Small Pets

If you live in an apartment and you have a pet, you may not always be able to let your pet roll around on and enjoy real grass. Commercial substitutes are available, but they can be expensive. One...

Hermit crabs are among the most popular pets in the world for young children. Harmless, inexpensive and easy to care for, these little animals are ideal pets for inexperienced beginners. Not...

Hermit crabs are built with two legs and a soft, long abdomen that they can insert in any shell they find and decide to live in. While not exactly cuddly creatures, they like to be held and to...

Rose-haired tarantulas, otherwise known as red-haired tarantulas, are fascinating and easy to care for. From Chile, these spiders prefer dim light, mild climates and little food. Even the habitats...

Chicken wire is one of the most popular types of fencing, often used to construct pens with which to cage small animals, such as chickens, hence "chicken wire." It is also an economical type of...

Turtles can make excellent pets that reward owners with their silly dispositions. Turtles are generally long-lived and easy to care for. They do, however, require a proper environment in order to...

Soft-shelled turtles are pets that many owners enjoy for showing off a more exotic looking aquarium pet. Some owners even set up outdoor ponds at precise conditions so their soft-shelled turtles...

If you have an unconventional pet that does not do well in an ordinary house or yard setting, or a dog or cat that needs a private space of her own, you will need a cage. Whatever your needs may...

Waterbug in just another name for the infamous cockroach. Waterbugs are dirty and can carry disease. They love the darkness of the night which is why people discover them after turning on a light....

One way to make a rabbit trap is with a box, a piece of string and a few carrots. Learn about getting a human rabbit trap from a local hardware store with help from the manager of a pet store in...

When building a guinea pig cage, use chicken wire and wood for the sides and top, but make sure the bottom is plastic and easy to clean. Make sure the bedding for a guinea pig cage doesn't have...

When building a rabbit hutch, it's important to use metal because it doesn't soak up odor, and it's relatively easy to clean. Find out how to use chicken wire and wood to build a rabbit cage with...

When making a hamster cage that fits the needs of a hamster, use a 10-gallon cage with a top that will lock or a top that is heavier than the hamster. Use care when choosing bottles and bedding...

When coming across an orphaned rat, it's helpful to take care of it by giving it a heating pad, soft bedding and water to keep them hydrated. Make sure orphaned rats are eating and drinking on...

When caring for rats, it's important to get a good cage because rats are intelligent and can often escape. Make sure to provide a rat with plenty of toys with help from the manager of a pet store...

The best way to train a rabbit is with positive reinforcement and gentle negative reinforcement, such as squirting them lightly with water. Discover why it's important to be consistent when...

It's important for people not to breed guinea pigs unless they are trained breeders, and breeders should make sure that the mother weighs at least 200 grams. Discover how gestation takes about...

Sugar gliders are omnivores, and they should eat about 40 percent vegetables and 50 percent protein. Find out how to feed sugar gliders crickets and monkey biscuits with help from the manager of a...

A hermit crab's habitat should include cocoa bedding, cork bark and plenty of humidity to keep their gills moist. Create a perfect hermit crab habitat by including a suction tray and a water bowl...

Mating hermit crabs cannot be forced as there is not enough information as to how the mating ritual works. Learn more about the complicated process of hermit crab mating with insight from a pet...

Telling a male hermit crab from a female is currently based on theories of claw size, color and hairs on certain body sections. Discover the mysteries of the hermit crab with insight from a pet...

Painting a hermit crab shell can be done with water colors or special paint kits that contain extras like glitter. Make creative hermit crab shells with googly eyes and sparkles with tips from a...

Caring for hermit crabs involves keeping them in a humid environment, changing food and water daily and checking bedding for mites and fleas. Foster a loving environment for hermit crabs with...

Hermit crabs change their own shells, but need their owner to find spiral or rams-horn shells with cavities. Choose shells that have a cavity bigger than the pincher of a hermit crab with insight...

Hermit crabs should have food and water changed regularly, and be kept in a moist environment to help with breathing. Feed hermit crabs fruits, vegetables or fish and use a mist machine or spray...

