Sunday, August 2, 2009

What are some fruits and veggies I can feed my dwarf hamsters?

I have two female Russian Dwarf Hamsters and I was curious about what kinds of fruits and vegetables I could give them to munch on every so often, like treats, or if there is a specific food that they usually tend to favor ...?
Answers:
no one here is addressing the fact that u have a dwarf hamster. do not feed them fruits. they are prone to diabetes so it's best to not feed them fruit at all. watch out for sugar content in treats too. good veggies are broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, spinach. all uncooked of course. they all have diferent preferences so u will find what they like best.
no iceberg lettuce, no citrus for any hamsters.
about a 1/2 in piece every other day to start. daily is fine once they get used to it.
probably carrots and apples.
Nothing with sharp edges - such as seeds.
We fed ours a store bought hamster mix. See below.
Carrots is good.
Fruits tend to rot to fast and cause a mess, but slices and then clean up real fast.
lettuce, i don't really know i never had a hamster before. so you should look it up in wikipedia or another reference site. good luck! peace!
You could give them bits of lettuce, apples, and carrots. My hamsters really enjoyed them! 脺
Any fruit or veg they will love especially apples and lettuce.
carrots apples oranges
apples, dried fruits of most any kind except strawberrys and kiwi, they could have a allergic reaction to thes fruits, green beans, potato's ,cucumbers, most ant veggie except tomato's ( too much acid is not good for them
Any vegie will be fine except onion and other spicy foods!
Below is a link to a forum that tells probably the most specific list your are going to get. Just start scrolling down on it and you will see everything you want to know. Good Luck!
you can give them carrots,beats,celery but not the stems,cooked rice,and radishes you can give the lettuce but it has no nutrition value that's all i can think of so good luck
You can feed your hamsters some carrots, lettuce broccoli,cauliflower, snow peas, but go easy on the lettuce don't feed that to much because it would blote them up.
carrots
appels
bannanas
iceberg lettuce
cucumbers
.pretty much any kitchen scraps.
Carrots are excellent. Do not give them Celery. They also like nuts.. Lettuce is good but not to much Cabbage. Raw potatoes, small amounts of Sweet Potatoes. Of course Apples are good. Be careful about sweets. Hamsters can become obese very easily and they do not absorb sugar very quickly. It stays in their systems quite awhile. Also do not give them a lot of Tomatoes. Thr Acid in Tomatoes can be bad for them. Remember moderation is the rule of thumb. Be sure to give them "chew sticks" so that they will keep their teeth gnawed down. You can get these at the Pet Store. The boxed Hamster Food should be their Primart diet. It has all the Vitamins and Nutrients that they need to be healthy. The extra Fruits and Veggies should be given more as "treats" and not a substitution for their regular food. Good Luck...

What are some fresh foods you can feed a rat?

Such as lettuce...
Answers:
Actually your question should be, "What fresh foods *can't* you feed rats?" That list would be much shorter as rats can eat a huge variety of foods. The more variety you can get your rats to eat the healthier they will be in the long term. Rats are omnivores like us, and they can eat like us. Rats can have meat, vegetables, fruits, dairy (for those that are not lactose intolerant), and grains in every way shape and form. Avoid sugars and fats for rats unless they are sick.
On the question of lettuce:
Lettuce is fine for rats, just avoid Iceburg (head) lettuce as it has no nutritional value for rats.
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/firstgarden...
I give my rats red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, and bibb lettuce.
I also give the rats "President's Choice Organic Field Greens"
http://greendeals.ca/2007/02/05/organic-...
Wash all greens carefully. Don't give the rats too much, don't want them to get diarrhea.
I have answered food-related questions many times here at Y!A, here's a summary of those answers
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...
There's just a very short list of foods to avoid:
raw dry beans or peanuts鈥攃ontains antinutrients that destroy vitamin A and enzymes needed to digest protein and starches, and causes red blood cells to clump
raw sweet potato鈥攃ontains compounds that form cyanide in the stomach
green bananas鈥攊nhibits starch-digesting enzymes
green potato skin and eyes鈥攃ontain solanine, a toxin
wild insects鈥攃an carry internal parasites and diseases
raw bulk tofu鈥攃an contain bacteria, packaged raw tofu is safe
orange juice鈥攆orbidden for male rats only, d-limonene in the skin oil, which gets into the orange juice during squeezing, can cause kidney damage and kidney cancer due to a protein that only male rats have in their kidneys. Pieces of the orange fruit are okay if you wash the orange-skin oil off of it after peeling it.
spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"
Any fruit or veg should be fine. I used to make my hamster salad (no dressing) and put it on a big plate for him so he could pick off what he wanted and then put the rest in his food bowl : ) Just don't give him anything like peppers or chillis.
you can feed a rat just about anything if they like it and if it's small enough. My boyfriend's mother owned 9 rats and she would leave pieces of noodles and chicken, etc. She would mix rat food with pieces of human food. If they'll eat it, it's okay. She spoiled her rats and they apparently lived longer than expected.
Pretty much all fresh fruits and veggies are good for them. My rats will eat almost anything, but you should probably limit their intake of meat and processed foods.
Rats enjoy many fresh foods such as lettuce, apples, oranges, pears, bannanas, and vegetables. Avoid sticky foods such as peanut butter as they can cause choking.
bananas are my rat's fave and my rat before them
my rat loves melons and yoghurt!
They only like certain human foods just like we do!
But they can eat almost every fruit and every vegetable

What are some food you feed to your hamsters?

would it be bad if i give these treats to my hamster (a small hamster) and what kind of snacks or food do you guys recommend =D
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_d...
Answers:
Mine loved those things. The first time I put one in a cage, my hamster had the happiest look ever. He just attacked it, and nibbled on it, and had a great time. Other good treats are carrots, yogurt drops, small pieces of veggies, unsalted nuts. There are tons of webpages with great ideas to keep your hamster's diet interesting.
I get those every once in a while for my rabbit and hamster. After my hamster has had her evening run in her ball, I put her back into her cage and let her have a bite of that treat stick, she loves them. I also give her milk bone dog treats (only about half of the medium size bones at a time), she loves those too.
Well i give my hamster carrots ( he loves them a lot) purple cabbage ( it helps prevent wet tail) grapes (not to much) apples ( no skin) and i also by a little hamster treats called snix snax and my hamster looooooooves all of those!
OMG my hamster used to love those treats!
I give mine sunflower seeds, pieces of fruit and vegetables and bread crusts.
The treats made and sold specifically for small rodents are typically safe to feed them. Those do look large... maybe only give him small pieces at a time.
I used to give my small rodents baby carrots, salt free popcorn (popped), and a wheat thin cracker on special occassions.
Yes, those treats would be fine, just give a small piece of it at a time, since they are sugary and fattening.
Other good treats are dry dog kibble, or small piece of a milkbone, a whole unsalted peanut with the shell still on, unsalted sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, dark lettuce or baby spinach leaves, small carrot, apple or dried apple, mealworms, crickets, fully cooked whole grain pasta, 100% whole wheat bread crust, and cooked chicken or beef(with fat and bones removed)
Remember to feed any and all treats in moderation!
No, it would not be bad to feed your fury friend those kind of treats once in a while(every other day is fine). When I had my hamster I fed him hamster yogurt drops, carrot sticks, ETC. Also supplie fresh veg. and fruit. You can add a little meat to your hamster's diet,(tuna, cooked chicken, meal worms). I also fed him seed and hamster pellets.Basically any treat that is for hamsters is good to give them, not all the time though!

good luck and enjoy your pet ( :
For her staple diet she gets Hazel Hamster. And I feed her fresh fruits and vegetables along with some mealworms.
Hamsters are very versatile in what foods they can eat,
but it is important not to feed your hamsters citrus fruits,
Like:
-lemon,
-oranges,
-etc.
Suitable foods are:
-banana,
-apple,
-nuts,
-rice,
-beansprouts,
-pasta,
-chicken,
-egg,
-hamster food.
Feed your hamster a small amount of vegetable and fruit each day.
Hamsters are omnivores and will accept meat and plant material, but it is not wrong to bring your hamster on plant material only.
Hamsters must have a water supply nearby by means of a bottle or bowl.
Without water a hamster will dehydrate quickly and could die. When feeding your hamster see how much it eats out of one bowl and then feed it the amount it ate the next day.
The normal amount to feed them is one tablespoon for a Syrian, feed your hamster a small amount of veg or fruit each day.
Food will get stale if left in the cage too long and will lose their vitamin content, so store hamster food in an airtight container in a dark dry place. Typically a hamster should be fed on a diet containing over 19% protien!
Its ok to give your hamsters treats but not to much!
Keep it healthy with fruits and vegies!
Good luck!

What are some emergency care tips for baby rats that have been abandoned by their mother?

A friend found a litter of baby rats in her backyard this morning. The mother appears to have died, or abandoned them. They have hair, about 1 inch long, and appear to be at least a week or so old. They roamed around the yard all day looking for food, water, their mother. Most have since died from heat exposure, dehydration, but two remain. Does anyone have any tips on how to keep the remaining two alive until they can find someone to remove them from the backyard? They definitely don't plan on keeping them around, but they don't want to kill them either.
Answers:
What a shame =( The mother must have died because usually they don't leave their youngens til they can survive on their own.
Your friend can put them in a box and hand feed them every few hours until their eyes are open and they are healthy looking(able to fend for themselves.)
At the very least have them put the Rats somewhere shaded and leave some little bits of food and water for them.
Below is a link to the proper way to care for Rats if you or anyone else is interested.
One by one. Hold it over the toilet bowl and drop one in.
After it drowns, flush it down, and repeat until their all gone.
Problem solved. :-})
Housing Your Rat
Cages for Rats
A large wire cage is best, especially one with horizontal bars that allow the rat to climb on the sides if they wish. A tall cage with ramps and platforms is ideal for providing room for multiple rats. As minimum, a cage with 12 by 24 inches (2 square feet) of floor space is okay for two smaller rats, as long as the cage is tall and you provide shelves and/or hammocks for extra space. Larger is always better. Large aquariums are okay, but do not provide good ventilation (and must be cleaned more often).
Avoid cages with wire flooring as spending time on wire flooring has been linked to bumblefoot. Many cages have wire balconies and shelves, which are not ideal. However, you can modify wire balconies by covering them with a thin sheet of wood or other solid material (fix to the cage with wire ties).

