I just bought my very first fancy rat!?!?

Question

I just bought a fancy rat, male, from petsmart. I bought everything they suggested, food, cage, things to chew on, etc. He seems nice, but I was told I could socialize him, get him to where he can come out of his cage and play and things like that, so I was wondering if anyone has any advice. I also have not thought of a name...but I was told I could teach him his name when I think of one, is that true? Can you train rats? I also have 2 dogs, 1 puppy (8 weeks) and 1 6 month old chihuahua....can they meet when the rat is socialized? lol is that a silly question?

Sorry I have a lot of questions :-\ I did do some research and I am good on health and my vet does see rat and things like that, so I really just want to know more about socializing and things like that, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Answer 1

Ewuuua!!!  A rat!  I give you props for buying one!!!!  But I think it is possible for a rat to be "socialized" if you train him right.  I'm not too sure if I would introduce him to my dogs though.  That sounds a bit risky...  

Answer 2

Depends on the rat if he'll get along with ur dogs or not. Personally, my rat tried to attack my maltese! But really, rats are very social and are recommended to have a cage mate. Actually it's almost considered cruel if you don't because they rely so much on the interaction from others in their lives. So i would get another male if I were you. Oh and about the fruit thing, I heard (but don't quote me) that oranges fed to male rats can cause cancer if given enough. So I stay away from that.

My rats are the best pets that I have..and I have many. You will have a geat time with him.  

Answer 3

They forgot the most important rule of owning a rat:

- They do best in pairs/groups.

Also, do NOT use Pine or Cedar as bedding, as they're toxic to small animals.

You should go back out, and get a 2nd male for optimal happiness. The case against single rats:

http://ratfanclub.org/single.html

Anyways, here is some great rat information:

http://ratfanclub.org/helpinfo.html

Trust-training a frightened rat:

http://ratfanclub.org/trust.html

Diet (including forbidden foods list):

http://ratfanclub.org/diet.html

Also, consider purchasing Debbie Ducommun's "Rats" book, sold at most pet stores.

Answer 4

Yes, you can socialize him, and ya, you can teach him his name, and he will know within about 3 weeks to 1 1/2 months. You can definitely not introduce him to your dogs! They will eat him. And you can train rats.

As for  the food, rats love bananas, they kinda like strawberries, and my rat likes broccoli a bit.

Answer 5

You can feed him bananas, green apples, strawberries, broccali and stuff like that. Let him sniff your hands before you touch him or start to play with him. wash your hands before you play with him so your hands are clean.you can train rats to go into a litter box and you know and they can learn their name. Your other pets can socialize with him but make sure you hold him above their heads and let them just look at him move and crawl on you. then eventually your rat will be able to crawl on them and play with them  :)..   hope i helped  :)

Answer 6

I'd be wary about Petsmart. They, quite honestly, don't know what they're talking about when it comes to rats.

First off, congrats to getting a rat! They're great companions. Be sure you DON'T FOR ANY REASON use pine bedding for your rat as it can be deadly to them, and be sure the cage you have is big enough and the bars are tight together. I would also suggest getting another rat, as rats have been known to die of loneliness.

Be sure the toys you have do not contain any pine in them, first of all.

Rats can most certainly be taught their names! My mother owned a rat who came when called from across the room!

I would advise against introducing your rat to your other pets, as your rat will probably feel threatened and lash out, and anything could happen. If you want your rat to interact with animals, get another male rat. Remember that male rats have been known to be rather lazy. ;D

Rats can eat almost anything, but stay away from oranges and peanut butter. Oranges have been known to cause cancer in rats, and they could easily choke on peanut butter. Try feeding your rat some tiny frozen veggies like peas and corn. And while sun flower seeds are a tasty treat for rats, give them to him sparingly! They're very fattening.

To get to know your rat better, let him sniff your hand first, and the best way to get to know him is just to hold him! Let your rat out at least once a day to run around on a couch or bed, and if you want him to have fun try hiding treats everywhere.

Sorry it was so long, but good luck with your new rat! If you ever have any questions about rats I'd be happy to help.