Dormouse rodent: general characteristics of animals and types of these mice. Forest dormouse What do dormouse eat

Class: mammals.
Squad: rodents.
Family: dormouse.
Genus: The classification includes 9 genera.
Habitat in nature: in nature, there are 28 species of dormouse, most of which live from North Africa and Asia Minor to Altai, Northwest China and Japan, some species of the genus Graphiurus are isolated in Africa south of the Sahara, and are distributed in Europe to Southern Scandinavia. Most dormice are forest animals that prefer broad-leaved and mixed forests; they can be found in forest-steppe regions and in the mountains, where they settle at an altitude of up to 3500m. In Russia, there are 5 species of these rodents.
Lifespan: in nature 2-3 years, at home 4-6 years.
Averages: body length 8-20cm, tail 4-17cm. Weight depends on the type of animal, but does not exceed 70g.

Description
Dormouse is a small and medium rodent, with terrestrial forms more like mice, and arboreal ones like squirrels. The muzzle is sharp or slightly rounded (depending on the species), the ears are small, rounded, the eyes are bulging, round, large. The tail, as a rule, is densely pubescent, although there are species with a semi-naked tail. The coat is thick and soft, but short. The color depends on the species.
The coat on the back and sides may be gray to buffy-brown, the abdomen and paws may be lighter or white. Long, up to 20 percent of the body length, extremely mobile vibrissae, growing like a fan near the nose, are the main tactile organ for the dormouse.

Character
Dormouse are very sociable, lively, active and social animals. They prefer to live in the company of relatives, but at home they are best kept alone or in pairs. These rodents are very cautious and shy, afraid of loud or unexpected sounds, sudden movements. Hazel, African and dormouse-dormouse quickly get used to people, taming other species requires more attention and patience.

Relationships with other pets
Dormouse that has left the cage can be dangerous to smaller rodents, small birds and lizards. Cats, dogs, ferrets and large birds are dangerous to dormice.

Attitude towards children
Sony is not very suitable for children as pets.

Education
Dormouse, which appeared in the house at an early age, quickly get used to the person, will expect your arrival with food and can get used to taking food from the hands. They can be taught to go out for a treat when called, but they most likely will not become completely tame.

Nutrition
For all types of dormouse, a diet is suitable, including sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pine and walnuts, melon seeds, watermelon, pumpkin. It is useful to include apples in the diet of dormouse (an adult animal can eat a whole apple overnight), grapes, buds, branch bark, wild rose, dried mountain ash, viburnum, dry apricots. In summer, it is useful to reduce the number of oil seeds. Forest, garden and African dormice need animal food. They are suitable for mealworms, butterfly pupae, crickets, May beetles, snails, large cockroaches, sometimes they can be pampered with raw meat, cottage cheese and eggs.

Care and maintenance
Of the species that live on the territory of Russia, at home they most often contain hazel, garden, forest and dormice. The African dormouse, which is called the pygmy dormouse because of its very small size, is also well suited for keeping as a pet. Hazel and African dormouse are well suited for cage keeping, dormouse can be kept both in a cage and in an aviary, but garden and forest dormouse are best kept in an aviary, where they can create a landscape reminiscent of their natural habitat.
When keeping sleepyheads in a cage, it is easier to communicate with them, it is more convenient to observe, they make better contact. It is advisable to choose a small-mesh, spacious and all-metal cage in order to avoid the unpleasant odor that impregnates the wooden parts of the cage, and various infections. They are well suited for squirrel cages with a spinning wheel, as these rodents have a very high need for movement. Existence in a cage of the sliding pallet considerably facilitates cleaning and cleaning. Sawdust, dry sand or small shavings can be used as bedding. It is necessary to put heavy bowls for food, a drinking bowl, preferably automatic, place various ladders, hollow pipes, a hammock in the cage, fix the ropes and the wheel and attach houses to the grate where the dormouse will make a nest. To equip the nest, they can be offered hay, straw, unpainted strips of paper, small twigs. Every day it is necessary to wash the food bowls and the drinking bowl, remove the leftover food; two, three times a week, the bedding should be changed, twice a month, a complete cleaning and disinfection of the cage is required. Disinfection can be carried out by spilling the cage with boiling water.
Dormouse do not like temperature differences, drafts and direct sunlight, so the cage should be placed at least 40 cm from heating appliances and away from windows and doors.
Dormouse are nocturnal animals and can disturb you with noise. However, often communicating with a person, dormice gradually move to a daytime lifestyle, especially if you feed them only in the morning and evening no later than 19 hours.
With properly equipped housing, dormouse does not need to walk. If you decide to get the animal out of the cage, then be prepared for the fact that it can easily arrange an escape.
In summer, in dry weather, the animals can be taken out to the balcony during the day or put the cage on the table near the house in the summer cottage, shading part of the cage from the sun's rays so that the animals can rest.
Dormouse living in nature fall into hibernation in winter, which can last 6-7 months, but at temperatures above 10 ° C, dormouse can be active all year round.
Outside the city, these rodents can be kept in an aviary, where you can recreate a piece of wildlife: make a litter of moss or peat, put stumps and snags, fix strong branches with hollows, put grass and oats in pots, plant bushes of currants, gooseberries, blackberries. Dormouse kept in an aviary are less tameable, because when a person appears, they hide in various shelters, do not make contact, retain the behavior characteristic of them in the wild, and are not given into hands. Many owners are happy to talk about their observations of these lively, funny, active animals living in an aviary. It should be borne in mind that all species of the dormouse family in winter in an aviary can survive only in a properly made shelter, arranged in the ground in the form of an artificial hole, well insulated and covered with a layer of sawdust from above. Before wintering, dormouse gain weight 3-4 times higher than usual. However, you should carefully monitor the awakening animals: a sleeping dormouse that has awakened can eat a fellow sleeping nearby.