Also look for wire that is a fine grid (1/2 inch by 1/2 inch maximum). Your best bet is to look for cages that have plastic or wood shelving, or you can modify cages using melamine covered boards to make your own shelves (easy to clean). Many enterprising rat owners have built their owne large cages. See the Dapper Rat's Grotto and their pages of other ideas for inspiration.
Bedding
For bedding, avoid cedar and pine wood shavings (see "The Problem with Cedar and Pine Shavings" for more information), but aspen (or other hardwood) shavings are fine. There are many other good pet bedding and litter options available these days that are very absorbent, not dusty and safe for small pets. Some are pelleted so might not be all that comfortable for rats to play and sleep in, so some people use the pelleted products (which are usually very absorbent) under a layer of softer loose bedding. For a sampling of the newer alternative pet bedding products, see "Top Ten Alternatives to Cedar and Pine."
You will also want to provide some nesting material which the rats can shred and use to line their nest box - paper (no ink), tissues, or paper towels work well.
Usually, the rats will chose a bathroom location in one area of the cage. Heavily soiled litter should be scooped out daily, and more litter added if needed. The whole cage should be cleaned and new liter and bedding provided once a week or so.
Nest Box
A nest box should be provided - and can be store-bought or home made. A cardboard box makes a perfectly acceptable nest box, although it may need to be replaced often. Other possibilities include a flowerpot or jar turned on its side, or a section of PVC drain pipe (perhaps cover one end). Store box boxes are good too, but keep in mind that wooden ones can be hard to clean if they get urine on them, and the plastic ones might get chewed up fairly quickly.
Toys and Accessories
Rats love to climb, and will make good use of ladders, ropes, hammocks, tunnels, and platforms. Toys should be provided as well - blocks of wood for chewing, cardboard tubes, and toys designed for ferrets or parrots are good choices. Look for rope and wood toys as many plastic toys can't stand up to chewing by a determined rat. Simple items like large cardboard mailing tubes, crumpled paper, paper bags, and cardboard boxes can also make wonderful toys. Remember that rats are very intelligent and need to be challenged, so rotate the toys on a regular basis so the rats do not become bored. For more ideas, see "Homemade Rat Toys" and "Top Rat Toys Online".
Some rats like to run on exercise wheels (and some will never try!), but the wire type commonly found in pet stores isn't very safe for rats as their feet or tail can get caught in the rungs or the supports on which the wheel is suspended. A solid surface wheel is preferred, for example something like the Wodent Wheel.
Heavy ceramic food dishes are probably easiest to use as they are sturdy, don't tip over too easily, and they are easy to clean. A water bottle with a sipper tube can be used for water. Make sure a supply of fresh clean water is always available.
Where to put the Cage
The cage should ideally be placed in a relatively quiet location but still near the social activity in the home. Rats are nocturnal so should be located where it is fairly quiet during the day. Placing the cage on a table or stand will help the rats feel more secure. The cage should not be placed in direct sunlight or in drafty locations. Limit access to the cage by other household pets, as a rat will understandably feel threatened by a cat or dog hovering outside the cage. Pelleted or block type diets are available for rats, and are formulated to be nutritionally complete. Choose a rat block that is low in fat and calories, and has soy meal high on the ingredient list rather than corn. While rat blocks should make the basic diet, a variety of fresh foods can be used to supplement the diet, which will aid in keeping rats healthy and prevent boredom with the pelleted diet. Packaged loose mixes are also available, but rats tend to pick out their favorite bits from the mix, which may mean they are not eating a balanced diet. Try small amounts of fruits and vegetables, whole grain pastas and bread, brown rice, yogurt, and occasionally low fat cooked meat, mealworms, cheese, seeds and nuts. In addition, treats such as dog biscuits can be given.
It is important to keep rats on a high fiber and low fat diet though, so limit higher fat foods such as cheese, seeds, and nuts. Rats have a bit of a sweet tooth, but resist the temptation to feed sugary foods or junk food, including chocolate.
Beyond providing the basics in food and housing, rats do not require much else except your attention and free time outside of the cage. Make sure that the area you allow your rats out in is rat-proofed since rats will chew on just about anything they can get their teeth on. Most importantly, make sure electrical wires are out or reach or encased in plastic tubing. Also make sure the rats cannot access anything that is toxic, including poisonous plants. Make sure anything you don't want your rats to chew is out of reach. Rats also tend to scent mark as they roam, leaving little drops of urine. The odor is not offensive, but you may want to cover furniture with a throw while they are out. They will also do this to their owners, so be prepared!
Nail Trimming
Rats have sharp little nails, and for your comfort when playing with your rats you may need to trim their nails. Check them every one to two months. Nail trimming is not difficult, escept that your rat will probably object and try to squirm away. You can use a pair of human nail clippers and trim a little off the tip if needed. Just take a tiny bit off the tip and avoid the pink part (quick) that may be visible inside the nail, as this is a blood vessel and nerve. If you do happen to nick the blood vessel, a little cornstarch applied to the nail tip should stop any bleeding (or you can by a product at the pet store called Kwik Stop that is used the same way).
At the same time you check the nails, try to get a glimpse of the teeth to make sure they are not getting overgrown. Make sure you provide lots of opportunity (through wood blocks and toys) for your rats to chew and keep their teeth healthy.
This doesn't sound like rats. This sounds like Opossums. Look up a picture online and see it's a match. Call your local Animal Control Agency. Good luck.
Call them Animal Control peoples, you pay there salary every time you pay a tax.

What are some easy, entertaining tricks I can teach my rat/rodent?

As I stated in an earlier question, I am getting two new baby boy rats in November, and I want to teach them some stuff that will really make them look like the best ratties ever! I don't have much spare time with my scheadule, so I want some easy ones that we can both enjoy. Please explain how to do the tricks you state.
Thanks!
Answers:
There are some good easy tricks on the site at:
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/fancyrat1/myho...
I would have never thought of teaching my ratty to come when I call him as a trick or as possible either, but the directions on the site are very clear. I think my Rattie will like any trick-learning that includes a treat and I do have a ladder that I bought him that I wasn't sure what to do with that I will give a try now.
I liked the tricks on that site so much that I took a look at the ones here:
http://www.avidpets.com/petcare/trick-tr...
and there's more advice here and some tricks that sound like they'd be fun to have him know.
Thanks for asking this question--you've given me some new stuff to try I wouldn't have thought of.
train them to sit on your shoulder. They will be afraid at first so offer little treats. Keep one at a time their for a few minutes each day gardually building up the time.
Lots of affection and treats usually gets the best from your pets.
i taut my hamster his name, you have to repeat it to him all the time until he gets it you can do this with rats. i also taut him to come out when i pull open his door i just say to him "door" and tap it and he comes. all you have to do really is use a bit of action and repetition.

What are some cute hamster names?

2 girls both blackish with a tint of brown
Answers:
patty and selma
thelma and louise
yin and yang
tweedle dee and tweedle dum
thing 1 and thing 2
I used to have a hamster named Fat.
Sleepy and Scamper
you can get jojo,suzie,jen,,jenny,nancey
Bacardi-
Dax-ia- Long Summer in Chinese
Gabai- Adornment/Delight in Hebrew
Habika- Sweethaert in Aricain
Idola- Idolized in Greek
Jacinda- Beautiful in Greek
Kacey- Joyful
Naava- Appealing girl in Hebrew
Or you could simply name 1 One and 1 Two then if One dies you've still got Two left!
midnight, star, bell, cutie, snowball, or anything youcan think of
tinkerbell and wendy
reeses and snickers
salt and pepper [even though they're both black]
star and moon
Alex and izzy
Honey and Spice
Lolita and Rita
Milly and Tilly
Lucy and Ethel
Mary Kate and Ashley
Yin and Yang
coco

mocha
reeses and snickers ...I LOVE REESES'!
-Ash-
Woodchip
Chippy
Brownie
Coco
fidget
I have a girl hamster and I named her Stephanie here are some cute hamter names:
1. paris
2. london
3. jessy
4. pluto
5. dancer
6. princess
7. sky

What are signs that show if your hamster is sick?


Answers:
he will lay in the conner of his cage and wont eat or drink and will shake what are the signs so far update please
if its tongue hangs out!
It's smellier than usual, and it has diarrhea. Won't eat, and won't let you touch him/her. Isn't as active...etc...
A change in personality. Less energetic, upset belly, wet bottom, dull eyes, and dull fur, limp, not eating food or drinking water. Sudden nastyness if normally placid, going for wee less or more frequently than normal, swellings, bleeding.
if it doesnt eat, if its nt active or playing, sleeps all night and doesnt go 2 the restroom, then take it 2 the vet.
Because hamsters are very small, nocturnal (night-active) and not closely observed, the early signs of illness are frequently overlooked or not noted at all. Hamster owners must be constantly vigilant for signs of illness and must seek immediate veterinary assistance when illness is suspected.
Sick hamsters often become irritable and frequently bite. They are usually reluctant to move about and walk stiffly when forced to do so. Their eyes often look dull and sunken, and frequently have a discharge. Sick hamsters often stop eating or greatly reduce their intake of food. Consequently, weight loss is a common sign (not necessarily an easy one to recognize) of illness in hamsters. Fluid losses from diarrhea also may cause marked weight loss. Sudden intestinal disease (with accompanying diarrhea) is the most common illness of hamsters, especially among those being weaned or recently weaned. If the serious accompanying dehydration is not recognized immediately and corrected with appropriate fluid therapy at the direction of a veterinarian, death is probable.
Many hamsters get "wet tail":
Wet Tail (Proliferative ileitis)
The most serious intestinal disease of hamsters is "wet tail." The bacterium suspected of causing this disease is called Lawsonia intracellularis, which can also cause intestinal disease in swine, dogs, ferrets, primates and other animals.
This disease most often afflicts hamsters of weaning age (3-6 weeks old), but hamsters of all ages are susceptible. Since weanling hamsters and those slightly older are commonly sold in pet stores, wet tail is a fairly common disease among recently acquired hamsters. Long-haired "teddy bear" hamsters re highly susceptible to wet tail. Signs include lethargy, inappetence, unkempt hair coat, sunken, dull eyes, increased irritability, hunched posture, very fluid diarrhea, and a wet, soiled anal area and tail. Blood from the rectum and protrusion of the rectal opening (prolapse) may be noted in particularly serious cases.
Hamsters with wet tail must be immediately examined and evaluated by a veterinarian. Fluid replacement, oral antidiarrheal medication, and antibiotics will be given, along with supportive care to keep the patient warm, clean, comfortable and well nourished. Treatment is often unrewarding, and death may occur as soon as 48 hours after the onset of initial signs. This disease is not transmissible to people.
a lot of wheezing/sneezing. if your hamster doesn't eat, drink, groom, stretch, lethargic, and weight loss. grooming and stretching are healthy signs. if your hamster has a cold, this website tells how you could deal with a hamster that has a cold.
http://www.breadonthewaters.com/hamsters...
Having a damp tail area and/or not passing proper pellets is a sign of wet tail which is probably the most quickly fatal of the common hamster illnesses.
General signs of illness include lethargy (sleeping a lot, not moving around much), slightly or completely closed up or damp eyes, scratching or going bald.
Hamsters should sleep during the day and then be very lively at night. Their eyes should be bright and slightly bugged out even.
If you hamster is displaying any of the above signs of illness he needs to go to a vet.
Chalice
usally they act funny they sleep alot and dont like to be messed with
not eating, not playing, not moving
It won't act like itself. it will be depressed and stop eating and drinking.
One sign is Diarrhea, the other is overgrown teeth, the next one is losing patches of fur, and last but not least, blood in their urine.
They don't eat or drink a lot. They aren't as active as usual. They act kinda wierd. This are all sign of a sick hamster

