Small pet

What are the most popular rat names? These names rank among the most common amongst pet parents in the Chewy community. Oreo Remy Pepper Remi Ruby,Smart, affectionate, and low-maintenance, rats are social animals that can make wonderful pets. Despite their unfair reputations as sneaky pests, pet rats come with many benefits—including being super fun to name! From cheesy to classy, sweet to silly, and with inspirations from Australia to Asia, we rounded up the best-of-the-best rat names for your furry friend. Let the rat race begin!

Guinea pigs need a lot of space inside and outside of their cage to run and play.  These pets prefer to live with others, so cages should be big enough for​​ multiple piggies.  The average lifespan of a guinea pig is ​​around 5–7 years, with proper care. ,Guinea pigs are fun, family-friendly pets. These social, cuddly rodents love attention and bond with their humans. If you’re thinking about bringing home a guinea pig or have recently gotten one, here’s how to care for them to ensure they live a long, healthy life. 

Our columnist did. Find out how it turned out This article is courtesy of Grandparents.com. By Adair Lara Grandparents are like grandchildren. Sometimes we do things even when we know better. For example, there I was at Western Feed, a pet shop in Santa Rosa, Calif., on an errand with my mother-in-law (surprising my husband with a canary) when I saw the glass tank marked “female rats.” As it happened, I had bought a colorful animal cage at a garage sale that morning (along with an empty bird cage), and it was sitting right in the trunk of my car. So I bought a furry black-and-white rat, and the backlash started immediately: As the man at the register put my new pet in a cardboard box, he muttered, “I hate rodents.” I had not, let me say, asked his opinion or brought up the merits of rats as pets in any way. My mother-in law was dubious too: “A rat?” “For the grandkids.” “Where will it live?” she asked. It was a fair question. My granddaughters, Maggie, 4 and Ryan, 6, with divorced parents and two sets of grandparents, have bedrooms in four different houses — two in San Francisco; another 25 miles north in Fairfax; and a fourth an hour-and-a-half east in Davis. The rat would have to get a little rodent-size suitcase, lunchbox, and car seat to travel around with them. But I wasn’t thinking about that. I was thinking about how excited Ryan was about the tadpole in her kindergarten classroom and how much better a rat of her own would be than a tadpole in a school. So I brought the rat home. Later, my daughter Morgan, Maggie and Ryan’s mother, came by with the girls, and I showed her the rat. She gave me that same look she gives the girls when she is trying to be patient. “Okay,” she said, “but tell them it’s your rat.” Rat Love My new pet was a big hit! The girls took turns holding the rat, putting it in their pockets (try that with a tadpole) and asking questions about it. Ryan, wearing her new bathing suit although there was no pool in sight, asked me why I bought it. After I explained, she said, “What does impulsive mean?” They named the rat Sara, because they name everything Sara (we took the precaution of naming my husband’s new canary Jack before the girls could call it Sara, too). They particularly liked the black-and-white cloth igloo that had come in the cage I bought at the garage sale. They took off the cage top, stretched out on the floor, and breathed on Sara. And when Morgan drove off with the girls, there was Sara in her bright plastic cage sitting between Maggie and Ryan in the backseat of the Subaru. What a sport Morgan is to take Sara home, I thought, especially as there is already a cat named Wolfie at her house … A Short Stay An hour later, Morgan came to her senses. She called on her cell to ask me to meet her halfway between her house and ours (we live 20 miles apart). “I’m wondering if you would mind keeping Sara at your house,” she said. So I took Sara back. Now, I would keep a pony in my playroom if the girls wanted me to. An elephant. But Sara produced a musty smell in the bathroom in which I hid her from my husband. She ate that little black-and-white fabric igloo in the cage — which, by the way, turned out to have been made for hamsters, and was much too small for a rat. So I had to move her to a larger plastic box. And, of course, the girls only come by here occasionally, while the rat would have to hang her toothbrush next to ours full time. I gave Sara away a few days later, but was left with the memory of having been an idiot. Again. I do give my grandkids a lot of stuff. When Ryan was a baby, I met Morgan in the park one day after work. As I pulled toy after toy out of my backpack, a woman who’d been watching drawled, “Let me guess: This is the grandmother, and it’s the first grandchild.” Recently, I helped Morgan move and found myself having to haul away all the space-swallowing toys I’d given the girls, from a twice-life-size duck, to a drive-in Barbie car, to no fewer than four bikes. I realized then how patient Morgan is with me, as I arrive with bags in hand, and then say, “Oh, and there’s something else out in the truck.” I get the hit of delighting the kids with the present, and my daughter? She gets a giant stuffed duck. Will I stop doing this? I should. I will. I’ll try. Image: John Morgan / via Flickr This article originally appeared on Grandparents.com.

