Re: Possibly getting a Rat.
- Would it be necessary to get another rat to house with him, even if he's been housed alone?
If he's used to being by himself he may very well object to a cagemate. I know my boy Dexter did by the time I did the research to know he should have had a friend. >.< He seemed happy on his own though, and he lived almost to four!
- How much are vet appointments and such, and do they get any kind of expensive shots? Is a vet necessary? (Need to know because i'm not sure if the pup's vets do small animals too)
Normally rats don't need shots or anything like that. For my girls the checkup usually runs about $40, plus any extras. (and I go to an expensive clinic in an expensive area) The most common problem is respiratory infections, which aren't horribly difficult to treat. If there aren't any problems, a vet isn't really necessary. (In my experience, boys have less health problems than girls, esp. later in life!)
- Would it be okay to switch foods if i'm not happy with what they're feeding him?
( I'd like to feed them/him?: http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html )
Suebee's!!! WONDERFUL rat diet! Definitely a good thing! Just transition him over a week or so if possible.
- What things do you think are necessary to keep in and out of their envornment?
No pine or cedar, and I'm always careful about what they manage to pull into their cage. (When they manage to get plastic bags it makes me really nervous.) Really, I give them just about anything to play with as long as I'm not worried that it might be toxic. My favorite toys to buy for them are parrot toys.
- Is it okay if rats are around dogs? (of course with supervision)
Yep! Wilbur is a royal Pain-in-the-you know what about the rats, but they're not really intimidated or stressed by him. Rats are pretty versatile, they can handle just about anything.
- How much does bedding/toys/food/everything cost you? (those with lots of rats, what do you think it would cost for 1 or 2?)
For my two, I'd say I spend about $30 a month on everything. Sometimes more because Chloe has chronic health problems, but if this boy has been living happily I wouldn't worry about it.
- How long do rats generally live for?
2-3 years.
- ANYTHING else you think I should know
They are NONSTOP FUN!! ^_^
Re: Possibly getting a Rat.
- Would it be necessary to get another rat to house with him, even if he's been housed alone?
It depends on his age. If he is still fairly young, under 6 months it may be possible to introduce another younger ratty to him, but it would have to be a young male. If he is older than 6 months I would suggest not adding another rat simply because around that age males become very territorial and that's when they start to show their agression towards other rats and their dominant male side wants to show itself. This usually dies down at about a year of age.
- How much are vet appointments and such, and do they get any kind of expensive shots? Is a vet necessary? (Need to know because i'm not sure if the pup's vets do small animals too)
My vet exams which I try to do yearly on my older ratties run me at least $29 dollars. This is just a basic checkup checking for mites, lice, internal parasites, teeth, eyes, coat, body weight and lungs. If a rat gets sick it can get pretty spendy. If a rat has a respiratory problems and needs to be put on Baytri, Baytril is pretty spendy. Rats do not get vaccinations, which is very sad. We really need a Myco, SDA, Sendai and CARB vaccine and if we did our ratties would live much longer lives!
- Would it be okay to switch foods if i'm not happy with what they're feeding him?
( I'd like to feed them/him?: http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html )
Yes, that is a great diet. Also include veggies and fruits and well as some treats. If you want to read my feeding article you can go here:
http://www15.brinkster.com/luckies4me/feeding.html
- What things do you think are necessary to keep in and out of their envornment?
Do not use pine or cedar bedding as it contains toxic phenols which can irritate the respiratory tract. I also do not recommend Carefresh as it has a tendency to harbor mites and it can be extremely dusty causing respiratory problems. I prefer Carefresh Ultra as it goes through a better process which removes more dust. Also DO NOT use Kaytee Soft Sorbent either. I prefer either Aspen shavings, Yesterday's News, or hemp. Wood stove shavings with no added chemicles also make a great litter. It's hardwood so it's very safe.
As far as toys I usually like the wooded parrot toys, igloos, ferret hidey tubes, hammocks, and parrot ropes. Try to get him a fairly nice sized cage. If you go to my site and go to the About Us page you can see pics of some of my cages. I also offer them old towels, of fleece to snuggle in. You can also offer them cardboard cereal boxes or newspaper to chew. The newspaper has to be printed with vegetable ink though.
- Is it okay if rats are around dogs? (of course with supervision)I had my rats around Morgan with no problems at all, and even the pup did well with him for the time he was here. My cats and rats play constantly and I've never had a problem. If for some reason an animal gets too rough with a rat, the rat will most difinitely let them know!
- How much does bedding/toys/food/everything cost you? (those with lots of rats, what do you think it would cost for 1 or 2?)Bedding can get spendy. A months worth of bedding can cost up to 20 dollars, then there's food etc. Toys and caging is usually a one time deal. Parrot toys do need to be replaced though, as well as hammocks. They are not cheap. I would say at least 50 dollars a month for everything.
- How long do rats generally live for?It depends on how well you take care of them, if they have Myco, catch a virus etc. Most rats though tend to live between 2 and 3 years, some even longer. :)
- ANYTHING else you think I should know.