What are people so repulsed by rats?

Not the big, wild rats. But pet rats. They are so cute and affectionate. And I was afraid of the tail until I got one and its just like a cats tail but with hardly any hair (the hair is clear) So, what are you, or why do you think other people, are repulsed by rats??
Thanks :D
Answers:
i have no idea why a person SHOULD not like a pet rat. they don't smell (unless their owner doesn't clean their cage), they mostly don't bite, they're affectionate, they're social, they're intelligent, and they are so funny to watch playing with their toys even when you're not holding them! they are the ULTIMATE rodent pet in my opinion
I dont know why either my son had a pet rat growing up and it was way sweeter and smarter than a hamster and it never bit anyone . we all used to hold it . It broke my sons heart when it died . I dont blame him it was like a part of our family . good luck .
maybe cause of how it looks or how it crawls or maybe even the sound.. or just because of how in the movies like rats are dirty in the movies... or because they dont like animals... I mean I like rats that are small... and clean they are cute if you see there faces.. :)
I don't like 'em. I wouldn't ever hurt one, but I don't like 'em and wouldn't want one in my house, etc. I think of spiders the same way. I can get nose-to-nose with one, but I don't want it to touch me in any way!!
I know people say rats are smart and can be affectionate, etc., but to me, there is nothing cute about them. I have held them, and touched their tails and everything, and so it's not that I'm afraid of them, necessarily. I just don't think they're cute, at all. Their noses are too long, their eyes are too beady, and they just don't look "trustworthy." I don't even like cartoon rats (or mice, for that matter). I know it makes no sense whatsoever, as I have nothing else to base it on (i.e., I've never been bitten by a rat or otherwise had any type of bad experience with one), but I just don't like 'em. Sorry!
I think it is just a (I guess you could say) instinct. 'Way back in the Mideval period, rats carried the Bubonic Plague. People would go to such extremes to make sure they wouldn't get the plague, but the last thing they expected to carry it would probably be the evasive rats that infested stables, barns, castles, ships, and houses. I (personally) think that the tail scares people. Rats are also very distructive, dirty, and (sorry :z ) ugly.
As you can see from the above ramblings, I don't like rats. I was considering getting one for awhile, and then I heard bad reports about them and remembered the Black Death. Don't let my ramblings change your view on rats though!
When I worked at a petstore they werent the grossest animals to clean up after but they were pretty close. I think that the fact that they have such big... um... backends for the boys.. if you know what I mean.. that is what most people would say when they came in. Plus the fact that they are pretty fast moving when they are scared and that they hurt like heck when they bite. Trust me I know.. and that they are known for carrying diseases in the wild. Most people dont care whether or not a rat is wild they just see one and think rat, not wild or domestic. Just my thoughts.
no matter what people always think of the wild rats roaming through the garbage etc. they are cute and very clean animals. people just don't release that they make great pets.
Partly to do with the image of rats as disease carriers, as they were during the days of the plague. Rats conjure up an image of dirt and disease with many people, especially older people.
It'll take many years of rats being pets before this image is finally dispelled, but I think it will happen!
Chalice
I don't mind pet rats. I wouldn't want to come in contact with one from the streets, just because they're dirty and carry sicknesses. I guess people don't realize the pet ones aren't that way?!?! If you haven't seen RATATOUILLE, I highly suggest it! It's really cute and made me see rats differently! My 4-year-old daughter loved it!
My grandma thinks theyre baby wild rats and may try to kill mine when im not home. So I got a hamster instead.
i think rats are really cute, but some people might not like rats because of back in the medieval times, rats carried the black plague and many other diseases, and its probably been just taken from person to person to shreik when you see a rat, or go, ew, look at THAT thing. some people just think they are like jackpots for diseases, which the wild ones are, but otherwise, they are cute.
I think people have not been able to separate the domestic rat from the wild rat. Once hey hear "rat", its all the same in their head-scary disease ridden creatures. When in reality, rats are cleaner than cats. Well, as long as their habitats are kept clean.
i love pet rats, they are sooo cute! :3
i dont why other people hate them.
because our first impression of a rat is the ones that run the streets eating garbage.

What are guinea pigs like?

I have rats right now. I love rats. They have great personalities and are the smartest rodents. However, they only have a life span of about 2 years and it is very hard to have your pet die that often. Anyways, I was thinking of getting a guinea pig instead since they tend to live longer. What are they like. Are they friendly like rats. Do they have cute personalities.
Answers:
You will need to consider a few things before getting a pig. Space, time, money for food and vet bills all need to be thought about.
Pet store cages are wayy to small for any guinea pig. A C%26C cage is easy to make, cheaper, and much bigger and better gor your pig. www.guineapigcages.com has instructions on making your own or ordering a premade one. DO NOT use cedar chips for bedding like someone previously suggested. They are very harmful to your gp. GuineaLynx has bedding ideas.
Diet is very important: Quality pellets (no extra colorful bit or seeds) are essential. Oxbow is a good brand pellet. At least a cup of fresh veggies every day. Unlimited timothy hay 24/7. Vitmain c supplements. http://www.guinealynx.info/diet.html.... has more diet details.
* Vitman C should not be put in the water. It weakens in water and you can't measure how much the guinea pig gets a day. Use vit.C drops or chewable tablets.
Guinea pigs need daily floor/exercise time in a safe place. At least an hour a day is best. Since GP are social animals, it's best to have 2 so that they will have company all the time. Be sure they are the same sex though. Pregnancies are very dangerous for piggies.
Also, please consider adopting your pig instead of buying one. There are sooooo many great, healthy guinea pigs that need homes in shelters and rescues all over the country. Pets stores usually sell unhealthy pigs that have been poorly taken care of. Petfinder.com will help you find a pig in your area.
Guinea pigs are friendly,cute,cuddly, and very soft. My guinea pig loves to explore. =]
they are very cute, but very different. i had both and they are easier to look after but not nearly as intelligent. they much easier to have out aswell well, they cant climb and can bearly jump. they make the sweetest noises tho. i prefered the rats, they seemed to have more personality.
they are nice, cute, gentle, and loving. i have 4 guinea pigs and they are nice to people and get used to others easily.
Once they have gotten used to you (can take months) they can be very snuggly and lovey.
They are the best pets EVER!! And yes they do have great personalities! I have two females and my little baby guinea pig, Emma LOVES me but hates my mom . So yeh they do tend to love you ALOT!! Also they don't bite but if you get a baby then they mite nibble just to see what is infront of them. I suggest that you do ALOT of research befor you get one . I did and my piggies are in heaven!
Their FRIENDLIER then rats! I have 2 piggies at home and they just love to cuddle! Guinea pigs are still pretty smart and they are very gentle, as well. Their life span is 5-8 years, depending on if you give them the proper care or not. Guinea pigs need: a LARGE cage, (Not a cheap one from the petstore) timothy hay, GUINEA PIG pellet food, water and bottle, a food dish that cannot be tipped over, ASPEN or SPRUCE bedding, (No pine or cedar) and fruits and vegetables provided every night. (for supper) If you want, you can get them a house/shelter and wood chew blocks, to trim down their teeth. PLEASE DON'T BUY A LEASH OR EXERCISE BALL FOR YOUR GUINEA PIG! These are extremely dangerous, and can cause severe spinal injuries.
In general, guinea pigs are affectionate, playful, easy-going and cuddly, and in my mind, they are the best rodents in the world!
Hope I helped! Good luck!
everyone that says theyre great are totally right! they each have an idividual personality and they make the cutest noises. if you get one (better yet for the piggie, two) then here are site you need to read
http://www.guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm...
http://www.aracnet.com/~seagull/guineas/...
http://guineapigcages.com/toys.htm...
if you need more sites (trust me, i have more) or any questions feel free to ask me at bratforevr@yahoo.com

What are good ways to keep hamsters cool in the summer?

