House Pet Authority

Founder and publisher

Joel Kelly

Joel Kelly founded and publishes House Pet Authority. He builds clear guides and useful tools for the questions that come with sharing a home with pets, from food safety and first-week routines to habitat fit and everyday gear. His work draws on published veterinary guidance, animal-welfare standards, product specifications, and patterns in owner feedback.

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Behind the guides

Useful answers, with the receipts close by.

Joel writes and shapes each guide so readers can see where important facts came from and what to do next. Safety and health claims link to established veterinary or animal-welfare sources. Product guides show the specifications and owner-feedback patterns behind each recommendation. A qualified specialist is credited separately whenever one reviews a page.

Read the editorial standards See the food-safety method

Recent work

Guides by Joel Kelly

213 published guides across food, health, behavior, gear, and the first days with a pet.

Browse every guide

Best dog backpack carriers in 2026: researched picks by dog size

Gear

Best dog backpack carriers in 2026: researched picks by dog size

Researched dog backpack carriers compared on fit, ventilation, carrying support, and value for dogs from small to large.

A Syrian hamster running on a large solid wood wheel supported by a platform above the bedding

Gear

Best hamster wheels in 2026: three roomy, solid-surface picks

Compare three hamster wheels by diameter, running surface, stand, enclosure clearance, and cleanup so your hamster can run with a straight posture.

A hamster in a spacious glass enclosure with a complete upright wheel and clear headroom beneath the mesh lid

New Owners

Hamster housing guide: build the room from the floor up

Plan a hamster enclosure around usable floor space, deep bedding, stable equipment, ventilation, hiding, foraging, and everyday access.

A hamster using a complete upright wheel with open space above it and a stable base clear of the bedding

New Owners

Hamster wheel setup: size for a straight running posture

Choose and place a solid hamster wheel by running posture, stable support, safe clearance, cleanability, nighttime sound, and daily use.

Three pet rats exploring a large cage with an open hammock, a fabric pouch, and a rigid hanging pod

Gear

Best rat hammocks and hides: three cage roles compared

Compare three pet-rat refuges by sleeping format, cage placement, wash routine, and the role each one fills in a varied shared home.

Two budgies using a natural branch and a side-mounted rope route in a wide cage with an open center flight lane and a small flat rest

Gear

Best budgie perches in 2026: build a better cage map

Compare a natural branch, flexible rope route, and flat rest by diameter, footprint, attachment, placement, and the checks each perch needs.

Two budgies on a natural branch between a woven palm forager and a tidy stack of soft wood discs in a wide flight cage

Gear

Best budgie toys in 2026: three shredding and foraging picks

Compare three budgie toys by activity, size, material, attachment, cage placement, and the daily checks that keep a changing toy useful.

Two gerbils in a secure glass habitat with deep mixed bedding, visible burrows, and a complete floor-supported wheel below the mesh lid

Gear

Best gerbil bedding: three burrow-building bases compared

Compare paper, aspen, and hemp gerbil bedding by material, exact pack, published dust and fragrance statements, storage needs, and the mixed burrow each one can help build.

Two guinea pigs in a roomy habitat with three open-route shelter positions and a clear running lane

Gear

Best guinea pig hideouts in 2026: plan every exit

Compare three guinea pig hideouts by openings, footprint, material, and care, then map enough refuge positions without closing the running lane.