Ratties....

[ChewmonkeyBC]

Can any one give me some info on rats?Iv wanted one and my mom was going to get me one from the shelter but we didnt have a cage for him and we didnt really know much about them.....So can anyone give me some information on Ratties?I know I dont need one but I would like some info on them any ways so if latter on I can get one.......

Thanks bunches

Kay

FcR

[Desert Arabian]

I'm glad to see we have another rat fan blooming. Here are one of my hundreds of rat care pages. Theses two are my top ones.


Virginia's Rat Page This one is my #1 favorite rat page!!!


Rat Care Sheet


I hope these might answer some questions. Be sure to check out Virginia's Rat Page!!

[Aspen and Misty]

I have 4 little ratties now ::YIPPE::: . One thing I'm gonna have to say is, make sure they are old enough to be away from there parents. I have 2 right now that aren't and have to go in my room every 2 hours and get them fresh milk, I would give them more but then they bath in it and smell like milk LOL. Its not that bad but they need alot of extra care then that of a little bit older rat. Don't get me wrong I love my babies! My hardest chalenge with Melony and Hope (my older rats) is they don't like toys, so they get bored easily. I have givin them practicly everything I and every website on the web can think of and none of them are fun for them. They love is tissue paper. Its funny to watch though cause they drag it around and then pick up in there mouth and put it on things, step back, look at it, and decid it needs to go somewhere else. LOL. Right now my rats have a sock hanging from there cage and I cought them playing with it . They like Stuffed animals. Something they can brutly pull apart and kill , they like the stuffing, makes a big mess, but o well. Thats about all they like. i am in the process of buying a bigger cage. If your going to get a rat get 2 rats. Rats do not do well alone. Even if you have two they still will bond with you. Go to a breeder if you can. They have quilty rats, and they sure are pretty and well tempered, the rats, not the breeder. Lab Blocks are better to feed then a seed mix, although I mix mine up and give them lab blocks and seed mix.

Well anything else ya wanna know just tell me. I'll be more then happy to help. And sorry if I gabed to long.

Ash

[Aspen and Misty]

O and Yellow Lab Lover, I love your Signature! Adorable!!!

[luckies4me]

As Aspen and Misty as well as YellowLabLover know anything you need to know about rats you can come to me. I helped Aspen and Misty with her babies and YLL with other tings. I am a breeder and owner for well over 17 years and can answer any question you might have. Please refer to our other threads regrding rats which can be found here in Pet General. There are a few from me regarding feeding articles, pictures of my 40+ rats and one by Aspen and Misty regarding her babies. It's the HELP one.

Any question just ask away.

[Aspen and Misty]

Yup. Luckies4me taught me everythign I know . I'm still no expert like her though BTW. I love your signature Luckies4me! Its great!!

Ash

[luckies4me]

Thanks!!!!!

[ChewmonkeyBC]

OK here are my questions....

What kind of food do you recomend?

What kind of bedding?

If Im able to get a rat Aspen&Misty recomended getting 2..so would getting a two story cage be better??

And what kind of rat toys do your rats like the best ,and what toys should I not buy.....

Thanks everyone for the help!!

Kay




FcR

[aly]

This may not be correct info, might be a coincidence, but I have found boy rats to be more friendly than the girl ratties I have known. I've absolutely fallen in love with some of the rats that the boys I babysit have. My favorite one, Freckles, used to ride on my shoulder all night long and give my ear kisses. I loved him so much and they were even going to give him to me. But when their mom was cleaning out the cage in the backyard, she let him run around and he disappeared Ugh, I can hardly even talk about it. It devastated me and I've never been able to consider getting another rat because I loved him so much. I would just recommend getting them neutered. They sure do have big *stuff*

[Aspen and Misty]

What kind of food do you recomend? Some type of Lab Blocks

What kind of bedding? Aspen, Cyder is toxic to small animals.

If Im able to get a rat Aspen&Misty recomended getting 2..so would getting a two story cage be better?? 2 stories would be a nice cage for 2 rats. Giving them planety of room. I would recomend a wire cage for them.

And what kind of rat toys do your rats like the best ,and what toys should I not buy.....

My rats like Hamocks, tunnels, card board boxes. Food (lol)

I have female rats and find they are very loving so I think either sex would be good to go with. i don't think one sex is more loving then the other but I haev heard males smell worse then females. YOu would haev to ask Luckies4me because she owns both sexes and could tell ya.

Ash

[luckies4me]

Originally posted by ChewmonkeyBC
OK here are my questions....

What kind of food do you recomend?

What kind of bedding?

If Im able to get a rat Aspen&Misty recomended getting 2..so would getting a two story cage be better??

And what kind of rat toys do your rats like the best ,and what toys should I not buy.....