Besides an air conditioner are there other ways. My hamster lives in an aquarium glass type of cage. Is it safe to spray them with cool water from a spray bottle.
Answers:
YOU CANNOT SPRAY A HAMSTER WITH WATER!!
I read a book on how to care for hamsters and they are NOT supposed to get wet...because they can catch cold and get a deises called wet tail deises...hamsters can live in 65-75 degree weather thats what they prefer since alot of them come from asia or peru.hamster also need to stay away from drafts such as cold air or a door or a window..cause they can get chest colds and the result is death.your hamster will be fine!!..if anything crack your window on days that are NOT WINDY!
just keep them out of the sun, and make sure if you have a fan and/or air conditioner to keep them out of the draft. hamsters originated from the desert, and should be able to survive the summer. I wouldn't recommend spraying them with anything.
small sized shades... theyll look super cool trust me... lol
Spraying him, will just make a moist cage, which will increase odors, etc.
Consider purchasing a wire cage to switch him to. If not, then keep him out of direct sunlight, and he should be fine.
Yes and give him/her little sprays or little baths just don;t drown him/her.
yes and cold water in there bowl and plenty of it just remember with the spray bottle fine mist spray or it,s doing to hurt em you have to remember there lung,s are not much bigger the a quarter so make sure they have plenty of air and if you can try to keep the glass aquarium out of the sunlight cause it raise,s the temp in there really quick
put a wet/damp towel to cover their cage...put ice cubes in its water
TO COOL DOWN RODENTS PUT THEM IN THE BATH TUB WITH NO WATER OF CORSE.
first you need a better cage being in a fish tank is not healthy for your hamster. there is no ventilation at all . you need a hamster cage one that that is better suited. keep them out of direct sunlight to spray them i would not because thay can get an upper respitory infection real easy hamsters are pron to that.
We never sprayed our hamsters, rats or mice with cool water. In fact, I never heard of that! Keep the glass enclosure away from windows with direct sunlight. It would heat up like a terrarium and perhaps kills your hamster.
You should never get your hamster wet because they are very fragile and are easily susceptible to illness and catch cold. Make sure there is enough water for them because they will get dehydrated if they get too warm. If your house is cool, it would be nice for them to get out in an exercise ball frequently or just to play with them so they are not stuck in the cage all day. Aquarium glass cages can build moisture if humidity is high, so if you see any sign of moisture on the glass, be sure to remove your hamster from the cage until you cool the cage down.
Firstly, dont spray them with water, they wont like you for it!
During the hotter months, aquariums are a bit of a problem as they trap heat. Its a bit extravigant but would you be able to purcase a wire cage? in general they are better for hamsters as they can climb and exercise more.
I have a 1year old male syrian and he is very grumpy in the summer. He flops out on the sawdust to sleep, or in the plastic connection tubes rather than his bed and hates beind disturbed. So in the summer, i give him a lighter bedding ( normally i use teared up kitchen towling, But in the summer I use thinner toilet tissue) Also is there a cooler room in the house? Me and my husband tend to move his cage into the bedroom during the day as its much cooler. Or leave their cage near a slightly opened window to let a steady stream of fresh air in.
NO YOU CANNOT SPRAY THEM WITH WATER!
Make sure that the aquarium has ample ventilation and you can give them a piece of marble tile or granite tile to lay on much like a chinchilla, they will make a bed on top of it. You can get a small piece such as bathroom tile. Put it in the refrigerator and swap out the piece each day for a fresh cold piece. This will add coolness to their environment. However Hamsters do not really need to be kept cool. They just need good ventilation and plenty of water.
no
do not spray him/her with a spray bottle.it will ruin their fur and damage it. to keep it warm just make sure he has enough oxygen and its cool in your house try fanning them for about 21 minutes every day and they will get warm
Hamsters don't appreciate being wet or sprayed.
A glass enclosure is not healthy for the hamsters anyway, besides the heat. Stale air stays down there and shortens their life expectancy.
You can put and ice cube in their water, always offer fresh fruits and veggies, keep them out of direct sun, move them to the coolest part of the house. And you can always keep a fan going over the top of the enclosure.
Just check out the pet stores. there are cooling plates and beds for small animals under a japanese brand called marukan
http://www.marukan.org/minimal_catalog_7...
yes u can spray them a little bit i did that to mine but also I put a small fan in front of the cage on low and it will cool the glass
PS- if they move all the shavings from somewhere and it is just glass it is ok and don't move them back or take all the shavings out it doesn't mean he doesn't like shaving's it just means that the glass is cooler to him than the shavings :)
Not the best idea to spray them with a spray bottle i would just keep it's water always cold and DON'T PUT A FAN OR AIR CONDISONER IT WILL KILL IT! just if it's very hot in the room u can turn on the air condisoner but don't put the cage right beside it... :)
with a nice cool POWERade
thanks
~josh

What are good treats for a guinea pig?

Besides guinea pig food and hay what can they eat? Like Fruit/Vegetable/Etc. wise?
Answers:
Veggies include Romaine, curly green or red lettuces, endive, escarole, radicchio, cucumber, spinach, tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, cucumber, carrots, squash, bell pepper (any color) or cut up (one-inch) pieces of celery.
Fruits such as an apple slice, an orange slice, bits of banana, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, cherries (no pits) or cut up seedless grapes can be given as an occasional treat. Do not feed these every day, as they are high in sugar.
Things NOT to feed: Potato, onion, or any type of bulb vegetable. Iceberg lettuce gives them diarrhea. Make sure all seeds are removed from any fruit given to your piggies, as they can be poisonous. Do not give them any type of dairy products. Pigs are strict herbivores. No yogurt treats, seed treats, or food with colored bits.
My guinea pigs loved these yogurt-fruit-nuts balls. It was a medium sized packet, available in Walmart, it was fun to watch them when I would tap the side of the cage, they knew what was coming, chuttering up to the side and sitting up to beg for the treats, they're hilarious!
carrots , vegetables , apples, nuts ,dandlelion leaves
my piggy loves lettuce and carrots and the occasional piece of not too sugary fruit. There are special treats u can buy for them. u can also give them unsweetend cheerios or corn flake!
YOu can feed your GP vegs, grasses, friuts, crackers, nuts, hay, alfalfa, there are "treats" you can but @ da store. Spoil her/him
do NOT feed you gp yogurt or nuts. they are strict herbavores
yogies u can buy thenm at pet co they are really bcheap and i have five ginny pigs and all of them like the yogies and they are made with real yogert so they are go for their health
for a treat i give mi guinea [ig a salad that consists of fresh clovers black berry's and strawberries. but u can use apples celery carrotsand lots of other fruits and veggies
Fruits should be used as treats only due to their high sugar content, they need fresh produce twice a day. Their diet should be varied to some extent and they should be getting enough vitamin c. Are you using tablet supplements to give them vitamin c? If not then you need to provide it through their fresh produce. Below is a list of vegetables and fruits that can be fed. Below this is a site which has a list of vegetables and fruits that can be fed and how much you need of each food item to get the 10mg they need each day:
Apple (seedless) (5.70)
Asparagus (13.20)
Basil (18.00)
Beet Greens
Broccoli (93.20)
Brussel Sprouts (85.00)
Cabbage (32.20)
Cantaloup Melon
Carrots (9.30), Baby Carrots (8.40)
Carrot Tops
Cauliflower leaves and stalks (88.10)
Celery (7.00)
Chicory Greens (24.00)
Chinese Parsley
Cilantro
Corriander greens
Cucumber (5.30)
Dill
Endive (6.50)
Garden Cress
Grapefruit
Gooseberries
Guava
Honeydew Melon
Kale (120.00)
Kiwi Fruit (98.00)
Mango
Mustard greens
Orange (71.00)
Parsley (133.00) - a good tonic
Parsnip (17.00)
Peas (40.00)
Red Cabbage (57.00)
Red Chard
Romaine Lettuce (24.00)
Savoy Cabbage (31.00)
Spinach (28.10)
Strawberries
Swiss Chard
Tangerine (30.80)
Tomatoes (variable dependent on variety and season)
Turnip Greens (60.00)
Tuscan Cabbage
Water Cress
Some vegetables and herbs that should not be fed are:
Potato and Potato Tops
Rhubarb and Rhubarb Leaves
Tomato leaves
Tamarillo leaves
http://www.aracnet.com/~seagull/guineas/...
Good Luck!!

What are good toys, etc. to put in my hamster's cage?

Do I need any chew toys? Should I change my pine bedding? What bedding is the one you totally recommend? Should I get a some chinchilla sand like what people said?Should I get a mini house inside her cage?
Answers:
Bedding - Carefresh! Its the best, very absorbent and it also keeps it from smelling too much and its not much more than wood bedding which can be harmful to small animals. I put a little baking soda down too, just to keep it from smelling too much like my rodent.
I put a small wooden house in my hamster's cage and she loves it, sleeps in there all day and runs in and out at night. Its her nest.
Hamsters need wheels to burn off energy. In the wild they run several miles a night gathering food so they have a ton of energy. I like the plastic silent ones, you want to avoid the wire ones where they can get caught. Make sure its big enough for your little guy.
I also include wood chews and from the bird section of the store wooden ladders because she loves to chew on them and run up and down the walls of the cage
I always cut a toilet paper tube (so she doesn't get stuck because she is a fat black bear hamster) and she scampers through and chews it
You can also get those ferret hammocks, get the smaller one, my hamster like to jump from it... its a bit like skydiving for her but fun to laugh at anyhow.
a hamster ball
you should get these bits of soft wood that r coloured and look like fruit and veg that it can nibble on or get like a toy mouse in there for it to play with
hope this answer helps x
all hamsters are different, have different toys to alternate, becuz hamster (just like birds) get bored of their toys. i recommend a house of sum sort. the dust isnt necessary becuz hamster are naturally very clean animals, chew toys r good, they need to keep thier teeth moderately short, if they get too long, they cant eat. make sure it has a wheel, that is essential. for bedding i suggest critter care odor control. also, put an tube of toilet paper in the cage with a lil bit of tp left on it, and a handful of loose tp thrown in there for extra comfort. you should hive your hammy lettuce or sumthin at least 3 times aweek :)
My hamster likes a product called a chew tunnel. It's a cardboard type tunnel that she can both hide in and chew, and it's made of harmless vegetable fiber. Many pet stores carry them. My rabbit likes a larger version of the chew tunnel. She actually stands it up and runs rings around it, very creative play.
don't use pine, use super shavin's by cozy critter, pine gives off too many oils and fumes, it can kill them. they like empty toilet paper rolls. and also those huts they sell at petsmart they can chew on and climb in.
Wooden pet chew toys are an ideal choice. Wood items should ideally be safe (stay away from cedar or other evergreen type woods), and pesticide and chemical free. If you are unsure a type of wood is safe, it is probably best to stick with items made for use by pets. Pesticide-free fruit tree branches from your backyard or hardwood wood blocks or shapes that are not chemically treated are okay for your hamster.
Willow balls, rings and tunnels are also marketed for rabbits, and the smaller sized of these items can be used for hamsters.
In addition to wood chews, cardboard can also be provided for chewing (and for hiding). Ideally, choose cardboard with as little ink as possible as there has been concern over the content of commercial inks in the past (I can find no solid evidence one way or the other on the safety of colored cardboard, and I have used colored cardboard for my mice, so don't panic if you are using colored cardboard). Hamsters also love cardboard tubes from paper towel and toilet paper rolls, although some people are also concerned about the safety of the glues used in these. Many hamsters regularly chew these items without problems, but if you are concerned there are now commercial tubes that are a bit sturdier and are said to be safe for chewing (e.g. Totally Chewbular Play Tubes and Critter Crunchy Chew Tube).

