Polski
The DRD Manifesto: responsible care for small animals
For owners who want to do things right, we seek what truly makes sense
DRD Knaagdierwinkel® is a specialist online shop for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, gerbils, mice, degus, chinchillas and other small animals. We do not exist simply to sell as many products as possible. We exist because small animals depend on the choices people make for them.
A rabbit cannot choose how much space it is given. A hamster cannot decide whether there is enough bedding for burrowing. A guinea pig cannot check whether its diet contains enough fibre. A rat cannot provide its own safe enrichment, climbing opportunities and hiding places. These are choices made by owners.
We believe that many owners want to do what is best for their animal. But the best options must also be available. They must be easy to find, clearly explained and practical to use in the everyday care of small animals.
That is why our mission is specific:
DRD Knaagdierwinkel® makes responsible care for small animals easier by bringing carefully selected products, honest information and specialist knowledge together in one place.
That is what we stand for.
Why good choices are not always straightforward
Many owners start with the best intentions. They bring home an animal, look for information, visit a pet shop or browse products online. Yet they soon enter a world filled with conflicting information.
One product is described as “suitable for all rodents”, even though needs differ greatly between species. An enclosure is sold as a hamster cage even though it offers barely enough room for natural burrowing behaviour. A snack is presented attractively but contains ingredients that are not a sensible daily or regular choice for certain animals. Bedding may look clean but can be too dusty, too hard, too slippery or not suitable enough for burrowing in practice.
This is exactly where things can go wrong.
Not because owners do not care. But because the available range does not always help them make the right choice.
We believe a specialist retailer has a responsibility in this area. A retailer helps determine what becomes visible. What appears normal. What customers find quickly. What is presented as “suitable”. In doing so, a retailer directly influences the living environment of animals.
That is why, at DRD, we do not only ask: “Does this product sell well?”
We mainly ask:
Does this product suit the animal?
Is it safe and sensible to use?
Can we explain why this product belongs in our range?
Does this product help an owner care for the animal better?
Only when these questions can be answered properly does a product belong at DRD.
Our belief: owners make better choices when better choices are possible
We do not assume that owners deliberately make the wrong choices. We see the opposite every day. People ask questions, seek advice, compare products and want to know what is suitable for their rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, rat, gerbil or other small animal.
But making a good choice is only possible when three things come together.
First, the right product must be available. An owner cannot choose a good enclosure if only undersized enclosures are shown. A hamster cannot have a deep layer for burrowing if suitable bedding is difficult to find. A guinea pig cannot receive an appropriate diet if the difference between staple food, supplementary food, herbs and snacks is not clearly explained.
Second, the information must be understandable. A product description should not merely sound appealing; it should also explain what the product is intended for, which animals it is suitable for and how it can be used.
Third, the advice must be honest. Not every product suits every animal. Not every popular choice is automatically responsible. And not everything that looks attractive to people is useful for the animal.
That is why we believe:
When good products and clear information are accessible, many owners naturally make more considered choices.
Our task is to make those better choices possible.
We do not build our range around convenience
A great deal of work goes into the range at DRD Knaagdierwinkel®, most of which customers never see.
It would be much easier to work with one or two large-scale wholesalers. The range could be filled quickly. Purchasing would be easier to manage. Logistics would be simpler. Product selection would take less time.
But we would then depend on whatever a small number of suppliers happened to offer.
That is not how we want to work.
DRD works with more than sixty different partners throughout Europe. These include manufacturers, suppliers, growers, herb specialists, bedding producers, enclosure makers, enrichment brands, feed manufacturers and specialist suppliers of natural materials.
This broad cooperation is a deliberate choice. Not because it is easy, but because small animals are not one standard group.
A Syrian hamster has different needs from a guinea pig. A rat requires different enrichment from a gerbil. A degu has different dietary sensitivities from a rabbit. A chinchilla has different requirements for sand, food and gnawing materials from a mouse. When you take all these animals seriously, a superficial standard range is not enough.
That is why we look for what genuinely fits each species and each product category.
We investigate where a product comes from
For us, product selection does not begin with a photograph or a purchase price. It begins with the question of where a product comes from and why it should be suitable.
For every product, we want to understand:
Who makes the product?
