- 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. 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.