Rodents (chinchillas, chipmunks, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice and rats)

Susan Meredith, illustrated by Christyan Fox
Usborne Publishing Ltd (2013)
ISBN-10: 1409561895
ISBN-13: 978-1409561897

Susan Meredith’s ‘Looking After Hamsters’ is geared to children with their first hamster, so it’s very easy to read, and nicely illustrated. It’s likely to suit children from about the ages of seven to eleven. Children who read this book before their hamster comes to live with them are likely to be very aware of their pet’s needs, and should be able to care for the hamster themselves. The basics, such as feeding, handling, and cleaning, are well covered. The focus is on Syrian hamsters, and perhaps there could be more on different types of hamster, but the great strength of this book is its appeal to young owners.

Kate H Pellham
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2015)
ISBN-10: 1511972408
ISBN-13: 978-1511972406

Kate Pellham’s ‘Hamster Care’ has a lot of background information on different types of hamsters found in the wild, as well as the differences between those hamster species that are commonly kept as pets. It’s worth researching these differences before getting a pet hamster, because species vary a lot, for example in how much they can get on with other hamsters.

‘Hamster Care’ also guides would-be owners through getting everything ready for their pet, and basic care, such as feeding, hygiene, and preventing and recognizing common health problems. There’s guidance on handling hamsters, as well as ideas about training them.

‘Hamster Care’ is geared more to older children with an interest in animals in general. Parents may need to discourage children from following the instructions in this book on breeding hamsters, because it makes light of some of the difficulties of breeding, as well as the challenge of ensuring that the babies go to good homes.

David Alderton
Interpet Publishing (2008)
ISBN-10: 1842861824
ISBN-13: 978-1842861820

David Alderton is a prolific author on pet care, and his 'Chinchillas' is a very clearly written introductory guide to chinchillas as pets. It gives novices a clear ideas of the basics, and is also clear enough for older children to follow. David Alderton's book is less detailed than Mirella Poli's guide, but it's probably the best introductory guide around, and offers good value for money. It would make a nice present for a child who helps care for the family chinchilla, and is worth reading if you are wondering about a chinchilla as a pet. However, if you actually take on a chinchilla or two, Mirella Poli's book will be of more help.

Mirella Poli
Kingdom Books, Havant (2006)
ISBN-10: 1852792450
ISBN-13: 978-1852792459

Mirella Poli's book on chinchillas is more comprehensive than David Alderton's guide, and has enough to interest experienced chinchilla keepers, as well as being clear enough for novices. Chinchillas originated in the Andes mountains of South America, and there is an account of their early history as pets. There is also a lot of practical help on caring for and breeding chinchillas, including information on colours and genetics. A very helpful section is the guide to ailments that chinchillas may suffer from, and how to prevent and treat them. It is organized from A to Z, which makes it easy to find what you are looking for, if you're in a hurry. The book is also well-illustrated, with photographs, which makes it an attractive gift for anyone who loves chinchillas, as well as a useful source of information.

Peter Gurney
Collins; Relaunch edition (2011)
ISBN-10: 0007436653
ISBN-13: 978-0007436651

Peter Gurney is the guinea pig guru, and this classic is probably his best book. It's clear that he loves guinea pigs. He writes well and conveys his enthusiasm in a way that's appealing to children as well as adults. This book is well set out and has a lot of photos, which children are likely to enjoy. It covers all aspects of care for guinea pigs, with especially useful information on guinea pig healthcare. He also covers their history, choosing a guinea pig, housing (with enough details for novices), feeding, gentle and safe handling, grooming (especially important for those with long hair), guinea pig behaviour, and breeding.

Stephanie Shulman
John Wiley & Sons; Revised edition (1999)
ISBN-10: 1582450064
ISBN-13: 978-1582450063

Stephanie Shulman's book on The Mouse as a pet is a very basic guide to keeping mice, which will appeal to children. It has become a classic because it is easy to follow, but you really need more information than this book provides if you plan on breeding mice, or indeed keeping more than one mouse.

