What are Pocket Pets?
Pocket pets refer to small animals like hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chinchillas, ferrets, rats, mice and hedgehogs. These little creatures require special care, have special needs and requirements in order to stay physically and mentally healthy. Due to their shorter life expectancies and small size, they can be affected quickly by sudden illness compared to larger domestic pets and will need to be taken to a veterinarian for care. Like larger pets, pocket pets also need regular routine veterinary care and an annual check-up in order to maintain good health and to make sure they have no underlying health problems.
Never buy a pocket pet on impulse. Always learn about pocket pets’ requirements in advance to see if you, your home, your family and your lifestyle are suited for one. Don’t get one, unless you are willing to commit to a lifetime of care, respect, and compassion for them and for their needs. Though small, pocket pets can live anywhere up to about 8 years old. Hamsters live approximately 2-5 years, gerbils live roughly 3-5 years, mice and rats about 2-4 years, and guinea pigs live anywhere from 4 to 8 years. Be sure that you are willing to care for the entire natural lifetime, just like any other pet.
Needed Veterinary Care
Rats and guinea pigs are prone to dental issues. Hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs will need to visit the vet typically 2-3 times per year. Before you get a pocket pet, evaluate that you will be willing to bring them in for routine preventative care, and for any needed emergency care. Know that some or many veterinarians do not work on pocket pets due to a lack of training on them. Before you adopt, make sure to first check to see if there is a veterinarian in your local area that specializes in pocket pets and is capable, competent and comfortable with medically caring for these special animals. Many don’t, so this may be a determining factor in getting a pocket pet.
Like cats and dogs, spaying and neutering is more critical for larger pocket pets like rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets. It will not only control their population and reproduction rate but will help protect them from certain diseases. In particular, female ferrets can develop very serious anemia. They have excess estrogen in their system that can prevent their bone marrow from creating new red blood cells. Rabbits also need to be spayed and neutered to prevent dangerous diseases, like certain types of cancer. By spaying and neutering, you reduce urinary tract infections (UTIs) from developing.
Even though pocket pets are small, you should never ignore regular veterinary care. If their behavior has changed or they seem lethargic in any way, diagnostics may be necessary to identify their ailment, including blood work, x-rays and ultrasounds. Pocket pets have a tendency to have fairly common issues associated with them including nail and teeth trimmings, parasites, skin conditions and certain types of cancers and tumors.
Caring For Pocket Pets
Make sure to ask yourself in advance if you can provide for their special care. Most pocket pets need housing in the form of a cage. Some like guinea pigs and rats require a larger cage than what are commonly sold at pet stores. They need to have enough room to move around and get some exercise. They will need proper bedding, daily fresh water, proper nutritional food two times a day, and appropriate things to chew on that are specific to each pocket pet. Proper bedding varies depending on the species, because some use it for digging, burrowing and making nests – so it’s necessary for their natural behavior and well being. You will need to make sure to get the right bedding, as some bedding like cedar and pine products, can be very harmful to their health. Like their larger pet counterparts, pocket pets need enrichment and can easily get bored too. They need daily exercise, play and some mental challenge each day. Most benefit from species-specific toys like an exercise wheel and safe chew toys to keep their ever-growing teeth in check. All need mental and physical stimulation, gentle handling and petting, affection and nutritious food and care.
Know that some pocket pets are comfortable being handled, but others are not. Some species need companions and are highly social, like guinea pigs and gerbils, while others do better alone in a cage. Be willing to spay and neuter certain species, like guinea pigs and chinchillas, that are more prone to reproductive tact problems. Some species like guinea pigs and rats are more prone to dental issues, so be willing to provide dental exams for them and dental care. It’s always best when adopting or getting a pocket pet, to take them to a veterinarian in the first 48 hours after bringing them home for an initial exam to make sure they are healthy.
Special Needs of Pocket Pets
Pocket pets are no different than any other pet, in that you must be willing to commit to a lifetime of care and understanding for these small animals. Each species has very special requirements and needs in order to thrive and stay healthy. Often they suffer enormous stress being confined to small cages. They are physically vulnerable due to their small size and are often mishandled or handled inappropriately in a way that harms them. If allowed on the floor, they can be injured and unseen. If they are accidentally dropped, their incur major physical trauma. They need climate control for their particular species, and cannot be subjected to too hot a climate, or too cold, or they can die. Sometimes pocket pets are thought to be “starter pets” for children, and children may tire of them and their caretaking once the novelty wears off, so they are given up or replaced with a larger pet. But they are no different than larger pets, and come with a responsibility to them like any other pet. People often buy pocket pets on impulse, without really thinking it through, realizing the responsibility involved, and their care requirements.
Breeders and dealers of pocket pets, like pet stores and their suppliers, are very often in violation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Breeders of pocket pets are notorious for breeding for chain pet stores like PETCO and PetSmart, and as a result, these millions of baby animals are exposed to hellish unnatural conditions — for profit. These poor animals are exploited by companies such as Global Captive Breeders LLC, who through routine investigations, commonly neglect and harm their animals. They have been known to cause starvation, dehydration, drowning and death to scores of their baby animals, and have received numerous violations.
These animals are not cheap toys or trinkets, they are no different than your cat or dog. They have their own desires, wants, needs, emotional needs – and they do not want to be overhandled, handled roughly, fed an improper diet, or given inadequate food and water, or forgotten about – because their novelty has worn off.
Social Animals
Some of these animals are highly social, and naturally live in groups, and do not do well alone. Others are better off alone, you will need to do your research to do what is best for them.
Can You Say YES to These Commitments?
- Are you willing to commit to the animal’s entire natural life?
- Are you willing to become knowledgeable about the breed or species that you are interested in—in advance, so you know what you are getting in to?
- Are you willing to provide the necessary routine veterinary care, routine check-ups for prevention of disease and illness, and emergency care that is needed?
- Are you willing to provide the proper bedding, appropriate and special food and nutritional needs, appropriate feeding schedule, necessary water supply, cage cleaning, etc., to keep them healthy and safe?
- Are you willing to be conscious of their small size, their physical vulnerability, their proper handling needs, and be willing to protecting them under all conditions?
- Are you willing to provide the proper enrichment, toys, safe chew toys, exercise wheel etc., to provide both mental and physical stimulation?
- Are you willing to adopt? First check your local animal shelter, or rescue groups, to see if you can adopt a pocket pet that was abandoned or given up.
- Only adopt or get a pocket pet fully knowing what their special and unique care needs are – proper nutritional requirements, space requirements, environmental requirements, exercise requirements – and can fulfill these.
Do Your Research
Ask yourself these questions before adopting or buying a pocket pet:
- Do I have enough room for the animal’s cage?
- What space and exercise needs does the animal have? Does it need to run and climb?
- What does this animal eat? How specialized is its food?
- When does this animal sleep? At night or during the day?
- How much interaction does the animal like or need? Do I have enough time to spend with it?
- How messy is the animal? How often am I going to have to clean up after it?
- Am I committed to it for its entire natural lifetime?
Good luck. If you have read to the bottom, you are on your way to being prepared for a life with your pocket pet.