A bit of history
Unlike many other rodents, dormouse came to the homes of animal lovers directly from the wild. In the 20th century, the number of dormouse began to decline rapidly due to the destruction of the natural habitat of these rodents as a result of human activity. Many species of dormouse have been listed in the Red Book, and programs have begun to be developed around the world to restore the livestock of these cute animals. In the wake of this popularity, Sony first got into living corners with youth circles, and then into apartments, where they feel very good.

dormouse animal is one of the representatives of the detachment. They are so small that they fit perfectly in the palm of a person. These tiny mammals have a long fluffy squirrel-like tail.

But only species that live on trees have such beauty of the tail. But another species of these animals is endowed with the usual naked tail. An interesting animal can be seen mainly in the steppe places and forest areas. Some of them like to bask in the sun and therefore they are found in the northern and southern parts.

habitats dormice animal also common in Altai and Asia Minor. But among these rodents there are species that prefer cooler air. More often animals with the name sony can be seen in dense tree thickets. So, dormouse most of his life lives among the branches of trees.

In the photo Sonya polchok

forest dormouse they construct their cozy dwelling in the hollow of trees or make a safe, strong nest, which, as usual, is arranged on powerful branches. Some prefer to use the land under a fallen tree trunk for housing, or dig a mink under the roots.

If such a baby settles in a garden plot, then cultivated plants are noticeably reduced in number. That's why people don't complain garden dormouse. To date, the number of dormouse has decreased significantly, so they began to be bred at home in order not to completely lose such funny unique animals.

Pictured is a forest dormouse

Character and lifestyle

Small rodents are mobile, they do not accept loneliness, they like to be among their relatives. They are always active and hardly get along at home. Sonya as pet gets along better when she has a mate, but some species prefer loneliness.

These mammals are very cautious and get scared of any unexpected sounds. Therefore, for a pet, a shelter must be arranged, otherwise the rodent may deserve a nervous shock.

The hazel dormouse and the dormouse are the fastest to get used to people, but it is necessary to have a cute pet at an early age so that there are less problems with addiction. Then these babies will be looking forward to your arrival to feast from your hands.

These species have a beautiful fur coat. Very thick and soft wool will not leave any adult indifferent, and a small child will be completely amazed. Look at this photo, where the dormouse animal looks with its black beady eyes so that you involuntarily want to touch this fluffy lump.

Despite the harmless appearance, it should be noted that dormouse can bite quite strongly, even if you have already made friends with him. This is because they are very shy and any rustle can provoke a defensive reaction.

More dormice animals are very nimble, so taking the animal in your hands you can not keep track of its instant flight. A split second and the dormouse will be on your head, and then, perhaps, on the curtain and eventually be free.

So you have to be on the lookout and not give the fugitive the opportunity to disappear from sight. I would like to warn you that this animal should not be grabbed by the tail, as it is able to rush forward and you will only have a thin fluffy skin in your hands. The trouble is that after that the tail does not grow back.

And these animals deftly crawl even into the narrowest vertical cracks, and it should be noted that not only in trees, but also in home dwellings. This is facilitated by the natural gift to shrink from the sides.

