Small Animals

Hedgehogs

Description

Hedgehogs are small, insect eating mammals that are found throughout the world. They are native to England, Europe, Africa and Asia. The Pygmy Hedgehog, from Central Africa, is a popular pet in North America.

Many people mistake the hedgehog for the porcupine. While porcupine quills are extremely sharp, barbed and very dangerous, the hedgehog quill is smooth and not nearly as sharp. Petting a friendly hedgehog can be compared to petting a hairbrush - bristly, but not prickly.

The average African Pygmy Hedgehog weighs about 0.5 to 1.25 pounds and is 5 to 8 inches long.

A pet hedgehog should be kept indoors at normal room temperature (65 to 80*F). They can be fed a good quality dry cat food or a specially formulated hedgehog food

Both male and female hedgehogs make equally good pets so this decision is entirely up to you. It is not hard to tell a male from a female. If the hedgehog is tame and friendly, gently roll it over and look at the area closest to the tail. A female's genitals are immediately next to the anus, while the male's penis sheath, or "belly button" is farther up the tummy.

Hedgehogs are ready to be taken home at six weeks of age, but no earlier. Older hedgehogs make good pets too, but the younger the hedgehog, the better he will bond with you.

Hedgehog Temperament

The temperament of a potential hedgehog is very important and should be the deciding factor as to whether you buy the particular animal or not.

Does it unroll after a few seconds?

Does he click, jump or hiss?

Hissing - This is ok, it is just a little frightened because it doesn't know you.

Clicking - This is not good. It means the animal is trying to threaten you, so find a better-tempered hedgehog.

Every hedgehog is different and unique. Some like to play and explore, while others are more content to cuddle. You will be most satisfied with your new pet if you carefully choose the one that best suits your own personality and lifestyle.

The Hedgehog at Home

When you bring your hedgehog home, place him in his new cage and let him have some privacy for at least a day. You can pick him up and hold him once or twice for a short time during the first days, but remember, it will take about a week until he begins to feel at home.

Also note that baby hedgehogs need quite a bit of sleep the first month after they come home with you, so don't worry if he sleeps a lot at first.

Hedgehogs are very good climbers and can easily escape from open-topped cages. If you do use a cage with an open top, it must have slippery sides that are at least 1 foot high and a floor space of at least l6” x 25”. A 20 gallon aquarium will work just fine. It must also have good circulation and be well lit but not exposed to direct sunlight.

Place your hedgehog's new home in a comfortable, warm, well lit area that is free of drafts and direct sunlight. They are most comfortable at room temperatures between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit. (18-27 degrees Celsius) The general rule of thumb...if you are comfortable without a sweater, they will be just fine.

Accessories for your Hedgehog

In addition to a cage, your hedgehog will require the following accessories:

BEDDING: Aspen, Pine or White shavings (not cedar!) are by far the best choice for bedding material. Place approximately two inches of bedding material evenly over the floor of the cage.

FOOD BOWL: The food bowl needs to be fairly wide and heavy to prevent your pet from dumping out its contents. The width of the dish can be 3-6 inches and it should be no more than 3 inches high.

WATER BOTTLE: Water bottles end up being much cleaner and more efficient than open dishes.

HIDING PLACE: You can make this at home out of a piece of 4 inch PVC pipe, an old plastic pitcher, or an old shoe box with a hole cut in one end. (This should be replaced about every 2 to 3 weeks).

LITTER BOX: A hedgehog will use a litter box if you provide it with one. A small box that is 2” deep x 6” x 9”, half filled with dust free cat litter will do nicely.

TOYS: An exercise wheel is an excellent addition to the home and will help your hedgehog stay healthy and trim.

Hedgehog Diet

There are hedgehog foods available in our store also dry cat and kitten formulas are equally good choices. Whatever food you choose to use, it should be supplemented by a variety of other foods such as fruits and vegetables, meal worms and crickets, and the occasional cooked meats. Remember though that none of these should be fed as anything more than a "treat" 2-4 times a week. The dry food should be the main food the animal eats. And remember the "treats" should be offered for no more than 15 minutes and then removed.

Ferrets

The domestic ferret is a popular pet. It is a delightful pet that makes a wonderful companion when one is educated on the care and unique qualities this pet has to offer.

Nutrition

Today we hear a lot of arguments over which food is best to feed your ferret, while some are better than others it is important to note that there is no one perfect food . Another important thing to remember is that simply because a products says "ferret" on it does not make it better than all kitten/cat foods. Also brand name does not mean a thing, it is the nutritional make up, quality & actual ingredients that make the difference.