Rats can make wonderful and interesting pets. While there are common misconceptions about pet rats, they are actually intelligent, clean, and highly social animals with a variety of different behaviors that are loved by pet parents. By understanding their different behaviors, pet parents can better bond with their rat, and both can benefit from the joys of pet rat ownership. Nesting Rats are social creatures who enjoy time outside their habitat, but also enjoy their quiet time. Rats naturally enjoy creating nest—in the wild they use leaves or moss to provide a soft nesting area. In captivity, rats enjoy tearing, gnawing, and bringing desirable items back to their nest. A nest is a safe spot for rats, providing physical comfort and safety for sleep but also a place to birth pups. Pet rats will use materials from inside their habitat to line their nest including: Fleece bedding Recycled newspaper Paper towels Toilet paper rolls Cardboard Carefresh bedding Rats enjoy frequent bedding changes to keep their cage clean and free of waste material odors, and to provide enrichment that stimulates their senses. Investigating Rats are highly inquisitive animals by nature. They enjoy investigating and exploring their habitats, including adventures around the house during supervised playtime. A rat’s sense of vision is not great, so they rely on sniffing and touching to inspect new items. Rats have a terrific sense of smell. You’ll notice their whiskers and nose twitch when they sniff and appear to breathe more rapidly. The smells and sensory information from their highly sensitive whiskers provide rats with additional information to determine if the new item is safe, fun, or something they would like to investigate further. Once deemed relatively safe (or edible!) rats will use their front paws and mouth to touch, drag, eat, and play.  Grooming Pet rats are incredibly clean animals require minimal bathing and brushing. They stay clean by instinctively grooming themselves. This may involve rubbing their front paws on their face, then licking and rubbing the rest of their body down to their tail. Pet rats will also groom other rats and their pet parents. Often, this is out of affection or the start of intended play. You may even notice rats using their teeth to comb through fur. These are all normal behaviors, however if the licking and nibbling become obsessive, it could indicate a problem with your rats. Over-grooming to the point of hair loss or irritation is called barbering. While most pet rats are social, occasionally a dominant rat will barber a submissive rat, causing health problems. If one rat is barbering another, a pet parent should contact their veterinarian to discuss a trial separation and general husbandry review. A mother rat may also have an area of barbing on her stomach, either from her pups during nursing or self-barbering due to the irritation of nursing. All rats are capable of self-barbering, and this typically means something is wrong. Rats most often self-barber around the forearms and chest. Other causes of self-barbering include: Demodex mites and other skin parasites Skin infections Genetic disorders Calorie or diet deficiencies Hormonal imbalances Kidney disease Ringworm Pet parents should call their veterinarian as soon as they notice signs of self-barbering for a full exam and diagnostic testing. Bruxing Bruxism, or commonly referred to as “bruxing” in the pet rat world, is a common behavior of rats and is usually considered normal. Bruxing occurs when rats grind their teeth gently and repetitively. As rodents, rats have constantly growing teeth that must be filed naturally to prevent problems. Gently grinding their incisors helps to wear these teeth down, but pet rats also need other toys, food, and proper care to effectively wear down their teeth. Pet parents shouldn’t rely on bruxing alone to keep their rat’s teeth healthy. Most pet parents notice bruxing when the rat is happy and showing signs of affection—similar to a cat purring. However, rats may also brux when they are stressed. Make sure to take the rat’s entire demeanor and behavior into account when they brux. If they are acting scared, not eating, or have other unusual behaviors, a trip to the veterinarian may be necessary. Boggling Rats have a unique anatomical difference in which part of their jaw muscle runs behind their eyes. During aggressive bruxism, this repetitive tooth grinding may cause the eyes to move abnormally in and out of the socket. This bulging of the eyes is called boggling, and is considered normal. Like bruxing, take the rat’s entire behavior into account to determine if your pet is happy or stressed. If concerned, you should always talk to your veterinarian to be safe.  