Companion animal rights

[bitspike]

My girlfriend and I, after weeks of preparation, got three mice this morning from a small-animal rescue.  We've read about what to feed and provide them to keep them healthy and happy while we look after them, but I've also read a lot about mouse 'training' and I'm not sure how I feel about it, exactly.

Comments

[thalestral]

I have my five lovely guinea pigs and while I've never even considered "training" them as such, socialising with them is something I see as very important as a "pet owner". Being able to lift them out of their pen without so much fuss or stress is really helpful given how often I have to lift them out for medicines, grooming, nail clipping, weighing and checking them over. It also enables them to enjoy floor time, when they run about the whole living room as they are not terrified of us coming close to them, and they enjoy climbing over my feet and so on

[bobstar]

We care for rescued animal too, usually animals that naturally live in herd or family groups (i.e. sheep now, rats in the past) and we give them as much physical attention as we possible can. It is usually on their terms, if someone does not want to be handled than it is not forced but the opportunity is made available to them as aften as possible. There is another reason for doing this, they are not as stressed at the times that they need to be handled - like shearing, crutching and toenail clipping time for the sheep and vet visits for the ratties.

Most of our rats came to the names that we gave them and both the sheep do, I think that the sheep have 'names' for each other too. There is a baa that they respond to...it may just be saying 'hey you' but it is different from the other baas :D