Why Do Gerbils Make Such Great Pets?
By Alison Wood,
Gerbils make great pets for adults and for older children who have become used to caring for small animals, and who will be able to handle these fast paced bundles of fur. The average lifespan of a gerbil is between 3 and 5 years, with some living longer. Gerbils are non-aggressive by nature and will seldom bite, unless severely provoked. All of which make them great additions to any home which has the time, resources and desire to care for them.
Gerbils are social animals, and as such it is important to always house at least two together, maybe more if you have the space. Litter mates, whether all males or all females together, are the best combination. Please don’t keep males and females together, unless you want to have a very large gerbil population on your hands, in very little time.
The gerbil originated in the Mongolian desert, where it would build long underground tunnels and lived in a series of chambers in family groups. Hence, the domesticated gerbil loves to dig, which can be great fun to watch, particularly if you house them in a glass tank and provide them with plenty of sand. Gerbils also love to take sand baths and will roll in the sand until their coats are beautiful and shiny.
A tank is in fact the best housing for gerbils, or failing that then they should be kept in a wire cage. Plastic cages, toys and beds must not be given to gerbils because of their ability to chew through plastic very quickly, and apart from the fact that they may then escape, the plastic is also very dangerous if it is ingested.
Gerbils are also easy to keep clean. Primarily because of the desert conditions in which these animals have their home in the wild, they have adapted kidneys which produce very little waste, in order to preserve bodily fluids. In captivity this is again an advantage for their human companions, as they produce little odor.
Gerbils are primarily nocturnal, but they also have cycles of activity during the day, as opposed to Syrian hamsters for example, which are almost exclusively nocturnal. This can be an advantage, particularly for children who like to interact with their pets before bedtime.
So in answer to the question, why do gerbils make such great pets, we have established the following facts. They are social, friendly, clean, low maintenance pets, who not only provide a great deal of amusement through their play and burrowing antics, but who also love to interact with their young or not so young, human companions.
By Alison Wood,
Pet Hooligans
Gerbils make great pets for adults and for older children who have become used to caring for small animals, and who will be able to handle these fast paced bundles of fur. The average lifespan of a gerbil is between 3 and 5 years, with some living longer. Gerbils are non-aggressive by nature and will seldom bite, unless severely provoked. All of which make them great additions to any home which has the time, resources and desire to care for them.
Gerbils are social animals, and as such it is important to always house at least two together, maybe more if you have the space. Litter mates, whether all males or all females together, are the best combination. Please don’t keep males and females together, unless you want to have a very large gerbil population on your hands, in very little time.
The gerbil originated in the Mongolian desert, where it would build long underground tunnels and lived in a series of chambers in family groups. Hence, the domesticated gerbil loves to dig, which can be great fun to watch, particularly if you house them in a glass tank and provide them with plenty of sand. Gerbils also love to take sand baths and will roll in the sand until their coats are beautiful and shiny.
A tank is in fact the best housing for gerbils, or failing that then they should be kept in a wire cage. Plastic cages, toys and beds must not be given to gerbils because of their ability to chew through plastic very quickly, and apart from the fact that they may then escape, the plastic is also very dangerous if it is ingested.
Gerbils are also easy to keep clean. Primarily because of the desert conditions in which these animals have their home in the wild, they have adapted kidneys which produce very little waste, in order to preserve bodily fluids. In captivity this is again an advantage for their human companions, as they produce little odor.
Gerbils are primarily nocturnal, but they also have cycles of activity during the day, as opposed to Syrian hamsters for example, which are almost exclusively nocturnal. This can be an advantage, particularly for children who like to interact with their pets before bedtime.
So in answer to the question, why do gerbils make such great pets, we have established the following facts. They are social, friendly, clean, low maintenance pets, who not only provide a great deal of amusement through their play and burrowing antics, but who also love to interact with their young or not so young, human companions.
Li'l Hooligans
Highlighting small pets and the people who love them
An interview with Abi Cushman and P.A. Smith of
MyHouseRabbit.com
By Alison Wood,
Pet Hooligans
Firstly, please introduce yourself and tell us a little about where you are based, for example
in which countryand part of that country?