Start building a hermit crab cage with a large plastic container, then place bedding, something to climb on and a water bowl inside. Construct a hermit crab cage that fits one crab for every...

Removing a hermit crab from its shell can cause serious stress and damage to the animal, such as pulling off limbs or cracking shells. Discover a safe way to get a hermit crab to change shells...

To tell if a pet hermit crab is dead, move a hermit crab around their shell to see if it's limp, or smell the shell for any pungent odors. Hear about the reasons why a hermit crab may not be...

It's near impossible to tell if a hermit crab is pregnant, and because the eggs are laid in the ocean, the chance of any baby hermit crabs hatching is nonexistent. Find out why hermit crabs can't...

Since the gender of a hermit crab is very hard to determine, there is no way to sex hermit crabs in captivity. Discover why pet hermit crabs can't breed in this free video from a exotic pet...

Feed hermit crabs pet food that is designed for their specific nutrition, which can come in powder or granule forms. Discover more about what omnivores, like hermit crabs, eat in this free video...

It's impossible to breed pet hermit crabs because there is no way to create their natural breeding environment. Learn how hermit crabs lay eggs in the ocean with this free video from a exotic pet...

Buy hermit crab supplies, such as misting bottles, heating pads, cork bark and bedding, at a local pet store to make a hermit crab's habitat comfortable. Learn how to arrange a hermit crab cage in...

When purchasing a hermit crab at a pet store, find a crab that is eager to get away, comes out of its shell and has no deformities. Identify an unhealthy hermit crab using this free video from a...

To care for hermit crabs, build a habitat by using coconut husk as a bedding, adding fibrous dirt to the cage's bottom, inserting cork bark and keeping the humidity level at 70 percent. Create a...

When caring for hermit crabs, experts disagree whether bathing them is necessary; however, if pet owners decide to bath their hermit crabs, fill a bowl with room temperature water and place the...

A snail in an aquarium will eat fish scales, dead fish and algae, but a lack of these sources requires that a snail's diet be supplemented with a veggie or algae tablet. Feed snails an algae...

Reptiles lay their eggs in different places depending on the species, with lizards looking for sandy or moist soil. Find out how to incubate reptile eggs with information from a pet store employee...

Frogs have lungs and breathe through their nostrils for most of their oxygen, but they can also receive oxygen and water through their permeable skin. Find out how frogs get oxygen from water with...

The death of a pet can be an upsetting time for all members of the family. But knowing the best way to bury a pet is something that few people ever consider until they have to do it. This article...

It is important to build animal cages that are suited to the needs and size of your particular pet. Some animals thrive in any type of cage, while others do much better in cages built of specific...

The most poisonous spider to humans is the Brazilian wandering spider or the banana spider, but these spiders don't exist in the United States. Learn about the most poisonous spiders in the U.S.,...

The word millipede comes from a Latin translation that means "a thousand feet," but millipedes actually have anywhere from 40 to 400 legs. Find out how millipedes have two pairs of legs per body...

Amphibians are animals that have descended from fish, but they are set apart by their smooth, moist skin, their poorly developed lungs and the fact that they are ectotherms. Learn about the...

A first aid kit for pets should include bandaging material, gauze pads, medical tape, scissors, latex gloves and triple antibiotic cream. Find out why it's important to keep phone numbers for...

Signs that a rabbit has had a stroke include a lack of appetite, a tilted head and increased sickness. Find out why a rabbit's stroke is different than a human's, and more of an infection, with...

When catching a rabbit, the best method of restraining it is by holding and supporting the rear legs to keep them from kicking violently. Discover why it's important to restrain a rabbit without...

Veterinary technicians, or vet techs, have a job that can be very stressful and uncomfortable, but it can also be rewarding. Find out how vet techs learn to deal with difficult situations, such as...

In order to become a veterinary assistant, a person can go to school to become a certified veterinary technician, or they can simply learn hands-on at a veterinary practice. Learn about what...

Mange comes in two different forms, and the most common form of mange cannot be transmitted to humans. Find out how humans can contract sarcoptic mange from an itchy mite with help from a...