What is environmental enrichment? Environmental enrichment describes the provision of physical and social opportunities to promote rat behaviour that is important, valuable, and specific to them. It encourages and allows rats to do things that matter to them, resulting in positive experiences based on their individual interests, which underpins good…
Rats are generally best protected in their enclosure, as this limits their access to potential dangers and keeps them safe. However, even when they are in their enclosure, there are still potential dangers – the danger may come to them, or they might escape. When they have time out of…
Mice mature and can breed at a young age (even as young as four weeks of age), breed prolifically, and have large litter sizes. They will come into season every 4-5 days unless pregnant; their pregnancy duration is 19-21 days; their litter size is 7-11 pups; and they can be…
Rats are very clean and usually do a great job of grooming themselves. Washing your rat Because of their cleanliness, rats rarely need a wash. The exceptions are elderly or arthritic pets who can’t wash themselves, or pets who have somehow gotten really dirty and can’t clean themselves. You must…
Their curious nature and friendly disposition generally make rats relatively easy to handle and their intelligence makes them easy to train. You should only use positive reinforcement (reward-based training using food treats and other things they value) to train them and they must never be punished. Rats should be given…
Mice may find handling very stressful if they not used to positive, predictable human interactions and gentle handling. They have a curious nature and can be habituated to human interactions and handling using positive reinforcement (reward-based training using food treats and other things they value). They must always be treated…
It is not uncommon for mice to be affected by infestations of external parasites such as fur mites. Clinical signs of infestation include bald patches, thinning of hair (especially in areas which they find hard to reach and groom like the head and trunk), a greasy appearance to their hair/coat,…
A dog’s body language can be subtle, so it’s not always easy to accurately read how they’re feeling. It is important to keep an eye on your dog’s behaviour and be on the lookout for any changes, as these can be a sign that something is wrong. Use this guide…
Often, people who keep backyard chickens need to make a decision about acquiring a new bird. Usually all works out well; both parties (buyer and seller) are happy, and the chicken does well in their new home. But this is not always the case. You may be able to obtain…
Council restrictions The rules and regulations for keeping chickens vary depending on your local council. Many city councils allow you to keep a certain number of chickens (often five) without a permit, while rural councils are often more lenient. City councils often impose other restrictions; e.g., to minimise noise (no…