Under natural conditions, such a unique opportunity saves lives. Thanks to its excellent hearing, dormouse can hide from danger in time. The auricles, like locators, constantly rotate independently of each other. The garden dormouse has the largest ears.

Sonya is an animal nocturnal, but in captivity you can change their lifestyle. To do this, you need to illuminate the habitat at night, and during the day, arrange illumination with a blue or red lamp.

Watching their acrobatic tricks, you can get great pleasure and a great mood for the whole day. Often dormouse animal can be seen in a pet store, as well as in a specialized nursery, so there is an opportunity buy such a handsome man to every lover.

Nutrition

The nutrition of rodents is varied. In the main diet, they include sunflower seeds and all kinds of nuts. Dormouse's teeth are so sharp that by rotating the nuts in their front paws, they get inside the shell and feast on the wonderful fruit. Small animals are vegetarians, so their menu always contains all kinds of fruits and vegetables.

But for all species, the food is somewhat different from the standard. So for forest, garden and African dormouse, animal food is characteristic. Also, animals are not averse to pampering themselves with raw meat, cottage cheese and eggs. May bugs, crickets and cockroaches are also a favorite food for dormouse.

If they manage to escape from a forced dwelling, then small rodents, birds and lizards can be a wonderful meal. But tree dormice love everything that grows on trees.

Sometimes they prefer small insects. Dormouse, living on trees, seek out bird nests and feast on their eggs. This type of rodent can also attack smaller animals.

Ground dormice are herbivores. The diet traditionally includes dandelion leaves, clover and nettles. garden dormouse, having settled near the orchard, they eat large quantities of apples, pears and other fruits along with seeds.

Pictured garden dormouse

To prepare for winter in autumn, garden dormice accumulate fat for themselves, and then sleep peacefully in a mink. In captivity, dormouse feeds on grains, seeds, fruits, and nuts. The pet likes boiled meat, milk, cottage cheese and chicken eggs.

Reproduction and lifespan of dormouse

Males and females live together for a very short period. In early spring, mating games begin at Dormouse. During this period, they amusingly "sing". The whistle is so loud that being nearby, you will probably not be able to fall asleep at night.

During the day, the animals behave very carefully and quietly. . After mating is completed, the female hurries to build her cozy nest. The mother takes care of the babies mostly herself.

As a rule, 3-5 cubs are born . Sleepyheads carefully cover the dwelling for their children with soft grass and tender leaves. Approximately 27–30 days after fertilization, naked and blind cubs are born.

Sometimes there are dormouse that live in a small group. In this case, not only the mother, but also all members of the mouse family monitor the newborns. Independence of children occurs in 1-2 months. The offspring is an exact copy of their relatives. They love to play and eat well.

In captivity, reproduction of animals begins after hibernation. For most domestic species, a cage is not an obstacle to reproduction, the main thing is that pets have a good, complete diet.

Only dormouse unable to breed in captivity. Interestingly, a month after birth, Sonya is capable of childbearing. Basically, the offspring appears 1 time per year.

There are up to 10 newborns in a litter. Feeding lasts about three weeks. Usually the animal lives in captivity in pairs. Therefore, both parents take care of the babies. funny dormice animals live from 3 to 6 years. At home, you can increase this period due to the correct maintenance of the animal.

Now even the most fanciful breeds of dogs and cats do not cause much surprise, but tamed wild animals are still a curiosity. So, in Novosibirsk, Sonya the squirrel became a local celebrity - especially after a news story was shot about her.

Some families take wild animals for themselves, consciously preparing for the choice - first they read a lot of information about the future pet, and then buy it at a pet store or bird market. For the family that sheltered Sonya, the situation looked completely different: either they take the squirrel home and try to get him out, or he dies a slow death from hunger. The fact is that Sonya fell out of the nest at the age of only one and a half months, and for some reason her mother did not take her back. The baby had no chance to survive on her own: she still ate milk and did not know how to get her own food.

Squirrel Sonya is such a “Mowgli on the contrary”, - Elena Ermakova, the owner of the squirrel, jokes. Now this once wild animal can be considered a domestic one - the squirrel fits perfectly into the life of the family, it even has its own shelf in the refrigerator, where cedar cones are stored "in reserve". Moreover, Sonya loves to sit on Elena's shoulder, and does not mind a harness with a leash. So, sitting on her shoulder, Sonya goes out into the street, where she immediately attracts the attention of all passers-by and children playing on the local playground. Sonya likes to run through the trees, but according to Elena, the animal never runs away.