What are good toys for rats?

I just wanted to know what kind of toys rats like that I can buy or make. So far I have a wooden box that they play with and chew on and a platform to get up on. I would really rather tips on what to make or gather outside or something for them.
Answers:
Well, I'll mention the Dapper Rat website as well http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm... as it's always the first site mentioned when someone asks about toys for their rats.
For the most part, rats are far too intelligent to be happy in those running balls. These balls take away all of their sensory delights that free running allows them. Most rats are actually quite terrified of being confined to these enclosed balls. A few rats will also use a wheel but as they get older they tend to loose interest in it, especially the males.
Re paper rolls. I find the rolls from bathroom tissue may be too unsanitary to give to the rats. And, have you ever seen a rat with it's head stuck inside a paper roll? It's not a pretty sight, especially when they panic. Supervize your rats if you use them.
There are many toys and games that can entertain both you and your rats. Since rats combine the antics of three year children, dogs, cats, monkeys, and rodents, we can cross the board as to what kinds of things we can teach our rats to enjoy.
Some of the things that my rats, and other people's rats have enjoyed are the following:
wadded up paper balls (rats can learn to play fetch)
string (rats chase it like a cat does)
paper towel rolls
popcicle sticks
straws
polished pebbles
empty tissue boxes
full boxes of tissue
cardboard box full of discarded material
craft wooden numbers and letters
ribbons and string from presents
meat bones
empty boxes
rodent chews and treats
Dog toys
Cat toys
Bird toys
whole coconut
whole nuts in the shell
ping pong balls
tennis balls
clothes pegs
plastic or real shells
children's ABC blocks
playhouses (Fisher Price)
toy cars, boats, trucks (Fisher Price)
stuffed toys from garage sells
kickboards to play on the water in the bathtub
PCV pipe
Newspaper roll end tubes
The latest toy I found for my rats is a package of three plastic balls the size of crochet balls and they have small holes in them. The rats are chewing the holes bigger but it's still fun for them.
Throw a towel or blanket on the floor that they can tunnel under. Just watch where you're walking around them.
rope tied between two table legs
climbing up a rope straight up while you hold the rope.
bird ladders (tip the ladder end over end as the rat races over it)
fruit tree branches (only if you know they haven't been sprayed with pesticide/herbicide)
Pea-diving (fill a new paint tray with water and toss in a bunch of frozen peas)
Hide food around the room for them to find it
Crack the shell of hard boiled eggs and let the rats get into it
Pillow toss (gently toss the rat onto a soft pillow. They usually run back to your hands for more)
You as their private jungle gym
Wrestling them with your hand
Teach your rats to paint
http://www.scamperats.com/
Boredom Buster
http://www.petcentreonline.co.uk/ecommer...
Check the rest of this site for rat toys. Many pet stores on-line and off-line, have toys for rats.
A dirt and grass Digging box
http://www.ratbehavior.org/diggingbox.ht...
Clicker-training your rat
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=cl...
Rat agility
http://www.theagilerat.com/
Toys for rats on petqna.com s
http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_r...
Toys for rats on the web
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=to...
spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"
Rats play with toys?
ew you have a rat.anyway try chew toys
Get your Rat a pet Cat or Boa.
my rats never played with toys they just played with eachother.
if you can find a good rat toy let me know.
Garbage
Some string.
Goto: http://www.rmca.org/articles/toys.htm... for toys you can buy
or
goto: http://exoticpets.about.com/od/careofrat... for toys that you can make at home for your rat.
my 2 pet rats like to play with bird toys, and cat toys(the little balls with the bell in it).
http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm... this is a good website for homemade rats toys. bye, and good luck.
Here's a fantastic website for rat toys:
http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm...
(EDIT: Oops, didn't see that it was already posted ;). Sorry bout that)
Most rats really love hammocks, so you can make your own or buy one at the store (some are designed for ferrets, but they still work fine). Parrot toys (bells, ropes, etc) are good too. And if your rats are small enough, you can use empty tubes from paper rolls*.
My rats also love to chase shoelaces around, so give that a try.
*The large, drawing-paper kind, not the toilet paper rolls, to clear that up =].
DO NOT GIVE YOUR RATS PVC PIPES! THEY ARE DEADLY IF CHEWED!
My rats loves to play with string

What are good snacks for rabbits?

i mean what are good snacks to give a rabbit like crackers etc whats good to give a rabbit that would get them sick or kill them?
Answers:
Here are some special treats that most rabbits love:
Raisins
Apples
Dandelion Leaves
Clovers
Peaches
Just make sure to feed these in moderation.
Bugs bunny seemed to like carrots
Fruits and vegtables!
Carrots. lol
I'm assuming you meant "that WOULDN'T get them sick or kill them"?
But anyway, they like assorted fruits and vegetables. Just be careful. Lettuce is generally a bad choice because certain types could kill them.
Go to rabbit.org for a complete list of veggies and fruits you can feed him.
also, make sure the fruits and veggies you give them are fresh and HAVE NOT been refrigerated. Lettuce isn't good for them either. They sometimes like to eat grass, but don't let them eat too much of that or they will get sick and their stool will get soft.
Another good choice which is fun and very healthy is alfalfa hay.
you do know that rabbits are not rodents right?
fruits veggies and some seeds like sunflower seeds
i like to give my little guy dried fruit but without added suger and persevatives. he loves it when i mix differnt kinds to gether and give him a dried fruit salad you sould try that he willl love it .all so my vet told me to give him th leaves off of dandy lions. my vet said that they were good for there tummies. but dont forget to wash them
Carrots
Bak Choi(its a chinese veggi but bunnies LOVE em)
Celery
...
yeah and some other Veggies
my rabbit loves broccoli and if you buy a bag of greens and give him/her the leaves they love that also, you can get some reallly nice little wheat treats from most pet shops nowadays but every bunny is different i think, you just need to experiment and see what they like, hope this helps :-).
if the rabbit is OVER 6 MONTHS OLD then there is a variety of things:
cherrios, club crackers, saltines, raisens, apples, and bananas. dont overfeed your rabbit on these though because it can cause very severe stomach problems.
i have 4 rabbits
we give them; carrots, apples, nectarines,, peaches, pears, lettuce, oatmeal flakes, cheerios, alfalfa hay, timothy hay, strawberries, dandelions from the yard, bananas
don not give them tomatoes, it causes diarrhea
Fruit, but not too much. You can buy rabbit snacks at pet stores. Carrots are good, too.
do you want to hurt youre animals?
well the bad foods are the real stringy foods or anytihng they can choak!
carrots,apples,crackers,oats,p... thats all I can remember that I give my rabbits.
fruits and veggies
Carrots or lettuce, or some from a store.
well i used to have a bunny and she LOVED alfalfa hay. its fairly cheap and they can eat it, and lay in it at the same time! also, like usual bunnies like to eat veggies and get a head of lettuce and break off the lettuce off of that and your bunny wont get sick.
Rabbits love fruits. However, you will need to limit their servings to about three a day to make sure they will not become obese.
The best snack for rabbits is hay, especially timothy grass. They can eat unlimited amounts and it insures that their digestive system will be maintained. However, limit the amount of alfalfa hay.
wat are really good, yogurt rolls drop some yogurt in those things where u put water to freeze to make ice put yogurt in there with a little bit of oats and freeze it then take it out cool it off then give it to him, or just buy it at the store...
carrots and crackers
fruit and veggies!
Don't feed bread to your house rabbit.
If your pet is like other rabbits (both wild and domesticated), they adore bread. But it's virtually void of nutrients they can use, provides no fiber ('fraid wheat bread won't do it for them, either), and can mess up their digestive system, leading to their death.
A lot of foods can harm their digestion, including one that you might not suspect -- commericial rabbit pellets. If you make these pellets the basis of your rabbit's diet, you can kill him. They generally contain more protein than adult rabbits need, have more calories than they can burn off, and don't provide them with enough fiber. As our vet told us, this type of feed was designed for laboratory rabbits, which don't have a life expectancy of more than a couple of years. While it's okay to feed commercial rabbit food to young bunnies who are still growing and can use the extra calories, once a rabbit hits maturity, it can't be the staple of his diet anymore.
The Bunster Gets Sick
We discovered this when our bunny got sick. He didn't have an appetite and his droppings were strange -- tiny, inky black, wet, and all stuck together. We took him into the vet, who asked what we were feeding Scwooey Wabbit. When he heard that the Bunster was eating primarily rabbit pellets, the vet shook his finger at us.
He told us horror stories about surgerically removing masses from various house rabbits' stomaches and intestines, masses that were primarily composed of commercial rabbit pellets. We were making our rabbit sick by feeding him too much commericial rabbit food, our vet said. Yikes!
Hay Is Not Just for Horses
What should we have been feeding our pet bunny? His primary staple should have been timothy hay. It has the fiber a rabbit needs to keep things moving through his digestive tract. Fresh timothy hay is what's needed and not alfafa, which is too rich. It also shouldn't be hay from a pet store, which tends to be of poor quality -- not fresh and low in fiber. We were directed to a local feed store to get good quality hay (fortunately, there was a feed store near us!), where we were able to buy the hay Rabbithead needed in quarter bales.
How do you recognize quality hay? We non-farm, non-horse people really don't know, so our vet had to fill us in. Quality hay has good color (light yellow, mixed with a tinge of green), a fresh scent, and long strands. (Compare that to the small bags of hay sold in most pet stores -- washed-out brownish color, little scent, and short pieces.) Our Bunster could eat as much timothy hay as he liked. And our vet told us we could supplement the Bunster's diet with a carefully measured amount of commericial rabbit pellets, which he really loves (he gets about 1/4 cup or less a day).
That's Good Eating!
Once we started feeding him good-quality timothy hay as the primary staple in his diet, Baby Bunny made a full recovery. We also feed him rolled oats (not instant oatmeal!) in moderation, along with carrots, and a bit of banana or apple as a treat, with a few yogurt drops (available at your local pet store). Our Bun-Bun won't touch greens, the spoiled thing.
Now, he also eats some foods that are clearly not good for him. He loves raisins. And he goes ape for chocolate. He also begs for ice cream (but not frozen yogurt or ice milk!), chocolate chip cookies, and brownies. One vet grudgingly told us that we could feed him a tiny bit of milk chocolate every once in a while, but not dark chocolate. Rabbitface doesn't get any of the latter, and probably too much of the former.
So what should you feed your bunny? Here's the list:

