinchilla can develop an upset stomach. Of the delicacies, these animals prefer carrots, apples, pears and rose hips.

Decorative rats

Despite the fact that many associate rats with something unpleasant and dirty, many prefer these rodent pets to everything else. And there is a clear explanation for this. Rats are vastly superior in intelligence to mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, and all other rodents. They are superbly oriented in any terrain, are easy to train and can even perform various tricks. This makes them the best choice for those who have enough free time to devote to animal activities.

This rodent pet will be an excellent acquisition for an inquisitive child who will teach him difficult tricks and train him. However, a nuance should be taken into account: you can buy a rat only from a conscientious breeder who will provide all the necessary documents about the state of her he alth.

As pets, rats are very attached to their owners. Therefore, it is better not to leave them alone for a long time. From boredom and lack of communication, they can become aggressive. These animalsthey like to be in the hands of a person, so they can not get off his shoulder and sit there for a long period of time. Unlike a hamster, she will never get stuck between a wall and a sofa, and will not hide in hard-to-reach places. Therefore, you can safely let her walk around the room. She will still stay close to her master.

Rats are omnivores and can't stand hunger at all. Therefore, you should always update the bowl of food and do not forget about the drinker. It should always have fresh and clean water. In addition to special food for rodents, the pet should be given raw and boiled vegetables, as well as apples, cheese, bread and boiled eggs.

Exotic rodents

Having considered the most popular rodent pets, it is worth mentioning the most exotic animals that are increasingly becoming pets: dormice, ground squirrels, jerboas, marmots. The maintenance of such animals will be difficult, since they need conditions that are as close as possible to natural ones. For example, a gopher at home will feel locked in, as this animal needs a lot of free space. Although if it is supposed to place the animal in a heated barn, then you can think about acquiring it.

Some people buy a jerboa or a chipmunk for their home. This can only be done if space permits. Of course, we are talking about those animals that did not grow up in the wild, but from breeders involved in the study and breeding of these animals at home. Owner reviews aboutchipmunks indicate that these pets are very sociable and friendly.

They look like squirrels in their appearance. Chipmunks have yellow-brown fur with black-brown stripes on the back, as well as a gray belly. These animals feed on herbaceous plants, berries, nuts and cereal sprouts. It is necessary to keep them at home in a spacious cage with a large number of ladders, tunnels and perches.

Regardless of the choice of an exotic animal, be it a domestic marmot or a jerboa, it must be understood that their maintenance will be extremely costly. The pet will need spacious living conditions, as well as special care and nutrition. You can buy an animal only after considering all possible concerns.