What Small Pets Really Want: Practical Care for Rabbits, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Gerbils, Lizards & Bearded Dragons
Small pets come in a huge range of sizes, needs and temperaments — from fluffy, social rabbits to solitary, crepuscular hamsters and sun-loving bearded dragons. Yet beneath the differences there are common themes: safe shelter, appropriate food, species-specific enrichment, gentle handling, and preventative health care. This guide breaks down the wants and needs of six common small pets so you can give the best possible life to the one you care for.
- Secure, appropriately sized housing with a place to hide and a place to explore.
- Balanced, species-appropriate diet and constant access to fresh water where applicable.
- Environmental control (temperature, humidity, lighting) when species needs it, especially reptiles.
- Daily enrichment and supervised out-of-housing time or exploration where safe.
- Regular veterinary checkups with a vet experienced in the species.
General principles that matter
Before we dive into each animal: the most important thing you can offer is stability. Consistent daily care, a predictable environment, and enrichment tailored to instinctual behaviors (foraging, digging, burrowing, climbing, basking) dramatically improve welfare. Avoid crowded cages, poor diets, and infrequent handling for social species.
Rabbits — social, active grazers
Wants: space to hop and explore, social contact (with humans or compatible rabbits), lots of hay, places to hide and chew.
Needs:
- Housing: indoor housing is best. Provide a large enclosure and daily supervised exercise in a rabbit-proofed room or run. Horizontal space is more important than height.
- Diet: unlimited high-quality grass hay (timothy, orchard, meadow), a measured portion of rabbit pellets (species-appropriate), and fresh leafy greens daily. Avoid sugary treats and too many pellets.
- Chewing & enrichment: safe chew toys, untreated wood, cardboard boxes, tunnels and digging opportunities to wear down teeth and satisfy foraging instincts.
- Litter training & hygiene: most rabbits can be litter trained; keep litterboxes clean and change bedding regularly.
- Healthcare: regular vet checks, spay/neuter recommended to reduce behavior problems and health risks, watch teeth and GI health closely.
Top tips: Give at least several hours per day outside the enclosure, protect electrical cords, and provide a hide box in every exercise area.
Hamsters — nocturnal, solitary little engineers
Wants: deep substrate for burrowing, a wheel for running, tunnels and nest materials, and quiet daytime rest.
Needs:
- Housing: tall and wide enclosures with at least several inches of loose, dust-free substrate for digging. Avoid glass tanks without ventilation for long-term housing.
- Diet: a high-quality hamster mix supplemented with fresh vegetables periodically and small safe protein treats. Avoid overfeeding seeds that encourage selective eating.
- Social structure: many hamster species (e.g., Syrian) are solitary and must be housed alone; dwarf species sometimes tolerate same-sex pairs but monitor closely.
- Handling & schedule: they are nocturnal — interact in the evening and be gentle; avoid waking a sleeping hamster repeatedly.
- Health: provide chew blocks to control teeth, watch for overgrown teeth, wet tail, and signs of respiratory distress.
Top tips: Use a solid-surface wheel sized for the species, provide multiple hiding spots and rotate toys to reduce boredom.
Guinea Pigs — social, vocal grazers
Wants: companionship (at least one compatible cagemate), lots of hay, daily vitamin C from fresh veggies, and quiet spots to hide.
Needs:
- Housing: long enclosures to allow running; not tiny cages. Floor space matters more than height.
- Diet: unlimited grass hay, fresh vegetables daily (bell peppers, leafy greens) for vitamin C, and measured pellets formulated for guinea pigs.
- Social needs: highly social — keep in pairs or small same-sex groups; introduce animals carefully and provide escape routes during introductions.
- Grooming & health: regular nail trims, check teeth and skin, and especially monitor diet for obesity or dental issues.
Top tips: Provide multiple hideouts and a shallow food bowl; offer daily floor-time in a safe, enclosed area for exercise.
