Sydney · Melbourne · Brisbane · Perth · Adelaide · regional Australia
Rabbits, guinea pigs and rats
Housing, diet and daily care for the small companions that hop, squeak and burrow through Australian households.
Fancy rats are social, short-lived companions — legal in some states, restricted in others — and they need friends, space on several levels, and a vet who will talk honestly about tumours. They are not the rats in the roof.
Guinea pigs need vitamin C, a bonded friend, a cool floor and a vet who has met the species. Australian heat, cedar shavings and a lonely hutch are the usual ways a “easy pet” becomes an emergency.
Pet rabbits do well in Australian homes when they have shade, hay, company and a vet who knows lagomorphs. Full-sun hutches, muesli mixes and a solo life are the usual ways it goes wrong.