FAQ: Supplies for small pets

A pen gives more room and a safe area to run around in. For a rabbit choose one high enough that it cannot jump over, and lay a mat underneath to protect the floor and prevent slipping.

Rabbits need several hours of exercise every day, rats at least an hour, and extra space is very beneficial for guinea pigs and degus too. Only let them run in a safe, supervised area.

Many specialists do not recommend one: ventilation inside is poor, the hamster cannot stop when it gets tired, and it bumps into furniture. It is safer to let it run in a fenced area with hides.

Remove plants, cables and small objects, block cracks and gaps behind furniture, take other pets out and close the door. Supervise the animal the whole time, and put a mat down on slippery floors.

Laminate or tiles are slippery, so the animal may slip and strain its joints, and rabbits are often afraid to move on them. Lay washable mats or rugs where the animal runs most.

Yes, if the hutch is insulated, protected from predators, wind, rain and sun, spacious enough, and the rabbit has a companion. An indoor rabbit should not be moved outside suddenly in winter.

Untreated wood is natural and safe to chew, a plastic house is easy to wash but quickly gets chewed, and a ceramic one stays cool in summer. Houses woven from hay or willow are edible, so they eventually need replacing.

At least one per animal, and ideally one extra, to prevent squabbles. Houses with two entrances suit guinea pigs especially well, so a dominant animal cannot corner another one inside.

They like fabric tunnels, wooden bridges, hay or willow tunnels and soft hideaway cushions. Choose washable fabric items and check regularly for loose threads.

Rats especially love hammocks, as do mice and degus. Wash them regularly and check for chewed spots or loose threads that little feet could get caught in.

A hamster's house must be roomy enough to hold a nest and a food store and let the animal turn around freely. Multi-chamber houses or bottomless ones that sit buried in the bedding work well.

Yes, plain cardboard boxes and toilet roll tubes make good hides and chew items. Make sure there is no sticky tape, glue or glossy coloured print, and replace them once they get wet.

A chinchilla chews everything it can reach, and swallowed plastic can block its digestive tract. Untreated wooden or ceramic houses and shelves suit it better.

In the wild hamsters live in burrows, so a deep layer of bedding, at least about 20 cm, lets them dig tunnels and feel safe. This reduces stress and bar chewing.

Paper, hemp, aspen shavings or wood pellet bedding that is low in dust and absorbent is suitable. Avoid cedar and aromatic pine shavings, as well as cat litter.

Clumping or silica cat litter can be swallowed and swell in the gut, and it is also dusty and often scented. Choose bedding made for small animals and rabbits.

No, synthetic or cotton fluff can wrap around a leg and cut off circulation, and if swallowed can block the gut. For nesting, give unscented paper tissues or special paper nesting material instead.

Newspaper absorbs poorly and printing ink is not meant to be chewed. It is better to use unprinted shredded paper or paper bedding made for small animals.

Hay is food, and it quickly gets soiled in the bedding, so clean hay is better placed in a rack. For rabbits living outdoors, straw is better for insulation, because damp hay goes mouldy faster.

Small animals have sensitive airways, and dust irritates them and the eyes and raises the risk of respiratory illness. Choose dust-extracted bedding and pour it in gently.