I'm getting a rat and need some information? 10 points as always!?

Question

1. Any medication that a typical rat should take - like vitamins or any daily rodent supplements?

2. What tricks can I teach my rat, and what are some training tips you can share with me?

3. What kind of toys do your rats like, what do you recommend to use as homemade toys, and what type of thing should I try to stay away from?

4. Good rat treats, good rat food/treat brands, things to stay away from, etc.

5. Social health - should I have more than 1 rat?

6. Minimum cage size for 1 rat AND 2 rats?

7. Cage necessities; things every rat shouldn't be without.

8. Best types of litter and kinds to stay away from?

9. Any other advice you may have for me.

Thank you so so much. I will award 10 points to whomever answers all of my questions (with good answers of course). I know I'm asking a lot, but I would like to provide my new rat(s) with a good life.

Answer 1

They have books that would answer the questions you are asking perfectly. I would recommend going to a barnes and nobles.

For my two pet rats I bought a ferret starter cage (three levels) and my rats absolutely LOVE it, definitely lots of room for them to run and play and its a pretty durable cage.

I got my two rats from a petco and they aren't very social, I would recommend going to a rescue because most of those pet rats have already been pretty well tamed.

Best of luck for you and your pet rats ^^

Answer 2

Yay! Well informed buyers! What a miracle..Errr, I mean. ^-^'';

1. Not any specific medication, but you can give them vitamins through their water or drink.

2. You can teach them lots of things http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iljHxtk7X... try more of that user! :)

3. Tinkly balls, cat toys, FEATHERS!! My girls flip over feathers. Stay away from anything could harm your rat.

4. Raisins, grapes, bits of pineapple, and etc. You can find a list of fun treats for your ratties hereee  http://hubpages.com/hub/Rat_Munchies

5. Of course; They are pack animals, much like dogs, and enjoy the company of their own kind and accept you into part of their pack also.. :)

6.Minimum I'm not sure the exact requirements but if you look at certain cages read the reviews and look for hazards and pros, then you should wind up pretty good. I've heard that the exotic pet starter kit from somewhere (Petco and Petsmart I think) works wonderfully.

7. Hammocks! Food dishes, Large waterbottle, some shiny and colorful bird toys.

8. PINE AND CEDAR. Actually any store bought bedding, if you can. Try using shredded up news paper and/or printer paper.

9.Be sure your rats never walk on wire, its really dangerous and they could develop Bumble foot.

Answer 3

1. From what I know vitamin E works really well for rodents, you can often by treats with it in them.

2.I dont really know a lot of tricks for rodents, but many people I have seen teach them how to stand on 2 feet when asked, and to search for treats.

3. Rats always like shiny things, they are really attracted to that kinda of stuff, a bird mirror, and keys should be ok to use. They also like soft things to make nests out of, cloth works out ok sometimes, makes them more comfortable.

4.Usually they like any kinda of store bought treat, from what I know they aren't too picky, but rodents love blueberries, and every now and then a little piece of hot dog.

5. I have read before that rats like to have partners, for a while they are ok by themselves, but in the long run, frm what I know they like to be in pairs.

6.I don't really know for like an actual measurement but they need space so a larger cage is good.

7. From what I have seen rats like to run around, so a wheel is always good, and og course a water bottle, litter box if you choose to train them to use one, and of course something to build a nest with, cloth, anything like that.

8.Depends on what kind of litter you mean, waste litter, or type of rat? If litter for a litter box, strongly scented is the stuff to stay away from. If type of rat, I think that is up to the person, look at a few types and see which one you like better.

9. I know a lot of people who walk their rats on a harness, and the rats seem to really enjoy it.

Answer 4

Rats need no medication unless they are ill. just a good diet.

rats can learn all sorts of tricks like walking on their back legs, and put balls through hoops (Check out videos on youtube) using peanut butter as a reward is what i do and it works really well.

