Advice on buying a rat?

Question

I have been thinking a lot lately about getting a small pet and have decided on getting a pair of rats. What i want to know is...

1) What is best to get, male or female?

2) Same s*x pair or different?

3) What bedding to use?

4) What food and treats are good quality for less?

Thank you for any help you can give me. Btw i am not getting them yet for a while so i am using my time to find out as much as i can.

Oh and do you actually advise getting a pair? I just assumed that they will be happier with a friend.

Answer 1

You know... if you would just type something like "rat care" into google or whatever, all of this infrormation will come up.

1. There is no such thing as best. They each have their differences, so it depends on your own preferences. Males are calmer and would rather lie around with you. Females are a lot more excitable and would rather run around exploring. I hae personally had lazt females and adventurous males, so it's only a stereotype, and matters more on each of their personalities. Males are also a lot more likely to mark their territory when out, and thus are harder to litter train, unless you neuter them. Males also are more likely to fight with eachother since they are more territorial, but this is normal.

2. Opposite s*x pairs will have you 50 baby rats in a month. There are hundreds of rats in shelters being euthanized because no one wants them. Plus, you female will get incredibly stressed and die prematurily unless you actually know how to breed. So DO NOT breed. Both females and males need companionship, so unless you are planning on neutering/spaying at least one, same s*x pairs only!

3. The only beddings to avoid are pine and cedar. Also, stay away from newspaper and other printed reading material because unless the company uses soy-based ink, the ink is toxic to them. Other than that aspen, carefresh, yesterday's news, and even old t-shirts and blankets are great beddings.

4. Avoid seeds. Rodents do not eat seeds, they eat grains. You can get a lab bloc food for them, but make sure the first few ingredients are grain foods, not something like corn or soy. They also need regular fresh veggies and some fruits. Avoid anything with sugar, salt, fat, and artificial ingredients.

And you cannot have a single rat. They are social, and having them alone is depriving them of one of their basic necessities. You need at least two or more.

There is a lot more to know about rats. You really need to familiarize yourself on health, as well a more detailed understanding of feeding them.

Please read these sites:

http://members.aol.com/juliesrats/e4nind...

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

http://www.petratscanada.com/ratcare.htm

And please avoid buying from pet stores! Either find a breeder or adopt :)

Answer 2

Well i have had rats i had females as males seem to smell rather bad and are less friendly

unless you want them to reproduce the same s*x?

i used torn up newspaper (before that i used other things and my rat woultd pust it into a corner and not touch it)

nuts and fruit - cucumber && carrot was mines favourite.

yer they have better company with a frined but if you want them to love YOU more then consider getting just one >

Hope this helped

=] smile

Answer 3

1) i think a pair of females (its alot of work when mixed genders are together and they have kids)

2)same s*x pair is better

3)use shredded paper, hamster bedding, shredded newspaper

4)you can buy hamster food, rat food, raisins, grapes

You should totally get the rats!!! im not sure about lonelyness though

Answer 4

there is no point buying two opposite s*x rats and then having them neutured as this could be expensive for you and painful for them! you don't know if they will get on anyway! the best would be to buy 2 females, no chance of litters and theycan live happily together. when males reach maturity they may fight and could cause serious injuries. females have better temperaments and are easier to tame but you must handle regularly.

use soft bedding, ideally you should use fluffy sawdust adding texture will give the rats environmental enrichment so always give them sawdust but when you clean them every week add a different texture so that they have something to investigate. either shredded paper, wood shavings, and wood blocks for them to chew.

rats will literally eat anything but you dont want them to be unhealthy so give them any veg and buy special rat pellets. you could give them a small piece of chocolate once a week or fruit etc. experiment and see what they like.

iwould suggest buying two as they will get bored otherwise.

lastly, give them large tubes so that they can hide if scared and enjoy investigating, also burying their food in the bedding will be fun for them to find

Answer 5

Definitely get a pair of rats.  Rats are extremely sociable creatures and need a buddy to be psychologically healthy.  Male or female, they're both great.  Girls tend to be more active and curious and don't really like to be held a ton.  They much rather crawl all over you than be held still.  Males on the other hand tend to be a bit lazier and don't mind laying around being pet.  Males also get a lot bigger.

DO NOT get a male and a female.  That is a good way to end up with a bagillion babies.   Get sisters or brothers if possible as they will already get along with each other.  Try checking out your local humane society before buying them.  Animal shelters sometimes have rats, and if they do come in, they usually there for quite a long time.  Plus you are benefiting the animal shelter by spending your money there vs a huge corporate pet store.

I use CareFresh for bedding, but Yesterday's News or using old towels (you can wash them) are both good options.  Once you get them used to a bedding, you can get a bin and just put bedding in that and try to potty train them.  That's what I did and it has greatly cut back on the amount of bedding I use (and therefore the cost).  Plus if you spot clean during the week (remove what's wet and p**p you see) and just dump everything at the end of the week, you can stretch the bedding farther.

I buy my food blocks from Kim's Ark http://www.kimsarkrescue.org/content/vie...  Studies have shown that a diet of low fat and low protein lead to longer lifespans in rats.  Harlan Teklad Lab Blocks are designed for lab rats to be the best in nutrition.  You have to usually buy it from a secondary distributor because Harlan only sells it by like the tons which is a bit much for 2 rats. :D  I buy 10lbs and that usually lasts me about 5-6 months and costs about 20 bucks in total.  I supplement the blocks with fruits, vegetables, and cereals.  Grapes, lettuce, carrots, etc.  Just some stuff you already have in the kitchen or that's on sale that week at the grocery.  

