September 2015 Issue 九月刊
Small Furry’s Special 鼠鼠特輯 Rodents are mammals with a pair of continuously growing incisors in both upper and lower jaws. Due to their growing teeth, they need to gnaw constantly so that their teeth do not hurt themselves. Rodents are often kept as household pets due to their relatively small sizes and ease of breeding and keeping. Examples of rodents include hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, beavers, squirrels, chipmunks, rats, mice etc. In Hong Kong, guinea pigs, chinchillas and hamsters are popular pets which are kept by many families. In this issue, we will briefly introduce these 3 chubby rodents to you, hoping that, as animal lovers, you can have a better understanding about different animals, be they small or big. 囓齒類動物（鼠類）是哺乳類動物，上下顎各具有一對不斷生長的門牙。基於這個特性，牠們需要不停地啃 咬東西，以防止門牙傷害到自己。很多鼠類動物都因其較小的身軀被當作家庭寵物，而且牠們容易繁殖及飼 養。鼠類動物包括倉鼠，天竺鼠，龍貓，海狸，松鼠，花鼠，老鼠，家鼠等等。其中倉鼠，天竺鼠和龍貓都 經常被當作寵物。在今期的PetsTales，我們會簡介這三種可愛的鼠類動物，希望大家作為動物愛好者，對大 小不同的動物都有一定的認識。
Guinea Pig 天竺鼠 Despite its name, guinea pig is not from Guinea, nor is it a pig. In fact, it is from the Andes. Compared to hamsters, guinea pigs are slightly bulkier and have a rather flat nose. Guinea pigs also have no tails, as opposed to hamsters and chinchillas. Life span of 5-6 years
Diet: They are strict herbivores. The recommended diet should include grass/ dry hay (supplemented at all times), pellets, alfalfa and fresh green vegetables. These can include kale, parsley, beet greens, chicory, spinach, kiwi fruit and oranges. They require a daily dose of Vitamin C! Add this into their drinking water and change the water daily. Living Environment: They should be kept in a cage with solid flooring, also with bedding such as shredded newspaper, wood shavings or straw. The cage should be placed in a quiet area out of direct sunlight as they are prone to hyperthermia! Don’t house them together unless they are de-sexed as they breed quickly and the males may fight. What to Pay Attention to: • •
They are generally very tame and relatively easy to take care of We recommend de-sexing your guinea pig if you want to avoid unwanted litters!
Food for guinea pig 天竺鼠糧食
雖然名叫天竺鼠，但牠們並不是來自天竺，而是來自安第斯山脈。與倉鼠比較，天竺鼠的身軀較豐滿，而且 鼻子較扁。與其他兩種鼠類不同的是牠們沒有尾巴。 平均壽命：約5-6年
飲食：牠們是草食動物，絕對不會吃其他種類的食物。供給牠們的糧食應包括乾草（需時刻供應），食物 顆粒，苜蓿，和新鮮的蔬果，如牡丹菜，香芹，紅菜頭葉，菊苣，菠菜，奇異果和橙。 牠們每天都需要維他命C！將維他命C放進飲用水中，並每天更換水。 居住環境： 牠們需要一個有固定地板的籠子，而且像倉鼠般要墊草，如報紙碎，木糠或稻草 等。籠子需放在安靜的環境，但不能放在陽光直射的地方，因為牠們是很容易過熱的！ 不要把沒有絕育的天竺鼠放在一起，因為牠們繁殖速度快。另外，雄性的天竺鼠亦較有可能會 打架。
需注意的地方： • •
牠們通常都比較溫馴並能容易照顧 我們建議你為天竺鼠做絕育手術，避免誕下過多的幼鼠