They like tubes (drainpipes) balls(cat balls) be creative using cardboard boxes etc but avoit glues and paints and plastics(unless brought from a shop)

i find the best treats are peanut butter, fruit and veg and burned toast. Avoit chocolate and fudge and mushy fruit like bananas.

It is always best to have at least 2 rats, in the winter they will keep each other warm as well as having someone to play with.

I would advise a Jenny or Freddy rat cage for 1 - 4 rats

they need food and water, excersize but if using a weel their backs must be straight whilst running, toys to ocupy them. a bed(they love hammocks).

dont use clay or grit litter. DO NOT USE WOODCHIPS?SHAVINGS!

I find cat litter pellets made of recycled wood is good for them.

handle your rats everyday for at least half an hour,make sure they can have something too keep them occupied.

Answer 5

1.  No, there is nothing that you will need to give your rat daily.  Their is absolutely no need to give a multivitamin if you are feeding a complete diet like lab blocks.  Multivitamins can actually be dangerous when used incorrectly as it is possible to overdose on some vitamins (like the fat soluble ones).

2.  I've never really taught mine tricks.  Mine all knew their names and worked out how to sit at the side of the cage and beg for attention and food.  Generally you can teach them to sit on your shoulder as you walk around or sit doing something.

3.  Mine love toilet paper rolls.  They also love curling up in hammocks or using a fleece "slide" from level to level.  They've never been crazy about any store bought toys but do seem to enjoy trying to pack away anything that's within reach of the cage.

4.  For food you want to avoid a seed diet as they can be nutritionally incomplete.  A lab block like Oxbow Regal Rat or Mazuri is a very good choice as each bite contains perfect nutrition.  If that's not an option then Suebee's rat diet can work quite well:

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

Good treats include healthy fruits and veggies, whole wheat pasta and lean proteins like chicken.  Avoid sugary processed treats like you'll find in stores, they're basically just candy and shouldn't be given on a regular basis.

5.  Definitely have at least two.  Rats are very social and need the company of another rat.  They will still bond with you, but they will have company for those times when you aren't there.  Rats groom each other, play together and sleep in adorable ratty piles.

6.  At least 2 cubic feet per rat, but the bigger the better.  Avoid aquariums and bins because they don't give enough air flow.  Rats are prone to respiratory problems so you want a cage with plenty of ventilation.  A great way to check to see if a cage would be suitable is here:

http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.sht...

7.  The obvious like food dish and water bottle.  Also, I think hammocks are a necessity.  You can buy them in stores or make your own.  I use large pieces of fleece and attach them to the side of the cage with (untreated) wooden clothes pins.  A house is always nice too, although mine prefer hammocks.

8.  IMO Carefresh is the best litter.  It's safe for their respiratory tracts, soft and they can make a little nest out of it.  Yesterday's News (pelleted paper) is also safe, as is aspen shavings.  Avoid cedar and pine as they can be damaging to the respiratory tract.

9.  Not so much advice, as just links to great websites with better advice than I could hope to give

http://www.ratsrule.com/

http://www.ratguide.com

http://www.petratscanada.com/  

Answer 6

1.no meds

2."beg" "potty training" go to www.dapper.com

3.don't buy rat toys from garage sales!! I make alot of their toys. give them cardboard boxes. they love them.

4. yogurt drops, reggie rat food, bread

5. please have two rats same gender

6. the boxes on rats cages should say how many rats fit in it.

don't get the plastic tube cages. get a cage with horizontal bars so they can climb.

7.  shelter to hide in, water bottle, chew proof food bowl, toys and chew blocks

8.I just use shredded paper from a paper shredder. save money. don't use newspaper, don't shred staples or cds.

