One of the first things prospective rat owners want to know is “do rats smell?”. After all, these are animals that have an (undeserved) reputation for being dirty, vermin, or living in sewers. If you’re asking that question then fear not – I have good news. Not only are rats not particularly smelly animals, there…
When you have a pet, it’s natural to be curious about it. What’s the name for its colour? What’s that type of marking called? Why is its fur smooth or wavy? All these questions can be answered by identifying the variety your mouse belongs to. Fancy mice all belong to one species – Mus musculus,…
It’s generally agreed by scientists and rat owners alike that rats are pretty smart. But what do we actually mean when we say that? Are we talking about human-style intelligence with memory and forethought, or highly developed instincts? Let’s have a look at just how smart rats are. Do Rats Remember? Can rats remember? I’m…
Cage bedding or substrate forms a huge part of the home environment for pet mice. So, it is really important that the bedding types we choose are safe, comfortable, and let our rodents express their natural behaviors. The content of this article was contributed by guest author (and rodent wrangler extraordinaire) Beri Instone. Types of…
Branches and wooden toys are a brilliant way to enrich the in-cage life of rats and mice. They’re great for encouraging climbing and clambering around, and offer a really nice range of smells and textures to interact with. They are also good for nibbling and gnawing – and there are few things rats and mice…
One of the reasons why rats have taken over the world is that they are flexible about what they eat. The good news is that this makes them easy pets to feed, although just like humans, it’s still important that they eat a good healthy diet. Like many rat owners, I prefer to feed my…
Summer is upon us in the northern hemisphere – time to get out our lightweight clothes and enjoy the sun! However, while we might enjoy the warmer temperatures, they can cause difficulties for our furry friends, who sometimes need a helping hand to deal with the heat. Our pet rats belong to a species called…
This post was coauthored by Beri Instone, a responsible mouse breeder and Alison’s mouse guru. Mice, like many rodents, love to play and explore the world around them. Many pet mice will spend most of the day in their cages, so to give them a happy life, we need to make sure they have plenty…
You’ve decided that mice are the right pets for you, and you’ve set up a great cage to bring them home to. Now comes one of the trickiest decisions in a pet owner’s career – choosing the right names! I’m terrible for this – I have synesthesia (a perceptual phenomenon in which one sense mingles…