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Rats are intelligent, social animals that can make wonderful pets. Many people are wrongly under the impression that rats carry disease. While modern wild rats can carry Leptospirosis and some other "zoonotic" conditions (those which can be transferred across species, to humans, for example), these conditions are in fact rarely found (not true in neotropical countries). Wild rats living in good environments are typically healthy and robust animals. Wild rats living in cities may suffer from poor diets and internal parasites and mites, but do not generally spread disease to humans. Pet rats do not pose any more of a health risk than pets such as cats and dogs.
Tamed rats are generally friendly and can be taught to perform selected behaviors, like using a litter tray. Rats love interaction with their owners but you need to gain their trust first. When you get a new rat, first let it get use to its cage and new environment, before offering it some snacks to gain its trust. Once the rat gets more confident with you, try to pick it up gently using both hands. This will be the beginning of a great friendship.
The normal lifespan of rats ranges from two to five years, and is typically three years.
You can feed your rat small amounts of fruits and vegetables, whole grain pastas and bread, brown rice, yogurt, and occasionally low fat cooked meat, mealworms, cheese, seeds and nuts. In addition, treats such as dog biscuits can be given. It is important to keep rats on a high fibre and low fat diet though, so limit higher fat foods such as cheese, seeds, and nuts.
Pelleted or block type diets are available for rats, and are formulated to be nutritionally complete. Choose a rat block that is low in fat and calories, and has soy meal high on the ingredient list rather than corn. Rats have a bit of a sweet tooth, but resist the temptation to feed sugary foods or junk food, including chocolate.
Avoid feeding any of these items to pet rats: chocolate, raw beans , raw sweet potato , cabbage, brussel sprouts, green potatoes, sweet sugary treats, any other "junk food" , caffeinated beverages or carbonated drinks.
Despite their common name, these animals are not pigs, nor do they come from Guinea. They originated in the Andes in South America. Guinea pigs are large rodents, weighing between 700 and 1200g, and measuring between 20 and 25 cm in length. They typically live an average of four to five years, but may live as long as eight years. According to the 2006 Guinness Book of Records the longest living guinea pig survived 14 years, 10.5 months.
The guinea pig is able to breed year-round, with birth peaks usually coming in the spring; as many as five litters can be produced per year. The gestation period lasts from 59–72 days, with an average of 63–68 days. Males reach sexual maturity at 3–5 weeks; females can be fertile as early as four weeks and can carry litters before they are adults. Females that have never given birth commonly develop irreversible fusing of the pubic symphysis, a joint in the pelvis, after six months of age. If they become pregnant after this has happened, the birth canal will not widen sufficiently; this may lead to dystocia and death as they attempt to give birth. Females can become pregnant 6–48 hours after giving birth, but it is not healthy for a female to be thus constantly pregnant.
Grass is the guinea pig's natural diet. Their molars are particularly suited for grinding plant matter, and grow continuously throughout the animal's life. Most grass-eating mammals are quite large and have a long digestive tract; while guinea pigs have much longer colons than most rodents, they must also supplement their diet by coprophagy, the eating of their own feces. However, they do not consume all their feces indiscriminately, but produce special soft pellets, called cecotropes, which recycle B vitamins, fiber, and bacteria required for proper digestion. The cecotropes (or caecal pellets) are eaten directly from the anus, unless the guinea pig is pregnant or obese. They share this behaviour with rabbits.
Guinea pigs can be fed Alfalfa, parsley, peppers, corn on the cob, cucumber, carrots, celery, apples and melon without the seeds, cauliflower leaves, broccoli and lettuce. Make sure the food is always fresh and not left in the cage for more than three hours. The fresh food can be supplemented with 50% commercial pellets. Never feed cake, biscuits, potatoes, chocolate or dairy to your piggies.
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Rabbits can make absolutely wonderful companions, as long as you have appropriate expectations of life with a rabbit and are prepared to make the commitment to proper care over the whole life span of the rabbit.
Rabbits grow very quickly and will be fully grown by 6-8 months of age. They can live as long as 10 – 13 years. So be prepared to look after it for many years.
Rabbits are herbivores who feed by grazing on grass, veggies and leafy weeds. In consequence, their diet contains large amounts of cellulose, which is hard to digest. Rabbits solve this problem by passing two distinct types of faeces: hard droppings and soft black viscous pellets, the latter of which are immediately eaten. Rabbits reingest their own droppings to digest their food further and extract sufficient nutrients.
Does (female rabbits) don’t come into a "true" heat (estrus) like other mammals do. They are "induced ovulates", which means that they release an egg after breeding with a buck (male rabbit). It is possible for a doe to accept a buck for breeding at any time of the year. Does kindle (give birth) approximately 31-32 days after breeding.
Many different breeds are available that can be divided into Fancy Rabbits, Lop Rabbits, Fur Rabbits and Rex Rabbits.
