Rat help needed ????

Question

where can i buy a baby rat in the uk

what sort of equipment do i need for a rat

and any other help would be welcome ????

Answer 1

yep I did! you can go to a "pets at home" or other pet shops, some people breed them to sell.

Equipment I take it you mean cage and that??

Well you will need a fairly large cage some rats can get pretty biggish. Rats need Rat company you cant keep them on their own, they get depressed really easy you should keep them in pairs at least (I have 4!)

They shouldn't be kept in wood shavings or pellets as bedding really nothing wood, recycled paper cat litter is fine, bits of shredded towels (put them through the wash), shredded cardboard etc nothing dusty or wooden really (dusty wooden things can make them ill or even kill them).

Rats need lots of attention, lots of toys and lots of exercise. They should be able to run around a room and play with you. You shouldn't put them in Rat balls (very big hamster balls!) as rats backs are the wrong shape so they don't bend properly it could even hurt your rats.

Rats are "prone" to respiratory infections but "prone" just means rats over all some don't get, them some do and some get lots it depends on stress, environment, breeding and so on. You have to look out for sneezing, wheeziness, changes in behavior if you see any of this then keep a eye on them if it doesn't get better you take them to the vets.

Male rats are topically more smelly than girls but they are more affectionate and sleepy so more likely to want to be cuddled and sleep on your lap

Female rats are more active, energetic and lively but they smell less. They do need alot of thing to keep them occupied toys, exersice, rats friends, human friends etc

I prefer girlys my 4 are just great they love to be handled and played with. But it is up to you which you get

Well I thinks thats everything! lol probs isn't but hey hope i helped Janie

Answer 2

you can get pet rats from pet shops or garden  centres all over and most places do a starter set which includes the rat,a cage,food and bedding

Answer 3

You need 2 of the same s*x!

Answer 4

you can get pet rats from many places, breeders, pets at home (and other pet shops) or even re-homing centres. you will need a cage, toys, food etc and rats make loving companions so i would choose a rat out of getting any other small animals

Answer 5

a pet shop and a big ish cage because they grow up fast lol a tunnel just some toys they do show packets of toys for rats and maybe a wheel if there interested lol and they like goodies when i had rats used to feed them think called rice crackers something like that lol they will eat anything lol  

Answer 6

This site should give you what you need to know about your rat.  http://sites.google.com/site/guineapigsf...

other then the wear to buy one but most pet stores have them.

Answer 7

I live in Warwick shire and adore rats, although sometimes i find it hard to find a good place to buy rats. Pets at home are good for cages, food and that sort of stuff, but the rats ARE normally males, and the store near me doesn't usually get a lot of variety or new stock that often! Rat breeders are the safest option, although i found a very good pet shop in Wells born where i got my most recent set of girls. They had more variety and the rats seemed very healthy and well looked after. As for the the age you should buy your rats at, i think when the kitten is 7 weeks old or more, although i bought a pair of girls when they were six weeks and they were so small and cute! If you buy a young rat, it will obviously need time to settle in but will (to my experience) grow very attached to you but will need to get used to you. I think any age from when the baby rat is able to leave it's mum to when the rat is older is fine, it's up to you!! :) As for equipment and cages, everything the people above have said is fine. I think having an exercise wheel in the cage is good, so that your rat has something else to do (you can buy these in almost any petshop, and can also get "silent wheels" if you're worried about noise! Obviously you'll need food, a water bottle, chewy toys, a hammock or something like that for them to snuggle up in!! If you don't know which food to get, i would reckomand asking the breeder, previous owner or petshop what the rats have been eating and buy that, or at least mix some of that in with your other dried rat food. Fruit and Veg are always nice for your rat to get now and then, but NO citrus fruits! Sorry, i've written you a book here!!! :D

~Hope i helped!~ Good luck with your new kitties!!! :)

Oh, this is a website i found that might be helpful:

http://www.petwebsite.com/rats.asp

Answer 8

pets at home sell pet rats, but they are usually only males. get the biggest cage you can afford, the bigger the better. i bought a cage which can house 3 rats and it only cost me £40. you will need tha cage, food bowl. water bottle. food. toys. bedding. (i use cat litter for this). hammocks.

what idiot gave me a thumbs down. that is what you need for a rat.

Answer 9

have a look on the internet thats where i got my 2 little darlings from anyway you need;

1. A reasonably large cage

2. Plenty of toys and things to chew

3. sawdust, newspaper etc

4. Food

5. Bowls

Im gunna give you some information aswell like

1. Rats prefer to have a friend so you need 2+

2. They may bite when you first get them it all takes time and patience handle them everyday you may need gloves.

Good luck with your ratties they are LOVELY

A good website for games is

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

Answer 10

Please please please DO NOT just buy one rat.  Rats are social animals and should never be kept alone.  A couple of rats are no more difficult to take care of and are much more friendlier and confident, as well as being very entertaining to watch them play together.

Do not buy a rat from a pet shop !!  Pet shop rats mostly come from either a back yard breeder or more likely a rodent farm, and you will likely get an untamed rat that will be difficult to socialise and will be likely to bite.  Please find a reputable fancy rat breeder in your area.

You will need a suitable cage, the biggest you can afford, they need a lot of space to run and play in especially when they are babies.  

NEVER EVER use sawdust, wood shavings or things like this as bedding or substrate in your cage, this is extremely dangerous for rats because of their delicate respiratory system (wood and sawdust etc gives off phenols which case respiratory infections).   Use shredded paper, recycled cardboard squares (finacard, ecopetbed etc), etc.

There are plenty of other accessories you will need, like toys, hammocks, water bottles, oh my goodness I could waffle for ages :-)

Answer 11

The best place to get a pet rat would be from a registered breeder or from a pets at home shop. I wouldnt recommend you getting one from a market or anything like that.

You would need a large cage as they like/need lots of space. You would need small animal litter, toys, food, treats, chews and small animal disinfectant.

They can make wonderful pets, theyre sociable, inquisitive, loving and intelligent.

Unless there is always someone in the house it would be best to get 2 (from the same cage or litter so you know theyre getting on) as they like company.

They would need fresh food and water on a daily basis and would need to be cleaned out at least 3 times a week. you should also aim to disinfect the cage with small animal disinfectant about once a week. they will also need to be handled on a daily basis if you want them to be tame pets.