FAQ: Toys for small pets

Fabric tunnels suit rabbits, guinea pigs and rats as long as they do not chew them, as they are easy to wash and fold away. Check that the wire spring inside is not poking out anywhere where the animal could hurt itself.

Yes, these tunnels are natural, can be chewed and herbivores partly eat them. They break down over time, so chewed or damp ones need replacing.

Cardboard tubes work for small rodents, and a thick tube left over from a rug works for rabbits. Remove any tape and labels, and a cardboard box can become a tunnel by cutting holes at both ends.

In the wild gerbils live in burrow systems, so tunnels are very important to them. It is best to let them dig their own tunnels in deep bedding, and cardboard tubes buried under the bedding help the tunnels stay up.

New objects make animals suspicious at first, especially if they smell unfamiliar. Put some hay or a favourite treat inside, place the tunnel along the animal’s usual route and give it time to get used to it.

A very long, narrow tunnel with no exits along the way can be stressful, especially when several animals live together and one can block another. Several shorter tunnels, or a long one with several openings, work better.

Chinchillas like to squeeze into hiding places, so wide wooden or ceramic tunnels suit them. It is best not to put fabric or plastic tunnels in a chinchilla cage, as they chew them up.

These are toys that hide food so the animal has to find, pull out or roll it out, such as hay balls, snuffle mats or puzzle boxes. They mimic natural foraging and keep the animal busy far longer than a bowl.

In the wild rodents spend much of the day searching for food, so a simple bowl does not meet this need. Foraging reduces boredom, encourages movement and helps prevent overeating.

Stuff a toilet roll tube with hay, add a few pellets and fold the ends, or wrap a treat in plain paper. Part of the daily food can also be hidden in a small cardboard box with holes.

Yes, pellets or dried herbs hidden in a snuffle mat encourage the animal to search for food with its nose. The mat must be well stitched, and the first few times watch that the animal does not start chewing and swallowing the fabric.

A hay ball is a woven or hollow ball that, when stuffed with hay, makes the animal pull, roll and chew it. It suits rabbits and guinea pigs as an extra activity, but does not replace the main supply of hay in the rack or on the floor.

Yes, scattering dry food or hiding it in the bedding encourages a hamster to forage as it would in the wild. Part of the daily ration can be given this way, but do not leave fresh food in the bedding, as it spoils.

It is a hollow ball with holes that you fill with pellets, which drop out a few at a time as it is rolled. Such balls suit rabbits and rats best, and the pellets should come out of the daily ration.

Puzzle toys with sliding parts or lids suit intelligent animals such as rats, rabbits and degus very well. Start with easy tasks and choose toys of wood or other materials the animal will not swallow.

Herbs or leafy greens can be hung on a metal skewer or string at a height the animal can reach, so it has to pull and tug at them. The holder must have no sharp ends, and remove uneaten fresh food the same day.

Put part of the normal daily ration in the toys rather than extra food, and use treats sparingly. That way the animal is kept busy, but its total food intake does not go up.

It is best to hide the usual food: pellets, dried herbs, hay or, for herbivores, small pieces of leafy greens. Sweet treats are only for occasional use in very small amounts.

Begin with very easy tasks: leave the food visible and the toy open or only loosely covered. Once the animal understands there is food inside, make the tasks gradually harder.

Yes, especially if they held fresh food, as leftovers spoil and go mouldy quickly. Wash hard toys at least once a week, and simply throw away cardboard ones that are damp or soiled with food.