Question?rats?

Question

what can rats eat?

what shouldnt they eat?

how many toys should they at least have in their cage?

how many times should i clean their cage in a week?

and please give me tips

Answer 1

-most rat foods in pet stores aren't very healthy for them, unless you get lab blocks. i make my own and it's much MUCH cheaper, and they eat ALL of it. http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html that is one diet that a lot of people use. mine's a variation, and it works well.

-there's also a few things they shouldn't eat: http://fatratcentral.com/the-basics/diet...

-i'd clean the cage about once a week unless it starts to smell before that, though once a week should be fine

-you should have a few toys and chew sticks. maybe a hammock if they won't chew it. maybe some cardboard tubes for them to play in

-tips would be to get 2 of the same s*x. they do much better in pairs. and alwyas try to m ake sure they get out of the cage time. in winter they do love to play in a hoodie (while it's on you!) and they love to snuggle. girls are more active than boys, in general. boys might smell more, as they will mark territory. i have both sexes and i love them all =)

Answer 2

Rats are omnivorous. They should eat mostly grains, as well as protien, and fresh veggies. DO NOT buy seed mixes. This is terrible food. Only feed them lab blocks. These are nutritionally balanced. Try to buy the most expensive brand, as they are usually so for a reason of being higher quality.

For treats, you will need to prepare some fresh vegetables for them to have every couple of days. Dark greens are especially good. You can also get yogurt drops which they will adore, while also getting calcium from it.

Well, there is no "minimum" number of toys they can have... Assuming you have a very large and spacious cage, like those for ferrets or chinchillas, you can pretty much fill it up with all sorts of things. Rats need places to hide to feel safe, so toss in some empty cardboard boxes for them. They will also like to chew the boxes, so just replace them when they get too messy. Also get some hammocks for them to climb into and sleep. Most love these! Aside from this, there is nothing more they really need as toys.

Usually, you can clean the cage once a week, but it depends. Some rats are stinkier than others, so you might get away with once a week, or you might have to do it a couple more times. The point is to clean the cage before it gets smelly. Once you get to know them, you will know how often they need cleaning.

As long as you have two rats of the same s*x, you are good to go. Having a single rat is not going to work out, and it will suffer. They are incredibly social, and will depend on your attention, similar to dogs. You will have to take them out for about 1 hour each day, and let them play around out of the cage. It's a good diea to 'rat-proof' a room and let them explore it freely. But when you first get tehm, do not touch them for the first few days. They will be extremely scared and wil just want to keep to themselves until they get used to their home.

Also, please avoid pet stores. Al lpet stores get all their animals from the same places where the parent animals are abused and allowed to suffer, etc. Find either a breeder, or adopt.

Answer 3

They eat fruit, SOFT vegetables, and store-bought rat rood. Try all different kinds of produce with your rat, but only in small amounts every day.

They shouldn't eat rat poison, or plastic/inedible things.

They need as much toys as they actually NEED.

Once a week, and every 2 weeks, clean their cage with soap and water.

Try to spend as much time with your rats as possible. NEVER get 1 rat. ALWAYS make sure your rat has a friend with him/her at all times. Never pair up a Male and Female. Not only will you have 10,000 rats running around, but they will fight constantly.

And that's it. So...ya. <(*___)-------___<---Rat-ish thing

Answer 4

Buy a good Rat diet from the pet store.  You can also feed them almost anything you can eat, in small amount.  But avoid chocolate and onion.  Be careful with peanut butter.  It is nutritious and they love it, but once my rat almost choked to death eating it too fast.  I managed to get her airway open again, but peanut butter was coming out in her tears.  Spread it thin.

The most important toy they need is a running wheel.  It should be big enough for an adult rat to run comfortably in.  It provides them with exercise, and makes them feel better when they are anxious.  They need something to gnaw on.  Often they gnaw on the wheel or on the cage bars, and this annoys some people.  Untreated wood (except cedar and uncured pine) is perfect; as well as hard nutshells.  

They need, if possible, a hanging water bottle for the side of the cage.  But you could use a heavy ceramic or glass cup with water in the bottom; they will perch on the edge and drink from it.  A shallow water dish will quickly get filled with rubbish.

They don't need a food dish, as they will store the food wherever they want it anyway.

You can clean the cage once a week, but use your judgment; it depends on how soon it gets dirty.  

Some people like to give the rats a box or house to nest in, and they seem to like it, but it's not essential.  I give them tissues to make a nest with, and this provides the warmth and privacy they need.

Play with the rat every day.