FAQ: Toys for small pets

Hard ceramic or wooden houses last a long time, while hay, cardboard and willow toys are used up, because being chewed is their purpose. Most small pets need both types, so chewable toys are a normal ongoing cost.

A larger pack is often cheaper per kilogram, especially if your animals chew a lot. It is only worth it if you can store the twigs somewhere dry and use them up before they get damp or mouldy.

No, zoogidas.lt sells nothing; it only compares prices from Lithuanian online pet shops. Once you choose a toy, you buy it on the shop’s own website.

zoogidas.lt shows prices for the same product in different Lithuanian online shops, and products sold by weight can be compared by price per kilogram. This makes it easier to see whether a bigger pack really is cheaper.

Prices are collected about daily, and each product shows when its price was last checked. Before buying, still confirm the final price on the shop’s website.

Yes, the product page shows the price history, so you can see whether the current price of a toy or hideout is typical or has recently changed.

A ceramic or stone tile, a ceramic house and a frozen water bottle wrapped in cloth give the animal a cool spot to lie against. This matters especially for chinchillas, rabbits and guinea pigs, which cope badly with heat.

In winter an outdoor rabbit most needs a dry, windproof shelter with a thick layer of hay. Cardboard boxes stuffed with hay and piles of hay provide both activity and extra warmth, and wet or frozen toys need replacing.

Yes, branches with leaves from safe trees such as apple, willow, hazel or birch are a natural and popular activity. Start with small amounts so the digestion adjusts, and collect branches only from clean, unsprayed places.

Yes, bundles of chamomile, dandelion, mint or other herbs suitable for small pets, hung up or tucked into hay, encourage the animal to pull and forage. Choose herbs without additives and give them in moderation as extra food.

A free-roaming rabbit needs hideouts in several places, a dig box, tunnels, chew toys and cardboard boxes, so it has permitted activities instead of chewing furniture. Cables and poisonous plants must be hidden or moved.

An outdoor run needs shade, a hideout from predators and sun, tunnels and a chance to graze. Toys should not be made of materials that get hot in the sun or soak up rain and go mouldy, and it is worth collecting them in the evening.

Yes, rats learn very quickly, so they can be taught to fetch a small ball, go through a tunnel or press a button for a treat. Sessions should be short, and treats small and counted as part of the daily ration.

Rabbits enjoy hide-and-seek with treats, exploring cardboard mazes, rolling balls and simple tricks such as coming when called. Let the rabbit come to you and do not chase it, as being chased reminds it of a predator.

When animals live together, have several of the same toys and hideouts spread around different parts of the cage. Favourite treat toys should be offered several at a time, so a dominant animal cannot claim them all.

A hamster or gerbil in a glass tank needs deep bedding, several hideouts, chew toys and a sand bath. Toys should not be so tall, or so close to the walls, that the animal could climb out if the tank has no lid.

Place toys and foraging items away from the corner the animal uses as a toilet and not under the water bottle. That way toys stay clean and dry longer and need throwing away less often.

Hanging toys suit rats, degus and chinchillas, but they must be attached short and securely so the animal cannot get tangled in a string or chain. Choose holders without open hooks and check the fixings regularly.

Swings are usually unnecessary for hamsters and can be dangerous, as they balance poorly on moving surfaces and can fall. Deep bedding, hideouts and low tunnels are more useful for them.

Children’s toy blocks are often varnished or painted with finishes not intended for chewing, so it is better not to give them. If you want blocks, choose ones made for small pets from untreated wood.