First lets talk about the nutritional make up. Ferrets require a protein level of 32%

to 38% , mid range is best. A protein content of over 38% could prove to be harmful for the kidneys of an older ferret. The protein should come from animal sources, not plant or vegetable sources. Ferrets also require a high fat content of 20% to 22% , this also should come from animal sources. Ash content should be no more than 7% to avoid the formation of kidney stones. You should also keep the fiber content at 3% or lower . As your ferret gets older you may want to bring these level to the low end of the scale, as he will not require the same levels as a younger ferret.

Next lets move on to quality & actual ingredients, these two things go hand in hand. Start by looking at the first 3 ingredients . Ingredients are listed in order of quantity. The first ingredient being the most and the last the least, the first ingredient should always be a form of meat other than fish. Ideally all 3 would be meat , although there are very few that are. Fish in general would be better to avoid, first because foods that include fish high on the list of ingredients are most likely designed with minks in mind not ferrets, another reason you may want to avoid fish is that ferrets that eat foods with a high fish base tend to smell like fish. Corn should not be one of the first 3 ingredients. Actually it is best to avoid corn in all forms altogether. Corn is hard for the ferret to digest . Another thing to look at is what form is the meat. Plain meat is better than a meat byproduct, byproducts have been rejected for human consumption, they include things like feathers, bones, & hooves (although these things do all contribute to the protein content). Ferrets should only be fed dry ferret or cat food , an occasional treat of a spoonful of canned ferret or cat food is ok but not on a regular or frequent basis. Feeding your ferret moist or wet cat food will not provide him with the proper nutrients and will lead to tooth decay.

Also you should try mixing 1 or 2 foods in with their main food (all should be of high quality and within the proper levels) this way if you run out and can't find your usual brand they are already used to the other food. This also would enable you to buy a higher priced food if you choose by mixing it with a lower priced one of high quality. Most of the grocery store brands are good for cats but not so good for ferret since they are at the low end of the cats nutritional needs.

Always check your ingredient labels & percentages.

We can not endorse any one food, but if we had to pick the top three they would be Innova cat food, Eukenuba cat food & then Totally Ferret. Other goods foods are Iams kitten, Mazuri ferret, Diamond Pro cat, L'Avian ferret, Nature Recipe, Maxi Cat kitten & 8in1 ferret food, all of these also meet their requirements. By feeding your ferret a high quality diet that meets his proper requirement you will find yourself needing to change his litter box less frequently as there will be less volume.

Fresh clean water should always be available for the ferret. Ferrets can very quickly suffer from dehydration.

Housing & Bedding

For your ferrets safety he should spend the time that you are away from home in the safety of his cage. For this reason you need to make his cage as comfortable as possible. Glass & aquarium type cages should never been used for ferrets , they do not provide the proper ventilation even with a screen top.

A ferret cage should be 36 X 24 X 18 or larger . A solid bottom is better on the ferrets little feet, however most cages have a wire bottom. If your cage does have a wire bottom there are many ways to make it more comfortable for your ferret. You can cover the bottom of solid and wire bottom cages with sheets, it takes 2 sheets to make it warm and comfy. Sheets can easily be taken out and washed once a week to keep the cage clean. If you don't have any old sheets lying around blankets or towels can also be used. It is very important to remember to check your new ferrets bedding because some ferrets will chew holes through their bedding and this can cause intestinal blockage requiring surgery . If you find that your ferret does chew his bedding try to find something he will not chew.

Pine or cedar shavings should never be used for bedding or anything for the ferret. These shavings can cause respiratory and other health problems.

You will also need a small litter box for the cage, a water bottle & a dish that securely attaches to the cage. Your ferret will also appreciate a hammock and/or a ferret sleeping bag to curl up in.

For bedtime ferrets prefer enclosed sleeping quarters. They may curl up within their bedding if it is made of cloth. They love ferret sleeping bags, which are very easily made. I highly recommend the use of a sleeping bag if you use rug in the bottom of the cage. They need something soft and warm to cuddle up in at night!

If you are just a little on the creative side you can come up with a wonderful playground with in the cage. Just with a few simple easily obtained items like a drier vent hose, large PVC pipe, large cardboard tube (which are easy to get and free! Go to your local carpet store or Home Depot, they just throw away the empty tubes, so ask if you can have one, they are great fun for ferrets!) With these things you can turn a plain old cage into a place your ferret will enjoy playing and exercising in!

Our ferret babies are priced at $ 149.95 and come with a written health guarantee from Marshall Farms, males have been descented, given their first vaccinations and ready for a lifetime of love to give...