Which materials or ingredients are used?
Which species is it intended for?
How is it used in practice?
Is it safe?
Does it make sense in relation to natural behaviour?
Is the quality sufficiently consistent?
Can we clearly explain to the customer why this product deserves a place in our range?
This applies to large products such as enclosures, terrariums, runs and cages. It applies equally to smaller products such as herbs, leaves, flowers, gnawing materials, nesting materials, tunnels, hideaways, sand baths, food bowls and snacks.
With small animals, details make a significant difference.
An enclosure is not simply a box or cage. It determines how much space an animal has to move, burrow, rest and express natural behaviour.
Bedding is not simply material placed on the floor. It determines whether a hamster can build tunnels, whether a gerbil can dig, whether a guinea pig can lie somewhere dry and whether dust-sensitive animals can live comfortably.
Herbs, leaves and flowers are not merely “nice extras”. They can encourage foraging behaviour, variety, sensory enrichment through scent and natural activity.
Hideaways are not merely decoration. Safe resting places are essential for prey animals.
Gnawing materials are not merely entertainment. For many small animals, gnawing is part of natural behaviour and daily enrichment.
That is why we take product selection seriously.
When the existing range is not good enough, we develop products ourselves
Sometimes a product exists but does not meet our standards.
We see this, for example, with certain dried herbs, leaves and flowers. On paper, such a product may appear suitable, but in practice the quality can vary. It may be too dusty, cut too coarsely, smell too old, contain too many hard pieces or simply not match what we want to offer small animals.
In such a situation, we do not automatically choose the available product simply because it is easy to purchase.
We continue searching.
And when we cannot find a product that meets our quality standards closely enough, we prefer to develop it ourselves. That is why we have established our own production for certain product categories and work as close to the source as possible.
This gives us greater influence over selection, processing, texture, freshness and composition. We can make better decisions about which herbs, leaves and flowers we do and do not want to use. We can manage quality more effectively. And we can create products that fit the way owners use them in practice: as foraging material, as a supplement, as natural enrichment or as part of a varied living environment.
Producing our own products is not the easiest route. It requires more time, more control, more knowledge and more responsibility. But it also enables us to offer products that we genuinely support from a specialist perspective.
That matters more to us than convenience.
More than selling: information is part of our responsibility
Offering a product is not enough.
An owner must also understand what the product does, why it is suitable and how it can be used. That is why we do not see information as an afterthought, but as part of responsible retailing.
At DRD, an explanation belongs with the product.
We provide this through product descriptions, category pages, animal care information, blogs, buying guides, customer service and personal advice. We try to be as specific as possible. We do not simply say that something is “good” or “natural”; we explain what that means.
With a hamster enclosure, for example, it is not only about the external dimensions, but also about whether a deep layer of bedding can be added. With bedding, it is not only about absorbency, but also about dust, texture, suitability for burrowing and suitability for each species. With food, it is not only about taste, but also about composition, fibre, sugars, fats, calcium, protein sources and the role of the product within the animal’s complete diet.
We want to prevent customers from buying products without understanding how to use them responsibly.
That is why we prefer to write thoroughly and clearly rather than briefly and superficially.
We are also prepared to say when something does not fit
Honest information also means that we do not describe every product as suitable for every animal.
Some products are only suitable for specific species. Some are intended solely as a snack or supplement. Some materials are less suitable for animals that gnaw intensively. Some enclosures are only appropriate as a temporary solution or in a very specific situation. Some products are popular because they look attractive, but contribute little to the animal’s welfare.
As specialists, we need to be clear about this.
Commercially, this is not always the easiest approach. A product sells more quickly when it is presented as widely suitable. But that is not how we want to work.
We want customers to understand what they are buying.
That is why, wherever possible, we explain which animals a product is suitable for, how it can be used and what owners should pay attention to. If a larger enclosure is the better choice, we say so. If a product does not make sense for a particular species, we try to make that clear. If a snack should only be given in moderation, that belongs in the information.
This is how we build trust.
Not by making everything sound better than it is, but by being as honest as possible.
Responsible care means looking specifically at the animal’s needs
For us, responsible care is not a vague idea. It means looking at what each species needs in order to live a healthy, safe and more natural life.
