Help before I get a pet rat?

Question

I really want a rat I think there so cute,and very smart.

I need help though what are pros and cons of a pet rat

and where could I find information on there diet,exercise,and climate.

What size cage would be could I want two rats.

Thanks so much.

Answer 1

I think your making a good choice, I agree they are cute and very smart. I've had 5.

Their food and water bottle are important. A heavy bowl like ceramic will not spill food as easily, and are rinsed out with warm water. Water bottles can be found in pet stores, which are used for all kinds of rodents, from rabbits to gerbils. Just be sure that the water is changed out at least every two days because rats wont drink it if its not, and theyll become dehydrated quickly. Even though your pet rat can adapt his schedule to yours, try to accommodate their basic nature, and put the cage in a place that doesnt have a lot of sunlight, and is relatively quiet. Also, if there are other animals around that can bother the rat put the cage out of the way. Rats will if their scared bite and a sore puppy dog nose could send it to the vet from infection.

You'll need to meet their nesting desires, too. A nesting box of wood is good to put in, but you can improvise with pipe, or a soft cardboard box. Rats will eat on the box, so itll need to be changed out a lot. Be sure to include some paper products inside the cage too because your pet rat will shred it to line their nesting box. Pick out paper that does not have any dyes that could make them sick. Throw in some blocks of wood too to keep down their chewing, and itll cut back on how fast their teeth grow.

Look for a diet made especially for rats. A pellet or block (essentially a large pellet) type diet is generally considered best. Loose mixes can be very well balanced and complete diets, but only if the rats eat everything in the mix, and many won't. If you feed a block or pellet, they won't be able to pick and choose which parts they are eating. The rat blocks can be available at all times. However, hamster, gerbil and other rodent diets are not a good substitute -- their nutritional requirements are different these usually contain alfalfa which is apparently not very digestible to rats.

Rats benefit from a variety of vegetables, fruits and and other fresh foods that help to keep them healthy. Keep in mind that serving sizes are pretty small (as in a teaspoon or half-inch cube) for a rat, so avoid giving large amounts of fruits or vegetables, or diarrhea may result. The following is a list of treats you may wish to try, keeping in mind that feeding a wide variety of foods is the best way to ensure optimum nutrition and health:

Fresh Foods:

fruit: apples, cherries, grapes, banana, strawberries, other berries, melons, plums.

vegetables: broccoli, potatoes, peas, carrot, cooked sweet potato, kale, parsley, bok choy, squash.

cooked liver, other very lean meats (cooked)

whole wheat pasta and bread

cooked beans (including soya)

yogurt (especially with live cultures)

brown rice

unsweetened breakfast cereals

mealworms

small dog biscuits

some leftovers from your meals are okay in moderation, but avoid fatty or sugary scraps and items off the list below.

special treats (given only occasionally): whole nuts in the shell (almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts), sunflower seeds (high in fat), carob chips

For the most part, you are better off feeding the fresh foods listed above as treats. Many pet store treats, such as yogurt drops or the treat sticks are quite high in sugar and/or fat and should be given very rarely if at all.

What Not to Feed:

chocolate

raw beans

raw sweet potato

cabbage, brussel sprouts

green potatoes

sweet sugary treats, any other "junk food"

caffeinated beverages

carbonated drinks

Handling rats: The more attention you give your new rats when you first get them home, the sooner they will get used to your voice and your smell and begin to make friends with you. Handle your rats as much as possible, whether they seem to like it or not at first -- they will soon learn to enjoy your company. Unless a rat is very nervous or unwell, you cannot give it too much attention or handling. One good way of getting your rats used to you is to let them ride around the house on your shoulder or inside your sweater.

Rats should not be picked up by the tail -- they don't like it, and it can cause injury. It is best to lift your rats by placing one or both hands under the chest, behind the front legs -but be careful not to squeeze.

Biting and nipping: Biting, out of fear or aggression, is unusual in pet rats. It is not something that you should have to put up with. Here are some of the situations where it may occur, and some possible solutions:

Male rats occasionally become aggressive towards humans and/or other rats at some point between 3-12 months of age, although if this happens it is most common at 4-5 months. The rat becomes 'super macho' if his levels of male hormones are too high. He will puff up his fur, hiss and huff at other rats and people, and may attack or bite cage-mates or his owners. He may also scratch at the floor, rub his sides against hard objects (to leave his scent), and leave trails of scent-marking pee wherever he walks. Normal, happy bucks may also scent-mark like this, but problem rats take it to extremes. If a male rat starts to squeak when you pick him up, or threatens to bite you when he is playing outside the cage, then we recommend that you take action quickly and do not leave it until you get bitten. This condition can usually be cured by having the rat castrated, and his hormonal levels and behaviour will return to normal after a few weeks.

Female rats sometimes bite when they are pregnant or have babies. This behaviour usually disappears when the babies are weaned.

Finger nipping may occur if your rats are used to getting treats through the cage bars. This is not true biting, but merely an accidental nibble. If a finger is poked through the bars too, the rats may nip, mistaking the finger for food. Train your rats to tell the difference, by telling them when food is arriving - eg 'Sweeties!' - or fingers, eg 'Be gentle!'. If this fails, stop feeding treats through the bars; instead, open the cage door to put your hand inside when hand-feeding.

Lifespan: As long as a rat has been handled as a youngster, it will bond to you no matter how old it is when you first get it. Rats usually live for around two years, although some make it to three and beyond. (I have one that's four and still kickin')

Pros: Intellegent, can be kept in a cage, and enjoy being held.

Cons: Short life span, difficult to keep as pets when you have a cat or dog, they can bite, and sharp claws.

It's a long answer, I know but in the long run .. you and your new rat will be happy.

Good Luck, and soon to be congrats on the new rat!

-Mallory

Answer 2

my cousin had two large rats, i love them!

well youll need a pretty big cage,

and it needs to have oppenings on the sides

so the can climb against the sides.

my cousin put like bedding you would use

in a rabbits cadge, kinda woodchip like.

they like you run around a lot and shed always

let them climb on her shoulders and stuff.

you need to get them treats they can chew on and stuff

and a small water bottle thing for fast that hang on

the side of the cage.

and also youll need to get them a wheel they can run on.

good luck! theyre fun pets!!

but be aware, if you get a boy and a girl

the babies will be coming out by the number pretty soon!!

Answer 3

The bigger the cage, the better. Rats enjoy many of the same hammocks, cages, tunnels, and toys that ferrets and rabbits like. make sure the wires on the cage are small enough the rat can't get through. Dumbo rats are my favorite because they are so docile and lets face it, those ears are adorable. Make sure you have plenty of wood treats to chew on to wear down their rodent teeth or you'll have to have teeth trimmings. Feed your rat a healthy diet with plenty of veggies, whole grains, low fat nuts such as almonds, and stay away from too much sugar and limit fruits to snack time. Rats are awesome. They can adapt to air conditioning. Oh yeah, if you get a wire cage (recommended) hanging parrot toys are awesome because they usually have lots of wood to chew on and bells to play with. Rabbit kabobs are great for scewering veggies and haning them in cage. Also cardboard toilet paper rolls are a fun place to hide treats and rats love tearing them up. Use recycled paper shreddings as bedding because pine and cedar can cause upper respiratory infections. Avoid febreeze and other sprays as they will make your rat sick too. Good luck.

Answer 4

Rats make outstanding pets. They are intelligent (think - you can often teach them to come when you say their name, tricks etc.), they actually enjoy human companionship, they are very rarely aggressive, they are clean, they are low maintenance.

The biggest downside to owning a rat, however, is the short lifespan. The average is 2 to 3 years although in my experience, with proper nutrition and vet care, almost all of mine have made it past 3 years and some substantially so. This is not much different for most of the small pocket pets, and they do live longer than hamsters, mice etc.

In addition, rats chew which means you will need to pet proof before allowing out of cage time. Also, while rats do not need regular vet care like a dog or cat, they are prone to respiratory illnesses and tumors and those do cost the same as treatment for a dog or cat (and in some cases a bit more). That would be true of any pet however.

The cage will be the biggest expense you have and in this regards, go as big as you can afford. An adequately sized habitat is essential to a rats intellectual development and emotional wellbeing.

In addition, you will need to get high quality bedding (no woods with oils such as pine or cedar, for example) and will want to get a very high quality lab block, which will keep your rat from picking out the tasty fattening bits and leaving the greenies behind. Oxbow is outstanding and Mazuri Blocks close. Do not feed Kaytee - it is ubiquitously available and extremely low quality. You want something where corn is not the main ingredient. Supplement in moderation with fresh fruit and veg. The website I include below also has a link to Debbie Ducomon's homemade rat diet which is outstanding if you feel adventurous and want to prepare your own.

One last note: rats are pack animals and so you should definitely stick with the idea of getting at least two rats. Having two rats will not prevent them from bonding with you at all, however no matter how much time you can spend with your rat, you cannot curl up in the hammock with him or her. A rat companion is the most important thing you can do for your rat in terms of safeguarding their emotional wellbeing.

This site is the gold standard for rat information. It will help you will issues such as what kind of housing, dietary needs, rat proofing, common illnesses etc.

http://www.ratfanclub.org/report1.html

Answer 5

you can feed them lab blocks if you can get them and they can also eat fruit and veg. once they get used to you, you could let them run around your room or in your bathroom. im not sure what size my cage is i have for mine, but it can house 2 chinchillas, so its pretty big. are you thinking about getting 2 males or 2 females.

please dont listen to the people who say male rats stink and they are agressive. i have 2 7 month old males, and they dont smell one bit and they arent agressive. 'Emile' will grab my finger and l**k it

Answer 6

heyy

great choice of pet! rats totally rock they are so cute and lovable. a lot of people say there are alot of differences between male and female rats although i dont think there is much. make sure you get rats of the same s*x if your going to keep them together cos you will have a lot of babies lol... so atm i have a female rat and she is very friendly. she is smart and loves to be with me all the time. the good thing about females is they dont wee on you as much as males cos they dont mark the territory (my personal experience) if you dont clean their cage regularly they will start to smell. thats all the cons lol oh and rats apparantly attract mouses and that to your house... they are easy to look after and alot of fun. the other people replying have already pretty much answered your question but more opinions are always helpful. i have a neice who works at a fruit and veg shop and she brings me home scraps saves money and my rat loves it. but also feed your rat a mix of seeds. (you can buy them prepackaged) im going on a bit hey. but yeah get a good size cage with a house for them to hide in. i got my cage with everything already in it such as toys water bottle all that jazz it only cost me $40australian.

but yeah anything you wanna know contact me!