Interestingly, Sonya the squirrel responds to its name - just like a pet. But at the same time, the instincts of life in the wild are also preserved in it: for example, the squirrel constantly stocks up and hides seeds, nuts and cones in the most unexpected places, from the pockets of jackets and outerwear to flower pots. If Sonya happens to meet other squirrels, she is in no hurry to share her supplies with them. Now for her family is people.

Of course, the maintenance of such an unusual animal is fraught with various difficulties: these are the already mentioned "nut nests," and the desire to gnaw everything that comes across, and incredible mobility. But for the hostess Sonya is still the best in the world. “Watching a domestic squirrel,” says Elena, “is a pleasure: no other pet brings so much joy.” And at the same time, she does not advise taking such a pet home without unnecessary necessity.

Just look at these cute little orange-brown animals. Although they belong to the rodent family, they are easily distinguished from their counterparts by their bushy tail.

Dormouse nocturnal animals. They hold the palm for the duration of sleep, carelessly sleeping during the day in a hollow, or a cozy and well-hidden nest. As soon as dusk descends, these funny animals wake up for 2-3 hours to move around and eat. If she smells a predator nearby, she will go to bed again. Bad weather is unlikely to get the little "sloth" out of hiding. It is better to stay warm and dry, albeit not quite full.

In autumn, the animals hibernate as a friendly family in underground burrows or hollows. Animals lie on their backs, covering their tummy with a fluffy tail, like a blanket. Dormouse will sleep for a long time - up to 8 months. During hibernation, the heart rate slows down and the animal's body temperature drops, which helps conserve energy.

They wake up hungry in the spring and go for food to gain weight and make up for the loss of energy. Animals climb trees well. With pleasure they eat swollen buds on trees and young green shoots. Dormouse feed on various foods: nuts and berries, insects and aphids, destroy the nests of small birds, feasting on delicious eggs.

The habitat of the animals is Europe (except the North) and Africa. They prefer broad-leaved and mixed forests. They spend most of their lives above the ground, on tree branches.

In their appearance, they are similar to squirrels, only smaller in size. The body length is 7 - 18 cm, and one animal weighs about 50 grams. The tail is quite long, 6 - 7cm. On the muzzle there are small rounded ears, a long mustache, eyes large and round, black. On the paws are long fingers with sharp claws. The nose is pink-brown. The belly and neck of the dormouse are lighter than the main color.

These are territorial animals. A well-developed hearing of the animal will let you know about encroachments on the possessions of its owner. They are solitary animals, and they create a pair for procreation. Offspring bring 1 - 3 times a year, depending on the species. After winter sleep, having found each other, the female is preparing to become a mother. She looks for a secluded place, then builds a nest, lovingly covering it with fluff and soft grass.

Pregnancy will last about a month, and small cubs will be born. Usually in a litter from 3 to 10 babies, they are born naked, blind and completely helpless. They will feed on mother's milk for about a month; eyes open only after 2.5 weeks. Mom's care and affection will not last long, after 35 - 40 days, the children must leave their home, and after some time find a suitable territory for themselves. It should be noted the efforts of the father of the family, he also takes care of the offspring.

In the wild, dormice live for about three years.

The origin of dormouse, known species and their features, tips on keeping and feeding a rodent at home, the correct purchase of dormouse and price.

It is a pleasure to keep such a pet, it is easily tamed, even goes to hand. Having brought such a pet into the house, you can be sure that he will never make you bored or sad. Sonya sometimes simply infects with her activity and perky disposition, and looking at this little "motor" one wants to live and work.

But before you run to the pet store in the neighboring area in search of such a fluffy comrade, it’s better to get to know him better, because after all, he comes from the wild and he is not very used to home conditions.

The origin of the dormouse and its native habitats

Dormouse is a pretty tiny living creature that is a representative of the large animal kingdom. In the process of studying these tailed animals, scientists classified them into the class of mammals, the order of rodents and the dormice family.

The natural distribution area is quite wide and depends on the specific type of dormouse, but if you have such a desire to visit this rodent, then you won’t have to travel far, these animals are found almost throughout Europe and Asia.

