Small Pets

Small pets need exercise and enrichment just as much as cats and dogs do. A bored hamster chews bars. A restless rat gets into things it shouldnt. A gerbil with nothing to do will burrow destructively. The right toys keep them active and engaged without taking over your living room. I tested eight of the most popular small pet toys and exercise accessories on the market, from wheels to tunnels to playpens. My test crew of hamsters, gerbils, and rats were brutally honest about what they liked and what they ignored. ...

Rabbits need more than a cage. They need floor space to run, jump, and stretch out. The old pet store stereotype — a tiny wire-bottomed hutch with a food bowl and a water bottle — is basically a jail cell for a bunny. A proper enclosure plus a few hours of daily exercise time outside it is what keeps them healthy. We tested 7 enclosures — indoor cages for apartment bunnies, outdoor hutches for backyard setups, two-story condos for spoiled rabbits, and large playpen-style enclosures for free-roam adjacent setups. Some are spacious and well-designed. Others are overpriced boxes with misleading square footage claims. ...

Not every pet runs hot. Senior cats, short-haired dogs, and small animals like guinea pigs and rabbits struggle to regulate body temperature in winter — and even healthy animals seek out warmth instinctively. A good heated bed or pad is one of the simplest quality-of-life upgrades you can give a pet that runs cold. We tested 6 heated pet products — low-wattage pads, self-warming beds, orthopedic heated loungers, and multi-pet mats — across different pet sizes and home setups. ...

Guinea pigs are not hamsters. They need floor space, not height — these guys are ground-dwellers who need room to run popcorning laps across a wide, open area. A proper cage makes the difference between a bored, stressed guinea pig and one that wheeks at you every time the fridge opens. I tested 8 cages — budget starters, store-bought habitats, and full C&C custom builds. Some are genuinely worth the money. Others are basically hamster cages with misleading labels. ...

Your hamster’s cage is the one purchase that shapes nearly every hour of its life. A cage that’s too small, poorly ventilated, or impossible to clean leads to a stressed, unhealthy hamster. Here are the cages worth buying — from budget wire enclosures to glass terrariums — and what you actually need to know before picking one. What to Look for in a Hamster Cage Here’s what to look for before you buy. ...