#rat info

[void-ratz]

If you live in Europe and know german, I definetly recommend this website if you wanna learn about pet rats! Its got a lot of information, from where to get them to what to do once they pass on, and while it does center on Germany, i still found it very useful as i live in austria!:)

https://www.diebrain.de/ra-index.html

[bisame]

hey I'm thinking of getting a rat in a few months and I'd like to get some advice, like how big should the enclosure be, should I have it be completely flat, or can it be tiered, should I get a second one with the first, if so should they be from the same litter or at least the same breeder, or can they be from two different places, what brands of food and treats do you prefer to give yours, how often should I clean, etc, etc. I already have experience caring for small rodents, (I had 2 gerbils and a hamster, and I help my sister with her guinea pigs) but none of them were very fond of handling

I'm not planning to breed them because that's a bit to much stress, I just want a litol fren

Hi! It’s great that you’re considering of getting rats. They make great pets because they’re so intelligent, social and cheap - at least when comparing to pets like dogs or cats.

Previous experience with other pets - rodents or not - is good to have, but, like with any other kind of pet, remember to do research before buying rats.

I’m getting into detail later but my tl;dr advice for you is:

Before buying a cage or contacting a breeder, be sure you have the money to care for rats. Be prepared for an unplanned visit to the vet.  Have that money saved already. Just putting a rat to sleep can cost $250 in some places, so please keep that in mind when you’re buying rats. They are cheap pets, but their vet bills aren’t!

Start with three (but at least two) rats - girls are more active and energetic than boys, but they all have different personalities. Don’t buy from a store! Always from a breeder.

Cage needs to have enough space for them to run around and climb. For bedding I recommend aspen chips and/or paper pellets. For 2-4 rats I recommend a cage like Furplast Jenny, and a bigger one for +4 rats, such as Critter Nation or Savic Suite Royal.

Clean the cage weekly. I usually change the toilet corner’s bedding and wipe the levels bi-daily, and if there’s any “emergency” messes (eg. spilled porridge, diarrhea stains) clean them asap.

Main food should be food pellets (I always feed my rats brand called Altromin) and fresh/”real” food as an add on. I give them treats occasionally, usually as a reward

Rats need exercise and a lot of time outside of their cage, so please take them on the couch with you or let them run around free on your floor. Remember to rat-proof things, tho! 

Always, always, ALWAYS, get more than just one rat when you’re starting a new pack. Rats are social animals and need the company of other rats - they play, sleep and groom together, and that’s key importance to their mental and physical health. Lonely rats are often phlegmatic, depressed or even aggressive.

Buy your rats from a trustworthy breeder. Don’t know any? Do some research. Browse through forums, facebook, read comments and reviews. If you’ve found one you trust and they’re happy to sell you babies, ask if you can see the family tree. It’s a red flag if they refuse, because they can’t be honest with you nor want you to see your pet’s family line. Inbreeding is a problem with rats as well as it is with dogs and cats....

Some breeders are more than happy to stay in contact with you and answer your questions and provide you help - so remember to ask them!

One thing I wish someone had told me when I got my first pack of rats was that have an extra enclosure (I had Ferplast Duna Multy) when you need to separate rats! In case there’s a fight or injury, have that extra cage (preferably a plastic cage/duna) so you can easily separate the rats. One night my rats fought, and I put the aggressive one on time-out. Another time my rat broke his leg and he needed to be in an environment where he couldn’t climb/hurt his leg any further and he stayed there until his leg was healed again. Remember to have a box for traveling, as well!

DON’T BUY FROM BREEDERS WHO BREED “MANX”, “DWARF” OR “CURLY TAIL” RATS, EVER!

