A large number of pets at our homes increased in previous years. It is healthy symptom becouse it is an evidence of our still incrising need of human contact with nature, contact with animals, meeting their habits, etc.
Today, rate of our civilization development is so fast, that particulary in big urban aglomeration a need of having alive pet become indispensable necessity.The world which is soaked through by brutality forces us to find an alternative for children and youth.That kind of alternative could be a fact of having alive crature at home. It allows our offsprings develop features like: protectivness or responsibility for others. It is possible by everyday contact with pet for which they have to be responsible.
One of the most popular animal at our homes is miniature rabbit. At the begining we should mark that often owners of rabbits subsume them in wrong way to rodents. Meanwhile, rabbit is not a rodent, but it subsumes to Lagomorpha. They've got differ dentition than rodents. They have got two incisors - one is placed in front, second - smaller is directly behind that first. Those incisors grow all their lifes. Besides, the digestive is composed of simple, one ventricle stomach. Those features are shaped by nutrition necessity of rabbits, which mostly eat vegetative parts of plant, for example grass, twigs of bushes or trees.
Rabbits are very trustful animals. It is easy to accustom them. It is possible but we have to be gentle and patient in contact with them. Rabbit can be a great play companion for children and for adults.An elementary feed for rabbits at home is bedding and differ kinds of mix seeds with dried vegetables and fruits. For rubbing away teeth it is good to use twigs of trees ( the best are friut tress) but also bars or for example mineral-calcium blocks.We should complete the diet of our rabbits in special granulated products which are accesible on the market.
The second group creates rodents. Rodents ( in distinguish from rabbits) have got only single chopper ( fore-tooth ) in each half of upper and bottom jaw. Fore-teeth rub away and grow up for all their lives. Besides, their alimentary system is structured of bicapsular maw. An elementary feed for rodents are mainly seeds and vegetative parts of plants. The most often raise rodents at home are:
- gwinea pigs (long-hair and short-hair)
- rats
- mice
- dormouses
- hamsters ( syrian, Roborowskiego, dżunagrskie)
- gerbils
- chinchillas
Gwinea pigs from years belong to the most popular rodents which are raising at home. In a result of domesticate and adequate selection we can see gwinea pigs in diffirent colours and in diffirent length of hair which reach almost 20 cm. Gwinea pigs are very funny pets. If we familiarize them competently, they can attach to their owners and they can let out joyful sounds when they see them. A delicacy for gwinea pigs are hay and twigs of fruit trees, but also mix seeds of cereals, sunflowers, corns with dried vegetables, sticks, bars and mineral-calcium blocks for rubbing away teeth.
Against the negative opinion, rats are raising at home also very often. They distinguish oneself unusual intelligence and simplicity of familiarizing. Undoubtedly, their long and hairless tail fill us with disgust. However, few know that tail is very important, because it helps rat to maintain balance. Rats aren't expensive in maintainance. As in case of every pet, cage is an essential matter. It has to be sufficiently big, sealed, made of impervious material against urine. Moreover, in cage has to be the possibility of oxygen exchange in order to keep the concentration of ammonia on a low level. Nutrition of rats isn't complicated. For this, the best are mix seeds of cereals, corns, oatmeals, linseeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflowers with dried fruits and vegetables. We should complete their diet from time to time in cottage cheese and raw vegetables.
Mice are rodents who have got a huge bunch of supporters. It is better to raise greater quantity than one specimen. In this way we can ensure them a possibility of common fun. If someone is impatient, then accustoming mice can be a little difficult for him. The basicly diet for mice forms differ kinds od seeds - oat, wheat, rye, millet, barley. Seldom sunflower seeds, corn seeds and nuts. We should complete their diet in row vegetables and fruits.
We can include dormouses into the group of rodents which achieve more and more supporters. Dormouses are very interesting animals. They are very lively and sociable. They amuse all the time with short breaks for sleep.But we should reckon with greater costs for maintenance them. It is recommended to raise at least two species. They require big, spatial cage and using special granulated bedding from deciduous. For their delicacy we should include bark of some kind of deciduous, twigs of fruit trees and dried vegetables. It is important to give them products which include as little as possible sugar and fat. It means that we should limit in their diet dried fruits, carrots, corns and sunflower seeds. Dormouses adore gnaw any objects so don't forget about giving them mineral-calcium blocks. It helps them to rub off their incisors. It is important to care about their hygiene. So we should systematically give them bathing sand in a properly shaped container.
Hamster is a very popular rodent raising at home. It doesn't require a big cage. Nutrition of hamster also isn't very complicate becouse we can feed them by mixed seeds which are generaly accesible in every zoological shop.Their diet we should complete in row vegetables and fruits. Rubbing off they teeth ensure giving them twigs from fruit trees and mineral-calcium blocks for example with sponge cakes or dried vegetables but also very popular bars - supplemental feed - flavoured - taste regarding to fancy of particular species.
Another interesting kind of rodent is gerbil. They are very easy in raising. If we supply them in appropriate stock of food and water, they can stay without any care for lots of hours.Gerbils are that kind of animals which like tidiness and they don't utter any sounds. However they inborn activity and characteristic way of moving can give us pleasure and joy. Main diet is composed of cereal seeds: wheats, ryes, barleys, oats. They also adore dry bread, bark of deciduous, chewing twigs of fruit trees - in that way they wipe up incisors which grow all the time. We should rarely give them seeds of oily plants becouse they consist too much fat contents.
Chinchilla is a rodent who has got lots of followers. It is a very sensitive animal which has got beautiful fur. This fur demands special care. That's why we should assure them permanent access to bathing sand which should be in comfortable to get in boxes. Chinchillas are drowsy rodents but their lovely appearance and interesting nature can give lots of fun to their keepers. Nutrition of chinchillas isn't very difficult. Their delicacy are mostly bark of deciduous, granulated feed, twigs of fruit trees or loose feed composed of mixed cereals. We should remember to limit fats in their diet.