Pet Habitat South Africa

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21 Oct 2016

Why Small Pets Need Enrichment?

Posted By : Guest

Many rodents such as hamsters, gerbils, mice, domesticated rats, guinea pigs, chinchillas and degus are commonly kept as pets. All of these animals can make great pets when they are cared for properly with the right diet and proper housing. Unfortunately, many people get these animals as pets and don’t realize that in addition to good food, a safe cage, and clean bedding, these pets – just like cats and dogs – need environmental stimulation to be happy and to thrive.

Many wild rodents are very social animals living with numerous others of their own kind in their normal habitat. In the wild, they have “jobs” – searching for food, finding mates, building nests. Most rodents nest in communities and share parental responsibilities. They spend 30-50% of the time they are awake grooming each other. When young rodents are separated from their mothers, they often show an increase in disease, are more anxious and aggressive, and are less likely to play.

Captive rodents that are kept caged and not given anything to play with or to chew on commonly develop behavior problems including barbering (chewing hair off themselves), repetitive behaviors (such as cage bar chewing, jumping, digging, and running in patterns), fighting, cannibalism (of their mates and babies), and repetitive teeth chattering. Studies have shown that rodents provided with different forms of environmental enrichment do not develop these undesirable behaviors.

If you have a pet rodent, there are many ways to provide enrichment. Here are just a few:

Social Interaction

In general, many pet rodents, depending on their species, do better in groups. There are species differences, though. Mice normally live in groups with 1 dominant male and several females and young. Mature males housed together may fight. Rats generally do better living in same-sex groups. Guinea pigs may be housed together but mature males also may fight. Gerbils live in large mixed-sex colonies in wild, so they generally can be housed this way in captivity but must be monitored for overcrowding and fighting. Finally, hamsters are usually not social; they should be housed individually.

If you are planning to introduce a new rodent into another one’s territory, there are a few important things to keep in mind. First, scent or smell is a very important sense in these animals; new individuals should be introduced only into partially cleaned cages so that they can smell the original animal before actually meeting him. Second, the cage must be large enough to house more than one animal. Twice the number of animals means twice the needed space. Overcrowding can lead to fighting, injury, and even death.

Third, all introductions should be done gradually and monitored carefully. Don’t just put the new pet in and leave, expecting cage-mates to work it out. Both the new and the original animals may be stressed initially – sometimes hiding and not eating for a day or two. These animals must be watched closely to ensure that neither becomes ill and that eventually they both settle in. If not, they may not be compatible. Finally, realize that if you house opposite sexes together, you will definitively end up with babies unless you neuter one of the pair. A rodent-savvy veterinarian can give you advice about the best strategy to deal with this if you are faced with this situation.

Light Exposure

Many rodents are nocturnal or crepuscular (most active during dawn and dusk). For these animals, in particular, the presence of flickering fluorescent-type lights or long periods of daylight may induce stress. Short-term exposure (10-20 minutes, 1-2 times/day) to low-level natural sunlight is best for most rodents. This can be accomplished in warm weather by placing the cage next to an open window or moving the cage with a wire mesh top outside so that direct sunlight can come through it. Remember, if you do take your rodent’s cage outside or put it in a window, be sure to protect your pets from predators, don't allow them to overheat, and provide them with hiding spots. Rodents benefit from short periods of direct sunlight not only because of the behavioral effects, but also because of the health effects. Direct sunlight exposure may decrease bone density problems by promoting vitamin D production in the skin. So, short periods of sunlight can be beneficial both behaviorally and physically.

Substrate Enrichment

Substrate is the material that you provide at the bottom of the cage. Different species have different preferences for substrate. Mice, gerbils, and hamsters like deep bedding for nest building and to maintain their high body temperatures. For these animals, bedding coloured close to their fur colour should be provided so that they feel safer blending into their environment. Types of bedding that work well for these pets are shredded paper or newspaper, tissue, and commercially available soft paper bedding such as Carefresh.

Carefresh bedding is low in dust and terrific for both moisture and odour control and what's really great is that it has bits that provide added enrichment for your little pet rodent. Carefresh can be used both in the bottom of the cage and in their litter pan. Carefresh bedding is wonderful for burrowing and nesting which are the natural needs of these animals. It's also fun because it comes in several different colours including brown and white. So choose your favorite or mix and match.

Guinea pigs may be housed on flat surfaces covered with paper bedding or fleece fabric. Chinchillas need to be kept at cooler temperatures, since their thick coats make them overheat easily. They may be housed on flat surfaces covered with paper bedding. They also need to roll around in a fine sandy dust (available in most pet stores) to remove oil and to decrease moisture on their skin. This dust mimics the material they bathe in the wild to clean their fur. If it is very humid, they may actually require a dehumidifier to maintain their skin and coats.

Regardless of the species, to increase the enrichment experience, you can provide more than one type of substrate in different areas of cage at different times of day. Substrate should be changed regularly to decrease ammonia build up from urine, but since familiar scent is so important in decreasing stress in rodents’ lives, only partial bedding changes should be performed so they don't have abrupt change in smell.

Toy Enrichment

All rodent species live more happily and have fewer behavioral problems when provided with toys. All species like to run on wheels, except for guinea pigs. Wheels should be smooth-sided inside to ensure safe footing (without holes to get feet caught and without a rough surface that can be abrasive to feet). If there is more than one rodent in a cage, there must be an adequate number of wheels for everyone, or cage-mates may fight for access.

In addition to wheels, hiding areas are essential for rodents. They are especially important in making animals feel safe. Cardboard boxes and tubes (from paper towels and toilet paper) and plastic hide-outs (Tupperware containers with a door cut out) work well. Hiding spots are environmentally enriching to rodents, but their use may need to be limited if they subdivide the cage and promote territoriality and aggression.

Guinea pigs need to be allowed to play outside on grass every day in a playpen that is secure from dogs and predators.

Foraging Enrichment

Providing small objects to interact with is essential for all rodents. For smaller species (mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters), great things to try are pine cones (which must be free of parasites and sap and from untreated trees) and deep bedding for tunneling. For guinea pigs and chinchillas, items to try are grass cubes and hay woven into small huts, tunnels, mats, and twists work great, as well as cardboard hide-outs. Ensure there are an adequate number of hide-outs to prevent fighting for access.

For all rodent species, small wood branches from untreated trees free of sap and parasites can be terrific foraging toys. There are also many great foraging toys for rodents available from pet stores. The best thing about many rodent toys is whether you make your own enrichment toys or purchase them, they can serve as a food source, a hideout, and a play object all at once. Now, what other species can be so versatile? Rodents really are neat little pets.

Tags : Hamsters Need Enrichment For Emotional Health South Africa , Why Small Pets Need Enrichment South Africa , Hamster Toys South Africa