The bedding used for rodents should be something they can burrow in but that is easy to clean. A popular choice for bedding is pine wood shavings, while these are adequate some animals could be allergic to them. Corncob bedding is an excellent choice, it is cheap, easy to clean and helps absorb the odor.
Never use cedar wood shavings for rodent cages, there is an oil in it that is at best irritating to the animals, at worst deadly.
Cage Décor
A rodent cage should be outfitted with pretty much the same things no matter which type of pet is chosen. They will need somewhere to hide; this will need to be large enough for the animal to get inside. Hamsters, gerbils, rats and mice are all rodents; their teeth will continue to grow for their entire lives. Therefore, they need chew toys provided at all times. If there is nothing for them to chew on, the teeth will grow outside of the mouth causing all sorts of problems. Chew toys can be found at any pet store.
These are active animals with a lot of nervous energy. The easiest way to help them burn that energy off is with an exercise wheel. The animals will spend a large amount of time in the wheel, running, running, running. If the wheel should become squeaky, it will need to be lubricated. Never use a petroleum-based product in the cage, do not use Vaseline on the wheel. Petroleum products are poisonous and are likely to be licked off by the animal. Use vegetable oil instead, this will cure the squeak and is not harmful to the pet.
Hamsters: Cute and Fluffy
Hamsters are a very popular pocket pet for children. They can be found in pet stores, classrooms and children’s bedrooms all across the country. The teddy bear and the dwarf hamsters are the most common species available. The teddy bear hamster is the traditional type, big and fluffy with cute little faces. The dwarf hamster is smaller and generally has shorter hair than the teddy bear.
Hamsters are good first pets for children that are old enough to understand that the animals do not want to be manhandled all the time. Children should be sympathetic to the fact that these are nocturnal animals and do not really like to be woken up during the day. Generally, children over the age of seven do well with hamsters.
Hamsters have a tendency to bite when they are woken up from a good sleep. Care should be taken to avoid their teeth, which can be very long and do a lot of damage to little fingers. However, once the hamster has time to wake up and is in a good mood, it will enjoy being taken out for some exercise every now and then. It is best to exercise it in a plastic ball made especially for this purpose. The ball prevents the hamster from getting under furniture, stepped on or lost.