For rabbits, this includes sufficient room to move, suitable hay, a fibre-rich diet, safe gnawing materials, hiding places, social contact and a dry, comfortable living environment.
For guinea pigs, this includes a spacious enclosure, unlimited good-quality hay, vitamin C through suitable food, safe houses with multiple entrances, soft but hygienic bedding and daily enrichment.
For hamsters, this includes a spacious enclosure, a deep burrowing layer, suitable nesting material, an appropriate exercise wheel, a sand bath, hiding places, tunnels, foraging opportunities and species-appropriate food.
For rats, this includes social housing, climbing opportunities, hammocks, hiding places, enrichment, safe platforms, suitable nesting material and sufficient challenges for intelligent, active animals.
For gerbils, this includes plenty of space for digging, stable bedding that supports tunnels, gnawing materials, a sand bath, safe tunnels and materials that can withstand intensive gnawing.
For degus and chinchillas, this includes a fibre-rich diet, caution with sugars and fats, suitable sand, gnawing materials, climbing opportunities and an environment that fits their behaviour and sensitivities.
This is the foundation of how we assess products.
Not by asking: “Would this be enjoyable to sell?”
But by asking: “Does this help the animal receive better care?”
Why we use words such as natural, healthy and responsible with care
In the world of pet products, words such as “natural”, “healthy”, “premium” and “responsible” are used frequently. But these words only have value when their meaning is made specific.
For DRD, “natural” does not automatically mean that something is always suitable. Natural products can also contain too much sugar or fat, be too hard or dusty, or be unsuitable for certain animals.
For DRD, “healthy” does not mean that a snack can be given without limits. Many products are perfectly suitable as a supplement or reward, but should not form the basis of the diet.
For DRD, “responsible” means considering the species, use, quantity, safety and context.
That is why we always try to explain clearly what role a product has. Is it staple food, a supplement, a snack, enrichment, nesting material, bedding, a hideaway, gnawing material or temporary support? That context matters.
A product is only truly well chosen when it is used in the right way.
Our role as a specialist since 2011
DRD Knaagdierwinkel® has been a specialist since 2011. During those years, we have seen how greatly the care of small animals has changed.
Where people once often thought in terms of “cage, food bowl and water bottle”, more and more owners now consider living space, enrichment, species-specific nutrition, natural behaviour and better information. We believe this development is important.
We see owners becoming more critical. They want to know which bedding is suitable, how much space an animal needs, which food fits, which snacks are sensible and how they can furnish an enclosure in a more natural way.
We want to contribute to that.
Not by overwhelming customers with products, but by providing direction. Not by presenting every product as suitable, but by explaining more effectively. Not by choosing the easiest available range, but by searching for products that genuinely add value.
To us, being a specialist means taking responsibility for what we make visible.
Our compass for every decision
At DRD, we use a simple but strict compass.
For products, information and advice, we continually ask ourselves the same questions:
Is this product genuinely right for the animal?
Does it suit the natural needs of the species?
Is it safe under normal use?
Is the quality good enough?
Can we explain why this product belongs in our range?
Is it clear which animals this product is suitable for?
Does this product help the customer make a better choice?
Would we still recommend this product if nobody were watching?
Does this choice fit our responsibility as specialists?
These questions help us remain focused and critical.
Especially in a market where trends change quickly, new products appear constantly and commercially attractive choices are not always the best choices for animals.
Our compass prevents us from looking only at what is popular. We want to continue looking at what genuinely makes sense.
What customers may expect from DRD
Customers may expect DRD to choose carefully.
This does not mean that every product has to be complicated or expensive. A simple product can be extremely valuable when it suits the animal well. A cardboard tunnel, a safe hiding place, a good layer of bedding, a handful of suitable herbs or an appropriate piece of gnawing material can make a substantial difference in practice.
Customers may expect us to assess products not only by their appearance, but also by their function.
A product should do something for the animal or support its care. It may help with digging, gnawing, foraging, resting, hiding, moving, climbing, hygiene, nutrition, cooling, transport or daily care.
Customers may also expect us to keep improving.
Our range is not static. Products may be removed when they no longer meet our standards. New products may be added when they align more closely with what animals need. Information may be updated when we gain new insights or notice that customers need greater clarity.