9.clean cage often. have an air freshener!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

congratulation's on getting rats they are great my friend has one

1.rats make all the vitamin c they need

2.you can teach them there name, to come, sit on your shoulder, fetch, litter box trained and more

3.toilet paper rolls, ladders, ropes hammocks, platforms, blocks of wood for chewing, running wheel and other toys made for ferrets or parrots are good to

4.nevergive them chocolate, raw beans, carbonated drinks, raw sweet potato, blue cheese, raw red cabbage, raw brussel sprouts raw artichokes, orange juice, green bananas, green potato skin and eyes, rhubarb, dried corn, cucumber, radishes, spinach, collards,turnip greens, beets, almonds and swiss chard. some treats are rice krispies, cheerios, strawberries, grapes, watermelon, apple, carrots unsalted peanuts. for foods you can give them dog food , lab blocks , rat mix, pet blocks, rodent chow.

5. you should get at least 2 rats because they are highly social able they love the company of other rats.

6.the cage should be at least 2 cubic feet per rat. i would look for cages for ferrets

7. a box or a house, a running wheel, food bowl, water drip bottle, hammock, ladders, other levels, piece of wood to chew,

8.you should stay away from cedar and pine as rats are allergic. use hard work sharvings

9.they can get tumors and cancer.

Answer 8

eh 2 points is good for me

Answer 9

You really do need a lot of information! Well don't worry as I am the right person to ask.

1. There is small animal supplements. It is not essential because if you feed a balanced diet, then they should not need it, but adding some to their diet is absolutely fine. You can if you want break up a childrens vitamin tablet instead and mix it in with their dry mix/loab blocks/homemade diet.

2. I have personally not trained my rats to do anything. But if you decide to, it sounds like a good idea.

You can teach your rat things like to come when you call her/his name or run up and down your arm.

Websites are in the source section.

3. List of good toys in rat care writeup

4. Diet information in rat care writeup

5. Yes, please consider getting two rats instead of just the one. They are very social animals just like us humans are and will always love a little friend to snuggle up to and play with.

6. Updating, sorry about the wait....................

7.List of cage items in rat writeup

8. There are several good beddings. I use cat litter as recommended by my vet. She said that it absorbs urine and helps chest problems. Some other good beddings are: Carefresh, Yesterday`s News and Aspen. Please stay away from pine or cedar.

As you said that you do not know much about rats and how to care for one, I advise you read my write up on basic rat care.

A rats Life

Rats are cute, affectionate, loving, cuddly little creatures and are much easier to take care of than dogs. You may want to buy another rat (which I recommend you should) because they are very social and like a little friend to cuddle up to and groom them. But just remember to be a loving and caring owner by:

1. Giving them lots of cuddles and kisses.

2. Make sure they get their exercise (my little girls run around the house). Exercise should be about 30-60 mins a day!

3. Make sure they have a nice healthy diet and clean water.

4. Take them to the vet when they get sick and make sure you do everything you can to help them.

5. They don’t live long so make sure you give them a happy life.

RATS LIFE

A cage: A decent sized cage (with NO wire floor, or if it does have one, take it out if you can) for the rat so she has enough space because remember rats get bigger!! Make sure you clean the cage once a week to stop it from smelling.

Food: Buy some food and bowl especially for rats at your nearest pet store and a couple of little treats so they will feel happy. Fresh vegetables and fruit are also very healthy treats for your rats. Make sure you clean out the rat’s food bowl every week!

There are a few types of foods you can feed your rat. The most popular type is lab blocks. Many people like to feed these as the rat’s staple diet as they will not pick out what they like unlike rat mixes. There are many different brands of blocks. A good quality one would have to be Harlan Tekland and is used by many people and contains high quality ingredients. Rat blocks are not a very easy thing to find if you live somewhere other than America so rat mixes should be given. A lot of people think rat mixes are not nutritionally complete and balanced and that rats have a hard time digesting what’s in it as some mixes contain corn or alfalfa. Some people agree that rat mixes are good and that rats will get bored of having rat blocks and that you will have a hard time trying to get you rats to eat it. Some people also think that it is not a good idea to give rats rat blocks as they are tested on lab rats. Either one is good, I recommend rat blocks but if they are not available where you live there are other options like rat mixes or even make your own homemade rat diet. I recommend Sue bee’s ray diet or Debbie Ducommun rat diet.

