small pets

Lil pets, I didn't forget about you! Now I know it's not the most stylish, but compared to the small carrier alternatives, it's pretty nifty. After all, dogs and cats have a variety of crave worthy totes that look like purses, but tiny pets often have those hard plastic cases only.

Doubling as a front pack and backpack, the Marsupack ($64) has expandable mesh windows for extra space and even a safety leash to hold him in tight. Snuggles are made easier on a reversible mat – cushy plush for Winter and a more lightweight material on the flip side. Just strap in to any car seat for safe travels.

While some hamsters show no interest in their wheels in the first place, others use a love of running to fuel something totally cool. Scientists at Georgia Tech harnessed hamster power by outfitting the small mammals with yellow jackets with electricity-generating threads sewn in. The size of these zinc oxide nanowire threads? One-fiftieth (yes, 5-0) of the width of a human hair!
According to Zhong Lin 'ZL' Wang, the co-author of the paper describing this research:

This can totally be scaled up. This is just the first step. The idea is that we would harvest energy from any body movement, from walking, breathing, from any kind of vibration.

Turns out that a thousand hamsters equipped with the current jacket could charge a cell phone but, eventually, they want to make this technology on a human scale. Imagine running to fuel your own iPod – that's some exercise even I could get behind!

Source

Q: My hamster, Nibbles, doesn't ever seem to want to go on her wheel. I never hear it squeaking at night and I'm constantly watching her during the day, and she hates it. When I try to coax her on, she hops right off – my mice were always on their wheel, what's wrong with this hamster of mine?

A: My first tip would be to test out some new wheels. If you own the plastic or wire version with rungs (or this grid pattern), it could be turning off your hamster – these can be painful for small pets because tiny feet can get stuck between the rungs or in the gaps so some animals will hesitate to hop on. I'd recommend testing out a solid plastic type (such as this one) to see if you have any more success.

If you're not into buying a new wheel, though, create a quick fix by removing the existing wheel and weaving a sheet of paper in and out of the rungs or securely attaching it around the outside, making the surface flat and creating a solid wheel instead.

Lastly, some pets prefer different forms of exercise, just like people – you couldn't catch me on a treadmill! If you feel your furry friend isn't getting enough exercise, try giving her more space to roam or even a Run-About Ball instead.

Last week I asked all you savvy shoppers and Internet researchers out there to come PetMarking with me and help me locate hideaways to makeover the homes of hamsters, ferrets, and other wee furries. With all the cute gear out there for our doggies and kitties, sometimes it's tough to give a little love to our smallest fuzzy friends! We did a super sweet job with this mission, bookmarking some super sweet stuff. Maybe I'm a sucker for shoes, but I can't help to adore the Grassy Boot that gruaig_rua found at That Pet Place.

Check out all the results from our mission in a widget when you read more

No, you haven't stumbled upon CasaSugar here – I want you to consider a makeover for the home of a small furry friend! Whether a gerbil, guinea pig, rabbit, or rat, small pets need fun, functional places to hide and sleep. Most also like to chew and scratch on these items so they can easily look rather too lived in. I already spotted this adorable hideaway petmarked by amh678 so let's use it as our inspiration!

All you savvy shoppers and internet researchers out there, can you locate the best hideaways and beds for small mammals? Come PetMarking with me, by bookmarking your finds on Teamsugar. Don't forget to tag your finds as "Hideaways". I'll do a recap next week of our finds.

Geeksugar has written a helpful explanation of how to bookmark... or, in our case, PetMark! Happy hunting!

Don't know where to start? To check out some stores with great gear for little furry guys and girls, read more

My dwarf hamster, Rocco, loved to run about in his Run-About! Perfect for those small pets you fear may disappear under the fridge, make sure you choose the right size so little feet don't get caught as they run.

After you put your pet in here, he can roam free – well, fairly free – in your house. It's a great way for him to change up his scenery, get some exercise, and still be safe. And, to keep him safe, don't let your pet play in this if there are other, larger animals lurking around... especially ones that may decide to play mousey ball bowling.

Prices generally run from $2.99 to $14.99, depending on the size from mini to mega.

Ahh, the miracle of a magnetic backing! Many a time I've dreamed of how much more organized I would be if I could simply attach all those important things to my fridge. Although pet nail clippers are not exactly a daily necessity, if I had to tell you where they were in my house right now, I wouldn't have a clue. And that's where these clippers come in. The stainless steel blade can be used to clip the nails of a hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, or other small pet. And, with its animal head case to attach to the fridge, this can double as
a cute magnet to hold your grocery list making both
ready to use and easy to find.