WHAT ARE SMALL ANIMALS?

Small Animals do not refer to dogs or cats. They refer to domestic animals which are small mammals (such as rabbits, ferrets, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, etc) and small birds, small reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Owning a small animal is a big responsibility, even though the small animal might be tiny; it is important to learn how to take care of them properly. It includes understanding their environment and providing them with all the necessary tools and resources so that the animal can thrive.

Nutritional requirements A balanced diet provides the right amount of nutrients and energy to meet an animal's needs at a specific life stage. Many small animals may have many things in common but all of them have specific habitat and dietary needs.

Dietary needs Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and chinchillas can be considered 'fibrevores' i.e. animals that graze little and often on plants that are high in fibre and low in energy. This is because fibre is by far the most essential part of their diet and is essential for their gut and dental health.

Rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas need to keep their digestive systems busy with a mix of two kinds of fibre moving through the gut at all times. These types of fibre are called digestible fibre and indigestible fibre. They get this fibre mainly from good quality hay.