Thanks everyone for the help!!

Kay

FcR

Ok for food I recommend lots of things. I feed my rats a staple diet of lab blocks and kibble. For kibble I chose Innova Senior or Nutro Natural Choice Light. For Lab Blocks any type is ok as long as it doesn't contain corn. Mazuri is an excellent brand and that is what I currently use. They also receive fresh fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, mango, grapes, blueberries and salad greens. They also get any leftover pasta I have. They receive chicken and porkchop bones. They are not dangerous to rats like they are to dogs. Then they also get my grain mix. To see what is in the grain mix and to read more information on my rats feeding practices please refer to my web page at:
what my rats get


For bedding I reccomend either aspen pellets or shavings. Cedar and Pine are toxic to small animals and contain phenols that cause respiratory problems. Carefresh is also a good choice for bedding but can be more expensive. It is also prone to mites, therfor if you do use this type of bedding it is recommended to put it in your freezer for a day before using it. They will also need some type of nestbox. Rats can get VERY big so make sure you get one that will grow with them. For nestboxs I use chinchilla dust baths, wooden bird nests made for parrots (also good for ratties to chew on) pvc pipes, hammocks, and snuggle pouches. You can use leftover cardboard boxes that are small and fill them with some flufy bedding. For bedding that goes in their sleeping quarters I use this shredded paper (no ink), toilet paper or old tshirts etc. Just make sure if you use tshirts that they cannot fray. This can cause your rattie to ingest string which is potentially fatal. Another good bedding is wood stove pellets. These are made out of hardwoods so are safe. They are very absorbent and you can buy a 40 pound bag for around 2 dollars. If you only have two rats this can last a few months.


Rats should always be bought in same sex pairs. When I adopt out my babies it is never singly, unless the owner can prove that they already own another rat. Make sure you get the same sex! Do not rely on petshops to know what the sexes are. Do research frist. Rats can easily be distinguished from eachother if you research. There are several sites online that show pictures of males/females for comparison. Just type in "Sexing rats" or something similar. Make sure you do not buy a pregnant doe. Babies can be hard to place and it would be hard to give them up as feeders.

[luckies4me]

But again rats need to have a friend. They are very sociable animals and need to have at least a minimum of two hours spent with them each day. The more time you can spend with them the better. I have 40 plus rats and they all get one on one time each day, pretty much all day long whenever I have the chance. Roxy is sitting here with me now, hehe. She wondering what I am typing about for so long, lol!

For cages I would suggest a wire powder coated cage. Martins cages are excellent and I highly recommend them. Quality cage company is also a good choice. Superpet cages are nice also. The bigger the better is my motto. For two rats I would recomend nothing smaller than a twenty gallon tank. I use tanks for my hairless rats and also for pregnant/nursing does and babies. I always keep my tailess in wire cages because they overheat easily. Therfor with different types of rats you need to know which cage is best. Hairless rats lack their natural warmth as they do not have fur, therfor they are housed in tanks. Tanks trap heat and keep them warmer. They also need to be fed a higher concentration of protein in the diet because they lose lots of protein keeping their bodies warm. I like to have my rats in a cage that allows me to conect hammocks etc. Do not use hamster or mice cages, these are way too small for rats. Ferret size cages are great for rats.


Cages need to have a solid bottom to avoid injury and sore feet. There is a condition called bumblefoot which is very painful, it is caused by wire bottoms. If you do use a wire bottom make sure your rats have some solid parts of the cage where they can rest their feet. Pull our trays are easiest to clean. Cage wire should be no more than 1/2 apart. I recommend 1/4 inch myself. Male rats (bucks) should never be kept in galvanized wire. Bucks constantly mark their territory and their urine erodes the wire, causing zinc poisoning. Powder coated is so much easier to clean anyhow.

[luckies4me]

Make sure the cage is kept above ground and away from drafts. If you use a big multi story ferret cage you do not have to have it above ground because the rats can climb to the top lookout if they need to.

For toys I use the following:

Solid running wheels (Quality cage company or Wodent Wheels)
Hammocks lines with fleece
Snuggle pouches (these hang from the cage and are sort of like hammocks)
PVC pipes
parrot toys
soft cat balls
parrot ropes for climbing
cardboard boxes
wooden chew blocks

Do not use:
wire wheels
toxic branches
toys that contain wire


You also need to invest in ceramic food dishes and water bottles. Glass water bottles are recommended because they cannot be chewed. Lixit makes water bottles that attach to the outside of the cage but have the spout sticking into the cages so the rats cannot chew on it.

[luckies4me]

You can search the forums to find other helpful information that I have posted. The search button is at the top of this screen to the right.

[aly]

luckies, do you see any personality differences between the sexes?