BEDDING

Hardwood chip bedding, such as aspen is the best. CareFresh Pet Bedding, Corn Cob or Pine bedding will also work as long as it is not dusty. The dust can cause upper respiratory problems. NEVER use cedar shavings, as cedar contains phenols, which can cause severe irritation to a Shaw Jird.

ACCESSORIES

Supply a rat size wheel, along with toys/tubes to chew, a house for sleeping and a deep layer of shavings for digging.
A dust bath twice a week is appreciated by the Shaw Jird in helping to maintain a beautiful, healthy coat. (one can use Chinchilla dust).

HANDLING

The best way to pick up a Shaw Jird is to either scoop it up in your hands or to let it walk up into your open hand. Don't try to pick up a Shaw Jird by it's tail, it could come off and it won't grow back.
Once you have the Shaw Jird out, be careful, as the Shaw Jird may walk off your hands (they can't seem to tell how far away the floor is). It is a good idea to sit on the floor or on a couch while you have the Shaw Jird out, this helps avoid any injuries from falling to the floor.
The Shaw Jird sense of smell is very good, keep this in mind when you go to handle it. If you have just been eating, your hands smell like food. To a Shaw Jird , your finger smells like the potato chip you ate 10 minutes ago, and it may try to eat your finger! Don't worry, it usually realizes that your finger isn't food. If you have anything on your hands that give off an offensive odour, you may not even notice it, but the Shaw Jird will and it may bite in reaction to the smell. Always remember to wash your hand first. As they say "first impressions", well a Shaw Jird first impression of you is your smell.

BUYING A SHAW JIRD

Whether you are buying a Shaw Jird from a pet store or a breeder, you should ask questions, even if you know the answers from your own research. This will tell you how knowledgeable they really are. If they don't know what they are talking about, buyer beware! If they don't want to give you any information or want to help you, buyer beware!
Check out their facilities carefully. Look for overcrowding, dirty cages, unhealthy animals, smell the air. If the animals are overcrowded and/or the cages are dirty, be very cautious about buying a Shaw Jird. There shouldn't be any sickly animals in sight, any good breeder/pet shop will have a "sick" room for any animals that aren't up to par. If the establishment/breeding facility has a very strong odour, be very careful, even if it looks clean, the smell is coming from somewhere. Any place, that has animals, will have a smell to it. The larger the facility, the stronger the odour. They just can't clean as fast as the animals do their business. But if the odour is overpowering, then there might be something else under the surface, use caution.
Check the health of the animal before you buy it and handle it. If they won't let you handle it before you buy it. They may be hiding something, WATCH OUT! Handling the Shaw Jird tells you how tame it is and you have a chance to check its health. Look for discharge from its eyes and nose, sneezing, wet rear end and firmness of body. If it has any of these conditions or its body appears thin, don't buy it. Don't even consider another Shaw Jird from the same cage as the other Shaw Jird may also have the same problems. The Shaw Jird you choose should be bright eyed and interested in what is going on without being too nervous. There eyes and nose should be clear, the rear end dry and the body firm to the touch.
If possible, check references. Referrals from other satisfied customers will tell you a lot about that breeder's/pet shop's quality of animals, their care and concern for the animals well-being, their "customer service" and how much information they are willing to share.

DIET

A good diet consist of rodent mix, rodent blocks, and two to three times a week fresh fruit and vegetables can be given - such as apple, yams, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots. Twice a week one can offer a small amount of canned cat food, mealworms. A handful of hay would be relished a couple times a week. Be sure to provide fresh water at all times , with a supplement of vitamins added. Never allow the bottle to become empty or to sit with stagnant water.