Small animal trends
From ‘gateway pets’ for children to ‘fur kids’ pampered by millennials; as the demand for small animals increases, so does the demand for tailored products.
Best quality products for small friends
As the demand for small animals grows amongst millennials, these pet parents are looking for prime products and services to pamper their rodents, rabbits, ferrets or other small, exotic animals. They expect the market to be as dynamic as it is for cats and dogs, and to catch up with the last trends.
Green and premium products
Most small animals live for only a couple of years. Premature death often occurs if these animals are not fed properly. Reason why many pet owners are concerned about the quality and the origin of the pellets or hay they give their fur kids. Palm oil, cheap fillers, added sugar or toxic additives are all ‘no goes’ for their pets. Rather, they prefer to buy premium grain-free pellets for their herbivorous rabbits and guinea pigs and sugar-free pellets for their omnivorous rats or hamsters. And pet parents choose raw organic meat for their ferrets, rather than canned food or kibbles full of carbohydrates and vegetal proteins.
Even hay (considered as the most basic staple food) is subject to strict selection criteria. Some brands, such as the UK-based Oxbow company, offer different types of hay, for various needs and health issues: Timothy, alfalfa, meadow, botanical, oats, orchard and 100% organic grass hay.
Beyond food, pet owners are also looking for toys, houses and various cage accessories (bowls, tunnels, beds and more) made from natural, sustainable and non-toxic materials.
Eco-friendly litters
Forget wood shavings. The pet industry offers several great alternatives for small mammals. Hemp and corn litters are dust-free and mostly organic. Cellulose is also considered safe and has the advantage of being very absorbent and very soft. Unfortunately, it comes at a premium price, which means that rodent parents sometimes prefer to buy soft shredded paper, which offers the same qualities.
This bedding is perfect for smaller rodents such as hamsters and gerbils who like to burrow. Lately, a number of brands, including ultra-premium Laboratoire Demavic, have launched mineral litter, made from diatomaceous earth powder (fossilised remains of diatoms, a type of micro-organism).
It is extremely absorbent, acts as a mechanical and natural insecticide, and is biodegradable. Some brands are reportedly also working on a composite litter product, combining all the qualities demanded by pet owners: sustainable, low price, absorbent and organic.
DIY habitats and beddings
Although small in size, many of these animals, including rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs, need a lot of space. That is why in the US many owners are creating their own entirely modular and very spacious habitats, using grids from storage cubes and coroplast. According to these pet lovers, theirs’ is the gold standard, and cages sold in pet stores are nothing less than ‘glorified litter boxes’.
For the same reasons, DIY habitats, or cages made from customised IKEA furniture, are also very trendy for smaller rodents. The British brand Omlet has already latched on to this craze, with an elegant piece of contemporary furniture, made to house mice, gerbils or hamsters. It looks like a storage cabinet with two levels: the top level looks like a regular cage for feeding and exercising, whereas the bottom one is an extra deep tray – much like a plastic aquarium – for nesting and burrowing.
When it comes to bedding: many guinea pig owners now use a combination of washable fleece blankets placed on top of absorbent towels. Their goal is not only to offer more comfort, but also to avoid the traditional litters, often considered toxic or bad for the environment in terms of production and waste management. Let us hope the pet industry will catch up with these DIY trends and offer similar solutions that are ready to use.