Please consult detailed care manuals for these animals or check with your veterinarian. Hamsters, gerbils, rats and mice are members of the rodent family. All rodents require material to gnaw, in order to keep their incisors sharp and worn to the proper length. Housing A cage measuring 60 x 30 x 30 cm. is a minimum size for hamsters, gerbils and mice.
Rats require larger habitats.
Absorbent materials such as white wood shavings should be used to line the cage bottom. Gerbils and hamsters like to dig and burrow so adding a layer of peat moss allows them to exercise this behaviour. Inside the cage, rodents should have a cardboard or wooden house, toys such as plastic tubes and small boxes, some shredded tissue for nest building and an exercise wheel for smaller rodents. Secure cages are a necessity as rodents, especially hamsters and rats, are real escape artists. A common cause of death in rodents is neglect.