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Choosing and Keeping a
Healthy & Happy Small Animal
By Brandee LaCava,
VP Hop-A-Long Hollow
www.hopalonghollow.org
When you are in the decision mode to go out and get a pet, there are many things to consider. Are you looking for a pet for you, or is it to be for a child?
We try to make people aware that no matter how responsible their child may be, they are the person who is going to ultimately be in charge of the animal’s life that is brought into the home. Many times people bring home a hamster that ends up nipping their child and the child never wants to go near the hamster again, and it becomes uncared for, or homeless.
If you are buying an animal as a present for someone else, are the adult family members of the person receiving this pet as a gift OK with the responsibility of caring for the animal? If you are not ready for the responsibility of endless cage cleaning, perhaps you can go to local animal shelters to visit instead. There are many animal shelters, such as The Hop-A-Long Hollow, that allow visitors to come in and socialize with the animals. If you find you don’t have time to do this, than maybe consider the time that goes into caring for a pet properly?
Neglect of animals comes all too easy. There are many different types of neglect, from not cleaning the cage an adequate amount of times it needs depending on the size of the inhabitant, to not being educated in the proper bedding and supplies (including cage size) that the animal in question needs. One thing that pet stores fail to mention are the dangers of cedar or pine shavings. Most pet stores I go into do not have their own animals living on these beddings, but still sell them. In the case of animals, such as rabbits, which should be spayed/neutered due to health and hormonal reasons, these particular beddings can cause death under anesthesia. You can research it online by going to Google and typing in "Pine Cedar Toxic."
Will the pet you are choosing have the adequate amount of room to live in or the exercise that it needs? I was in shock going into a local pet chain to find that they had a chinchilla living in a 10-gallon fish tank. Chinchillas need large cages with lots of room to jump. We can help our pets live longer lives by simply meeting some of their needs. A chinchilla that sits in a cage all day is not going to live a long and happy life like the chinchilla that comes out and is greeted and runs around with its humans.
If you go into a pet store to purchase an animal, check to see that their containment units are clean. Look to see if the bedding the animals are living on is wet or not. Animals living on wet bedding are more than likely living in their own urine, which can lead to respiratory infections. Do you see flies or gnats? Are the food dishes and water bottles clean? Is there splatter of any kind, such as urine or feces, on the glass of their cages? If any of these things are out or place then you put yourself at a greater risk of having a short-lived pet or ill animal.
Check to see how the animals’ fur (or scales) looks. Does the animal have bright eyes with no discharge coming from the eyes or nose? If you can see the teeth at all, are they over-grown? These small things to look for are important for the animals’ health. Do you have a small animal veterinarian lined up for emergency purposes or check ups? The average walk-in visit is $60 for a small animal, not including medications. Are you willing to pay this if your animal becomes ill? If not, maybe reconsider getting a pet.
For every animal at a pet store to purchase, there are thousands of web sites, along with Petfinder.com, with proper care information and animals available to adopt. Local breed specific rescues can tell you more about the animals in their care as they spend a lot of time with them and can put you with your best match as far as personality goes. Your best tool for the long and happy life of your pet is to do online research at reputable animal web sites. An educated pet owner is the best pet owner!
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