We are Abi Cushman and P.A. Smith, and we’re based in New London, CT USA.
Please tell us about your pet website and how it came about?
Please tell us a little about any pets that currently live with you and if they ever get into any mischief?
We live with two rabbits named Coco and Cosette, and they love getting into mischief. Cos loves to jump on the coffee table to try to steal snacks. Coco enjoys pulling paper from the recycling bin and our filing cabinets (if we forget to close the drawer all the way). They are intensely curious, with the ability to jump to high places and squeeze into small spaces. We’ll find them on top of bookcases, tables, couches, chairs, and tv stands, as well as below or behind the furniture.
What first interested you in setting your pet related website up?
Owning two rabbits, rabbit care was a topic we knew a lot about. We both like to write, and I (Abi) am a web designer by trade, so putting together a website made sense.
How long now has the site been established?
We launched My House Rabbit in 2007.
How do you find your inspiration and the content that you blog about?
We get inspiration for new articles from the emails we receive. When we realize that a lot of people have similar questions about a certain topic, we’ll turn our answer into an article.
For the blog, we keep an eye out for news related to rabbits. We really like heartwarming stories about rabbits. Sometimes we find those in the news, sometimes we hear about them from various rabbit rescue organizations via Facebook or Twitter, and sometimes people contact us directly.
We’ve also had a few people write guest posts. We try to keep the blog fairly uplifting and positive. Sometimes we post about the antics of our own rabbits. We also like to post about rabbit-inspired art, knitting/sewing patterns, or rabbit-shaped cookies/cakes.
Tell us a little about your typical day and what is involved in running the website?
We usually receive a couple emails everyday with questions pertaining to rabbit care, so we’ll answer those to the best of our ability. A lot of the time, our best advice is to bring their rabbit in to a rabbit-savvy vet. Rabbits are prey animals who hide their illness for as long as possible, and many people don’t realize how dire the situation is.
Aside from answering emails, we also look for things to post on the blog and check our Facebook and Twitter pages for any questions there. We’ll add new photos and videos to the gallery about once every month, and we write new articles when topics arise.
Do you have any plans for the future in terms of expanding the website or featuring any other areas?
Aside from adding more articles and maintaining the blog and photo/video galleries, we don’t have any plans for any major additions to the site.
Finally, if people want to learn more about you and your website do you have a Facebook page or Twitter profile where they can learn more?
We have a Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/myhouserabbit and a Twitter page at: http://twitter.com/myhouserabbit
© 2011 Woodmors.com All rights reserved
Interactive Resources
1. There are several different breeds of hamster but most popular are the Golden
or Syrian hamster and the dwarf breeds such as the Roborovsky and Chinese
varieties. Golden hamsters must always be housed on their own, whilst the dwarf
breeds will live happily in pairs. Same sex only of course, unless you are happy to
be overrun with the patter of very tiny feet.
2. Hamsters are nocturnal and so you need to consider where they will be housed, otherwise you might be kept awake by a small rodent running on his wheel for hours on end. A wheel is essential as hamsters can run a very long way on a nightly basis and indeed put our treadmill efforts to shame.
3. Good housing is either a wire based cage or a 10 gallon aquarium. A great choice is a cage with plastic as the base and wire at the top, this leads to less gnawing of the bars and is much easier to clean. The modular systems with all the interconnecting tunnels are great fun too, but it will depend on how much time you have for cleaning and how much space you have, as to which is best for your home.
4. Never use pine or cedar chips in a hamster’s house as the fumes from these can be very harmful to our little pals. The best way to line the cage is with sawdust and for bedding use the shredded paper from the pet store, never newspaper as the print can be toxic to small animals.
5. Hamsters love a nice small space in which to sleep safely, this could be a castle shaped one from your local pet store, a wooden box or even a small flowerpot. A very important tip is to try never to wake a hamster when he is sleeping in the day, or you might get a little nip for your trouble.
