Rats are adorable creatures, so it isn’t surprising that many owners wonder about breeding their pets. Some people want to make “more” of a loved animal, while others wonder if it could be a side-income. However, breeding rats well, in a way that is healthy for the animals, is not as simple as putting a…
Once you’ve decided that pet rats are the right choice for you, and researched and prepared their cage, food and toys, there is one last step on the road to becoming a rat owner – adopting the rats themselves. Superficially, it sounds simple. Find somewhere that sells rats, pop out and buy a couple, right?…
Food plays two roles for our pets. It provides them with the nutrition they need, but it can also, in fact, should also be, something enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. Finding food is such a large part of wild animals’ lives, that our furry friends at home also need to be engaged by it to be…
Article content provided by Beri Instone, small rodent diet supremo. We’ve talked before about how hamsters are not just hamsters; there are several different species, each with its own needs. The same is true for feeding. Whilst many pet stores and online shops still sell “hamster food” (or, the great rodent preserve us, “rat, mouse,…
Today, we’re going to look at the sadder side of pet rat ownership – figuring out when they are sick. Unfortunately, one of the downsides to keeping pet rats is that they are prone to illness. Another is that their lifespans are quite short – generally only two to three years. That means knowing the…
Like all pet rodents, hamsters need to be provided with good quality, safe beddings and substrates. However, when choosing the best bedding type to give our pets, we need to take into account the particular needs of the species. This article was co-written with Beri Instone, small rodent wrangler extraordinaire (and custodian of many hamsters)….
Hamsters are often thought of as a low maintenance, low value kids’ pet – something short-lived and easy that is bought for a few dollars from a pet shop. In fact, hamsters are complex little creatures, with lots of personality, and some quite specialised needs. The old stereotype of a children’s pet that isn’t a…
Rats make fantastic pets for all sorts of reasons – not least that they are adorable, smart, and love interacting with people. However, there is one potential downside that puts some owners off – while rats have massive personalities to fall in love with, they don’t live very long compared to animals like dogs or…
Obviously, I love having pet rats. Otherwise I wouldn’t currently have *cough* 25 *cough* of them in my house (in my defence, one of them is only here on holiday). However, although rats are totally awesome in every way, they aren’t the best pet for everyone. So, today I’m going to try and take you…