A Simple Guide For Owning Your First Small Pet

Taking care of a pet can be a very rewarding experience, and, especially for children, taking care of a small pet like a rabbit or a hamster is a great way to learn about responsibility and how to care for something. But no matter the age, small pets can make perfect little companions, boosting your mood and giving you something extra to focus on in your life. 

However, it’s important to note that just because these animals are small, however, they’re not guaranteed to be the easiest thing to take care of. Some can be fairly high maintenance, and they require both physical care and mental stimulation, just like dogs and cats. 

Deciding On A Small Pet
This should be a decision made by all those that intend to interact with the pet. If it’s solely the responsibility of one person, then that person needs to decide what they’re looking for in a small pet. Hamsters, for example, make for great first-time pets due to being relatively low-maintenance and requiring little space.

They’re rarely aggressive, especially if you regularly interact with and handle them. Rabbits and guinea pigs are great family pets and are highly recommended to be paired with others of their species due to being social animals. Chinchillas and rats can also make for amazing pets, but due to their high intellect and neediness, they require a lot more handling and attention than others.

Making A Home
They’ll need a suitable habitat to live in, and this varies quite significantly depending on the animals. While hamsters may only require a small cage that can fit nicely on a desktop, complete with plenty of bedding and hiding spots, rats will require a much larger cage with varying levels as well as toys to keep them stimulated. Chinchillas will need an even larger cage with plenty of height as these critters love to climb and stay up high.

For rabbits and guinea pigs, it’s perfectly reasonable to house them outside, although some often keep them indoors, especially in colder climates. However, a large run is necessary for these, especially if you have a few of them, as it could get cramped otherwise. Bedding is also an important choice. Hay makes for a good option for outdoor animals as it’s warm and comfortable, whereas animals that live indoors can have sawdust and woodchips. When it comes to rats and mice, we highly recommend using litter pellets if you’re worried about minimising any potential smells. 

Grooming Your New Pet
All animals can benefit from regular grooming, although they could, of course, get by throughout their whole lives without any grooming from their pet parents as they tend to do the job fairly well themselves. However, for some breeds, especially long-haired ones, grooming may actually be a necessity. 

Either way, grooming not only helps to keep your animals in good physical health, but it also helps you to bond with your pet as it requires prolonged physical contact, giving you a reason to handle them other than playtime. You can find all that you need for your pets here at Time For Paws, from grooming tools like brushes and shampoos to specific feeds and bedding.

Choosing The Right Food
While all of these animals’ dietary needs overlap somewhat, it’s important to do some research into exactly what is best for your chosen pet. Species-specific feeds such as nutrient-rich pellets are the best choice. Although guinea pigs, rabbits and chinchillas will survive predominantly on good quality hay. Pellets should act as a supplement in these cases and shouldn’t form most of their diet. 

All these small critters are allowed to eat fruit and vegetables as fresh and dried treats, but each species will benefit from these in different ways. Remember, animals like chinchillas need hay and grass for their digestive system to function correctly, and in the wild, they’ll even eat leaves and twigs too.  

Bonding With Your Pet
As we mentioned above, grooming is a great way to bond with your small pet but handling them and playing with them regularly is one of the best ways to form some kind of bond with them. Remember that not every species and breed will react the same way to certain stimulation during playtime, and some may take longer to bond with their pet parents than others. This especially goes for each individual animal too. 

You could have two pet rats and provide them with the exact same attention as one another, but only one might become happy with being handled, and the other may remain skittish and averse to being touched. Either way, providing your animals with stimulation from toys and playtime is very important, so make this a priority.

Can You Train Small Animals?
You might think that only dogs can be taught to roll over, but in fact, some small pets are shockingly intelligent and observant. While not having the best eyesight, rats are great listeners and are well-adapted to problem-solving and learning tricks from their pet parents. There are countless instances where rats have been taught to spin and flip and even learn recall and fetch commands.

While this can take some time, teaching these animals tricks is not only a fun and rewarding pastime for yourself, it’s also hugely stimulating for the animals, too, giving their brains some well-needed exercise.

What To Do If You Need To Go Away

Even small pets need care, so if you’re going away for a day or more then you need to make sure that you have someone you can trust to look after them. 

Thankfully, there are professional pet sitters who can care for animals of all shapes and sizes while their pet parents are away. The National Association Of Pet Sitters has lists of professional pet sitters who can take care of your beloved pet while you’re away, so you know they’re in safe hands. 

Healthcare And Vet Visits
It’s imperative that you register your pets at your local veterinary practice as soon as possible. Small animals are especially prone to ill health, and it’s important to remember that they don’t have as long a lifespan as some larger animals like cats and dogs.

It may be worth having a quick check-up with your vet once you first get your new animals so that they can provide them with a health exam and identify any potential problems. Even if they’re in perfectly fine health, your vet will also help with answering any burning questions you have and offer expert advice in the care of these animals so that you can be certain they’re safe, healthy and happy.