Make sure that you supply fresh vegetables and fruit daily or every 2-3 days. This should make up 20% of their diet. Some fruits/vegetables you can feed your rat are: Blue berries, apple, carrot, tomato, broccoli, Bok choy, lettuce (not ice burg as it has not nutritional value), strawberries, melon (honeydew, watermelon), cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cucumber, zucchini, banana, sweet potato (must be cooked), potato.

Please do not feed your rat green bananas, carbonated drinks (rats can not burp!), raw bulk tofu, raw sweet potato, orange juice (forbidden for male rats only), raw beans, green potato skin and eyes, wild insects (contain diseases), onion, hot spices and citrus fruits.

You may also like to feed other snacks like tofu, unsalted cracker, milk, a small amount of cheese, table scraps, cooked lean meats, muesli, oats, dried fruit, whole grain bread, sunflower seeds, porridge, cooked beans, no added sugar cereals or baby food.

Water: All you need to do is buy a water bottle from your nearest pet shop and refill everyday with clean fresh water and wash with warm soapy water once a week. Rat bowls are not the best as rats will tend to tip it over, kick sawdust into and urinate in it. Also if you want to, in the summer time you can put a little bowl of water in the rat’s cage for them to cool down.

Bedding: You can buy sawdust/wood shavings as your bedding from a pet shop but just remember to see if it’s OK to use for rats. But I suggest that you use cat litter which is recommended by my vet as it absorbs the rats’ urine and helps chest problems. Some other beddings you may like to use are Carefresh, Aspen or Yesterday`s News. Just remember never use pine or cedar as bedding.

Toys: Toys for you rat are great for when you are not around to play with them and can amuse them in the meantime. You can either make your rats some toys or you can buy some from a pet shop. The toys I would recommend to keep your rat happy would be; A large rat house from a pet shop, a hammock, chew toys so they can gnaw there teeth to help the teeth not to grow too long, a wheel, tubes and a ladder but its up to you what you do!

Below I have included a list of toys you make like to buy or even make for your rat.

Toys (general):

Hammocks - hammocks are great and one of the best toys a rat could have! They love to snuggle up in it and keep warm. (How to make a hammock, thurther on)

Toilet rolls

Paper bags: Rats love to shred and tear these apart.

Nest box - Tissue boxes are good for the rat to sleep in. If you want, add some old clothes/socks and even some tissue or paper towel to make it more comfortable.

Ladders

Toilet rolls

Tubes

Rope

Cat toys

Here is a list of chew toys. Make sure you provide some sort of chew toy in your rat’s cage, so they can gnaw their teeth down, otherwise they may become overgrown.

Chew Toys:

Dog Biscuits - make sure they are low in protein and please try and get high quality brands.

Nuts In Shell (Pecans, macadamia, walnuts, hazelnuts)

Wood - make sure the wood is treated, not painted and non - toxic

Chew Blocks - you can buy these at a pet store. Some have many interesting colours or flavours!

Cooked Bones - Not only is it extra nutrition but it also exercises the rats teeth! Make sure you do not feed "splintery" bones such poultry or fish. Fish bones can be too small and very sharp and might get lodged down the rat’s throat and cause death. Beef and chicken are good.

Cardboard Boxes

Wine Corks

Pop Sticks

Baby Teething Rusks

Here is a few websites that will give you more information and ideas.

http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm#chewto...

http://exoticpets.about.com/od/careofrat...

http://hubpages.com/hub/Games_and_Toys_f...

http://www.rmca.org/Articles/toys.htm

http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/...

Home made hammock:

You will need:

A piece of soft cloth

Some thin rope or thick string

Scissors

Instructions:

1. Cut a hole with your scissors at each corner of the piece of cloth. You should have four holes.

2. Thread the string or rope through

3. Tie it the bars of the cage making sure it is in an open space.

Below is a list of games you may like to play with your rat.

