Pocket Pet Breeds, Uses, Management, and Feeding - PowerPoint Presentation

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Pocket Pet Breeds, Uses, Management, and Feeding

Evan Faison

Heritage High School

Animal Science 2: Small Animals Slide2

Breeds-Hamster

Golden Hamster:

Adults reach 5”-6” long and weigh about 4

ounces. Has rich mahogany or

orange color on the back with white or creamy colored underside and legs. Dwarf/Small Desert Hamster: Light gray with a dark stripe down the back, smaller than the Golden, 4-4 ½ inches long. These are active, friendly pets, but because of their smaller size, they are more difficult for children to handle. Slide3

Breeds-Gerbil Adult gerbils reach 6-8 inches long nose to tail and weigh 3-4 ounces Mongolian Gerbil: reddish brown to dark brown Slide4

Breeds-RatBlack: tail is longer than the head and body, and the ears are about half as long as the head. Color is usually black or dark gray with brown or gray-white undersideBrown:

larger than the black rat and the tail is always shorter than the head and body. Thicker and more robust with short and more rounded ears and fur is dark to gray brown on the back with lighter colors on the underside. Slide5

Breeds-Mice Self-Colors: One ColorTans: any color with tan belly

Piebald or pied marked mice: mice with spots, patches or broken patternsSatins: any color or markings with satin coatSlide6

Breeds-Guinea Pig Adult guinea pig reach 8-14” in length and may weigh from 1 to 4 pounds. Guinea pigs have very sensitive hearing and can detect frequencies beyond the human earSelf-defense for guinea pigs is to stand on hind legs and chatter with their teeth Slide7

Breeds-Guinea Pigs Cont.Abyssinian: rough, wiry hair coat. The hair is made up of swirls or cowlicks called rosettesAmerican:

hair is short, very glossy and fine in texture Peruvian: longhaired variety that may reach 20” in length. Since guinea pigs do not have a tail it is difficult to distinguish the front from the back of the Peruvian. It looks like an animated mopSatin: coat is fine, dense and soft, and has a sheen Slide8

Breeds-Chinchilla Adults range in length from 9-15 inches with a tail of 3-10 inches and weigh 1-2 poundsStandard: blue-gray that is the most popular

White: Mutation with black eyesBeige: pearl colored to pastel coloredBlack: has a black undercoat, very narrow gray-white band, jet black veil (tips of fur) and high density Slide9

Breeds-Ferrets

Common Sable: ranges from light to dark, depending on the shade of both the under fur and guard hairs, the under fur ranges from white to beige

White: red-eyed is referred to as a true albino and there are a few black-eyed white

Silver Mitt: under fur of white or off-white and guard hairs or black and white, which gives a silvery appearanceSlide10

Breeds-Ferrets Cont. Sterling Silver: similar to Silver Mitt but with more white guard hairs

Butterscotch: under fur is same as sable but the guard hairs, mask, and hood colorings are butterscotch instead of blackCinnamon: under fur is white or off-white and guard hairs that are rich red-brown or cinnamon color Slide11

Uses-Hamster Used in medical research in 1931, but found that they could be tamed and made into a pet.

Golden Hamster is the most abundant hamster used for research and petsDwarf/Small Desert Hamsters make good pets, but because of their smaller size, children have more problems handling them.Slide12

Uses-Gerbil

Japanese scientists were the first to breed in captivity because they were easy to work with. They are gentle, active during the day, have no special food or housing requirements, drink little water, virtually odorless and would seldom bite.

These qualities also led to their popularity as pets.Slide13

Uses-Rats The white albino rats have been a major importance in medical, biological and psychological research. Used in developing drugs, studying diseases, nutrition, aging, and other topics.

They are intelligent and have the ability to learn so have been used in behavioral studies. Colored rats especially have been accepted as pets. Slide14

Uses-Mice Used for medical and biological research, especially with hereditary studies Pet mice are relatively free of disease, and when handled frequently, show little tendency to bite or escapeSlide15

Uses-Guinea Pig Bred originally for meat production and still used by the native people of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia as a food sourceUsed in laboratories for research on pathology, nutrition, genetics, toxicology, and serum development

Used also as a pet Slide16

Uses-Chinchilla Used as a source of fur for thousands of years. Brought to California from South America to breed for their fur

Requires 120 to 150 pelts to make a full-length coatUsed as pets since the 1950’s Slide17

Uses-Ferrets Recently been found to be wonderful pets, but have a musky smell and need to be de-scented. Males also need to be castratedUsed to help wire airplanes in hard to reach placesUsed in scientific research because they catch the same colds as humans. Slide18

Management-Hamsters Cage size for a single hamster is 10”x16”x10” tallCages must be gnaw-proof. Commercial cages have stainless steel tops and bottoms. Plastic floors are designed so the animal can’t gnaw with their teeth

Water bottle needs to hand outside the cage to prevent damage from the animal gnawing or be protected with a metal cover.Aquariums make good cages. They allow the animal to see out and are easy to cleanSlide19

