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.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks