Which animals need Small Animal Supplies?

Before talking about some dangers to our pets in the small animal category, let me clarify what I think of as small animals.  The following is a top-of-mind listing, not thorough by any means, but what immediately comes to mind:

• Rabbits
• Hamsters
• Gerbils
• Ferrets
• Guinea Pigs
• Monkeys
• Mice
• Chickens

I know dogs and cats also come in small animal packages.  There are even miniature horses and pigs and who knows what all.  I just wanted to get your mind rolling as to what I'm thinking.

Small animal dangers you can avoid with Small Animal Supplies

Each of these little critters has it's own set of dangers whether kept indoors or out.  For example, we learned the hard way with a pet rabbit that belonged to one of our children.  He'd been with us for some years without any problems and everyone loved him.  One day some errands kept us away from home longer than expected.  We'd left him in his cage protected (we thought) under the picnic table out of the sun.  But the sun moved and no part of his cage was shaded with the position the kids arranged it.  For rabbits heat is a big problem.  They tend to tolerate cold a lot better.  Most animals are challenged by sudden large temperature swings.  So keep that in mind with your small animal.

We've never owned a ferret, but a neighbor did.  They loved their ferret who was really part of the family.  But let me tell you, they seemed stressed and preoccupied most of the time about where it was.  You see, he could climb into the tiniest of places and holes....and get lost.  Yes, lost between the walls.  It happened to them and will likely happen to you if you're not careful.  Living in the Southwest United States, they told us that fire ants are a problem to ferrets, too.  Apparently their bites can really do damage to this naturally curious small animal.  Movable furniture, like rocking chairs, are deadly to ferrets.  Think broken back.

Even in protected areas or leashed, predators can be a big danger to your small pet.  Most small animals are classed as prey in the animal kingdom.  Predators birds and larger animals like coyotes have been known to come out of nowhere in pursuit, especially if they're hungry enough.  You've probably heard tales of an eagle or hawk swooping down to snatch a pet let loose to roam around and do it's business in the fenced backyard.  Even if your pet is in a cage, predators can often destroy the wire and break in.  If they don't do that, they can literally scare your small animal to death (this is especially so with rabbits).

Like with larger cats and dogs, if they manage to get outdoors in an urban setting they're biggest danger is traffic.  Enough said on this one.

Inside the home if your pet is free to roam and has teeth, electric cords are a big hazard.  They're an inviting chew for many small pets.  Household cleaners can be fatal.  Some plants don't mix with certain breeds.  You will want to determine if that's an issue for your pet.  Probably the biggest danger for small animals inside the home is getting lost or misplaced and then somehow shut up in that place and unable to get to small animal supplies.

Small animals who are chewers need to have some prevention applied.  Be careful with little pieces of rubber or foam.  These are the types of things that could get ingested and clogged...just like with babies...just in much smaller pieces to do harm.

Get the best Small Animal Supplies for the safety of your small animals

So, don't learn the hard way like we did about small animal safety needs.  Think prevention!  It truly is the better approach along with providing quality Small Animal Supplies for the small animal, your family, and you.

Get to know what your pets need in terms of small animal supplies on wiki.

Small Animal Supplies - Tiny small animals