Chattering Chattering is also repetitive grinding of the incisors, like bruxism. However, chattering is typically louder, stronger, and with more pops or cracking noises. While bruxing is associated with joy or contentment, chattering is most associated with an internal struggle, annoyance, or impending fight with another rat. Playing Rats love to play! They will play by themselves, with other rats, and with their pet parents. During play, you may also notice different noises—such as chirps and other vocalizations. This is how a pet rat indicates he is content and having fun. While they are generally quiet animals, most parents can begin to differentiate the noises their pet rats make when they are happy versus stressed. Young rats may gently nip, bite, and wrestle with each other or their mother as a form of play fighting. This is a healthy and normal behavior that allows them to form bonds and learn appropriate social cues. Play fighting should never result in cuts or hair loss. Excited rats may also jump, hop, or “popcorn” when they are happy. They may run excitedly at full speed around the house or enclosure—just like how dogs get the “zoomies.” While rats are capable of activity during the day, especially with their family, they are basically nocturnal animals. This means they will be more active, making noise, playing, and chewing throughout the nighttime hours. If their cage is placed in a bedroom, this may present a problem for the pet parent to sleep! Climbing Rats are adept at climbing and love to explore throughout their enclosure. They can scale vertical walls, given a little foothold. They tend to be clumsier when climbing down. Providing rats with multiple habitat levels, ladders, hammocks, safe exercise wheels, hide boxes, and other cage furniture encourages their natural curiosity and activity. This enrichment can keep their mind and their bodies stimulated and prevent boredom. Rats do best with multiple cage furniture items to climb, and even better when those items are constantly rotated in and out of the cage. Rats perceive these rotated toys and climbing structures as “new” and are excited to investigate and inspect. Some common cage furniture that promotes exercise and climbing include: Ladder Hide boxes Hammocks and other suspended beds Safe exercise wheel Cardboard boxes Bridges Chewing As a member of the rodent family, rats have constantly growing teeth. They rely on consistent chewing, gnawing, and nibbling to wear down their incisors. If not given appropriate food and chew toys, rat teeth become misaligned and abscessed. These conditions are incredibly painful and require veterinary intervention. Rats should be fed high-quality pellets made specifically for pet rats, in addition to some human vegetables and fruits. While food and pellets can help wear down teeth (in addition to providing excellent nutrition,) pet rats also benefit from chew toys. Toys provide mental stimulation as well as the medical benefit of wearing down their teeth! There are many commercially available chew toys for rats, but these inquisitive and fun creatures don’t require fancy toys! They can be just as happy with items from around the house. Common chew toys for rats include: Wood blocks Cardboard boxes Ball chew toys Paper towels Stick chew toys Toilet paper rolls Climbing toys Because rats are natural chewers, it is important to rat-proof any area of the house they have access to. Electrical cords are of specific concern, as they could cause serious injury or death. Scent Marking Rats, both male and female, have flank glands along the sides of their abdomen. These glands contain natural oils used to scent mark areas of their environment. Rats will rub the side of their body, in addition to their face, to mark their territory. Male rats will also urinate to mark their territory and signal to female rats. They may rub their rear end over items, which leaves a trail of urine, or they may lift their hind leg, similar to a dog.