6. Hamsters love to chew wood and this is vital for their dental health, as it keeps their teeth from over-growing. They should also be provided with lots of toys as they love to play by crawling through tunnels and up and down ramps and ladders.
7. The best food for your hamster is a mix of hamster muesli from the pet store and some fresh vegetables, in order to keep them healthy, the best choices being lettuce, cabbage, carrot, apple or as a special treat strawberry. The following should NEVER be given to hamsters: onions, kidney beans, potato, onions, rhubarb, tomatoes, chocolate or candy.
8. Hamsters are hoarders, so don’t be too surprised when your tiny pet stuffs his pouches, almost to bursting point, and consequently makes his eyes bulge. Just remember to remove any fresh food from the secret corners he hides it in, before it spoils.
9. The hamster is susceptible to catching the common cold and other respiratory illnesses from their human companions, so try and avoid them if you are unwell or at least cover your mouth to protect them from coughs and sneezes. If you ever have any concerns about your pet’s health take them to a vet promptly as animals of this size can go downhill very quickly.
10. Shelters are not just for dogs and cats, they are also looking to re-home many small animals including hamsters, so if you think you can find space in your life for a little furry friend, please do give the local rescue center a call first.
or Syrian hamster and the dwarf breeds such as the Roborovsky and Chinese
varieties. Golden hamsters must always be housed on their own, whilst the dwarf
breeds will live happily in pairs. Same sex only of course, unless you are happy to
be overrun with the patter of very tiny feet.
2. Hamsters are nocturnal and so you need to consider where they will be housed, otherwise you might be kept awake by a small rodent running on his wheel for hours on end. A wheel is essential as hamsters can run a very long way on a nightly basis and indeed put our treadmill efforts to shame.
3. Good housing is either a wire based cage or a 10 gallon aquarium. A great choice is a cage with plastic as the base and wire at the top, this leads to less gnawing of the bars and is much easier to clean. The modular systems with all the interconnecting tunnels are great fun too, but it will depend on how much time you have for cleaning and how much space you have, as to which is best for your home.
4. Never use pine or cedar chips in a hamster’s house as the fumes from these can be very harmful to our little pals. The best way to line the cage is with sawdust and for bedding use the shredded paper from the pet store, never newspaper as the print can be toxic to small animals.
5. Hamsters love a nice small space in which to sleep safely, this could be a castle shaped one from your local pet store, a wooden box or even a small flowerpot. A very important tip is to try never to wake a hamster when he is sleeping in the day, or you might get a little nip for your trouble.
6. Hamsters love to chew wood and this is vital for their dental health, as it keeps their teeth from over-growing. They should also be provided with lots of toys as they love to play by crawling through tunnels and up and down ramps and ladders.
7. The best food for your hamster is a mix of hamster muesli from the pet store and some fresh vegetables, in order to keep them healthy, the best choices being lettuce, cabbage, carrot, apple or as a special treat strawberry. The following should NEVER be given to hamsters: onions, kidney beans, potato, onions, rhubarb, tomatoes, chocolate or candy.
8. Hamsters are hoarders, so don’t be too surprised when your tiny pet stuffs his pouches, almost to bursting point, and consequently makes his eyes bulge. Just remember to remove any fresh food from the secret corners he hides it in, before it spoils.
9. The hamster is susceptible to catching the common cold and other respiratory illnesses from their human companions, so try and avoid them if you are unwell or at least cover your mouth to protect them from coughs and sneezes. If you ever have any concerns about your pet’s health take them to a vet promptly as animals of this size can go downhill very quickly.
10. Shelters are not just for dogs and cats, they are also looking to re-home many small animals including hamsters, so if you think you can find space in your life for a little furry friend, please do give the local rescue center a call first.