Rats need a lot of interaction and stimulation. They are very social, loving creature and thrive on attention. Plan on spending at least 2 hours a day with your ratty. This can be time spent with him riding on your shoulder while you do things on the computer or chores around the house to cuddling on the bed with you and the dogs. :) Try not to mistake obese for squishy. All males rats have a certain amount of squishiness to them. If he starts to get rolls, then worry. :p Most males do not use wheels but you can try one. The only males I know that use wheels are those who are still babies. I would start an emergency vet fund just in case something should happen. You can never be too careful.
Re: Possibly getting a Rat.
Quote:
Originally posted by Kfamr
- Would it be necessary to get another rat to house with him, even if he's been housed alone?
- How much are vet appointments and such, and do they get any kind of expensive shots? Is a vet necessary? (Need to know because i'm not sure if the pup's vets do small animals too)
- Would it be okay to switch foods if i'm not happy with what they're feeding him?
( I'd like to feed them/him?: http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html )
- What things do you think are necessary to keep in and out of their envornment?
- Is it okay if rats are around dogs? (of course with supervision)
- How much does bedding/toys/food/everything cost you? (those with lots of rats, what do you think it would cost for 1 or 2?)
- How long do rats generally live for?
- ANYTHING else you think I should know.
No, do not get him a partner since he has lived alone for such a long time. The rats would most likely fight a lot and they wouldn't be able to be properly introduced.
Vet appointments at my vet office is $37 for the visit $15 for basic meds, $80 for x-rays, and they quoted $500 for tumor removal. Vet is not necessary unless the rat becomes ill or injured.
Yes, you can switch foods, you have to do it gradually so they get used to the new food and do not upset them.
Keep all plants out of there reach, just about all household plants are deadly to rats, keep electrical cords out of their reach, place heavy/tipable objects out of their reach so they do not fall on the rat.
Yes, a dog can be around a rat, you just have to make sure to keep an extremely sharp eye on them, one chomp and the rat could die- obviously.
Last year we spent a little over $2,000 on the rats. I can't remember the exact cost, I would have to look in Mircosoft Money, but I am at school. I spoil my rats extremely rotten...all that money was spent on suebee's mix, treats, new cages, toys, vet bills, etc. Keep in mind I have 7 ratties, so your 1 rattie would not run you nowhere near as much...hopefully! :p
Rats generally don't live over 3 years old. There are some cases where rats live longer, tho I have never personally heard of it. If you look around Rats Rule most ratties pass away when they are 2 years to 21/2 years old, once in a while you'll hear of a 3 year old. My oldest rattie passed away at 2 years 1 month old.
You would be a great rattie mother, Kay! I really hope you can get a little rodent friend!!
:D
Just wanted to add for info:
My rats are housed in a 4 story bookshelf I turned into a cage. I use rabbit pellets for bedding right now. They have many hide houses made by Super Pet. They also have a PVC tube and 2 super pet tubes. They also have two wooden houses/huts. They also have a wooden perch and a Comfy Perch. I am still in the process of putting a hammock in the cage. They get a scoop of Suebee's mix everyday and they have 32 oz. of water available for them everyday. They also have a cage up at the cottage which is very small it is made by Havahart. Their outdoor cage is a large rabbit hutch made by Ware. My ratties LOVE to eat: mealworms, duck, goose, venison, squirrel, beef, cooked/dry noodles, gerber baby food, bananas, cucumbers, strawberries, peas, grapes, catelope (sp), watermelon, carrots, horse treats, jumbones, nylabones, iams dog biscuits, etc.
Re: Possibly getting a Rat.
- Would it be necessary to get another rat to house with him, even if he's been housed alone? He can be introduced with another rat after it has been quarantined. How long has he lived alone for? Because an adult male rat is hard to intoduce to another younger rat without fighting..
- How much are vet appointments and such, and do they get any kind of expensive shots? Is a vet necessary? (Need to know because i'm not sure if the pup's vets do small animals too) I usually take mine 2 times a year, but more if they come down with an illness. They dont get shots like dogs and cats do.
- Would it be okay to switch foods if i'm not happy with what they're feeding him?I feed mine a balance of nutro lite dog food, fruits, veggies, grains, and oats.
- What things do you think are necessary to keep in and out of their envornment? you should have a water bottle, a food dish, a igloo (or a hide out of some sort) a hammock *toys too :p*
- Is it okay if rats are around dogs? (of course with supervision) Yes, as long as the dogs are ok witht he rats.
- How much does bedding/toys/food/everything cost you? umm Aspen is around 6-10$ here and i usualy just litter train my rats so bedding isnt used that often. you can line the cage with an old towl. Toys are cheep, you can even make your own. You can make a hammock out of an old cloth. Thats what I did.
- How long do rats generally live for? 2-3 years, generally.
- ANYTHING else you think I should know... you can litter train rats, and they should not be fed a diet of all hamster food. you can give them a wheel but make sure it is rat compatible.. good luck..
o and make sure you have a huge cage with many levels and make sure you play with the rat for at least an hour a day.
