An illustrated field guide
Small Pets
Guinea pigs, hamsters, rats and more — small, but with minds of their own.
32 entries
“Small pet” covers a lot of ground — from social, colony-living animals that must never be kept alone to strictly solitary species that fight cage-mates. Getting the social setup right is the single most important decision, and it changes completely from one species to the next. Activity rhythm matters too: several are nocturnal or crepuscular, so you may only see them in the evening.
The profiles below flag each on social needs, activity time, care level and grooming — a nocturnal, solitary animal suits a very different household than a daytime, group-living one.
Browse all small pets (32)
Chinchilla (1)
Ferret (1)
Guinea Pig (19)
Hamster (5)
Hedgehog (1)
Sugar Glider (1)
Find your small pet
Set what you can offer — the tool ranks the small pets live. temperament data partly incomplete → flagged honestly
What will one cost?
Every small pet below carries its own cost snapshot, scaled to its weight and lifespan. For a full breakdown by life phase — setup, a few months, or a whole lifetime — use the calculator.