Donna Anastasi
Bowtie P. (2005)
ISBN-10: 1931993564
ISBN-13: 978-1931993562

Donna Anastasi's 'Gerbils: The Complete Guide to Gerbil Care' is a far more comprehensive guide than Kotter's book on gerbils. The basics, such as gerbil nutritional requirements, and housing needs, are well covered, and the book is particularly good on preventing, diagnosing, and treating health problems. What makes this book special is that it also conveys the joy of owning gerbils, explaining how to tame them, and play with them in ways that are fun for both owners and their gerbils. There's even a suggestion for gerbil art projects! Donna Anastasi is a respected American gerbil breeder who knows her stuff, and likes to share her expertise. The photographs are also a delight.

Sharon Vanderlip
Barron's Educational Series (2002)
ISBN-10: 0764118129
ISBN-13: 978-0764118128

Sharon Vanderlip's book 'Mice' is a much more detailed guide than Stephanie Shulman's, and really, this is the best choice if you want to keep your mice healthy, living long lives. There is much more help with preventing, diagnosing and treating illnesses. This book is also very good on the basics, like choosing, housing and feeding mice. There's help with handling mice safely, and there are even suggestions for toys, and activities to keep your mouse entertained. The book is well-organized, with summaries set out in charts and checklists for easy reference. There's help with breeding mice, including the fancy varieties, with a basic guide to their reproductive cycle, pregnancy, nursing, weaning and the development of mice pups. The book is well-illustrated, so will appeal to older children, though younger children may find Stephanie Shulman's book more accessible.

RSPCA (Author)
Collins; New edition (2004)
ISBN-10: 0007182694
ISBN-13: 978-0007182695

This is the official RSPCA guide to guinea pig care, and is geared to children and novice adults. It is short (48 pages) but packed with information which is presented in a way that's easily accessible to children. It covers all aspects of guinea pig care from choosing your guinea pig through feeding, grooming, exercise and health care. There's enough information here for a child with a first guinea pig, though you really need more information if you want to breed them.

Margaret Elward and Mette Ruelokke
Interpet Publishing (2003)
ISBN-10: 1860542514
ISBN-13: 978-1860542510

Guinea Piglopaedia is far more comprehensive than the RSPCA guide, and is very useful as a reference book, as well as being fun to read if you like these engaging creatures. There is plenty to interest experienced keepers, with a nice mix of the interesting and the practical, for example, there is a lot of helpful advice on preventing and tackling health problems. Both the authors, and Peter Gurney (see below) clearly know their subject, and both are excellent guides to guinea pigs. Guinea Piglopaedia is probably of more interest to experienced owners, and certainly deserves to become a classic.

G. Buscis
Barron's Educational Series (2000)
ISBN-10: 0764112082
ISBN-13: 978-0764112089

This is more than a guide to rat training, there is also help with choosing a rat, and developing a relationship, as well as suggestions for games that you can play with your rat. There are plenty of suggestions for ratty accessories, such as harnesses, and balls that rats can roll around in. You don't need to spend a fortune to keep your rat entertained, because many items that amuse rats can be made at home, and this book shows you how. The book has some lovely photos of rats, and the illustrations also make the text easier to understand. There are books on training rats which provide more detail, but as an inexpensive, introductory guide, this book is the best.

 Debbie Ducommun
TFH Publications, U.S. (2008)
ISBN-10: 0793806518
ISBN-13: 978-0793806515

A lot has been discovered about how rats learn, and what they are capable of, because they have been used in laboratory experiments for such a long time. This knowledge is very useful for owners of pet rats, who want to give their pets interesting things to do. Novice owners may find they are better off reading Bucsis' 'Training Your Pet Rat' first, to get the hang of the basics, such as building trust. However, this book can take you much further in finding out what your rat can do. One great advantage of Debbie Ducommun's book is that it is based on extensive scietific research, though it is clearly written so you don't have to be a biologist to understand it. There are lots of anecdotes, which bring the book to life. Debbie Ducommun is also aware that rats each have their individual quirks and characters, as do their owners, so you can pick and choose what suits you and your rat. She gives help with the basics, like getting your rat to come when you call, and she gives plenty of suggestions for activities and equipment that you can buy or make at home.