FAQ: Supplies for small pets

Let it settle in quietly for a few days, don't force it to be handled and give the same food as before. Watch that it eats, drinks and passes droppings normally.

A kit is convenient, but it often comes with a cage that is too small or unsuitable accessories, such as a small or wire wheel. Before buying, check the cage dimensions and whether each accessory suits your pet.

In the wild, rodents and rabbits are prey, so they only feel safe when they have somewhere to hide. Without a hide the animal is constantly stressed; when several live together, each needs its own.

Food, hay, bedding and chew items run out all the time, while bottles, toys or houses need replacing less often. Knowing how much you use per month lets you choose bigger packs.

A rabbit must be able to stretch out fully, stand up on its hind legs and take several hops in its cage. Standard cages are often too small, so a pen is a better choice, with daily exercise over several square metres.

Guinea pigs move horizontally, so floor area matters most. For two, at least about 120 × 60 cm is often recommended, and more space is always better; extra levels do not replace floor area.

A floor area of at least about 100 × 50 cm is often recommended for a hamster, and this applies to dwarf hamsters as well as Syrians. In a cage that is too small a hamster gets stressed and often chews the bars.

A chinchilla needs a tall multi-level cage with wooden shelves to jump between and metal bars, since it will chew through plastic. The cage should be in a cool place, away from heaters.

Rats do well in a tall multi-level cage with shelves, ladders and hammocks. Shelves and floors are better solid rather than wire to protect their feet, and the bar spacing must be narrow enough that young rats cannot squeeze through.

Mice squeeze through very narrow gaps, so bar spacing for them should be no more than about 7 mm, and about 1 cm for young rats. If the head fits through a gap, the whole animal will get through.

A glass tank lets you add a deep layer of bedding and makes less mess, so it suits hamsters and mice. But ventilation is poorer, and a cage suits rats and chinchillas, which love to climb, better.

A wire floor can injure the feet and cause painful foot inflammation, especially in rabbits and guinea pigs. Choose a cage with a solid floor, or cover the wire parts with a mat or board.

In a bright spot but out of direct sunlight, away from radiators, draughts, the TV and speakers. The kitchen is unsuitable because of steam and smells, and guinea pigs and rabbits are more comfortable when the cage is raised slightly off the floor.

Hamsters, mice and chinchillas are most active at night: the wheel, chewing and digging can disturb your sleep. Hay and bedding also give off dust, so for people with allergies the cage is better kept in another room.

Rodents dig and kick bedding around, so a deep tray with high sides keeps it inside the cage and lets you add a thicker layer. Some animals chew plastic edges, so check them regularly.

Rats, mice, chinchillas and degus love to climb, so tall cages suit them well. For guinea pigs and rabbits floor area matters more, and levels for hamsters should not be too high so a fall does not cause injury.

Remove uneaten fresh food and wet bedding every day, and change all the bedding about once a week depending on cage size and the number of animals. Clean a hamster's cage in sections, leaving some of the old bedding.

Warm water and a mild unscented detergent or diluted vinegar are enough. Rinse and dry everything thoroughly, and avoid strong chemicals, bleach and scented products, because their residues irritate the airways.

Yes, many rabbits live free-roaming once litter trained and the room is rabbit-proofed: cables hidden, furniture protected, plants removed. At first, or for the night, it is still useful to have its own pen.

Lift cables or hide them in protective tubing, cover furniture legs, and block the gaps under the sofa or wardrobe. Most important of all is to provide enough permitted chew items and hay.