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Small Pet Rodents: Choose Well, Care Well

“Small Pet Rodents: Choose Well, Care Well” is a 45-page printable PDF guide published by Planète Pets (September 2026 edition), sold for €15 VAT included: 13 chapters, 8 studies cited with their DOI, checklists, schedules and a costed budget, instant download after payment.

Hamster, guinea pig, rat, gerbil: the guide to choosing well and caring well, with sizes, schedules, budget and safety.

  • The right rodent for your family, with a comparison table and clear decision rules
  • Each species’ space, bedding and wheel size, based on published recommendations
  • A real budget per species, 6 checklists and 3 schedules ready to print

€15 45-page PDF to read or print

Buy the guide — €15

Secure Stripe payment · Instant download after payment · 14-day money-back guarantee

Key facts

Price
€15 VAT included, one-off payment
Format
A4 PDF, 45 pages, to read or print
Languages
English and French (two PDFs)
Contents
13 chapters, checklists, schedules, budget
Sources
8 studies with verified DOI; 26 sources in all, full list at the end of the guide
Edition
September 2026
Seller
Lacangel Group (SAS, France), card payment via Stripe
Guarantee
14-day money-back on a simple email

What the guide contains

13 chapters, 45 A4 pages, with tick-box checklists, schedules and a budget built from prices recorded at real retailers. Studies are cited with their DOI. The French edition is included with your purchase.

  1. Before you start. Why so many of these pets die young, what this guide adds and how to use it.
  2. Which rodent for which family?. Comparison table (life expectancy, social life, rhythm, children, space, budget), decision rules and French legal rules.
  3. The hamster: Syrian and dwarf. Alone or in pairs, 100 × 50 cm and 25 cm of bedding, 30 cm wheel, TVT feeding guideline and 20-day taming plan.
  4. The guinea pig. 2 m² for two, vitamin C (10 to 50 mg a day), vegetable list, what 51,622 veterinary records reveal.
  5. The rat. 100 × 50 × 100 cm cage with solid levels, digging box, two meals a day, watching for lumps and breathing problems.
  6. The gerbil. Same-sex pair, 40 cm of bedding, the dark tube that prevents stereotypic digging, never by the tail.
  7. Setting up and arrival. Location, shopping list, setup the day before and a plan for the first seven days.
  8. Safety and hazards. Toxic foods and plants by species, fragrances, medicines, heat thresholds, accessories to avoid, emergency signs and numbers.
  9. Health and the exotic-pet vet. 13-point weekly check, finding an exotic-pet vet, preparing the visit, ageing.
  10. The real budget. Setup, annual and first-year cost for each species, prices recorded in France in September 2026 and published vet fees.
  11. Schedules and routines. Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly routine by species, a cleaning calendar that spares burrows, seasonal plan.
  12. Holidays and absences. Care options, a 12-point holiday checklist and travel.
  13. Sources. The 8 studies with verified DOIs, TVT, RSPCA and VCA recommendations and all price pages.

Who it is for, and who it is not for

This guide is for you if…

  • Families torn between a hamster, guinea pigs, rats and gerbils
  • Parents who want to know what a guinea pig or hamster really costs
  • New owners preparing for their pet’s arrival
  • Owners who already have a rodent and want a complete care and safety routine

It will not help you if…

  • Anyone looking for a diagnosis or treatment: this guide does not replace a vet
  • Breeders: breeding is not covered
  • Chinchilla or degu owners looking for a full guide: they only get a box

Free sample

The weekly health check

Do it on the same day each week, when the animal is awake (in the evening for a hamster), over a table or sitting down. Allow 3 to 5 minutes per animal.

  • Weight written in the notebook (kitchen scale, in a tared bowl or box)
  • Compared with the previous week and with the arrival weight; any unusual drop = call the vet
  • Incisors: even length, aligned, normal colour for the species, nothing broken
  • Nails: not too long or curled (the leading disorder in guinea pigs in VetCompass 2024)
  • Eyes: open, bright, no discharge; in rats, no heavy red staining
  • Nose and breathing: dry, quiet, no repeated sneezing
  • Coat and skin: no bald patches, no scabs, no intense scratching, no visible parasites
  • Body felt with fingertips: no new lump (hamster’s belly, rat’s flanks)
  • Rear end clean and dry
  • Feet: no wound, no swelling, normal weight-bearing
  • The week’s droppings: usual number, shape and consistency
  • Behaviour: eats, drinks, explores, does not hide more than usual
  • Group: no bite wounds, no animal pushed aside

What clinic records say

The two VetCompass studies cited in this guide give an idea of what most often brings these animals to the vet in the UK. In hamsters (O’Neill et al., 2022): the “wet tail” presentation, bites, overgrown nails and incisors, traumatic injuries; by disorder group, trauma, digestive, eye and skin disorders, and masses. In guinea pigs (O’Neill et al., 2024): overgrown nails far ahead, then ringworm and corneal ulcers. Several of these problems can be spotted during the weekly check, long before they become serious.

€15 one-off payment, updates included

Buy the guide — €15

Not convinced? Refunded within 14 days, on a simple email.

How it works

  1. You pay on Stripe — one-off card payment on Stripe’s secure page: your card details never go through our servers.
  2. You download straight away — you land on your personal download page (PDF), whose link stays valid for updates.
  3. A problem? — unreadable file or the guide is not for you: refunded within 14 days on a simple email to admin@tech-bharat.com, no reason needed.

Seller: LACANGEL GROUP (SAS), Paris, France, VAT FR21995268018. Prices VAT included. Terms of sale

Frequently asked questions

What format is the guide?

A PDF file to download right after payment, in French and English, ready to print (checklists and schedules included). Prices are in euros, recorded in France.

Who is it for?

Families and adults who want to adopt, or already have, a hamster, guinea pigs, rats or gerbils. No prior knowledge needed.

Is the guide updated?

Yes: prices and recommendations are dated (September 2026) and the guide is revised when sources change. The update date is shown in the document.

Can I get a refund?

Yes, you have 14 days to request a refund by writing to admin@tech-bharat.com, with no need to give a reason.

Does this guide replace a vet?

No. It helps you house, feed and monitor your pet and recognise an emergency; it gives no diagnosis and no medication doses. When in doubt, call a vet.

Seller: LACANGEL GROUP, SAS (French simplified joint-stock company) — SIREN 995 268 018 — registered office: 1 rue Marguerin, 75014 Paris, France — president: Clément Lacaille — EU VAT number FR21995268018 — administration@lacangel.fr. Price VAT included. Digital product delivered right after payment; 14-day money-back commercial guarantee. See the terms of sale.

🩺 The health watchpoints on this page are for information only: only a veterinarian can examine your animal and make a diagnosis.

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