How much fresh air should my rats get?

Question

i'm getting two rats in august, and was wondering about how often i should bring them out with me. my bunny goes outside about once a week at the least, when i clean his cage, and he stays in it. i'd love to let him run around, but there's no way to fence off a small area fror him cause of the way our yard is, plus there's like 4 cats that hang around, and two dogs in the back yard. my kitten goes outside a lot, he just runs out the door cause when i got him he was an outdoor cat. he's learning not to run out without me now though, cause he almost got attacked by another cat, and then narrowly escaped being ran over. now he just lets me hold him when we go out, or stays really close to me and my friends.

but i don't know about my rats. when i had a hamster i don't remeber him coming outside too often at all. would it be a good idea to bring them outside a lot(as long as they're protected from any severe wheather of course, and so they cna't run off and get hurt)?

Answer 1

Rats don't need fresh air, just time outside thier cage.

Answer 2

Once or twice a week. Humidity is good for them especially if they have colds or congestion. They make moveable hutches that you can set down and keep you bunny contained while letting him forage on grass. Just make sure that there isn't any pesticides or anything else on the grass as this can be toxic. Best time for foraging is after rain. I take my rats outside in their cage and let them hang out with me on the front porch about 20-30 mins. Sometimes less, sometimes more, depending on the weather. The best temperature for them is about 70. Anything higher than that and they will show signs of dehydration and overheating. But yes, it's a great idea and they would love it. Just stay out with them as long as they are outside, since you mentioned stray cats around. Even if the cat cant get to the rats, it can still stress the rat out and cause major issues such as illness.

Answer 3

Please just be careful that your rats do not get spooked or get away from you! make sure your rats fully trust you and you fully trust them before chancing it! im sorry if i sound like im lecuting but it would be very sad to have somthing happen to them. a harness would be a great idea and they are fairly cheap too.

Answer 4

you could get a harness for each and let them roam that way. most harnesses i found were too big for my rats (i started out with girls) so i found this: http://www.petcompany.co.uk/acatalog/fou...

and it worked wonders. it's so simple and adjusts to any size and it's so lightweight that it doesn't interfere with them walking or anything! when i was in college i'd let them go roam certain places so they could get out of my dorm room more often =)

edit: i know that's a UK website, but if you have a pet supplies plus near you i KNOW they sell them there. look around, i'm sure they're in other places to =)

Answer 5

i take my rat outside with me sometimes when i'll go  feed the dog. when my dog first saw she tryed to  bite her but now she just licks her. i also bring pixie out in her ball and let her roll around the grass and deck when im out. that way when one of my 4 cats comes around they cant get to her.  so if you want to bring them outside for long periods of time put them in their balls and put them outside and watch them. but don't leave them out too long because their balls could heat up and make them hot.

Answer 6

To be honest your rats don't NEED any fresh air at all. Its fine to carry them on your shoulder while you put the washing out or whatever but it is too hard to set up an enclosure and rats do not need fresh air as a rule. Hope this helps!

PS. what colour rats are you getting?

Answer 7

yea you should take them out about every other day to other 3 days

Answer 8

Once a week seems about right, twice a week wouldn't hurt.

Your the only girl I've ever seen that has pet rats.