For treats beyond veggies and fruits, I give them the occasional nut, piece of my dinner, or tomato (don't give them too much tomato as it is a natural laxative!).

I also feed my rats in the morning vs constantly making sure their bowl is filled.  I believe they are less likely to become fat that way, and it's easier to monitor the food if them become sick.  Fat rats are more likely to get sick, get tumors, and live fewer years.

Check out some of the links below for good rat info sites.

Hope that helps!

Answer 6

If you get one of each s*x you'll have a lot of rats very quickly.  I had 2 female rats and they were great.  You should definitely get 2.

You can get special rat food from pet shops - just like rabbit food.

Answer 7

you should get a same s*x pair, use ecopetbedding, either male or female are great, and if you want very tame rats have a look on www.kkpets.co.uk, as they do extremely tame rats handled from birth.

Answer 8

Definitely get a pair. There's no reason to just get a single rat, and they thrive on the constant companionship of another rat.

1. Both are great. Males are often more cuddly while females are very active, but there's always exceptions to the rule.

2. Same s*x pair, unless you are adopting from a rescue that has invested in spaying/neutering.

3. Personally, I use Yesterday's News. There are other good beddings, such as Carefresh, though. Do NOT use cedar or pine bedding.

4. Mazuri lab blocks are the best in Petco/PetSmart. Do not get seed based diets, as rats are known to pick & choose what to eat, not getting everything they need. I personally use Regal Rat, but I get it from a local natural pet food place, so it's not easily available for everyone.

Join Ratlist (Yahoo group) as there are many experienced rat owners that can help you get the proper caging, food, etc. for the best care you can provide, along with suggestions on local vets. :)

Answer 9

1)   I never had rats, but I would get males

2)   I would like different s*x.  one neutered though.

3)   I Would use care fresh its the best but a little pricey.  Also you can use newspaper shreddings.

4)   I really don't know about this question... Sorry.

Answer 10

I used to have two female medium sized rats.  They were great.  Don't get ones of the different s*x, only because you'll get many little babies.  As for bedding, one of my rats was allergic to a certain type of wood chip bedding, which, sadly,  led to an early death, so get some that's easy to clean up and replace after you clean your new pets' cage. Pet stores usually sell food that is for all types of rodents.  Even grocery stores sell this food in the pet section.  Rats LOVE carrots, but yes there are specialty treats made specifically for rats.  

Also, to keep your rats entertained think about getting a wheel that's big enough for them and maybe even a ball they can roll around in.  All of this stuff can be found at a local petsmart/petco or where ever you get your new family members!

Answer 11

1) What is best to get, male or female?

Males are more likely to fight then females, but if you get brothers they will get along great

2) Same s*x pair or different?

If you want many baby rats and have a lot of space for different cages as they will have to be split, then go for different. Otherwise, same s*x ;-)

3) What bedding to use?

cat bedding, shredded paper, hamster bedding

4) What food and treats are good quality for less?

There is special food for rats that will give them all the nutrients that they will need

And rats are definetly social animals so getting a pair is a great idea!!

Answer 12

1) What is best to get, male or female? you can go with either,but I read that males are more laid back and content to just chill...

2) Same s*x pair or different?same s*x is best unless you plan to spay and neuter or you'll end up with far more than just 2 rats...

3) What bedding to use?care fresh...NEVER USE CEDAR!!! it WILL kill them

4) What food and treats are good quality for less?rats can eat almost anything you can ill look up a list on what they CANT have as that is a much smaller list than what they can have..

and a tip for buying.... don't just buy the first ones you see,make sure to search for ones that like people or you'll have a scared rat and they aren't as fun,if you get one that likes people they are more likely to not bite and to want to spend time with you......if you have any more questions feel free to e-mail me on my profile,its been a while since I owned a rat but they are awesome pets and my friend has one now...lol (the other died)

here is a website about their food...

http://www.ratfanclub.org/diet.html

here is the one about what they CAN'T eat..

http://www.petratscanada.com/forbidden_f...

and yes getting 2 is a good idea they are very social animals :) have fun with your rattie babies!! and remember not to hold them TOO much when you first get them if they are babies as babies need alot of sleep :)

Answer 13

Hello......rats are fab i have had two and what i liked about them is that they're awake during the day unlike a hamster or gerbil that are nocturnal....

Answers to your question:

1) I had a male rat and he was very intelligent and soooo cute so i can only say male from experience.

2) I had 2 males and one dominated the other so i had to get rid of the more boisterous one. If you do get 2 i would get 2 females.

3) I used hay (not straw) as this is soft and doesn't hurt their little eyes. You get lots in a bag as well for not too much cost. I got through loads of bedding as my rats cage was large. Bedding from pet shops can be more expensive and not a lot in a bag. Although i had some for his little box he slept in but not in the cage as a whole.

4) I used to give my rat normal fruit and veg. They love it. It is also good to give them a gnawing stick as their teeth forever grow. I obviously had the normal rat food which you can get from pet shops and superstores.

Regarding getting a pair....they are sociable animals so if you can't pet them or give them your attention every day and play with them then i would suggest a pair. I had just the one in the end but i got him out of his cage lots and interacted with him.

Oh bless...i want to get another one now!

Good luck with the decision making process and hope this helps. lol x