Here’s a bunch of links to help with your research:

Keeping and caring for pet rats: https://www.thesprucepets.com/pet-rats-1236745

Best bedding for pet rats: https://pethelpful.com/rodents/What-Is-The-Best-Bedding-For-Pet-Rats

Rat cage setup for beginners: https://pethelpful.com/rodents/perfectrats

Homemade toys for rats: https://www.thesprucepets.com/homemade-toys-for-pet-rats-1238516

List of foods for rats: https://pethelpful.com/rodents/Rat-Nutritional-Information-Can-my-Pet-Rat-Eat-This

Rat health and welfare: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/rats/health

Disorders and diseases of rats: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/en-ca/all-other-pets/rats/disorders-and-diseases-of-rats

Tumors in rats: https://www.thesprucepets.com/rat-tumors-1238498

How to trim nails: https://pethelpful.com/rodents/How-to-Trim-Your-Pet-Rats-Nails

Bathing a rat: http://ratguide.com/care/grooming/bathing.php

I wanted to add this too, bc/ it answers the “Can rats eat alfalfa” question pretty well (yes, they can): https://www.reddit.com/r/RATS/comments/d8vzkf/can_rats_eat_alfalfa/

[effyeahpetrats]

A quick note.

Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you know that for the foreseeable future the ask box will be closed, however the submission box is still open. Please don’t use the submission box to ask a question as it will be ignored. If you are worried for your rats health, please take them to a veterinarian ASAP. In the mean time, you can browse the rat info tag to see if your problem has been discussed or do a quick Google search. 

Now that Jasper has passed, I do not have much free time and will not be answering any questions. 

Thanks for your support and understanding. 

[effyeahpetrats]

Do you have any tips for caring for senior rats? Two of my girls are about 2 years 4 months, though they're spunky as ever- I thought I saw a senior rat care sheet floating around somewhere but I can't find it, and was just wondering what to watch for, what's generally normal/not normal behavior as my little monsters age. Thanks!!

Hey there :)

For my Jasper, I moved him from a huge cage down to a double level cage where the ramps aren’t on too much of an incline and have fabric wrapped cardboard on them so he can grip better. 

Temperature control is also a big thing - make sure they aren’t too hot/warm and always make sure they are at a comfortable temperature.

Also moving hammocks and things closer to the ground/on the bottom level of the cage (or whatever level they most frequent) is a great idea. if you can move their water bottle and food bowl to their favourite level, that’s great too!

Here’s a post with another few things that really help old rats.  As for the massages - my Jasper loves them! He doesn’t really like being picked up and held, but when I start massaging his hind legs and sides gently with the pads of my thumbs/fingers, he bruxes and pancakes! A little massage can go a long way ^.^

Hope this helped!

[effyeahpetrats]

I just got a 6month old female rat and she wasn't taken care of very well and tips on how to get her to trust me and bond with me?

Patience is the key! Her trust issues aren’t something that are going to be ‘fixed’ overnight or even in a week. You need to give her lots of positive reinforcement and always speak to her in a soft and kind tone. Letting her out for lots of free range time when you’re there too will help her get used to you (eg - sit on your couch and put a few blankets around you, then let her out to play. She’ll play in the blankets and eventually on you!). 

You just need to give her time, and do slow movements around her so she is not startled by anything. 

Here is another post that gives good advice on helping skittish and scared rats.

[effyeahpetrats]

Hi again! So, one of my rats is a double rex, and it's starting to get a bit colder where I live. I was wondering if you have any tips for keeping rats warm in the winter?

Hi there!

Lots of hammocks and warm places to snuggle! At night, you can also put a towel/fleecey blanket over half of the top of their cage (leave the front open for some circulation) as well. 

If you get hammocks, make sure they are fleecey or double lined or a ‘pocket’ so your rat can stay extra warm when they are in there :) 

Also the usual like making sure they are in warm rooms, closing windows near their cage when it’s cold, etc etc :)

[effyeahpetrats]

Do you have any advice on litter box training rats? Mine are approaching a year old and I would really like to potty train them but I have no idea how to go about doing that ^^;

See this post, this post, and this post :)

[effyeahpetrats]

I have two lovely ladies, i got them from petco because i know they dont take good care of any of there animals, my ladies are incredibly under-socialized i've had them since december 2014, theyre beautiful girls but are relatively skittish. The biggest issue im having is them biting faces, i let them climb on to me they love coming up to my face, except one chopped EXCEPTIONALLY hard into my ear almost all the way through, and a few months later did the same to my cheek. Any help?

Can anyone who has had bitey rats help? If so, please contact OP directly or reply to/reblog this post with your advice!