Description of the varieties of dormouse and their characteristic features

According to some scientific sources, there are approximately 25–30 species of the most diverse representatives of the dormouse family in the world, including several varieties that, unfortunately, did not survive to our modern era. Here are a few species that live near us and are best suited as pets.

forest dormouse

This native of the genus of the forest dormouse of the same name lives in Europe and, as far as is known, settles near oak plantations. But on the territory of Transcaucasia and Asia, this animal is associated with a wide variety of trees and shrubs. It seems possible to see a miniature rodent throughout the Balkan Peninsula, in Greece, on the lands of the Apennine Peninsula, where this animal lives mainly in the Calabrian mountains. As for the Eastern part of the European continent, such a small animal is found almost everywhere there, it bypassed only the northern part of Poland and the Ukrainian lands, near the Black Sea. Large populations of dormouse inhabit the lands of Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Turkmenistan and many other countries of Asia Minor.

On the territory of Russia, this forest rodent lives in the Tver region and in the western part of the Kirov region. On the lands of the Caucasus, these animals are distributed almost everywhere.

For their comfortable living, small mammals prefer broad-leaved forests with fairly dense undergrowth; occasionally they can also settle in mixed forests, dense gardens and in areas rich in shrubs. As their personal living space, forest dormouse chooses hollows made in advance by other inhabitants of the forests, abandoned bird nests, and if she has time and inspiration, then sometimes she can design a nest for herself with her small paws.

These tiny animals almost never have problems with food, they can be content with both plant foods and live food. The forest dormouse likes to eat fruits and seeds of plants, for example, acorns, various nuts, apple seeds and even juicy fruits, if they are lucky to get them. As for products of animal origin, they eat various insects with joy and great pleasure, in difficult times they can afford to gobble up bird eggs and even small chicks without remorse.

If we talk about the appearance of this little animal, then this is a rather small animal. The length of its miniature body reaches approximately 10-12 cm, the caudal process grows up to 9-10 cm, body weight varies from 30 to 45 grams.

Forest dormouse, of course, is not a chameleon at all, but its color tends to change, depending on the territories in which the animal lives. Most often, the coat of these mammals is presented in grayish tones. But in some areas, dormouse can be painted in slightly brownish colors, there are locations where animals of yellowish-gray shades live, and on their bodies you can easily notice the border between the color of the upper and lower parts of the body. If this forest animal settles in a mountainous area, then usually their fur is decorated with a white and gray color scheme.

The caudal process is usually very fluffy, its color is most often represented by dark shades of gray. The tail of the dormouse has a very good blood supply, for this reason, if the animal gets into some kind of unpleasant situation, the hair on the tail rises strongly, and the blood rushes into the caudal vascular network, you can see how this part of the dormouse body gradually changes and becomes reddish.

On the cute face of the animal there is a strip of dark shades, which is located from the nose to the auditory organs. These animals have very well developed vibrissae and, moreover, they are quite long, their length is approximately equal to the total length of the body.

dormouse

This representative of the world fauna differs from all its relatives in its dimensions - this is the largest dormouse. The body of an adult animal grows in length from 15 to 20 cm, their body weight ranges from 150 to 200 grams. The length of the tail is approximately 10–13 cm. If you don’t take a very close look at this fluffy, then you can suspect him of being closely related to squirrels and indeed they are somewhat similar to each other. Only the ears of small regiments are devoid of peculiar tassels.

The body of this mammal is wrapped in a rather thick lush layer of fur, but the coat is relatively short. Compared with its forest relative, the color of this animal is constantly the same and it is not affected by either geographical or climatic conditions. Usually the dormouse is painted in grayish-brown shades with a slight smoky tint. The area of ​​the abdominal cavity is usually lighter than the area of ​​the back and is traditionally painted in white-yellowish tones. On the cute face of this living creature, his “natural accessories” are immediately evident in the form of dark rings around the eyes, which are somewhat reminiscent of sunglasses, but in some representatives of their kind they are hardly noticeable.

This medium-sized rodent was first described in the UK, although the natural distribution area is quite extensive and goes far beyond Asia. These bushy-tailed oddballs can be seen traveling through France, Italy, Spain, and even coastal Mediterranean regions.

For the reason that by nature these beautiful animals are the strictest vegetarians, they choose wooded areas for their living, where a large number of fruit trees grow, they can’t eat acorns and nuts all their lives, they don’t mind eating some juicy fruit. Shelves can settle near agricultural holdings, such as vineyards or orchards. The animal does not eat so much, so it will not bring a significant loss to the crop, but it will remain full and satisfied. He loves apples, pears, dogwoods, plums, cherries and even raspberries and blackberries very much. Before eating, the animal must first make sure that its food is ripe, it will never eat if its dinner is not ripe enough.