That is part of being a specialist.
What DRD does not want to be
We do not want to be a shop that sells everything simply because there is demand for it.
We do not want to build a range based purely on margin, speed or convenience.
We do not want to describe products as broadly suitable when that is not factually correct.
We do not want customers to search through hundreds of products without an explanation.
We do not want to sell animal supplies as though all small animals have the same needs.
And we do not want to contribute to the idea that small animals need very little.
Small animals may be small in size, but their needs are not small. They need space, structure, safety, nutrition, enrichment, rest and species-specific care.
That is why we also take small products seriously. With small animals in particular, details make a difference.
What DRD does want to be
We want to be a trustworthy place for owners who want to do things right.
A place where products are selected with care.
A place where customers can search more effectively by species.
A place where choices are explained.
A place where natural needs are taken seriously.
A place where a product does not only need to appeal to people, but must above all be functional for the animal.
A place where customers can learn, compare and make better choices.
A place where commerce and responsibility do not have to oppose one another, but can work together.
Because an online shop can sell products and contribute to better animal care at the same time. That is exactly what we want to achieve with DRD.
Our promise
We will continue searching for products that genuinely add something to the lives of small animals.
We will continue to assess quality, origin, composition, material, safety and practical usability critically.
We will continue working with specialist partners throughout Europe, because a good range does not come from one standard source.
We will continue developing our own products when the existing range does not meet our quality standards.
We will continue providing information that helps customers understand products more fully and use them responsibly.
We will continue making it clear that not every product is suitable for every animal.
We will continue looking from the perspective of the animal’s needs, not only the wishes of the market.
And we will continue asking ourselves:
Would we make this choice even if nobody were watching?
To us, that is the essence of responsibility.
Conclusion
DRD Knaagdierwinkel® does not exist because small animals need more things.
We exist because small animals deserve better choices.
Better enclosures. Better bedding. Better food. Better enrichment. Better information. Better explanations. And above all: more attention to what an animal genuinely needs.
That is why we look beyond the standard range. That is why we work with more than sixty partners throughout Europe. That is why we develop products ourselves when the market falls short. That is why we write detailed product information. That is why we remain critical, including of our own range.
For owners who want to do things right, we seek what truly makes sense.
That is the DRD Manifesto.
Frequently asked questions about the DRD Manifesto
What does DRD mean by responsible care for small animals?
By responsible care, we mean that housing, nutrition, bedding, nesting material, enrichment and care should match the needs of the species as closely as possible. A hamster, for example, needs room to burrow; a guinea pig needs plenty of hay and safe hiding places; rats need social housing and mental stimulation; and rabbits need a companion as well as plenty of space, fibre and suitable gnawing materials.
Why does DRD work with more than sixty partners?
We work with many different partners because no single standard supplier can provide the complete specialist range that small animals need. Different specialists are often required for enclosures, bedding, herbs, food, hay, gnawing materials, enrichment, nesting materials and care products. By searching broadly, we can make better choices within each product category.
Why does DRD develop its own products?
We develop our own products when the existing range does not meet our quality standards. This applies, for example, to certain herbs, leaves and flowers. When products are too dusty, inconsistent, coarse or insufficiently carefully processed, we search for a better alternative or develop one ourselves.
Is every product at DRD suitable for all small animals?
No. Not every product is suitable for every species. A product that is suitable for a rabbit is not automatically suitable for a hamster. A snack for rats is not automatically appropriate for degus. That is why we try to indicate clearly which animals a product is intended for and how it can be used.
Why does DRD write detailed product information?
Because a product can only be chosen properly when the owner understands what it is intended for. We want to explain how a product is used, which animals it is suitable for and what owners should pay attention to. For us, good information is part of responsible retailing.
Is DRD only an online shop?
DRD is an online shop, but it is not only a point of sale. We combine retail with knowledge, product selection, animal information, buying guidance and advice. Our aim is to help owners make better choices for small animals. A physical location will also be added from October.
What makes DRD different from a general pet shop?
DRD specialises in rodents and rabbits. This allows us to look much more specifically at species, behaviour, nutrition, bedding, housing and enrichment. We do not build our range around a general pet assortment, but around the needs of small animals.