Good Rabbit Foods:
fresh timothy hay (lots of fiber, low calorie)
carrots
leafy green veggies (spinach, kale, chard, etc.)
Not Such Good Rabbit Foods:
alfafa (too rich)
commericial rabbit food (in moderation)
pet store hay (over-processed, without much fiber)
apples %26 bananas (they'll eat these all day long, but just give them a little)
Bad Rabbit Foods:
bread (no nutrients, no fiber, will gum up the digestive works)
cabbage (can cause them to bloat and develop gas, which they can't pass)
iceberg lettuce (can give small critters the runs)
chocolate
cookies and cake
ice cream
Apple tree branches are a great snack for your friendly furry freind. Also store bought Flavored chewsticks find plenty of helpful treats!
Don't feed them lettuce, it makes diahrrhea.
Don't give them peppers, like green peppers because they can't pass gas and it makes them very puffy. I would think sweet potato and cabbage would go in that category, too, but I don't know for sure. If you know a yard hasn't been sprayed with insecticide, a rabbit's favorite treat is sweet clover.
Rabbit Auntie
TX Mom

What are good names for two light-coloured male rats?

Some ideas I've had:
Salt and Pepper,
Maple and Syrup,
Peanut and butter,
Sooty and Sweep,
Dapper and Fudge.
Answers:
Cupcake %26 Donut
Peaches %26 Cream
Rich %26 Creamy
Snowflake %26 Snowball
Bubble %26 Squeak
Cheese %26 Crackers
Frank and beans
Mac and Cheese
Lenny and Squiggy
Bush and Cheney...you did say they were RATS right?
Pixie and Dixie...from an old cartoon featuring Jinx the Cat.
Ben and Algernon...from the movies Willard and Ben
Flapjaks and Mr. Sugarbritches
bill and ben
Cinnamon and Sugar
Butch and Sundance
Buck and Clyde
Romeo %26 Oscar
Kyle %26 Kevin
Bruce %26 Pete
BoBo %26 bubba

Hope I helped :)
Jenner %26 Nicodemus
Yeti %26 Saskwatch
Spoon and Spork!

What are good names for my Hamster?

I have bought a new Hamster today, he's ginger with some brown patches. I'm not sure what to name him, I would prefer something unsual not the common names like Hammy.
Answers:
I had a hamster called Fudge once, the little ball of happiness lived until it was nearly 6 years old, in the end, he started going grey.
As long as you give it a name close to your heart, and look after it well, hopefully you and the hamster will have a decent life and a good time with each other, pets can always tell when their owners are happy, and vice versa.
Brian
Speedy? lol that's what I called my gerbil.
Rubarb, Treacle, nutty, fidget, gizmo,
Shmoo
Gizmo
Hammond.
as in richard hammond
xxx
Gin (or Jin if you prefer) . as in Ginger not the drink!
Since you're into marketing, why don't you call him "demo"
It can be short for demonstration OR demographics.
Sir Rodent
Arthur
Marcus
B.P. (brown patches)
Kimpy
how about twitches or snuffles or sniffles?
Good luck
Rember Roland rat?
He had Kevin the gerbil %26 Harold the Hampster.
Or Hector?
Buki-Buki
name it KILLER... so it wont seem like a wuss...
Mr. Hams
Marmalade, Edwin, Dylan, Troy, Cougar.
i called mine 'squidge'
Biscuits
Nubs
Hamtaro, Patches, Ginger, Hammy, Speedy, Tuck, Peaches, Petey, Chubbs, Chubby, Sunny, Ace, Captain,
Hammy, Bacon, potty, Humphrey, Sammy, Smidge
cuddles....my kids called theres that and when you have to go to the vets they shout out your pets name and your surname i looked great standing up when they said cuddles sanderson i,m a 40 year old man
Hammy! Hamster Number 1! Subject Number 1!
Bryan!?!?!??!?! Ok so that last ones silly
Admiral Horatio Nibbles
Professor Nibblerly Boo
The Right Honourable Doctor Martin Chafe
His Holiness the Plop
Fluffy Barrington Smythe
Normal Elizabeth Sniffles
Charlie
Richard Hammond from top gear nicknames hamster so why not Hammond.
Special Patrol Group
cheeky, dwaddle, fredo, hansel, Hammy, krinkle, huey louis, borat, azamat, nawdle,
Spoon is already taken, my hamster said he is Spoon Esq.!
there was "Hambone" Jackson, he played the washboard in a zydeco band on every other week-end. ( had to let his finger nails grow back!) the rest are open.

What are good names for a hamster?

Male or female.
Answers:
Butterscotch, Dweezil, Scuzzy %26 Modem
The names of my dearly departed hamsters
hammy
Dave or Elvis
Hammer,Hamburger,Hamlet,Hammy,
Hammilly
I would call him gerbil, its funny that way
looey for a boy
kaci for a girl
Cheeks?
Elmo gizmo but the site I provided has alot of good ones! ' '
= . =
0
hammy, ligtning, tunnel, fudge, and venix
Well, for hamsters I like:
-Midnight
-Shadow
-Pounce
-Quiver
-Acorn
-Smudge
-Bubble
-Frost
-Storm
-Mist
-Spark
-Ember
-Amber
-Raven
If you are getting a hamster or have a hamster and don't know what to name it, try watching it for something funny or unique it does, or a silly behavior, and name it after that. (My cousin has a hamster that is very speedy, so she named it Speedy!) You could also name it after its colors or markings.
Hope this helps!
Muffin, no doubt in my mind
These are some of the names that worked for my hamsters:
Sapphire
Putice
Knuckles
Beto
Stimpy
Ruby
Black Diamond
Putie
Teddy
I've had over 25 Hamsters and those are the name of my favs. Hope it helps.
Gizmet, Oreo, Cream Puff, Binx, Bear, Gizzy, Old Man, Fidget, Gidget, Q.T. (cutie), Holly, Ivy
thats all the names ive used on my hamsters
Dinner!
tyrone
shanequa
Mr./miss snuggles
luv muffin
bundle'o' fun

What are good chew toys that most hamsters enjoy?

My hamster doesn't seem to like her chew blocks. Maybe they are too big or she doesn't like it? I really want her to chew because I want her to have healthy teeth. But she never chews it.
I'm pretty scared that her teeth might get long and she cant eat!
Answers:
Hamsters, both dwarf and Syrian, are active creatures and need a variety of toys and other items to provide opportunities for exercise, exploration and play. While they do appreciate time outside of the cage to explore in a hamster-safe environment, there are many things your can place inside the cage to provide exercise as play time.Hamsters, as will all rodents, need a good supply of items and toys they they can gnaw on to keep their constantly growing teeth in good condition.Wooden pet chew toys are an ideal choice. Wood items should ideally be safe (stay away from cedar or other evergreen type woods), and pesticide and chemical free. If you are unsure a type of wood is safe, it is probably best to stick with items made for use by pets. Pesticide-free fruit tree branches from your backyard or hardwood wood blocks or shapes that are not chemically treated are okay for your hamster.
Willow balls, rings and tunnels are also marketed for rabbits, and the smaller sized of these items can be used for hamsters.
In addition to wood chews, cardboard can also be provided for chewing (and for hiding). Ideally, choose cardboard with as little ink as possible as there has been concern over the content of commercial inks in the past (I can find no solid evidence one way or the other on the safety of colored cardboard, and I have used colored cardboard for my mice, so don't panic if you are using colored cardboard). Hamsters also love cardboard tubes from paper towel and toilet paper rolls, although some people are also concerned about the safety of the glues used in these. Many hamsters regularly chew these items without problems, but if you are concerned there are now commercial tubes that are a bit sturdier and are said to be safe for chewing (e.g. Totally Chewbular Play Tubes and Critter Crunchy Chew Tube).
Mine seems to like my fingers best.
Go to PetSmart and look at everything they have. They have a huge variety of treats for hamsters. Get whatever you think your hamster will enjoy the most.
try putting a whole carrot in the cage, mine love to chew on a carrot and their teeth arent too long, also a cob of corn can do great for their teeth always make sure they have planth of pellets as they help too.
Mione never eat the chew blocks so i alsohave had t find soemthing else for them
Honestly, my hamster hates the little blocks he's supposed to chew on. So I tried a few other things, he loved this treat that I bought at PetCo. It was a little cardboard box with treats inside of it and he had to chew through the box to get to the treats. Also he loves Krunch-A-Rounds. Other things I haven't tried but I know work are giving them pieces of dog biscuits or a salt wheel, they file down their teeth when they chew on them. Both 100% safe.

