Christmas for your rabbit and rodent: festive and animal-friendly

You celebrate the holidays with the people around you, and for many people their pet is simply part of that. In this category you will find Christmas items for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils and degus. They are Christmas items your pet will actually use: to lie in, gnaw on or enjoy as a treat.

Christmas for your pet does mean something different from Christmas for people. Your pet has no need for glitter or a feast. It needs calm, a fixed routine and something fun to do. That is why at 't Knaagplein we chose simple, animal-friendly items. Combine them with Zooply, our own premium brand, for hay and snacks we use every day with our own animals.

In short

• ✓ Choose Christmas items your pet will really use: to hide in, gnaw on or forage with.
• ✓ Keep the Christmas tree, decorations, fairy lights and Christmas plants out of your pet's reach.
• ✓ No chocolate, Christmas biscuits or other human food: choose a treat that suits your pet.
• ✓ Offer calm and extra hiding places during busy times and fireworks.
• ✓ Hay and the regular food remain the basis during the holidays too.

What will you find in the Christmas category?

Hiding and resting: tunnel and Christmas houses

The red and white Trixie relax tunnel is made of plush with a sheepskin look. With a diameter of 20 cm and a length of 50 cm it suits guinea pigs, dwarf rabbits and rats. For larger rabbits the opening is too tight. Because it is made of fabric, watch closely during the first days to make sure your pet does not chew it.

For hamsters, mice and gerbils there are two Christmas houses. The Rosewood gingerbread house is a wooden gingerbread house of 21 × 10.5 × 12 cm, with pink printed sides, a roof of round slats and a round entrance. It suits mice, dwarf hamsters and gerbils; for an adult Syrian hamster it is tight. The reindeer log house is a piece of log with bark, with antlers and a red pompom nose. No size is known for this house, so check that your pet fits easily through the entrance. The wood of both houses may be gnawed. If your pet gnaws off the reindeer's antlers or nose, remove them.

To fill and hang up: stocking, snack tree and play wreath

You hang the Trixie Christmas stocking in the cage and fill it with hay, grass or nesting material, for example Zooply nesting material for hamsters or for rats. It is intended for hamsters, rats, mice and gerbils. The play and snack tree is a little green Christmas tree of wood and sisal that you fill with a few treats. The Rosewood play wreath is a Christmas wreath with red pompoms and a hanging loop, to nibble and play with, for rabbits, guinea pigs and rats. No composition is known for the wreath, so watch the first few times.

To gnaw: rattan set and wooden holly

The Trixie Christmas rattan set contains 3 rattan Christmas figures of 5 to 6.5 cm that may be gnawed. The Rosewood holly sprig has two wooden holly leaves with three red rattan balls as berries and a string to hang it up. That gives you holly in the enclosure without a real holly branch. Hide the figures or the sprig in a pile of hay, and your pet will go searching.

Treats: Xmas star and advent calendar

The Xmas star is a pressed Christmas star of hay and herbs with dried pieces of parsnip and beetroot, for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and rats. The Trixie advent calendar is filled with various treats, so your pet can count down to Christmas. No official composition is known for either. Give them as a treat, in moderation, alongside unlimited hay and the main food. We advise against the Xmas star for dwarf hamsters, and be careful with the calendar too, as dwarf hamsters are sensitive to sugar.

Safely through the holidays

Never let your pet roam freely near the Christmas tree. Needles, tinsel, baubles and fairy lights are quickly gnawed, and a live cable is extremely dangerous. Also keep Christmas arrangements and Christmas plants out of reach. If you are unsure whether a plant or branch is safe, do not give it.

Chocolate, Christmas biscuits, Christmas stollen and other leftovers from the table are not suitable for rabbits and rodents. If you want to give your pet something tasty, choose a snack that suits your pet, and give it in moderation.

Busy times, visitors and especially fireworks are stressful for prey animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. Put the enclosure in a quiet room, away from the dinner table. Provide extra hiding places and a generous layer of hay, so your pet can hide. If your rabbit lives outdoors, make sure the hutch is draught-free and screened off, and do not leave your pet in the run around New Year's Eve. If your pet does not eat after a busy evening, or sits still in a corner, contact a vet with knowledge of rabbits or rodents straight away.

Gift ideas for your pet

Looking for a Christmas present for your pet? A combination of something to do and something tasty always works. Think of the advent calendar, the snack tree with a few Zooply snacks for rabbits, the Christmas stocking with nesting material for a hamster, or the rattan set hidden in a bag of Zooply hay. For guinea pig owners, the relax tunnel and Zooply snacks for guinea pigs make a lovely combination.

Handy combinations

• Zooply hay and straw: the basis of the menu, during the holidays too.
• Snacks for rabbits: for the snack tree or as a reward.
• Snacks for hamsters: do not choose sweet snacks for dwarf hamsters.
• Snacks for rats: a few pieces to hide.
• Nesting material for rats: to fill the Christmas stocking.

Frequently asked questions about Christmas for your pet

Can I use the Christmas items after the holidays too?

Yes. The Christmas theme is mainly in the shape and colour. You can keep using the tunnel, the stocking, the snack tree and the rattan figures as long as they are intact and clean. The Xmas star is a treat to give in moderation.

May my rabbit nibble on the Christmas tree?

No, keep your pet away from the Christmas tree. Needles, decorations and fairy lights can be dangerous if your pet gnaws them. Give your pet something it is allowed to gnaw instead, such as the rattan figures or hay.

How do I help my pet during the fireworks?

Put the enclosure in a quiet room and provide extra hiding places and hay. Do not keep checking on it or picking it up, because calm works best.

May I give my pet a Christmas biscuit or a piece of chocolate?

No, chocolate, biscuits and other human food are not suitable for rabbits and rodents. Choose a snack that suits your pet and give it in moderation, alongside hay and the regular food.

Which Christmas items suit a hamster?

For hamsters, the gingerbread house, the reindeer log house, the Christmas stocking and the rattan figures are a good choice. With a Syrian hamster, check the size of the houses, and do not give a dwarf hamster sweet treats.

Christmas for your pet at Knaagplaza

At 't Knaagplein in Bodegraven we specialise in rabbits and rodents. Combine the Christmas items with Zooply, our own premium brand, which we use daily with our own animals. Happy holidays, for you and your pet.