WOOWHOO im getting pet rats!!!?

Question

i finally convinced my parents...Im getting 2 males i did some research and stuff but i wanna know what kind of bedding, food, the stuff you put on the bottom of the cage and litter i should use...PLus if you can can you put some tips

Thanks

Answer 1

omfg

thats disguisting...

no offence

but rats as pets

omg

eww

i prefer rodents without tails

omg

ewwwwww!!!!

why do people like rats??

please put it in an edit

i cnt eat dinner tonight...feeling...nauscious...auuh

Answer 2

I line the bottom of my cage with newspaper, then on top I put a layer of straw which they enjoy digging in. My rats also like sleeping in tissue boxes after all the tissues have been used!

For treats my rats love sweet potato or corn.

Rats can also make a kind of grinding sound with their teeth (hard to explain) which they make when their happy.  

Answer 3

-i buy Carefresh (recycled paper) bedding at PetSmart or Petco. it's comfy for them.

-my ratties' favourite bagged food mixture is Reggie Rat. they LOVE fruits and veggies like strawberries, blueberries, carrots, peas, etc.

-don't give them too much junk food..it's unhealthy for them and they put on weight really quickly. also: NO chocolate, sweets, peanut butter, things like that

-the bigger the cage the better. rats are super intelligent and need lots of space to roam around. i have the Rat Manor from Petco. it's a little pricey but it's awesome!

-get a hammock or two! my ratties love their hammocks!!

-they like things they can hide in, like plastic Igloos, tissue boxes, edible huts, etc.

-they like hanging bird toys. especially ones with wooden blocks/beads they can chew to bits.

-they need lots of playtime out of their cage! play with them every day! pet them and hold them in the crook of your arm..this will really bond them to you

-they love yogurt-covered treats (you can get them at the pet store)

-i always throw some napkins or tissues in the cage..they enjoy shredding them or using them as bedding..lol

-if they are sneezing excessively and/or have alot of red discharge from the eyes and nose, take them to an exotic animal vet right away!

-they need wooden blocks to chew on to keep their teeth down.

RATS ARE AWESOME! .. you will love them =)

Answer 4

congrats i wnted pets like a hamster btu not anymore really cuz school is coming and i will be busy

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...

Answer 5

How did you convince your parents into getting rats?!

You can go to a pet place like Petco or PetSmart to find out the best bedding, food, and all that other good stuff you would want to know. As for tips, Unfortunately I have never owned rats before, but I know that rats or gerbils ( one of them) reproduces quickly.

Answer 6

CONGRATS!!! I am so glad you didn't fall under the hamster spell! ya they're cute but...... nvm.

rats are so nice and if this is your first pair, you are going to be blown away, and surprisingly your mom will too. when they first l**k you and nibble on your skin, it will feel really weird, but you'll get used to it. also their nails feel really sharp the first time, but you will also get used to that.  i would recommend giving your rats a monthly bath with some kitten shampoo so they are clean. clean the cage every week and all the toys with some water and some bleach or dish soap. replace the toys every month and clean the top of the cage every month, if its a wire cage, which it better be. i use care fresh, its the best kind, you have to be careful what you choose with rats because they are especially prone to respiratory infection which is caused by the dust in wood shavings

Answer 7

First rats are AMAZING. haha :)

Second a very good bedding is aspen bedding, its soft and very harmless (You can purchase this for about $5 at pet stores)

They LOVE carrots but dont give them a lot because they can get diahreaha. (Bad Spelling..Sorry)

Hold them EVERYDAY, so they are very socail.

Make sure to feed them rat food, not rat and mouse food. Make sure its just for rats, then it has the perfect nutrition for them.

Good Luck, i hope you love them..I know you will!!

Answer 8

http://www.mypetrat.com/aboutrats.htm

Answer 9

I am glad to hear such good news! Rats are truly great pets, yet I see that a lot of people despise them and think they are disgusting, when in fact they are ever so cute and cuddly little creatures.

Down below I have included my writeup on rat care. It`s great that you are getting a rat, but you have to make sure you research about how to care for them.

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.

Basic Care

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 hope this helps. Good luck with your new rat!

EDIT- No, you do not need to take your rat to the vet just after you get him. You wouldn`t choose a sick rat??

Answer 10

I have one male rat, this is what I know.  Since I also have a dog I just feed my rat dog food.  He likes it, actually I have never fed him rat food :P.  I use aspen bedding.  I has no oil and is used in most laboratories.  As for litter, I never trained my rat to go in a certain spot of his cage so I don't use litter just the aspen bedding on the bottom of the cage.  I just use aspen wood shavings.  

Here is a tip or two.  One day I noticed some orange flakes on my rats back..at first I thought it was like mites or lice but I figured out it's natural on male rats.  

My rat, Todd, loves cheese.  I give him a little bit like every other day but don't give them too much or else they could get too fat.  

If your rats are really hot, put some ice cubes in their food dish.  

also, my rat LOVES to sleep in a doll house.  I put a little doll house in his cage and he sleeps in there and eats in there.

I hope this wasn't too long and it helped.  Good luck with your rats!

P.s. Yes, they are clean animals but they might pee a lot if you let them walk around or something, their pee smells bad. But they are clean animals.

Answer 11

Food - i get either reggie rat, or anything with a vary. something with lots of choice. Also give them a piece of fruit a day. but avoid mushy foods like banana too much.

  For bedding i use ripped up toilet paper. its soft and easy to clean out. as well as harmless.

At the bottom of the cage i use shredded paper or cat litter pellets like these ... http://www.dkimages.com/discover/preview...

DO NOT use the clay or grit litter. its not good for them.

Remember to always supply toys and fresh water and food. Handle them for at least an hour everyday. and make sure they exercise lots.

Oh and Males are a good choice to get. I have 2 males and they are so friendly and cute