What are fun things to do with hamster?

some inside or outside (he's a boy)
Answers:
You could let him run loose in a small room, but make sure to shut the door and watch him very closely. If you have a hamster ball you could put him in it and let him play for maybe an hour and then try to find him, close off all stair cases going down. watching them eat dandelions is also fun because they get the little yellow petals everywhere, if you give them a dandelion rinse it with water and it should be yellw petals. another thing is training, you could train your hamster to beg by holding up a small treat and when he begs give it to him, this next one may not be very fun but it is useful, to potty train a hamster take some healthy grass from your front yard and put it in the corner of his cage and give him a treat every time you see him go there... i have never succeeded in potty training but its still worth a try
Get one of those clear plastic balls and let him run around in it. As long as weather permits they can run in it outside to.
Put them in toy cars and let them "drive" around.
I had hamsters for years and I loved them. They really have cute personalities.
If you live near a Petco store you can enter him into the Hamster Ball Derby. It is pretty cool.
Hi. i have a boy hamster named Barnabie. I am 26 and have had ALL kinds of animals, but I absolutely adore this little guy. I got him a rollaround ball (large) and take him out everynight when he wakes up and let him roll around the house for a couple hours. It also has an attachment to be used as a wheel in his cage so when Im sleeping, he still exercises. Granted, you cant teach them trck sor take them for walks, but i love to watch him eat. He digs through his food until he finds something yummy. I also feed his fresh fruits and veggies each night and like to see what he goes for first. I also purchased those edible huts (5$ at walmart) and logs(3$at walmart) and love to watch him climb all over. You can also get a pet fence and put him in it to climb around. Use toilet paper/paper towel rolls as tunnels. Wood chew blocks. also these little pretzel shaped treats that you can get at the etstore. Mine loves them! i dont recommend letting him go outside as he is small and can escape very easily. Mine has gtten out of his cage several times. There are also some rally neat tunnel toys available but mine is too fat to fit in them. Hope you and yours have fun!!
I put mine in one of those little plastic balls. I could let him run around, I didn't need to watch him as long as he wasn't around the stairs or the dogs, and he'd get his energy out.
I also let my hamster crawl on me. He seemed to enjoy it.
well something you could do it buy this thing its like a log with holes in it and the hamsters squirm around it. or get a hamster ball put the hamster inside and watch her roll
You could set up an obstacle course on the floor with toilet paper rolls andlign it with food and wait at the end. If you look through the tunnels you see your friend come right towards you.

What are Begu (not sure how to spell it)??

I am considering getting a Begu...well it looks like a hamster crossed with a rat (also a little like a miniture Chinchilla) I have never had one or even heard of them before but on their cage it says that they should go in pairs and they are very friendly. Before I might get one I would like too know more about them to see if I can look after them propley. Thanks
x
Answers:
I have had degus in the past. They are similar in temperament to gerbils(IMO), they are not really cuddly and don't enjoy being held, but would rather run around. Not all are friendly, mine were relatively friendly, meaning I could reach in the cage and scratch their head, but that was about it.
They need a certain diet, similar to a guinea pig/rabbit. They are herbivorous and need a diet with fresh veggies, hay, and pellets. Most stores do not sell degu food and you'll have to order it online. You can make a homemade food with guinea pig pellets. chinchilla pellets(not ones containing dried fruit), alfalfa hay, timothy hay, fresh veggies. Degus cannot eat sweets(fruits, etc) they are prone to diabetes.
They are very social and should be purchased in pairs. They also need a fairly large cage(conpared to gerbils hamsters) Minimum 2 feet by 18 inches and 2 feet high.
I suggest doing a lot more research, they require specific care to thrive and info is not as readily available as it is for other pets.
It is spelled Degus. This site should help you.
u mean degu..i had 2 ...never again they are the most noisiest messiest thing i have owned i had them in a chincilla cage and they were vicious even tho i handled them
They are called Degus and you take care of them like a hamster but you need to have 2 for them to be happy
Degu's are cute. They are like a cross between a rat and a squirril. They are expensive to buy and house. not a reccomended pet but they do look nice :)

What are all the equipment hamsters need?


Answers:
The basics to get started:
Cage-no aquiarium, should be wire with a metal or plastic bottom. Plenty of room to roam around in...preferably a cage big enough or with enough sections to have food in one area, bed in one area, a wheel and exercise area.
Water bottle-If the cage is wire, you can get one that hangs on the outside, it makes changing easy and they cannot chew on it. the water should be changed daily...
Food Dish-It should be heavy so they cannot tip it over and play with it, or get one that attaches to the cage.
Food-A Hamster/Gerbil comercial pelleted diet works best, just make sure they have fresh food in the cage at all times.
Chews-Hamsters need to gnaw(it's an instinct to gnaw on things and it helps keep thier teeth from over growing ) wood chew sticks are great for them to play with and satisfy their chewing needs.
Cage Bedding-The cage should have Aspen bedding on the bottom...NO PINE AND NO CEDAR these are toxic to small animals...you can use recycled newspaper beddings, but I have found aspen chips to be easier to clean and they keep the smell down better...
Bedding-Hamsters like to make a cozy bed area to sleep in, you should give them bedding materials, such as cotton or bits of cloth.
Everything else arent things that you really need, they are extra, like an exercise/run around ball, treats (fresh fruits and veggies are better than store bought treats) ect.
I hope this helps..GOOD LUCK!!
The like things to hide under so maybe buy him a hut to sleep under and play on. Also they like things to chew on so chew toys which you can buy at a pet store. Thats all I've ever put in my hamsters cages for them to play with.They need a cage(obviously), bedding, food bowl, food, water bottle and water in it. Hope I helped. Have fun with you little hammie!
A hamster cage (it depends on what kind of hamster that you are getting, if you are getting a dwarf, a terrarium or a cage with 1 level, would be great, but, if you getting a syrian, golden, teddy bear hamster ect. then a cage with more then 1 level would be great!).
A food dish
A water bowl or water bottle
Bedding
Food
Treats
Toys (chew toys, climbing toys ect.).
Mineral Block
Litter Box (optinal)
Litter (if you decide to get the litter box!).
Wheel (unless the cage comes with one!).
This is pretty much all that you need! If you have any more questions about hamsters, you can email me at: pethelper4@yaho.com! Thanks, and i hope that this answers your question!
a ten-gallon aquarium to nest, sleep, and "go" with a wire cage attached on top for playing, running on wheels, and socializing is a very good home- easy to clean, enough space... and only around $40- $45 dollars. A wire cage or an aquarium ALONE is ok too but they will LOVE the extra space if you give it to them.
1. Home (tank or cage- or both put together)
2. Food and Bedding with a fresh supply of water daily
3. A wheel- they need to exersice
4. some toys to gnaw on and play with- you can give Gerbils cardboard to chew on and play with but I'm not sure about amsters...
5. Some chinchilla dust to bathe them in
(Fresh food and water daily, either from 2 bowls or a bowl and a water bottle, clean the cage in scolding water and give them a chinchilla bath every week... Play with them daily.)
Good Luck! ;-)
1. a cage. [plastic or wired]
2. cage litter.
2. a water bottle [a must]
3. a food dish [that won't tip over, try a glass one]
4. a wheel. [so it will exercise inside cage]
5. a ball. [so it can exercise on the floor, keep it in for 20mins]
6. Food. [mixed seeds]
7. Yogurt treats [they come in strawberry,vanilla,honey..etc]
8. Some little toys that they can naw on.
9. You can get a little house for them also if you want.
10. A litter box, if you want it trained to just go in there.
11. wood chunks [so they can chew on it]

Bonus:
12. you can also get a chinchilla dish %26 sand.
[put the sand in the chinchilla dish]
They can have sand baths, they don't need water baths, unless its necessary.

Hope that helps =]

What am i supposed to do if there is mice in the house?

I was sitting on my couch this morning and i saw this ugly black mouse that was right in front of me. I hate mice and im not afraisd of them its just im home alone and im 14 years old what should i do
Answers:
Well if there ARE mice in the house, talk to your parents. There is a mouse killer that is really good, called DECON, it comes in a little box that you set out for them. They take some and then it eventually kills them, but it is formulated, so that if you don't find them after they die, it won't stink up the house. It is really good stuff.
call your parents and tell them to call the exterminator
Call the extermanter , or gather your belongings and move
call the exterminator
Call pest control or leave down some traps
okay well you go to walmart buy about seven of those big spring traps put a little cheese on the end sit back and have fun.
make sure all your food is well sealed and try to set out some traps... you shouldnt see them really, theyre pretty secretive, so i would call someone for help if you see them around you again, they might be sick or something...
good luck!
=]
Get about a dozen or more of those spring traps. Wrap a small piece of bacon around the bait thing. It will kill the mouse instantly. Rat poison and sticky glue traps are TERRIBLY inhumane and I`m surprised that they are still legal.
You should also call the exterminator to get rid of all of the mice. They breed rapidly and for every mouse you see running across your floor, there are at least 10 inside your walls.
do you have a cat?
if not get a cat (if your allowed to)
if you have any other pets do not get mouse poisen because it can and will kill other pets too

What all do i need to no about breeding rats??


Answers:
You will need more than one person who will take 2. Rats have several babies, just like other rodents. I think anywhere from 12 to 18. You really should read my link before you even contiue considering breeding your rat. You seem to have no good reason to breed, and I don't think you actually really really do want to.
How old is your rat? If she is older than 8 months, than she could die or become injured during birth. Do you want that to happen?
I really don't think that you should try to breed your rat. It sounds mean, and insensitive to your rat's needs. She never asked to become pregnant did she? No.
How disgusting. There are enough rats in the world already. You should breed something that people don't want to exterminate.
you need to know that you can do an internet serch by going to yahoo wich your at and type in rat breeding. gosh people are soo dumb.that will tell you more then anyone on here could type
why not research it on the internet (wow what a novel idea)
not to be a smart *** however, don't you think their enough rats in the world without good homes.
PLEASE DONT BREED THEM! THERE ARE ENOUGH RATS GETTING SOLD TO EXPERIMENTATION LABS ALREADY. PLEASE DONT ADD MORE UNWANTED ANIMALS TO THE WORLD. IT IS CRUEL AND UNFAIR FOR THE ANIMALS. JUST THINK ABOUT WHERE THE ANIMALS THAT ARE BEING CONSTANTLY BRED GO: TO ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION LABS. IT IS CRUEL AND UNNCESEARRY! DONT DO IT!!
Nothing. Put two in a cage and you'll have a full house.
Ever heard the expression "mate like rabbits"?
Well rats are worse and reproduce faster.
I don't see why you would want to breed rats.
Theres not much demand in the..rat market.
Unless of course you have a pet snake..then I understand your motivation.

