FAQ: Supplies for small pets

Hard plastic for climbing suits some animals, but chewed plastic is dangerous if swallowed. For animals that love to chew, wooden, willow or ceramic toys are a better choice.

Digging is natural behaviour for rabbits and hamsters. A box with paper strips, hay or a special substrate lets them satisfy it and protects carpets and bedding from being dug up.

Usually not: rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and other rodents groom their own coats, and bathing causes stress and a risk of chilling. Chinchillas must never be bathed in water; clean dirt locally instead.

A chinchilla's dense fur is cleaned by rolling in special fine bathing dust that absorbs grease and moisture. Offer the bath a few times a week for a short while; ordinary or play sand is not suitable.

Choose bathing sand made for rodents, free of dust and fragrance. Chinchilla bathing dust is too fine for small rodents, and playground sand may be contaminated.

Animals living indoors wear their nails down less, so check them once a month and trim them when too long. Use clippers made for small animals, avoid cutting the blood vessel, and ask a vet to show you the first time.

Brush long-haired guinea pigs daily or several times a week with a soft brush and a wide-toothed comb. Carefully trim matted hair around the rear and keep the bedding clean.

During a moult, brush the rabbit daily, because it swallows a lot of fur while grooming and cannot bring it back up. Plenty of hay helps the fur pass through the digestive tract.

Usually a soft-bristle brush, a wide-toothed comb for long-haired animals and a rubber grooming glove for rabbits are enough. Rabbit skin is very thin, so use deshedding combs very gently.

Usually they manage on their own. Discharge, crusts, head tilting or frequent scratching are reasons to see a vet; do not put cotton buds into the ears.

Carefully comb out knots or cut them off with blunt-tipped scissors. A rear end that is constantly dirty can point to digestive trouble or excess weight, and for rabbits in summer it also attracts flies, so it is worth consulting a vet.

Flystrike is when flies lay eggs on soiled fur and the hatched larvae damage the skin. In warm weather check the rabbit's rear daily, keep things clean, and if you see larvae go to a vet immediately.

Reduced appetite or thirst, fewer droppings or none, lethargy, a hunched posture, fluffed-up fur, discharge from the eyes or nose, sneezing, a wet rear and weight loss. Small animals hide illness, so see a vet quickly.

This is an emergency: without food a rabbit's gut can quickly stop working. Contact a vet the same day and do not wait for the rabbit to start eating on its own.

Vets recommend vaccinating rabbits against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease, even if they live indoors only, as the diseases can be carried by insects, hay or clothing. A vet will set the vaccination schedule.

It is often recommended: it reduces territory marking and aggression, makes pairing easier, and in females greatly reduces the risk of uterine cancer. Discuss the right age and timing with a vet.

Small pets can pick up mites, lice or fleas from other animals, hay or bedding. If you notice itching, hair loss or scabs, see a vet and do not use products meant for dogs or cats – some are dangerous to rodents and rabbits.

Not every clinic has experience with rabbits and rodents, so look in advance for a clinic that treats exotic or small animals. Save the contact details before you ever need help.

Occasional sneezing from dust is normal, but frequent sneezing with discharge, wheezing or reduced appetite can mean a respiratory infection. Guinea pigs become ill quickly, so see a vet.

Yes, rabbits eat soft droppings called caecotropes, mostly produced at night and rich in nutrients. If many of them are left uneaten, it can point to a diet problem or excess weight.