Rats?

**Miss Z** · 09-01-2006, 04:35 AM

You've gotten a lot of good information from Courtney and Khay, I'll add my little bit too

How hard are they to care for? I would say no harder than caring for any other rodent. What you put in, you will get out. Male rats are quite sleepy and docile and usually bigger, whilst the females are more alert, active and slender (heh, it's the same in all species, isn't it?

). If you are worried about the male rat 'down under' appearance, then it's probably best to get a female.
How often does their cage need cleaning? I would say clean the whole cage every 3-5 days, but it can depend on the rat. I wipe the shelves of Tia's cage everyday to keep them clean, as she pees on them and drags food on them and stuff

Remember, cleaning out the cage also means wiping the cage bars and washing out all the tubes and toys too.
What kind of tank do they need? I've never seen a rat kept in a tank before, and I wouldn't reccommend it. Rats are natural climbers and need a tall cage with different levels and toys tied around in random places to keep them occupied. Also, make sure the shelves or levels aren't wire, as rats can get a foot condition called bumblefoot by walking on them.
How hard is it to tame them? It's pretty easy generally. Rats are intelligent and curious, and they are quick to associate people with certain things, for example food. As with most animals, offer them treats on occasion, and talk to them softly. Begin by just stroking the rat before you pick it up, and let it run on your hand palm down in the cage. After a while you can gently lift your rat up. Once a bond is established, your rat will jump on your hand when you put your hand in the cage, want to sit on your shoulder and it is possible to teach them some simple tricks or commands.
Do they bite a lot? Tia has never bitten me, she only 'play-bites' when she gets excited and wants to play. In a pet store quite near me, a man has been working there for nearly 8 years. In all the time, he's been bitten by hamsters, gerbils, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, the lot, but not once by a rat

Do they like to snuggle? Once tame, yes, generally. Females may have to work off some steam before they do or you catch them at a sleepy moment. Rats are very affectionate little creatures and they do show you love!
Are they nocturnal like hamsters? Well, yes and no. As Courtney said, rats learn your waking hours and will tailor theirs to fit you. Tia waits for me to go to bed every night, then she goes to sleep at the same time.
How much do they cost? Usually, it's not the rat is the real cost, but the cage and all the other equipment that mounts up. I'm not entirely sure of US money, but Tia herself was £10 whilst her cage was £90. I would reccommend getting the biggest and best cage that you can afford.
Well-bred rats from a breeder will probably be more expensive. I must say though, that a lot of the very fancy colours are likely to have a history of interbreeding to produce the colour, which will make them prone to respiratory problems and tumours. It could be safer to opt for an agouti or hooded rat if you don't want to risk vet bills, but if you do your homework and find out about breeders from other people then you'll know what you want to do.
As Courtney said, rats generally go well in pairs, but it is a myth that they cannot live by themselves. Tia is perfectly happy, and with just people around she has a very strong bond to me, I guess she thinks I'm her big rat sister

BUT, if you just have one rat, you need to keep them somewhere you will be often, like your room, and be prepared to interact with them at least 5 times a day and different intervals, and when you're not there, leave plenty of toys and objects for your rat to play with.
And lastly... how do I convience my mom, who has afobia of those supposedly "evil monsters" to her, to let me get one? So, you're saying she could refuse this face?

(LOL, joke

)

It's common for many people to fear or hate rats, they've had bad press for hundreds of years, basically because they live alongside humans in their waste, homes and property. This is only because they are adaptable and intelligent creatures who can make changes in their lifestyle to keep up with their habitat. Know another creature exactly like that? Yep, humans.

We aren't that different at all.
Many people also don't like the tail. Yes, it's bald and scaly, but without it, a rat would not be a rat!
And of course, once you have a rat you'll never look back. They have the willingness of a dog, the charisma of a cat and the intellect and feelings of a person. After a while, I can guarantee your mother will see things differently, she just has to be ready to accept a little rat into her home.

I hope everything works out!!!

**buttercup132** · 09-01-2006, 07:01 AM

AWWW Zara is that Tia!?!
That picture is gorgeouse!
I agree rats are amazingly freindly and loving. I cant wait to won another one.
Just be sure to not place two males in a cage. Two females is ok but never two males.Sorry if its been mentioned already I'm just too lazy right now to read all the info givin cause there is LOTS.