What all can I feed my rats?

Hi, I just got 2 female rats and I was wondering what all i can feed them? ( And please no answer like why do you have a rat or feed them rat pioson)
Answers:
Feeding Pet Rats
Providing a Healthy Diet for Your Pet Rat
Feeding pet rats is not difficult, but it is important to use a diet specifically designed for pet rats for the bulk of the diet. There are some homemade diets recommended by experts, but you must stick to these very well and make sure your rats get a variety of fresh supplements, or else the diet can end up imbalanced. However, some commercial diets meant for rats can end up being imbalanced too, if the rat is able to pick and choose their favorite parts and leave the rest. For most owners, a combination of a good rat block and some fresh treats as supplements is the easiest and best way to provide a balanced diet.
Store-Bought Foods
Look for a diet made especially for rats. A pellet or block (essentially a large pellet) type diet is generally considered best. Loose mixes can be very well balanced and complete diets, but only if the rats eat everything in the mix, and many won't.
If you feed a block or pellet, they won't be able to pick and choose which parts they are eating. Look for a rat block with soy meal rather than corn high on the ingredient list, and one that is low in fat. The rat blocks can be available at all times. A commonly recommended diet is Oxbow Hay's "Regal Rat." A rat and mouse diet that meets the same general requirements (soy rather than corn, low calorie, low fat) is a good compromise if you cannot find a good rat diet.
Fresh Foods
Rats benefit from a variety of vegetables, fruits and and other fresh foods that help to keep them healthy. Keep in mind that serving sizes are pretty small (as in a teaspoon or half-inch cube) for a rat, so avoid giving large amounts of fruits or vegetables, or diarrhea may result. The following is a list of treats you may wish to try, keeping in mind that feeding a wide variety of foods is the best way to ensure optimum nutrition and health:
fruit: apples, cherries, grapes, banana, strawberries, other berries, melons, plums.
vegetables: broccoli, potatoes, peas, carrot, cooked sweet potato, kale, parsley, bok choy, squash.
cooked liver, other very lean meats (cooked)
whole wheat pasta and bread
cooked beans (including soya)
yogurt (especially with live cultures)
brown rice
unsweetened breakfast cereals
mealworms
small dog biscuits
some leftovers from your meals are okay in moderation, but avoid fatty or sugary scraps and items off the list below.
special treats (given only occasionally): whole nuts in the shell (almonds, brazin nuts, walnuts), sunflower seeds (high in fat), carob chips
What Not to Feed
Avoid feeding any of these items to pet rats:
chocolate
raw beans
raw sweet potato
cabbage, brussel sprouts
green potatoes
sweet sugary treats, any other "junk food"
caffeinated beverages
carbonated drinks
Store-bought Treats
For the most part, you are better off feeding the fresh foods listed above as treats. Many pet store treats, such as yogurt drops or the treat sticks are quite high in sugar and/or fat and should be given very rarely if at all.
Homemade Diet
Debbie Ducommun of the Rat Fan Club has published a recipe for a homemade diet claimed to be nutritionally complete and balanced. It is more time-consuming and expensive to produce a good homemade diet, but if you are interested you can find the information on the Rat Fan Club site: http://exoticpets.about.com/gi/dynamic/o... Hope My Info Helps
I think the question is why does a dog lover have rats?
Bread, cheese, fruit, nuts and there are some special foods at pet stores that you can get for them too!
The corn powder.
They can eat anything you eat, even meat. NO chocolate though.
Junk food will cause the same health problems for them as it does for us so keep it natural, keep it "in moderation", and you both will be fit and healthy.
Avoid salt, they easily get high blood pressure. No avocados, chocolate, or grapes. Besides those they can eat pretty much anything. Just make them well balanced meals. I just give my rat a little of what I eat and a lot of veggies. My rat loves a spoon full or 2 of dole gel fruit cups. Try different things and see what your ratty likes.
They say you can feed them any kind of food. But when i was younger we tried feeding them rabbit pellets and it died from them. Which is pretty much wat actual rat food is, but its really expensive. I would feed them dog food. You can get off brands for pretty cheap most of the time.
Here are some links:
http://wonderclub.com/wildlife/mammals/b...
ok whoa
you can feed rats chocolate. it's actually great for them in moderation if they're having breathing problems (which rats get a lot). it temporarily opens their lungs up.
they can also eat avacadoes. it's great for fattening up a sick or thin rat. they can't have the pits or the skin though. they can't have the pits of any fruit (peaches, nectarines).
male rats can't eat citrus cause its tough on their livers. don't feed them anything you wouldn't eat, they're not garbage disposals. although if you have apples that are mealy or have bruises, just chuck them in the rat cage and they'll have a ball.
limit fruit and vegetables to what they can eat in a day, or else their cage will get stinky, or buy a special feeder tray for fruits and veg.
their main food should be rodent 'lab blocks' that specifically say they are good for rats. Hagan has them, or SunSeed. never feed them loose seed mixes cause that's like the MacDonalds for rats and they'll get malnutrition and fat. Supplement their food with dog or cat food, and fresh fruits and vegetables, breads, or meat.
They also go wild for hard boiled eggs (shell and all) and they have no problem nibbling on chicken bones. Also, don't let them sneak any pop or anything carbonated cause rats can't burp.
Try everything and they will choose what they like.

What age should a baby guinea pig leave its mother?


Answers:
when he's 2 months old.
about 6 weeks
earliest is 3-4 weeks, make sure if it is a male baby that it is away from its mother by 3 weeks because he can get the mother pregnant again
roughly no less than eight weeks old and as long as they are on solid food
at 6 wks, make sure you check the sx before putting them into male and female groups. (My fault put 8 intead of 6 oops)
a male will not mate until 10 weeks old !! what absolute rubbish as a female wont get pregnant until 6wks old ! look on the internet!! You can keep the females together of course - just seperate the males
as soon as it is weened. Check it out on google. www.google.com
The young are born relatively mature. They are unusually large and fully furred, and can walk about. They also have teeth and open eyes at this time. Even though newborn guinea pigs can eat solid food and drink water from a container, they should be allowed to nurse their mother for at least 2 weeks.
http://www.ahc.umn.edu/rar/mnaalas/gpig.
http://www.guineapigcages.com/
http://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewfo...
Males need to be taken away from mother and sisters at 3 or 4 weeks (4 weeks if he is not mounting or purring already). They can impregnate the females are early as 3 weeks - amazing isn't it!?
Females can stay forever with their mums. I usually keep them in with her until they have found homes (at about 6 weeks) because there is no need to take females away from their mother. I have a mother and daughter who have NEVER been separated - the baby is now almost 3 years old.
Good luck!
6 weeks make sure he is eating ok first
14-21 following some books.
If you think that some guinea pigs start their sexual life when they're 20 days old...(female overall)..
when it is eating on it own and drinking i would waite to it was 8 weeks old before you rehome them

What age is my guinea pig...ive putted a pic..?

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x264/...
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x264/...
Answers:
I would probably guess 2-3 yrs.
I'm not an expert but my guess is 2 to 4 years old, when did you get her or him?
i have guinea pigs and they have had lots of babys so im going to say 6 to 8 months
You can't possibly say from this picture how old the guinea pig is as there is no size reference.
If you provided a picture with a 30cm or 12" ruler is aswell it would be better.
If it is about 6" long and has very short but sharp nails it is under 4 months. If is is 6" with slightly long nails it is probably 4 to 6 months. If it is 8" to 9" and the nails look like they may need cutting in could be 12 months or older.
Hope this helps.
care sheets are free on my web site
http://www.artsaquaticsandanimals.co.uk...
Size isn't really the best factor to use in determining your guinea pig's age. My 9 month old is about the same size as my 5 year old. :)
I'm under the impression that the best way to get an accurate idea of your pig's age is to take him to the veterinarian. I had a vet tell me when I first got my two boys about two years ago that she can look at their back teeth and guestimate their age.
no more than a year old
i can't tell im not an expert but you should've asked the owner of it. or the person who gave it to you. i just think you should get a new pix of it on the floor not in your hand. that'll help better.
You should have been told when you got him. He looks young, maybe 4 months or something, he's cute!!
I'm guessing that you have a very young piggy probably around 8 months old. The only way for sure to figure out how old he is is to take him to the vet. Good Luck!
how long have u had it
my best guess is 6-8 months. because he looks very young and you have a beautiful guinea pig

What age do hamsters die?


Answers:
Syrian hamsters typically live no more than two to three years in captivity, less than that in the wild. Russian Hamsters (Campbell's and Winter White) live approximately 1.5 to 2 years in captivity, and Chinese Hamsters 2.5 to 3 years. The smaller Roborovski Hamster often lives to 3 to 3.5 years in captivity. Both Syrian and Russian hamsters mature quickly and can begin reproducing at a young age (4-5 weeks), whereas Chinese hamsters will usually begin reproducing at 2-3 months of age, and Roborovskis at 3-4 months of age.
Source: wikipedia.com
Do you have a cat?
Syrian hamsters die usually around 2-3 years most do not live over 3 years.If you have a dwarf they will live around the same.
They live for about 3 yrs. But my daughter had one that lived for 5.
dwarf usally lve 2-3 years but if you take really good care of them they can live up to 4. teddies are abot the same. i have 10 hamsters so i think i know what im doing.
P.S. dont get a girl hamster. i had 5 and they were ALL evil. by evil i mean they like to bite and when they bite it hurts
I had four hamsters as a kid. They lived anywhere from 1 to 2 1/2 years.
2 to 3 years
2 or 3 years
Hamsters live for about 1 1/2 - 2 yrs but with really good care they can last as long as 2 1/2 - 3 yrs, mine have!
1-4 years mine died 2 weeks ago it was almost 1year
2-4 syrians, 1-2 dwarfs
the avarage is 1-3 but if 3 you really got to take care of it so good but if you dont take care of it that much its around 2-11 months
is about 2 to 2 1/2 years but if u know how to take good care they can live up to 3 to 4 years
It really depends on what kind of hamster you have but they can live up to 2-5 years.
Well normally the life of a hamster is 2 years old but it can live longer if you treat it well.