Grade: A

National Geographic has released a line of pet products in partnership with PetSmart, including items for fish, reptiles, guinea pigs and hamsters. Their packaging states: “National Geographic’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. We believe that responsible pet ownership is a great way to experience some of the wonders of our world while developing a greater love and compassion for it.” Additionally, purchasing these products provides funds for conservation of animals and their habitats. In a previous article, I discussed the importance and responsibility that goes into choosing the right pet and providing it with the proper care and supplies. National Geographic reached out to me and gave me the chance to test some of their small animal products for them.

My tester for these products was my dwarf hamster, Nanners. He just celebrated his one-year anniversary of being in the family. He is an active little fellow that loves to stay up all night running on his wheel and likes it when I cook, as he is always excited to see what kind of food he can manage to get from me. Here’s my observations after watching Nanners try out his new National Geographic products.

Comfort Small Animal Bedding

This product is fragrance-free and made of recycled paper. Nanners has had issues in the past with being overly sensitive to some bedding that caused his eyes to become irritated and matter to form in them. This bedding has caused no issues. Also, the bedding is a nice consistent size throughout and free of any string-like fibers that could cause issues such as getting wrapped around your pet’s paws.

Nibble Kabob and Hanging Twig Toy

These two items are similar in nature, as they are both designed to hang on the side of your pet’s habitat. Both Nanners and I prefer the Hanging Twig Toy. The Nibble Kabob’s clip is made of metal, whereas the hook on the Hanging Twig is made of wood. Nanners likes to be mischievous and chews on everything he’s not supposed to—the metal clip was the first thing he went for. Since chewing on metal is bad for his teeth, I removed this part. This was fairly easy since it just screws out with a little elbow work. On the other hand, the Hanging Twig seemed grab his attention since he likes to bat at it and it’s quite entertaining to watch him try to climb on it.

Willow Ball and Willow Bundle

Both of these items were a too little big for my dwarf hamster. However, they are the perfect size for a regular-sized hamster, guinea pig or dwarf rabbit. I was able to pull some of the sticks out of the bundle and put them through the bars of his cage. This provided him with something to climb on. Nanners seemed to be very interested in the willow ball, but once he tried to climb on, it rolled back on him, causing him to seek another toy to play with. I’m going to figure out a way to stabilize the ball, so when he gets used to its size I think he will be excited to gnaw away at it.

Dome Hideout

I enjoy the multiple uses this Dome Hideout provides. It gives Nanners a place to sleep, hide and climb, as well as serving as something to chew on. Plus, the rough bark texture will be great to keep his nails trimmed down. Nanners’ favorite thing to do with the hideout is to crawl into the “doorway” and out through the “window.” This keeps him entertained for quite a while. He also likes to perch on top of the dome to see what is going on when he smells something or hears a noise.

Lounging Log Animal Hideout

This has to be my favorite item out of all of the products because of the uniqueness of the hideout. The logs are flexible, allowing for it to be shaped over and over again. The logs are put together by two twin pieces of wire; however, the Lounging Log is designed in such a way that the metal doesn’t stick out. Nanners likes to crawl under small spaces, so he has a blast when I put the logs into an “S” shape. This allows just enough space for him to squeeze through.

Overall, all of these products seem to be designed with your pet’s best interest in mind. When purchasing items for Nanners, I try to avoid unnatural dyes, plastics, fragrances and any items that might cause harm. I hope to see more companies follow in the footsteps of National Geographic and PetSmart. I like that they are creating items inspired by animals’ habitats out in the wild while using natural products.