Games To Play Games With Your Rats:

Tickling: Lay your rat on it’s back and give him a good old tickle.

Hide and Seek: Put your rat in a room. Go count to 10-50. Then go and find them.

Bundled Blanket: Bundle your rat in a blanket and let him explore and find his way out.

Rat Ride: Get into a position like a donkey (get on your hands and knees). Put your rats on your back and go around the house.

Tug Of War: Get a piece of rope or string. Put it near the rat and let him go to it and pull it. Grab the other end and pull it swell. Only let your rat win sometimes!

There is also many other games!!

This is just some basic information but I suggest that you buy a rat book or find information on the internet so you are prepared!!! Make sure you do this if you want a healthy rat.

I recommend these web sites which will give you a lot of information and stuff on rats.

http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/home/

http://www.dapper.com.au/

http://www.ratz.co.uk/ratbedding.html

http://www.ratfanclub.org/

http://www.freewebs.com/ryansrodents/rat...

A book that I would also recommend is "The Proper Care Of Fancy Rats" by Nick Mays. It is an excellent book everything you need to know about rats, diet, cage, breeding, diseases/sickness and much more.

I think you are going to be a great owner. I am glad you are so interested in caring for your rats and want to give it the best possible home. All I have to say now is good luck! Rats are truly adorable little animals. You won`t regret that you got one!

Answer 10

1. There aren't any medications you give them daily, but you can give them ratty vitamins through their water and such. Usually just fruits and veggies are good enough though.

2. Hmm, i've never attempted any tricks with my rats, but this will probably help: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Pet-Rats-3537...

3. Parrot toys are amazing! The rope ladders, wood ladders. colorful chew block shish-kebabs, mine love the "chubes" you get from the store, this site is very helpful in the way of toys: http://www.ratsauce.com/toys_games/index...

4. here's one of my previous posts:

Apples, Lettuce (Better to get romaine, iceberg has a lot of water and can cause diarrhea), Carrots, Sweet potatoes (COOKED, raw can be toxic!), peas, green beans, corn, strawberries, melons, blueberries, raspberries, plums, bananas, grapes, broccoli, squash, cucumber in moderation, and zucchini are all great! I also love to give mine dandelion leaves as long as they're free of pesticide and have been rinsed.

But, BEWARE of:

raw peanuts, roasted are OK (i know, not a fruit or vegetable, but it's a treat)

raw red cabbage or brussel sprouts

raw artichokes

green bananas

green potatoes

rhubarb

tofu

orange juice

and, as already mentioned, onion, it can lead to anemia

Be wary of these and only give in moderation:

beets

celery

eggplant

radishes

spinach

collards

turnip greens

almonds

One thing to add: If you give them a red berry like raspberries, be prepared to have your heart leap out of your chest! :P i gave mine some once and came back to rats covered in red! I thought it was blood and they had murdered one of their cagemates! lol!

Oh, and yogies too!

5. OH YEAH, rats are extremely social and NEED a cage-mate, get two or your rat will be incredibly lonely, no matter how much you play with them.

6. about 2.5 square feet per rat is perfect, here's the cage calculator for help: http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.sht...

7. Another previous post:

You'll need a water bottle,

rat food,

a bowl,

a salt wheel is good to have,

some toys (some parrot toys work great, like chew block shish-kebabs and ladders),

something to chew on like wood pieces (from a store Not outside),

mine love ferret hammocks,

treats like yogies (mine love the small berry ones),

if you have a lot of wire that they'll be stepping on, it's good to have some grass mats or wood or something like that to put on it to keep them from hurting their feet.

8. Avoid pine and cedar like the plauge! Carefresh, aspen and things like yesterdays news are perfectly fine.

9. Love them and they'll love you back! :P

4.  

Answer 11

http://sites.google.com/site/guineapigsf... go to this site for pretty much everything you need to know

or heres the direct link to the rat page

http://sites.google.com/site/guineapigsf...