Small Animal Behaviour

Some body language is common to all small animals and knowing these signals can help you become a better small animal carer.

When you open a habitat (cage) or put your hand inside, a relaxed animal will calmly look toward you or even come to you. One that is scared or uncomfortable will move away from you and try to hide. It is best to coax an animal to come to you to be picked up rather than reaching for it. As you reach toward an animal, one that is extremely frightened will panic and run frantically from side to side looking for escape. It isn’t a good idea to pick up a frightened animal by hand, because it is likely to bite or scratch or to get away. The best way to pick up a frightened animal is with a thick towel. Or you can offer a container for the animal to get into to hide, then cover the opening with a towel and pick up the container.

If a small animal does allow you to pick it up, you can tell by its behavior how comfortable it is being held. The muscles of a calm animal will feel relaxed and the animal will be alert and observe its surroundings. An animal uncomfortable with being out of its cage or being held will feel tense and try to hide its head under your arm, or perhaps try to push you away with its front feet.

The following signs are just a few of the ways small animals communicate their feelings:
 
Comfortable Signs

· Active, curious, observes surroundings.

· Spends time in house but looks out periodically.

· Sleeps curled on its side or stretched out on its stomach or side.

· Muscles relaxed.

Uncomfortable Signs

· Constantly hides in its house.

· Feet are gathered closely underneath its body.

· Sits hunched over, trembling.

· Runs from side to side of cage, panicked.

Knowing these small body language signals can help you forge a great friendship with your little critter.

Homely Petz looks after small animals using the Little Critterz service, home boarding for hamsters, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs, ferrets, rabbits and other rodents as request.