The period of activity for these pussies falls at night, with the onset of twilight on the earth, these nimble little animals come out of their small cozy houses and start looking for a variety of goodies. They spend most of their time in the trees; ground walks are extremely rare. But they are not active at all for a long time, since already from mid-September they begin to lie down in a winter dream. It is very interesting that adult males are the first to leave for winter holidays, and then by seniority.
For wintering, regiments usually dig deep holes, which reach a length of approximately 180–200 cm. But if they have no desire to engage in construction, and there are human settlements nearby, then these cunning people can winter in haylofts and even under the attics of houses. They never make stocks for the winter, for this reason, in times of cold weather, a large number of animals die, who did not have time to properly feed themselves over the summer, because if their sleep is disturbed, they wake up immediately, but they have nothing to eat in winter.

garden dormouse

This is a medium-sized rodent, its muzzle has a slight pointedness, rounded large ears noticeably narrow near the base. The caudal process is also remarkable - it is covered with fairly thick fur throughout its entire length, and ends with a wide fluffy tassel. The dorsal part of the body of the garden dormouse is painted in gray-brown colors, but the neck, abdomen, chest, limbs and ears are usually white. Several stripes are drawn from the visual organs to the ears, which are painted in dark shades.

On the territory of Russia, this mammal is widely distributed not only in dense wooded areas, but also on different edges, in orchards and even city parks.

By nature, it is an omnivore, it can satisfy an attack of hunger with a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, but still its favorite dishes are animal products, for example, dung beetles, beetles, nutcrackers and other insects. With pleasure, this fluffy cunning devours small defenseless chicks.

If they are very lucky in life and people live near their place of residence, then garden dormouse can also make their way into their premises. Of course, they do not climb onto the bed and do not turn on the TV, but they can afford to treat themselves to various products. Bread, milk, sour cream are some of the favorite delicacies of little thieves.

These cunning representatives of the dormouse family are not at all afraid to die during the fierce winter cold, since they are the most voracious among all their relatives, therefore their fat reserves are enough for the entire winter period, some individuals even practically do not lose weight during hibernation.

Spectacled, South African dormouse

This species is distributed far beyond the borders of our Motherland, they mainly inhabit rocky locations, located in the western part of the hot African continent.

The African dormouse is a small animal, the length of its miniature body does not exceed 15 cm, and its weight is approximately 25–45 grams. The coat of this eccentric from Africa is very pleasant in texture, soft, colored in smoky grayish shades. The projection of the tummy of this mammal is painted white, occasionally with a slight ash tint. In some individuals, against this background, it seems possible to notice a certain pattern formed by small spots of brown-reddish color. The same drawings can be on the face of the animal.

Unlike their domestic relatives, this African rodent does not tolerate loneliness at all, for this reason, in the wild, they usually live in fairly large social groups.

Bringing into the house such a pet as a sleepy mouse, first of all, you need to take care of his personal roof over his head. A nickel-plated cage is perfect as a house for such a friend, it is desirable that it be spacious enough. As for the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe dwelling, these cute animals do not put forward special requirements, they feel great even in modest conditions, but the larger their personal apartment, the more active your pupil will be. And since movement is life, physical activity will not only cheer up your furry friend, but also strengthen his health.

At first, you may experience some inconvenience associated with the nocturnal activity of this rodent, in order to avoid lack of sleep, it is best to take out the cage with dormouse at night to the place furthest from the bedroom. In the event that you pay enough attention to your friend, he will easily change his usual schedule for you. And if you also spoil him with goodies throughout the day, you can be sure that your rest will not be disturbed by a well-fed and happy pet.

Usually, sleepyheads quickly get used to a person and after some time after the start of living together they are happy to make contact with their owners, especially if they have prepared something tasty for them.

In the animal's house, it is necessary to put a feeder, a container with drinking water, and also make a place to rest, preferably in the form of a shelter. This little tenant also sometimes wants to retire.

Cleaning in his home must be done regularly, not only to avoid unpleasant odors, but also in order to prevent various diseases of your friend.

In the event that you stay at work for a long time, think about your furry friend, he will be bored, if you cannot allow this, then make sure that your pet has something to do in his free time. As entertainment, you can install a jogging wheel in the cage, believe me, your sleepyhead will drive like crazy in it. In addition, it is desirable to build a place for climbing from different branches and trunks. It is recommended to put some straw or dry leaves on the animal, suddenly he will have a desire to build a place for himself to sleep with his own paws.