Small pets: care sheets for families
Ask your vet about your own pet. This page is general information from the sources below.
Care sheets for guinea pig, rabbit, hamster, gerbil and rat, from named sources such as the RSPCA, PDSA, the Merck Veterinary Manual, VCA and the CDC. Each says plainly how long they live, what they need and whether they suit children. A grown-up is always the real carer.
Checked October 29, 2026.
- Guinea pig
Guinea pigs can be active for up to 20 hours a day and only sleep in short bursts (RSPCA). - Rabbit
House Rabbit Society says rabbits should get at least four hours of exercise a day, about thirty hours a week. - Hamster
PDSA says a hamster's eyes can pop out if it is squeezed, dropped or grabbed by the scruff, which is why gentle two-palm scooping matters. - Gerbil
RSPCA says wild gerbil burrows can reach 1.7 meters deep and stretch 6 to 8 meters sideways. - Rat
PDSA says rats make a reddish-brown fluid around their eyes that can look like red tears, and there's more of it when they are stressed.
Sources
- RSPCA: Creating a good home for guinea pigs (checked October 29, 2026)
- RSPCA: What to feed a guinea pig (checked October 29, 2026)
- RSPCA: Keeping guinea pigs as pets (checked October 29, 2026)
- CDC: Small Mammals (checked October 29, 2026)
- RSPCA: Keeping rabbits as pets (checked October 29, 2026)
- House Rabbit Society: Care (checked October 29, 2026)