I'm getting 3 female rats? Have some questions please? Thank you.?

Question

I'm planning to get 3 female rats from the pet store. The cage i'm going to buy for them is

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753352&keepsr=0

. So it should be fine for the 3 rats. I just have a few questions about caring for them?

- I'm going to use Carefresh pet bedding for them so its healthy. How often should I change the pet bedding, because the carefresh brand is quite pricey.

- Is it alright to feed them my own food. this is what i'll give them. A mixture of:

- raw rice

- dried corn

- oatmeal

- almonds

- walnuts

- some whole grain rice

- crunched up Soda Crackers

These will all be mixed up and fed daily. I will also feed fruits and veggies every few days.

- I'm planning to put blanket matariels in too on the floor for them. I want to know if rats will pee and poo everywhere in their cage? Or in a specific spot. Because the blankets will absorb the urine and it'll be hard to wash. But i see other ppl using blankets in youtube vids.

Any tips, TY

Answer 1

all the food mixs would be perfect for them

Answer 2

Keep it away from the cheeze and the dogs. Why do you want a rat, anyway?

Answer 3

The size of the rats. Are they babies, or adults. Why 3. Are you comfortable with rats. They need lots of space, and interaction. The cage is a little small for 3. Are you adopting them, or purchasing them on the floor. I have had better experience with the flat, long cages, for multiple rats. Rats usually do not use a exercise wheel. They do like to be handled, if they are tame. I would feed the lab pellets or grain. I would use a soft bedding, and change it every 4th day. No blanket material. They will  tear it up. A paper tube in the cage, for hiding.

Answer 4

Buy them feed from a pet store otherwise they will not get the proper nutrition also rice is not a good idea and it expands when in liquid and could plug up your rats digestive system. You can definitely give them carrots, apples, anything non acidic but be careful not to give salty or sugary cereals or crackers and things as it can hurt their health every week a few pieces is fine but don't over feed them yum yums. The cage is fine but I could suggest just basic shavings I use carefresh from the pet store but wood shavings from the pet store is good too BUT NEVER get your wood shavings any where other then a pet store as they have never been treated and may have mites and bugs and chemicals that can kill your rats. Some rats do have a habit of peeing in one corner some don't but they will definitely p**p anywhere is their cage. I find that yes rats are good and not peeing and pooping out side their cage but that is not guaranteed all rats are different have different personalities etc.

Provide fresh food and water give them chew toys and play with them daily and you will have a nice 3 to 5 years with your rats, rats are very nice and friendly animals I love them a lot but don't have the room for them right now which really sucks I want some bad!! Maybe later though hehe. Enjoy your new cuties!

Answer 5

- Bedding should be changed weekly when you clean the cage.

- No, that diet is not nutritionally complete. If you wish to feed a homemade mix, go with something like Suebee's: http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/ratfe...

- You'll need to wash them frequently. They can be litter trained but it'll only work with p**p, not pee.

As for tips, all I have to offer is my rat care website: http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/ratin...

Answer 6

that cage looks great for 3 rats. Carefresh bedding is good. i would suggest the Carefresh Ultra because it traps ammonia better than the regular one. Dried corn is not something that rats should have a lot of. Sure its in a lot of rat foods, but its not the greatest. Oatmeal is fine if its dry. I wouldn't give them a lot of rice because it may cause constipation. Maybe try peanuts (in the shell because they love to break it open), unsalted sunflower seeds, organic dried bananas, dry pasta, and lots of fruits and veggies. almonds are fine too. it is possible to litter train rats. if you put the little box (they sell ones for hamsters and rats) in a corner with different bedding, they may go in there. my rats go in one specific corner. blankets will be fine if they are small. they love to use them to bunch up and snuggle in. good luck with your girls and i hope this helped! :)

Answer 7

I wouldn't bother giving it crackers, there is no nutrition in them. Give it cat food and it will get the protein it needs. Rats  p**p and pee everywhere. Blankets with be torn up, peed on, eaten. Rats are Rodents which have no reason to have evolved to do things your cat or dog does because they are geared towards spitting out a lot of babies before it is eaten in a few weeks to months. So personal hygeine is not a priority, or culture, or surviving diseases or a lot of things that long-lived animals are evolved to do.

Answer 8

*The cage is ok.

*Litter should be changed every few days

*Buy them rat food and supplement the diet with fruit and   veggies, daily.

*Put aside some peices of material, and use that for blankets.  Keep a few sets so you can throw one set in washer when you change the cage you can use fresh blankets.

Answer 9

I change the cage once a week, my guys aren't litter trained at all.  Plus, mine is an un-neutered male so he urine marks everywhere.  I wipe down the levels in the cage once a day, and I scrub them with dilute vinegar once a week.

Your diet is not nutritionally complete, it would lead to health problems.  The best diet is a quality lab block like Oxbow Regal Rat.  Many people also make a grain mix like Suebee's and combine that with a high quality dog food.

Oxbow food:

http://www.oxbowhay.com/Shop/showProduct...

Suebee's Mix:

http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html

Good luck, and enjoy the new girls.  These web sites are all helpful:

http://www.ratsrule.com/

http://ratguide.com/care/

Answer 10

bedding should be changed along with when you clean the cage which shhould be once a week.  you take out the bedding splash the cage with hot soapy water then spray or wipe with disinfectant then wash again.  and dry.  i would add more whole grains to the diet.  you have to potty train them to p**p in the corner. its really easy. go on ratfanclub.org.  i put a sock in there and they chewed it up like crazy and peeed and pooped everywhere so i threw it out.  goodl uck with you new rats!!

you should rat proof your home home before you let him out

Answer 11

Eh...I guess I'll start by correcting some mis-information...Cat food has WAY TOO much protein, which can cause skin problems and feed from a pet store is c**p (to put it simply) unless they make their own.

Carefresh is great (from what I've heard), and you'll need to change it at least once a week. Dried corn can contain high levels of mold and fungus which isn't healthy for rats, nuts are great treats but have a bunch of fat, and, as stated, crackers aren't very nutritious. You can find home-made diets at http://www.ratfanclub.org/diet.html, http://www.shunamiterats.co.uk/diet.html... and http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#di... Blanket material is fine, but I find fleece is *really* easy too wash, and just as snuggly too :D My rats don't p**p outside their cage either, as they're litter trained (yusss!), but regularly mark on me, heh...