Scientific name: Mustela putorius furo Size: The average size of male ferrets is 1.5 feet and 2.5-5 pounds. For female ferrets, the average size is 1.2 feet with a weight of 1-3 pounds. Life expectancy: Domesticated ferrets have an average lifespan of 4-10 years. Wild black-footed ferrets rarely live beyond 3 years of age.,Jump to section Ferrets: An Overview Fun Facts About Ferrets Ferret Supply Checklist Habitat Diet Handling Your Ferret Maintaining Your Ferret’s Health FAQs About Pet Ferrets

Hairballs Ferrets require very little grooming from owners because they prefer to groom themselves. Symptoms and Types Ingested hairballs may cause vomiting, decreased appetite or intestinal obstruction. Not all ferrets vomit when they ingest hairballs. Some will stop eating or eat less – at least compared to their regular diet – while others will pass thin stool with hair in it, appearing like small amounts of ribbon.

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Ingestion of Foreign Object Like any other animal, the inquisitive ferret also chews up, eats and can accidentally swallow various kinds foreign objects. These foreign objects usually lodge themselves in the stomach and may even block the ferret’s intestines. Symptoms and Types  The most common signs seen in ferrets with foreign objects in the stomach are vomiting, diarrhea or difficulty passing stool. Other symptoms may include: Loss of appetite Teeth clenching Teeth grinding Excessive salivation Sharp abdominal pain Bloody stool Inflammation of the mucous membrane in the stomach (gastritis) Foreign objects eaten by ferrets are often various things lying around the home; among them: Hairballs (common during shedding periods) Soft rubber Plastic items Bedding Clothes Baby bottle nipples Pacifiers Recently weaned ferrets are known for chewing their bedding, while baby ferrets (kits) love to chew the bottle nipples and any pacifiers lying around.

Any disease in ferrets not caused by a viral, fungal, parasitic or bacterial infection is referred to as a non-infectious disease. One serious non-infectious disease in ferrets is dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a heart disease which causes some of the heart wall cells to die. Over time, the muscles in the walls of the ferret’s heart thin out, and every time the heart pumps blood, some blood remains. This enlarges the heart and affects its normal functions. Finally as the ferret’s heart weakens, less blood is pumped through the circulatory system. Normally, this type of heart disease only affects ferrets which are at least two years old. Symptoms and Types Due to decreased blood flow to cells and organs, the ferret will have lethargy, breathing difficulties, and be slightly cyanotic — the cells will receive less oxygen and the skin will turn blue, instead of usual pale pink. As dilated cardiomyopathy disease progresses, the affected ferret will lose its appetite, followed by weight loss. There may also be fluid accumulation in the chest. If the blood flow decreases, the fluid part of the blood (sera) starts leaking out of the blood vessels, causing an accumulation of fluids in the ferret’s abdomen (ascites). Unfortunately, these signs indicate the extensive damage done to the heart and other organs by the dilated cardiomyopathy disease.

With this entry I’ll depart from quoting a specific message I’ve received because I receive so many with the same concern, which can be summed up by the exclamatory subject line, “Help, my hamster’s claws are out of control!” There’s a way to correct this, and it’s even fun for both hamsters and their people! I’ve talked a lot about the fact that hamsters love to climb all over us. Though seemingly oblivious to our presence, I firmly believe we’re more than just “moving mountains” to them—I really think that hamsters get a kick out of being in control of (by virtue of their not being devoured by) a big, ferocious beast (us). And let’s face it, we get a kick out of it, too. Except when a particularly athletic hamster suddenly grabs at a soft forearm or ear to boost himself up, and we get the shock of tiny but terrifically sharp claws on our flesh.