**Miss Z** · 09-01-2006, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by buttercup132

AWWW Zara is that Tia!?!
That picture is gorgeouse!

Yep, that's Tia alright. Thanks Alicia

**Khay** · 09-01-2006, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by buttercup132

Just be sure to not place two males in a cage. Two females is ok but never two males.Sorry if its been mentioned already I'm just too lazy right now to read all the info givin cause there is LOTS.

That is not true.

And it is NOT a myth that rats cannot live on their own.

My first rat Cairo, has been living alone his entire life. I took him from a free ad, and I figured he was happy. I spent alot of time with him, he was always happy and bouncing around in his cage when I came to see him, however I would say he was more starved of interaction than anything. Now that he has his buddies, if I compare how he is now to how he was before the new rats, I would say he was DEPRESSED.

Any rat needs to have proper introductions done, female or male, they need to be first introduced on neutral territory, get their order figured out, and then introduced to the same cage.

When introducing males, the easiest scenario is either babies (Under 3 mos.) Or an adult male introducing to two babies that have already been introduced to each other.

Please check out the sites I posted in a previous post, they have alot of really good information - More than you're going to get just by asking here. Also check out ratsrule.com and check out the forum linked from that site.

**zoomer** · 09-01-2006, 12:49 PM

Thank you everyone!

I showed that picture of Tia to my mom and she made this disgusted face...

I think she's rather cute though!

**CathyBogart** · 09-01-2006, 01:11 PM

If your mom is one of those who is eeked out by ratty tails, perhaps you could look around in your area for tailless ratties. They're very cute, but a little hard to find because of some issues with breeding them. Tailless ratties that I've seen have a slightly arched back and a little "hop" to their walk that is just adorable!

**Chilli** · 09-01-2006, 04:02 PM

I just wanted to put in that I agree that two males CAN be housed together. My two double rex boys have been living with eachother for the longest time, and nothing bad happened. Yes, they used to get a bit rough with eachother, but that hasn't happened since Ven established that he was dominant. Right now, three of my males are housed together. No problems whatsoever.

Just try something. Show her these pictures of my Ophelia (back when she was VERY young), but don't tell her its a rat. I think Tia is one of the most GORGEOUS rats, but to anti-rat people, a baby rat might be more appealing. If, as soon as she sees the picture, you say that its a rat. Your mum may put on a disgusted look, just because of the fact that its a rat. Get what I mean^^?

And I do advise you to read every little thing you find about rats. The more knowledge the better.

**zoomer** · 09-01-2006, 08:26 PM

Thanks, Courtney. I'll show that picture to my mom once I get home... @ a friend's house @ the moment...

**Miss Z** · 09-02-2006, 05:34 AM

Originally Posted by zoomer

Thank you everyone!

I showed that picture of Tia to my mom and she made this disgusted face...

I think she's rather cute though!

LOL, never mind it was worth a try

Originally Posted by Chilli

Just try something. Show her these pictures of my Ophelia (back when she was VERY young), but don't tell her its a rat. I think Tia is one of the most GORGEOUS rats, but to anti-rat people, a baby rat might be more appealing.

Thanks Courtney! Ophelia was (and still is) really cute!

Originally Posted by Khay

And it is NOT a myth that rats cannot live on their own.

My first rat Cairo, has been living alone his entire life. I took him from a free ad, and I figured he was happy. I spent alot of time with him, he was always happy and bouncing around in his cage when I came to see him, however I would say he was more starved of interaction than anything. Now that he has his buddies, if I compare how he is now to how he was before the new rats, I would say he was DEPRESSED.

Well, all I can say is that Tia is not depressed. If I introduced any other rat to Tia, she would kill it, no doubt about that.

**Chilli** · 09-02-2006, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Miss Z

Well, all I can say is that Tia is not depressed. If I introduced any other rat to Tia, she would kill it, no doubt about that.

That reminds me! There are some rare cases, where rats simply don't accept cagemates. All rats are completely different. I have a rat who is housed alone because of a handicap. I know what my rats moods are, and he isn't depressed, either. He gets loads of time out of his cage to be with me.
Though, I still suggest to always keep them in pairs^^. Its the cutest thing to see when you walk in and they're all piled ontop of eachother in a hammock.