Some facts to know before getting pet rats
From what I have read you want to give your rats a diet including a diet block, fruit, vegetables and even a source of protein such as an egg. The fruits and veggies however should be given more often than the egg as the block diet should have a good amount of protein (though I am not 100% of this). The best block food to give them is Oxbow regal rat diet, you can look this up once and tons of resources will point to it being the best.
Rats will need a large cage to be happy as they are very smart and need a lot of stimulation. A tall and wide cage is best as they do like to climb and males will need more ground space to wrestle. The best cage to get is the critter nation, though this is a fairly expensive option. There are other cages out there that are really good for rats, however you should avoid ones with wire floors, bar spacing of more than 1/2 inch, and very very tall because if they fall and there isn't enough there to catch them they can become injured. Also for your cage you can include a litter box, a silent spinner wheel (avoid wire ones as they can injure the rats), ladders, hammocks (very important), hiding houses (important), lots of toys (important) etc. The main thing to focus on is making sure they have enough to do when you aren't home. Rats also need a minimum of 2 square feet of room in a cage each. There are rat cage calculators online that will tell you how many rats can fit in one cage though I feel their suggestions are a little cramped but that's just a personal thought because they are usually very good indicators.
RATS SHOULD NEVER BE KEPT ALONE, unless something prevents two rats from being housed together such as health or aggression. Rats need another rat with them most of the time otherwise they may become depressed and unhealthy. Also it is best to keep rats of the same sex as they will multiply rapidly if you mix males and females. If you do choose to mix then one one sex will have to be spayed or neutered. Concerning handling you should spend at least one hour a day giving your rats free roam outside the cage in a rat proof area or walk around with them on your body and let them adventure where you think is safe. You can even build play areas specifically for this.
Rats are very clean animals and don't normally have to be bathed. In regards to their cage it is important to pick the right bedding and make sure the cage is clean to ensure their good health. Because rats can develop respiratory issues very easily providing a safe clean environment is very important. A lot of people use fleece with something underneath to absorb urine such as paper towels, because fleece produces basically no dust. Another good bedding would be zilla liners which is cheap and from my research seems to be the best liner for the price, the odor control, and the chew proof level of it. It isn't very appealing but very effective. In the past I have used carefresh and it gets expensive and can produce a lot of dust which is not good for your rats. I've heard yesterday's news and Aspen are good options. Though for the rats I am getting I plan on using fleece and paper towels as it will save me some time and money. Their cages depending on how many you have should be completely deep cleaned once a week and spot cleaned every day to ensure ammonia doesn't build up which could cause respiratory issues and also to prevent any other diseases associated with dirty cages. The cleaner the better.
There are a few options of where you can get your rats from, rescues, pet stores, and breeders. My personal favorite options are rescues and breeders. Rescues are good because you're giving a rat a second chance at a happy life though you may want to be more experienced when it comes to adopting from rescues as some rats may be aggressive or hard to tame due to their pasts. Breeders are very good options but can be more expensive. With breeders you know where your rat is coming from and if they are a good breeder you know your rats will be friendly and healthy. It is important to do background research into breeders around you as some may be sketchy and be run as rodent mills which are often very terrible places. Rats from good breeders tend to be healthier and friendlier. Pet stores are good if you are low on cash and want a baby though they come from rodent mills which treat small animals horribly most of the time. So buying from a pet store supports these mills. The rats are often more unhealthy and less friendly. Also in pet stores the only difference between a fancy rat and a breeder rat is the coloration in its fur. If it is pretty it is considered fancy but they all come from the same place.
Your rats may become ill during their life as I said before they are prone to respiratory diseases. You may have to spend up to $200 on on rat over the course of its life in medical bills if it becomes ill. This is also why breeder rats are very good because they may require less medical attention. Remember to keep some savings just in case illness breaks loose.
Boys tend to be more laid back and cuddly. They are less prone to tumors though they often have shorter lifespans. They are also larger than females and mark more often than females do. They may also become aggressive with each other but not always. They may be better if you prefer an animal that will relax with you.
Females are very active and like to explore. A wheel in the cage of females would be good as they will get use out of it where males usually aren't as interested. Females usually live longer, don't mark as often, are less aggressive towards one another and are smaller. Females are better if you want a pet that is fun to watch and interact with.
From what I have looked into on a day to day basis rats aren't very expensive, though they can be pricing when first getting everything but that's just how it is with most pets. Though vet bills can become expensive.
How many rats should you get:
That all depends on what you feel ready for I would recommend sticking to two and if you feel you can take on another and your cage allows for it go for it but remember rats can take up a good amount of time and adding another may increase that time commitment. Just remember it is very important to have at least two rats living together. I would recommend for a beginner to only get two rats because my train of though is I have two hands one for each rat any more and how will I hold them to keep them from causing trouble? Though sometimes I have to admit getting more than two at times seems very appealing but from what I've seen as long as your rat has one other buddy rat then they will be very happy.
I may have missed somethings but I'd hope other people will help with that but I believe I covered a good portion of what you need to know. Oh a few quick things actually:
- Males live 2-3 yrs females can live up to 2-4 yrs (pretty much only a few month difference)
- avoid towels for bedding because they can choke on the thread
- avoid wood shavings for bedding as this can be bad for rats respiratory system
- provide lots of things to chew on
- rats can be litter trained
- rats can be taught tricks and actually really enjoy it as it is stimulating
- Use positive reinforcement when teaching tricks
- can use very slight negative reinforcement in certain conditions for behaviors but mainly only use positive as rats can be frightened easily. You want to maintain trust with your rats.
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