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Reptiles are wild animals that are best left in the wild. Only keepers with enough knowledge and experience should keep reptiles as pets. Reptiles have very different requirements to those of most traditional pets, therefore you will need to consider a range of issues before jumping in.
Without an appropriate level of preparation and commitment, the novelty factor will soon wear off, with the likely outcome being a neglected animal and a disappointed owner. Although most reptiles may become tolerant of some forms of handling, they are not affectionate animals and do not crave human contact. If a companion animal is what you are after, then better to get cat or dog.
SNAKES
Although captive pythons are not inherently 'aggressive' towards their keeper, they can be quite defensive when feeling threatened or territorial, and many will bite. The apparent zeal with which some individuals will bite can blur the line between 'protective behaviour' and outright attack! Many pythons become very food-oriented and will bite just about anything that moves - including the keeper's hand. When that happens, it can take a great deal of time and patience (and blood!) to dislodge the hungry python without injuring it.
Young pythons will grow - and before any hatchling is acquired on the basis of 'cuteness', an adult specimen of the species should be viewed.
The expense incurred in the purchase of a python is only the beginning of the costs that will have to be met - the most 'up front' of these being appropriate specialised caging, which needs to be 100% ready upon arrival of the Snake Ranch hatchling. Provision of food requires planning, and can be costly. The keeper will need to either maintain a breeding colony of rodents, or purchase frozen stock from a commercial source. In the interest of continued family acceptance of having a snake in the house, a separate dedicated freezer should be acquired to store rats and mice. Licensing fees are a factor in most states, and significant veterinary expenses may be incurred if health issues arise
LIZARDS
Some of the smaller lizard (e.g., blue-tongued skinks and bearded dragons) species are the most popular pet reptiles, and for good reason. They're well-suited to captivity and quite easy to care for. Once settled in, many individuals adjust to handling very well. Diurnal lizards such as these can be quite entertaining with their day-time activities and displays, especially if keeping more than one together. If you do keep more than one together you will have to ensure that they are of a similar size, well-fed and provided with plenty of shelter, otherwise you might end up with one very large lizard.
When your lizard sheds its skin, check its toes and its tail tip to make sure that all the skin has come away from these areas. If the old skin remains around a toe, it can constrict the digit as the animal grows, prevent blood flow and ultimately cause the digit to fall off.
When you first get your new lizard friend, it can be hard to resist the temptation to play with it immediately. But resist you should! After your scaly buddy has just moved into a strange new environment, the last thing it wants is for a gigantic, threatening creature to start grabbing at it. It's best to let it settle in, and then start handling it briefly.
HOUSING
Housing requirements for reptiles vary between species, but all reptiles share some basic requirements. Reptile enclosures need to be kept clean and dry, so it is important to have a design that can be easily maintained. It is important that enclosures are secure not only to prevent the escape of the captive animals but to prevent pets and children from getting in. Security is obviously extremely important with snakes. An escaped snake turning up in your neighbour's house is unlikely to endear them to you or make them feel sympathetic towards your unusual hobby. A secure, well ventilated, easily maintained enclosure is best.
It is important that reptiles have access to a warm area and a cool area that they can move between to be able to maintain their preferred body temperature. Be aware that a glass enclosure left in the sun will very rapidly heat up above the temperature of the rest of the room. Be careful when considering where to put such an enclosure. In the wild many species of Tasmanian reptile enter a torpor during the colder months, during which time any prolonged disturbance such as unnecessary handling can lead to sickness as the reptile burns up energy reserves. If reptiles get too cold, they are unable to digest food. It is best to keep Tasmanian species in conditions that allow them to shut down over winter. This may make them rather boring "pets" but reptiles are not generally affectionate anyhow. If you tend to have a roaring fire at night in the same room that you keep your reptiles, their metabolism will speed up and they will require food.
Many reptile species are naturally timid and need to have access to hiding places as otherwise they become stressed. Some reptiles never adapt to captivity and will always shy away at the approach of a person. Shelter can be provided in the form of a hollow log or a small box with an narrow entrance (a hinged lid will allow access for cleaning etc). Some species, like White's skinks, are strongly territorial and may injure or even kill "strangers" introduced to their territory.
FEEDING
Many species of reptile are fussy eaters, requiring live food such as insects or a varied diet. All captive reptiles should have access to clean water. Some reptiles will feed on smaller reptiles, and it is important to avoid putting very differently sized animals in the same enclosure.
While most skinks can be trained to feed on fruit, baby food or dogfood, some individuals will only ever accept insects. It is important to vary the type of insect food presented. Ask yourself whether you have the commitment to care for these animals before you decide to keep any.
HEALTH ISSUES
Many reptiles harbour parasites such as worms, nematodes, ticks and mites. Some diseases, such as salmonella can be passed on to people by handling reptiles and it is strongly recommended that anybody who handles reptiles washes and dries their hands thoroughly before eating. It is important to quarantine any new reptiles before introducing them to a collection.
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