Molly
Rabbit Housing: Key Considerations
by Alison Wood,
Pet Hooligans
If you aren’t able to provide them with a room where they have free reign, then you will need to think about an enclosure. According to guidelines issued by the ASPCA a rabbit enclosure for a single small or medium breed needs to be at minimum four feet wide, two feet deep and two feet deep. Of course if you have more than one rabbit or a larger sized breed then they are going to need a larger space. Remember too that these are minimum guidelines and that a rabbit will actually be much happier in a larger space, as they have powerful hind legs and love nothing more then to run about and binky, a joyous little leap that they do in the air when they are extra happy. If you are going to keep a rabbit in an enclosure, then they will need time every day when they are released in a safe place, either in the house or in a protected run in the yard, for some much needed exercise. This time is not insubstantial as the recommended exercise time for a pet rabbit is several hours a day.
When thinking about an enclosure for a rabbit you do not need to think only of the traditional wooden hutch. Puppy pens and crates and custom enclosures are all considerations. Make sure that the base of the enclosure is wood or plastic and if it is wire, ensure that it is covered with something solid such as a piece of wood, as wire can lead to problems with your rabbit’s paws. Within the enclosure there should be a litter area and lots of hay so that your pet can make a nice warm nest. You should also always have fresh water available, rabbit pellets and fresh veggies and of course timothy hay, which is a requisite for healthy dental care.
You can see then that deciding whether a rabbit is the right pet for you will come down in large part to three key areas. Firstly, whether you have the space, either for an enclosure and exercise area, or whether you are able to bunny-proof your home for a truly free running house rabbit. Secondly, whether you have the available finances to buy and maintain rabbit housing and care and thirdly, whether you have sufficient time to dedicate to playing with your rabbit and making sure that they have enough exercise.
Rabbits do make great pets, they are inquisitive and playful, very quiet and for the most part very gentle if treated correctly. However, they are a social animal that require interaction either with other rabbits or their human companions and above all they require space to exercise their muscular bodies and to feel the wind against their fur. If you make the choice to take one into your home, just ensure they you have the time, space and love to fulfill their needs, and in return they will provide you with many years of joy and companionship.
Tilly
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My House Rabbit (MyHouseRabbit.com) is dedicated to celebrating house rabbits and educating the public about pet rabbit care and behavior. There are a lot of misconceptions about pet rabbits, and we wanted to put together a resource that helped new rabbit owners set up a safe environment for their pets.
Have you always loved animals and pets?
Yes, of course! We both had pets growing up, and we’re both animal lovers in general as well. Aside from MyHouseRabbit.com, we also run another website called AnimalFactGuide.com which showcases various animals around the world and discusses ways people can help conserve both the animals and their environment.
Have you always loved animals and pets?
Yes, of course! We both had pets growing up, and we’re both animal lovers in general as well. Aside from MyHouseRabbit.com, we also run another website called AnimalFactGuide.com which showcases various animals around the world and discusses ways people can help conserve both the animals and their environment.
Rabbits do make great pets, but before taking the decision to adopt one into your home, careful consideration needs to be taken over the space you have available to house them. The first choice would be to keep your rabbit indoors, either free running or in an enclosure. This keeps them in a temperature that does not drop too low in the winter and also keeps them safe from predators. Once spayed or neutered rabbits are very clean and can be quite easily litter trained. If you are going to let them run freely in the house or a single room, do make sure that it has been bunny-proofed, i.e. that all electrical cables have been tidied out of the way or covered and that any furniture that could be chewed is protected or moved. It is also important to provide your rabbit with lots of toys that they can play with to keep them occupied and also to give them something to chew.
Company Information
Tilly
Small Animals
Alison lives in the U.K. and is a professional blogger, human resources director and managing partner of Woodmor's. Blog posts by Alison frequently appear in Woodmor's. Alison's blogs include: Pet Hooligans, Art of Crafts, Midnight Eden, Woodmor's World and Greener Living Today
Alison resides in the U.K. and is a contributing author and managing partner of Woodmor's. You'll find her on Facebook and you can enjoy her pet blog at Pet Hooligans.
Alison resides in The U.K. and is a contributing author and managing partner of Woodmor's. You'll find her on Facebook and you can enjoy her blog at Pet Hooligans.
Alison resides in the U.K. and is a contributing author and managing partner of Woodmor's. You'll find her on Facebook and you can enjoy her pet blog at Pet Hooligans.