Almost-to-be rat owner?

Question

im going to get rats tomorrow but i wanted to know if there is anything i need to know like, what to do with them when i put them in their cage or what not. like i already know what food im going to put together for them so it would be great if you had any suggestions on anything

thanks!

Answer 1

Websites to check out:

http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/ratin... (Mine)

http://www.rmca.org/

ftp://members.aol.com/juliesrats/e4ninde...

http://ratguide.com/

http://www.goosemoose.com/component/opti...

Answer 2

once u put them in their tank nuttin but watch them drink and take a shitt lol

Answer 3

Don't leave anything within an inch of the cage.

Answer 4

Make sure you don't put their cage close to anything they can chew. They ate part of one of my curtains in my bedroom. -_-

-Give them someplace to hide, like one of those pet igloos or an empty tissue box with some holes in it.

-Make sure they have a heavy ceramic bowl for food. They'll chew up a plastic one and might tip it over.

-Give them something inside their cage to chew on, like a piece of wood. It helps keep their teeth down. (All rodents' teeth keep growing and need to be worn down.)

-Rats like to run around, so make sure they have a wheel. The wheel has to be mesh, not the usual bars because their tails can get stuck.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Answer 5

I strongly recommend checking out Ratsrule.com, it will give you a lot of necessary information, and it has a wonderful forum.  Also, have you looked around for rescues?  Not only would rescuing a pair of rats do good, but rats born in rescue have been handled better, and have often been evaluated for health.  2 of mine were even neutered by the rescue!  Even if there isn't a professional rescue, look on petfinder and also on craigslist, you'll be suprised what you find.

First, you need a cage that provides 2 cubic feet of space per rat.  Petco's rat mansion is a fantastic choice for up to 3 rats and is a cage you can get at the store.  My personal favorite is the Ferret Nation which can hold 6 or 12 depending on whether or not is a double.  Martinscages.com is another good place to go, don't bother with their smallest cages though, those are best saved for travel only.  

Second, you need to get quality food.  The most recommended is Harlan Teklard along with Suebees mix (see Ratsrule for info) but some feed Mazuri. They also do well with a little variety; healthy tablescraps and vegetables.  Avoid Kaytee like the plague, along with seed-mixes; they just aren't healthy.

Thirdly you need to make sure that you are prepared for emergencies.  If you are buying from a petstore there's a significant chance that your babies will have something.  In the case of respiratory illness, this needs to be treated right away by a vet.  If they are mixed s*x, strongly consider buying a pair of males to prevent having an unwanted litter.  Males generally have...erm...obvious bits and lack nipples. Nipples mean girl! Vet visits can be expensive, plan on 75 dollars per rat at least.  

When you bring them home, leave them alone for a few days to adjust.  Even though it's really exciting to get to know your new friend, they often do better when not pushed.  If one of them bites you (uncommon, but it happens, especially with pet-store rats) don't be discouraged!  Biting is usually easily corrected just by getting to know your rat and letting it get to know you.  That's a primary mistake some people make.  In the case of one of my rescues, it was how we figured out that she was blind!  Once we realized that, we've never been bitten again!