Guidelines for basic rodent care

Daily care: All pets, even small ones, require day to day care. You'll need to monitor their food and water intake. Even if your rodents don't empty the water bottle, change the water every few days. You wouldn't want to drink stagnant water, and your rodents feel the same way.

You'll also need to make sure that they have enough food. Remember that a lot of small animals shell their food, so you may think that there is food in the bowl, when it is only the shells of the food already eaten.

Small animals also need their bedding changed at least every week--more if you notice an odor. When the environment becomes too dirty for the animals it will also become odorous to you as well. Some animals will choose an area as a toilet and you'll be able to scoop out wet litter from here on a more frequent basis.

Taming: If you want your rodent to be friendly, you will need to handle it on a daily basis. When you handle, make sure your hands are clean. Strange smells can frighten some rodents, and other smells might convince them that you are something good to eat.

When you first begin to tame animals, just put your hand in the cage and let them approach you. Don't make sudden moves or otherwise scare them. People are frequently advised to pick up rodents by the base of their tails. You can do this with most rodents, and it's convenient for a lab or pet shop, but they aren't going to appreciate it and this is not going to calm their fears of you. Scoop them up by their underside, supporting their feet

Bringing home an animal: When you first get a rodent, set up the cage ahead of time and simply open the box you brought it home in and set that inside the cage. Don't try to interact with the animal for the first day. Let it get used to its surroundings. It'll probably hide in its box for a while and then come out and look around, most often at night.

Adding an animal to an established colony can be difficult. (Check the species information--male mice won't get along, and hamsters don't get along with anything.) To better your chances of success, change the litter and clean the cage before you put an animal in. This is very important because it gives all the animals a neutral ground. Then spread some food around the cage, which will give them something to distract them from each other. Put the animals together and watch for any negative reactions. If they fight, separate them before they hurt each other and try again later. Don't worry if one is "left out" and sleeps alone, as long as they aren't actively fighting they will eventually be integrated into the colony.