BABY BUNNIES

We have a fine selection of baby rabbits available all year. Your rabbit should have clean fresh water every day. It is best to feed your baby rabbit pellets. They should be dark green in color. If you want, you can mix some uncooked oatmeal with the pellets. Your bunny should always have fresh hay available. Fresh fruits and vegetables can be given to your rabbit as a treat. We give our rabbits some banana with the peel, some grapes, a piece of apple (without seeds), or a piece of carrot. We don't recommend giving your rabbit a lot of cabbage or lettuce because it can cause diarreaha.

Your bunny's cage should be cleaned out every day. Rabbits can be litter box trained.

And, of course, your rabbit needs a lot of love and attention.

Sugar Gliders

Description

An adult sugar glider is approximately 11 inches long from his nose to the tip of his tail, but most of that (6 or 7 inches) is tail. In shape and size they are very similar to our American flying squirrel.

The fur is very soft, and gray in color, with a white belly and a black stripe from the nose over the head and down the back. The last two inches or so of the tail is also black. The gray of the body meets the white of the belly right at the edge of the webbing between front and back legs, which creates a striking ripple effect at their sides when the webbing is not stretched taut. They also have smaller black stripes that run down each leg.

The ears are hairless and on the largish side, and turn toward sounds like a cat's ears. Their eyes are very large, as you would expect in a nocturnal animal, and black.

Their face is much pointier than that of a flying squirrel, and as far as I can tell, they only have four teeth in front; two upper and two lower. The pointy face, combined with the ears and the big eyes, gives them a look that is somewhat reminiscent of a bat.

The glider's tail probably doesn't quite qualify as "prehensile", but they do seem to have a good deal of control over it. Babies also wrap their tails tightly around their mother's tail or leg to help help them hang on while Mom leaps around.

The tail is very long, probably so it can be used as a rudder and for balance as they glide from tree to tree. Their hands and feet are very deft and capable and they use them as well as any monkey. Their hands are shaped much like our own, with four fingers and an opposing thumb. The feet have four toes and a nailless "thumb". The first two toes almost look like one toe split down the middle, and all the fingers and toes have little pads on their undersides.

History

Sugar Gliders have become popular pets in the United States, and anyone who has ever seen one can easily tell you why. Besides being intelligent, playful and inquisitive, they are just darn cute. They also don't smell bad (if their diet is correct), don't have fleas, don't need shots, are relatively inexpensive to keep, and having one in your pocket is a surefire way to meet people and make new friends!

Like any pet, they come with their own unique set of needs and requirements, and although there's a lot more information available now than there was a few years ago, there are still a lot of glider owners out there who really don't know how to best care for their animals.

Although sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) are native to Australia, they have not been exported from there for many years. The ones we have in the U.S. are descendants of gliders that were imported from other places, mostly Indonesia.

Like many animals from that part of the world, they are marsupials, similar in size to our American flying squirrel (but much cuter). Their name comes from their affinity for sweet things like the sweet sap that leaks from wounds in trees. At the moment they are considered an "exotic" in the U.S.

Caging

Natural branches or rope perches for climbing are good additions to your cage, but make sure any branches you use are free of pesticides and are not from a plant that could be toxic. Fruit tree branches are good, and used oak is ok. If you can find the large size exercise wheel made for guinea pigs, your gliders might learn to use it for exercise, but be sure not to get the smaller hamster size, as gliders can get their long tails caught in those, causing some serious injuries.

Any feeding dishes that stay in the cage for non-perishable foods should be small enough not to tempt the gliders to sit in them while they eat, so as to avoid soiling their food.

Be sure to provide a dark place for your gliders to sleep. It should be made of absorbent material like wood, fabric, etc.

Diet

The 4 most important things to remember in choosing a diet for your gliders are:

At least 25% protein

Water

Calcium!

Limit fat and sweets

Their basic captive diet is believed to consists of fresh fruits and vegetables and proteins, which also include live bugs. the percentage is be at least 33% proteins 67% fresh fruits and vegetables. not to exceed 50% proteins

ATTENTION Pre-set Diet users, that DO NOT feed a commercial diet, as a sole diet....CAUTION::: If you use any of these diets, and you feed other things with it ..be sure you maintain the balance of at least 33% proteins 67% fruits and veggies.

Fruit juice with added yogurt is highly recommended.

"Nekton-Lory" and "Lory Life Nectar" are also very good supplements.

Chicken or turkey is suggested for the proteins. Be sure the pieces are cut up about the size of your nail on your pinkie finger.

Mazuri Omnivore Zoo , Zupreem Omnivore , Briskys AccuFeed

Glider Chow , Gliderade , PetPro are some of the commercial food available which supply all nutritional needs.