Gerbils — curious, social diggers
Wants: deep substrate for tunneling, a buddy (they're social), chewable materials, and a busy environment with tubes and platforms.
Needs:
- Housing: a spacious enclosure with deep substrate (paper or aspen bedding) for burrows. Glass tanks with ventilated lids are common.
- Diet: a balanced gerbil mix with access to fresh water. Small amounts of fresh veggies and occasional protein treats are fine.
- Social structure: keep in same-sex pairs or small groups; solitary gerbils become stressed.
- Activity: provide a wheel (solid surface), tunnels, and chew toys. Gerbils are diurnal/crepuscular — expect activity during the day and evening.
Top tips: Protect wooden furniture during out-of-cage play (they chew) and avoid cedar/other aromatic wood bedding that can harm small rodents.
Lizards (general) — widely varying needs by species
Lizards range from tiny anoles to medium-sized leopard geckos; requirements differ a lot. However, most lizards need a thermal gradient, secure hides, and appropriate substrate and diet.
Common needs:
- Temperature & gradient: a warm basking spot and a cooler side so the lizard can thermoregulate. Exact temperatures depend on the species.
- Lighting: many species need UVB lighting for calcium metabolism (especially diurnal, herbivorous/omnivorous lizards). Replace UVB bulbs on schedule.
- Humidity: species-specific — some need arid conditions, others need moderate to high humidity. Use hygrometers to monitor.
- Diet: insectivores need gut-loaded insects and calcium dusting; omnivores/herbivores need appropriate greens, vegetables and supplements.
- Housing: escape-proof enclosure with hides, branches, and substrate safe for the species. Avoid loose sand for species that may ingest it.
Top tips: Research the exact species needs (temperature numbers, humidity ranges and UVB type) and locate an experienced reptile vet for regular checkups.
Bearded Dragons — friendly, sun-basking omnivores
Bearded dragons are among the most commonly kept pet lizards because of their docile nature and interactive behavior. They are diurnal, need strong UVB, and typically enjoy gentle handling when accustomed to it.
Needs:
- Enclosure size: juvenile dragons need progressively larger tanks; adults do best in a roomy enclosure with horizontal space for movement.
- Heating & lighting: a clear basking spot with appropriate high-temperature basking lamp and full-spectrum UVB light covering the active side of the tank. Maintain a cooler side for thermoregulation.
- Diet: a balanced mix of gut-loaded insects (crickets, dubia roaches) and a wide variety of safe greens and vegetables. Young dragons need more protein; adults shift to more plant matter.
- Substrate: use safe substrates (reptile carpet, tiles, or paper-based products). Avoid loose particulate substrates that can cause impaction if ingested.
- Handling & enrichment: handle gently and regularly to socialize; provide branches, rocks and hides for climbing and security.
- Veterinary care: schedule periodic fecal exams and wellness exams with an experienced reptile vet; watch for signs of metabolic bone disease if UVB or calcium is inadequate.
Top tips: Keep a UVB replacement schedule, provide calcium supplementation as appropriate, and offer a shallow water dish for soaking and humidity management when needed.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Crowding animals that need space or solitude (e.g., keeping a solitary hamster with others).
- Poor diet: too many seeds for rodents, insufficient hay for grazers, or missing UVB/calcium for reptiles.
- Using inappropriate bedding or substrate that causes respiratory problems or ingestion risks.
- Neglecting environmental needs — reptiles in particular suffer if temperature and lighting are wrong.
- Infrequent veterinary care or delaying treatment when an animal shows signs of illness.
Wrapping up — match instincts to care
To give a small pet a genuinely good life, think in terms of instincts: grazing and chewing for rabbits and guinea pigs, burrowing for gerbils and hamsters, climbing and basking for many lizards, and social contact for species that crave it. Combine that instinct-driven enrichment with species-appropriate housing, a balanced diet, and regular health checks, and you’ll meet both the wants and the needs of your little companion.