Management-Hamsters Cont. Exercise wheels may be plastic or metal. Plastic wheels will be destroyed by the animal’s gnawing, but are quitter. This is important because hamsters exercise all night long

Hamsters need plenty of clean fresh bedding (paper confetti or strips, wood chips or shavings, hay, straw, cotton) to absorb urine and give hamsters something to chew onSlide20
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Management-Gerbils Gerbils are more active and need more space than hamstersMultiple gerbils need 36 square inches of floor space for each gerbilOvercrowding can lead to cannibalism

Gerbils can jump, so a wire mesh cover is essentialAvoid cotton and wool for bedding. These materials can cause blockage in the digestive system when the gerbil eats them. Slide22

Management-Gerbils Cont.Cardboard tubes from toilet tissue and paper towels make excellent temporary tunnels and gerbils enjoy chewing them upOnly use solid plastic exercise wheels. Wheels that have spokes may snag the tail of the gerbil and cause injurySlide23

Management-MiceA pair of mice need a minimum of 72 square inches of floor space and a height of 8 inches. An aquarium 6”x12”x8” will work for a pair.Wood shavings are ideal bedding and should be changed at least once per week

Mice urinate in the corners of their cages. Cat litter and baking soda can help with the strong urine odorWater bowls will not work for mice as they quickly become contaminated with feces and urine. Slide24

Management-Guinea Pigs Guinea pigs like to see what is going on and aquariums make excellent cages, while wood cages should be avoided because of the urine odor that builds up in the wood

When multiple guinea pigs are being kept, each pig will need at least 180 square inches of floor spaceKeep outside after temperatures warm to 50 F Provide 3 square feet of run using chicken wire outside pens. Slide25

Management-Chinchillas Chinchillas are nocturnal and need a quiet location during the dayMetal and wire cages 14”x24”x12” will work for a single chinchilla but 24”x24”x14” is better, any wood must be on the outside of the wire mesh or it will be destroyed

Need adequate ventilation and a location that is not too hot (over 90 F will cause heat prostration)Need small mesh wire less than 1” square to prevent loosing small chinchillas Slide26

Management-Chinchillas Cont.Chinchillas must be kept in individual cages or they fight and inflict serious injury. Polygamous breeding cages use a tunnel system for the male to go to different locations. Females are fitted with a collar that keeps them from using the tunnel. Slide27

Management-Chinchillas Cont. Chinchillas need a bah twice a week in finely ground powder to remove excess moisture and oil (volcanic ash available from the pet store). During hot weather, baths are needed daily in the powder

Chinchillas are not bathed in water Slide28

Management-Ferrets Ferrets can be kept outside all year long if protected from inclement weather, kept out of drafts, and shaded in the summerNeed larger water bottles like those used by guinea pigs and rabbits (16 or 32 Ounce)

Ferrets are escape artist and doors need to be lockedFood bowls need to be heavy earthenware so they will not be turned overRubber balls, squeak toys, and plastic pipes provide ferrets with tunnel and fun for hours. Slide29
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Feeding-Hamsters Easiest to use commercially prepared hard, pelletsMixed rations should contain seed, lettuce, dried peas, beans and nuts

Avoid sudden changes in diet and don’t overfeed greens and fruits that may cause diarrheaDon’t leave soft type foods in the cage to spoil and be cautious because they feed may get stuck in hamster’s pouchSpecial treats include sunflower seeds, crickets, and grasshoppers Slide31
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Feeding-GerbilsSame as hamsters except: Gerbils like bird seed which adds variety to their diet, but care must be taken when feeding oilseed like sunflower, because it may lead to obesityGerbils do not drink much water, an 8 ounce drip type bottle is best Slide33

Feeding-Rats Same as previous except: Rats consume about 1 ounce of water per day and vitamins and minerals can be added to the water Slide34

Feeding-Mice Same as previous except: Mice will NOT overeatSlide35

Feeding-Guinea Pigs Guinea Pigs are vegetariansGP’s cannot synthesize vitamin C in their body and need vitamin C enhanced pellets to supplement their diet and prevent scurvy. Vitamin C pellets must be used within 30 days of opening.

Fresh greens, lettuce, fruits, herbs, green vegetables, root veggies, potatoes, clover and dandelion greens are favorite foods.Slide36

Feeding-Guinea Pigs Cont. Guinea pigs drink with their mouth full of feed, so water bottle tubes must be cleaned regular to prevent built up bacteria. GP’s consume a lot of water and need a 16 to 32 ounce water bottle Slide37

Feeding-Chinchillas Raisins are a favorite treat of chinchillas Best to use commercially prepared hard pellets for chinchillas Slide38

Feeding-Ferrets Ferrets need a feed containing at least 35% animal proteinBest to use commercial dry food to maintain gum and teeth health, but plenty of water needs to be available

Young ferrets should be fed all they will eat twice a dayAdd ½ teaspoon of vegetable oil to older ferret’s diet to aid in digestion, bowel movement, and help maintain a healthy coatTreats include meat scraps, cracklings, fruits, red licorice, and ice cream in limited amounts.