Care tip of the Month - January

It is a good idea to weigh your animals regularly to keep an eye on their health. Weight loss can often be the first sign of your pet being ill, particularly with prey animals such as guinea pigs, rabbits or birds, as they will usually hide their illness until they are extremely sick and often this is too late. Weighing them regularly will enable you to notice any weight loss very early on, giving you a chance to treat the illness early and give your pet a better chance. This can be particularly advantageous if you have more than one animal sharing a cage because it can be even more difficult to notice loss of appetite when numerous animals are eating from the same bowl. Ideally you will want to weigh your pet once a week, but at the very least it should be once a month. You can quickly get your pet used to the process by doing it regularly and providing tasty rewards. Parrots in particular will learn to step onto the scales for a nut or their favourite treat.

Whatever your pet, weigh them at the same time of day each time to get a reading that you can compare each week or month. First thing in the morning before feeding is generally best as that should be when they are at their lowest weight and it is generally the easiest routine to keep to for most people as most of us get up at about the same time each day. If you have a nocturnal pet such as a chinchilla then you can weigh them in the evening when they wake up, before they have their food.

Your pet's weight will fluctuate slightly just like ours does but if there is a major weight loss or a regular weight loss then this could be sign that your pet is not very well, whether it is teeth problems stopping them eating or poor health, they will need a trip to the vets.

Of course, weighing your pets regularly will also help to prevent obesity, which can also make your pet very poorly. It can be very easy for animals to get gradually overweight without us noticing, particularly for rabbits and parrots. So, if you notice your pet's weight going up every time then it may be time to stop giving so many treats. Again, a trip to the vets will help you work out an ideal weight for your pet and a suitable diet to put them on.

Care tip of the Month - December

Don't forget your pets over the Christmas period. If you are going on holiday or visiting family then make sure that you organise for somebody to take care of your animals. Don't leave it until the last minute as everybody is busy over Christmas so people will not be as available to pop in to feed your pets as they usually are. Of course, you can book your small furry and feathered friends into Little Pets Hotel but again don't leave it until the last minute as I have limited availability over the xmas period.

Care tip of the Month - October

Many small animals need their nails clipping regularly. If your pet's nails are getting long or very sharp, especially if they are beginning to curl, you should either take them to the vets to have them cut or learn to do it yourself. If you want to do it yourself then make sure that you have the right equipment. Nail clippers made especially for small animals or birds will make the job easy to do and will leave a good clean cut on the nail. You will have to restrain your animal well so that it can't wriggle just as you are about to cut the nail. You may find it easier with two people so that one person can restrain while the other does the clipping. Take a close look at the nail and you will see a thin vein running through the length of it. This is called the quick. You do not want to cut as far down as the quick as it will bleed and will be very painful for your pet. Make sure that you can see the quick before you cut and be very careful not to cut too much off the nail, making sure that you avoid cutting into the quick. It is easy to see it on a white nail but if your pet has dark nails it can be difficult to know where the quick is. It is better to cut off too little than too much so just trim the nails a little if you are unsure. You can always do it again the following week if they are still too long.

Care tip of the Month - September

Giant rabbits make great pets and are becoming widely available now from pet shops as well as breeders. Generally they are more docile than the smaller breeds and although they often do not like being picked up just like other breeds of rabbit, they are often more affectionate and will come up to you to be stroked. Giant rabbits are calmer and more interactive but less playful. They make great houserabbits and are just as easy to litter train as smaller breeds providing they are neutered. However, giant rabbits need more space to run around, more food due to their size, they are more expensive to buy, and they need very large housing, whether indoors or out. Standard hutches, runs and cages are not usually big enough. Remember, they need more height as well as length and just like other breeds of rabbit, they prefer to be kept in pair.

If you are thinking of getting a giant rabbit, please remember how big they grow. Usually they will get to the size of a terrier but some can even get as big as a labrador!

Care tip of the Month - August

Choosing a hutch for your pet is an important decision. Whether it is for a new pet or it is a new hutch for your existing pet, it will be your pet's home and where he or she will spend most of their time so it is essential that you choose one that they will be happy in. Here are a few things to think about when hutch shopping:

• Firstly, get as big a hutch as you have room for.
• Think about how easy it will be to clean - often novelty hutches have lots of difficult to reach areas and corners.
• Shop around at pet shops, garden centres and on the Internet.
• If you buy it on the Internet then look at the dimensions and get a tape measure out so that you can see how big it is before ordering it. Often photographs can be misleading about the size of it so this is the best way to picture the actual size and avoid disappointment when it arrives.
• Consider where the hutch will go in your garden and whether you want a run attached to it or a separate freestanding run that you can move around the lawn.
• Think about how suitable it is for the type of pet you have:
  
• • Rabbits need taller hutches than guinea pigs so that they can stand up on their hind legs. Very large rabbits will need it even taller and will need enough space to turn around in so bare this in mind when looking at the length and depth of the hutches on sale.
  • Guinea pigs often do not like ramps so tiered hutches are usually not suitable. However, there are some exceptions and some guineas love running up and down the different levels. This is particularly true for baby guinea pigs that get used to the ramps at an early age.
  • Ferrets need thick, strong mesh that they cannot bite through, and good catches to stop them from opening the doors and escaping. Consider putting on bolts as they will not be able to open them.
• Groups of animals need more space than single pets. Picture them in the hutch, will they have enough space?
• Most hutches have an indoor area which is essential so that your pet has somewhere to get warm and dry and to hide away if they want to. Make sure that this area is big enough for all of your pets to get into together.
• Consider whether the doors open wide enough for you to easily catch your pet when needed. There is no worse design than those with tiny doors that you can barely get your arm in to. Wide doors also make cleaning a lot easier too.

Remember, a good quality hutch doesn't come cheap but if you buy a good one and you take good care of it, it should last your pet years.

Care tip of the Month - July

Tunneling is a natural behaviour for many small animals and yet they are often not given the chance to do it in captivity. By giving them really deep bedding once in a while, they can really go for it. Gerbils in particular absolutely love it but so do dwarf hamsters, syrian hamsters, rats, mice, degus, chipmunks, jirds, ferrets, guinea pigs and rabbits. If they have a plastic or glass tank then deep bedding is easy to do. However, if it is a wire cage, then you can provide digging boxes or deep trays with deep bedding in which some pets will like. They can be filled with woodshavings, megazorb, paper cat litter, hay, carefresh, shredded kitchen towel, or even willow sticks for them to climb amongst. If your pet likes it, then vary what you put in there to keep it interesting. You can even hide some non-perishable treats amongst their bedding or in their digging box for your pets to find whilst they dig. They may not find them straight away but it'll be a nice surprise when they do!

Care tip of the Month - June

Ferrets absolutely love to explore. However, the are also great at climbing and escaping through tiny gaps so letting them run around loose in your garden is not a good idea. However, a harness and lead allows your ferret to explore, sniff and dig around your garden without being able to run off. Beware though, walking a ferret is not like walking a dog! They will go where they want to go, not where you want to go! The elasticated leads are particularly good so that they can have as much freedom as possible whilst still having the safety of the lead. Make sure that the harness fits your ferret well and is secure enough that they can't get out of it. Get them used to the harness a few times first before introducing the lead and then try out the lead in a secure area (such as around the house) to make sure that your ferret can't squeeze out of the harness or get it undone. Once your ferret is used to it, they will love going out for walks and it is a great way to give them exercise and stimulation. You can then make it even more fun by hiding treats around the garden for your ferret to find, or put things around for them to climb on or into. Recycling boxes are great or big plant pots full of dirt for them to dig in.