Many of us love owning various pets according to our tastes and preferences and that is why this week on Ask the Vet Dr. V. A. Ching speaks about a specific group of animals who small children and pre-schoolers tend to rare.

As of late people have begun to live in smaller spaces such as apartment which constrains them from owning conventional pets such as dogs and cats. So take a look at how potential pet owners should choose smaller pets such as Rabbits, Guinea pigs and Hamsters.

When you are the pet store:

• Check that the animal you want to purchase is moving about (looking for food) indicating high level of activity
• The animal’s coat/ fur should be smooth, there should be no matted fur or clumped hair
• Check for wounds/ crust on its skin. If the animal does have crust it could be suffering from a skin disease

After you bring them home

Housing

A small hutch would be perfect – These can be bought from pet stores

At night if the animals are left in the garden they need to be protected from night time as they cannont fends

Food

 Ensure that you feed them clean food comprising mostly of fruits, an additional option could be pellets made specially for the animals which can be bought from pet stores subsequent to consultation with a vet.

After care for hamsters

Clean your hamster's cage once a week- cleaning more often will eliminate the odors a hamster releases that tells him where to relieve himself, sleep or eat. Less often will be detrimental to the natural cleaning habits of your hamster.

If the hamseter is eating its feces, indicates that they are not getting enough nutritions