This page is for those of you who do not own rats so you can read up on there care before deciding to purchase them from us or anyone else. Or if you are looking for more info and already own rats. If you have any questions, email me. Please keep in mind these are the methods of one breeder/owner and may not be the same as someone elses in one way or another, you may also find info that varies from this page in a book...please be warned, rat books, unless highly recomened or from a noteworthy source, are usually WRONG! They will often provide you with incorrect information that can lead to your rats death or sevear illness.
Average Life Span: Don't Let People Tell You It's Not True!
Rats live to about 2 years on average...reports of 4,5 and 6 year old rats are becoming more common as we breed better rats and find better ways to keep them healthy. You may hear people say that a rat will never live to 4,5 or 6 years old (for those of you who know me, you know who I'm talking about *G*) but they are idiots...any living thing has the ability to live much longer then the average if they are properly cared for and remain healthy! Just like a horse (who's life span is about 12-15 years) can live to 50, a rat can live to 6 or 7!
The Bedding Debate: What's Good For Your Rat?
Proper bedding has been debated forever! One thing is for sure: DO NOT USE CEDAR!!!! IT CAN BE DEADLY!!!!. Pine is still bad, but not as bad a cedar, and I do know people who have had healthy rats that lived above average that were kept on pine. Aspen is the best wood shaving bedding to use, which is what our rats live on. Carefresh is concidered by some to be the best there is for bedding, but it can be costly and hard to find...if you have alot of rats, I would suggest Aspen over Carefresh, unless you have the money to spare for Carefresh. I do know people who have rats that don't seem to like Carefresh. Corn Cob bedding (more commonly used for birds) is also recommended but there are some down sided to Corn Cob bedding...It sucks in moisture very easily and can lead to moldy bedding. It must be changed often to prevent this, or kept in a dry air place, which can be bad for the rat's health. It is also kinda rough. All in all, Aspen and Carefresh are the best beddings to get to insure a healthy rat.
A Home for your Rat: Another Raging Debate!
The debate over which is better, glass aquariums or wire cages, continues daily...IMHO it depends on the rat. Our rats live in both, but will be switched over to wire cages because more rats can fit in one, and most of my rats are very lively and need more place to play!
Aquariums:
I personally have no problem with aquariums as long as they have good ventalation...Aquariums will often be better in very cold areas as they keep the cage warmer since it is not all open. A 20 gallon long tank is usually good for 2 (maybe 3) males or 3 or 4 females. Give them plently of things to play with and plenty of time outside the cage to run if you keep them in a glass cage becuase they wont have the room to play that wire cages allow.
Wire Cages:
Wire cages are great for allowing plenty exercise and places to roam. Multi level cages are the best. Since wire cages are more open, a blanket should be used to cover the cage in times of cold weather. Also, avoid cages with wire bottoms, as wire bottoms and walking on the wire in general can cause bumblefoot, which is a very painful problem for rats. If you do have a wire bottum, cover part of it with a carpet sample or something else that is soft so they are not always on the wires. Make sure the covering is inexpenssive and easy to replace as the rats will poop and pee on it from time to time...also make sure it is safe for them to chew on since they will chew it up! A Link to Martin's Cages is on my links page...they have the best wire cages around!
Other Suplies: What else does my Rat need?
After finding the proper cage for your rat/rats and getting the right bedding, you need a few more things.
Food Dish: Get a heavy food dish so it is not easily knocked over. Size will depend on how many rats you will keep in the cage.
Water Source: A water bottle is best for the rats...it may drip, but that is nowhere near the mess a tiped water dish could make! If you do get a water dishmake sure it is HEAVY!!!! or you will be cleaning your bedding everyday! With water bottles we change the water at least once a day (more then once if it runs out). We change dish water 2 or 3 times a day since bedding is often thrown into it
A Hiding Place: The is essental for new rats...it gives them some place to hide when frightened or when they feel uncomfortable. As they get used to you, it will be used less for security and more for a place to go when it gets cold or when they want to relax and sleep. Make sure it is big enough for a few rats if you keep more then one rat in a cage. My males love to pile in their box to sleep!
Toys: Rats love to keep busy...rawhide bones, toilet paper/paper towl rolls and alot of bird toys are a good start.
A Cage Mate: Is One Needed?
I would say yes! Rat are very sociable and love to be around other rats. Try to get a pair from the start that are from the same litter (same sex of course) that way they already know each other. If you need info on introducng two rats that have never been together before, email me.
Feeding My Rat: What's Good? What's Bad?
In general we start off with a hamster mix. Some people use Lab Blocks and others use a rat food mix...the only rat food mixes I've seen are primarily seeds, and most of my rats don't want a dish full of seeds. The hamster mix we use has little colored piece that are shaped like Lucky Charms LOL. It also has seeds, dried fruit and other yummy things mixed in, our rats love it! On top of the mix we add in diffrent things daily...here are thing you can and cannot feed your rats:
Do Feed Them:
Fresh Fruits and Veggies: My rats love strawberries, apples, carrots, watermelon, grapes, black olives and cuecumbers.
Breads: My rats love to munch on an occasional homemade bisket or wheat bread
Pasta: Boy do they LOVE the Pasta...It is also good for getting those new rats to love you, they suck it down like mad!!
Don't Feed Them:
Soda or Other Carbonated Drinks
Orange Juice: Males cannot have orange juice because they cannot get rid of some of the stuff in it and it can build up and casue cancer. Females CAN have orange juice.
Raw Onions: I'm not to sure why on this one, but I've heard its not good for them.
Uncooked Beans
Things They Can Have On RARE Occasion:
Cheese: We give our rats a small piece each about once a month
Chicken and other meats (cooked of course)
TREATS!!!:
Make sure you reward your rats with treat during training sessions and give them treats to let them know you love them!
VitaCraft makes great rat treats (yougart drops, nibble bars) that our rats adore! There is a link to the vita craft web site in my links section...you can also find VitaCraft Treats in pet stores.
Other yummy treats include: Yougart (my guys like the custard type, not the kind with the fruit chunks in it), Baby food an anythng else you can think of that isn't to high in protien or too spicy or sour.
Stuff to Chew On:
We buy a HUGE bag (about 200 bones) of milk bone dog bones for 6 bucks at Petsmart and the bones are given to the rats in pieces...they love to eat them and it REALLY keeps their teeth down. We also give them big dog bones with fillings in the middle...they love those! Other people suggest chicken bones or steak bones, which are also good. Chicken bones are ohkay for rats, they do not run the risk of swallowing a sliver of the chicken bone like a dog does.
Clipping Teeth and Nails: Do I Have Too?
If you have plenty of things for the rats to chew and scratch, then you shouldn't have to worry. We clip nails on occasion but we have never had the need to clip the teeth. If you have rats that don't like to chew, or cannot provided them with enough, then you will have to have them clipped. I suggest taking them to the vet to learn how or to have them do it for you as you can hurt your rattie if you dont know what you are doing!
The Vet: Where Can I Find A Good One?
The search for a good rat vet can be tedious. We can recommend some places to you if you live in the Longmont, Boulder or Greely areas. Basically what you have to do is call around...it may take many visits and calls before you find the right vet that you and your animals like, but its really worth the effort. With our vet, we quized him before he examined our sick rat, he passed with flying colors and really love holding Orion. He didn't even mind when Orion peed on him LOL!
Rats don't really need to be taken to the vet for regular check ups...SOme place charge alot for just a check up and its best to save up your money just incase your rats have a serious problem down the line. If you think your rat is sick, call the vet first, see if they think you should bring it in.
Breeding
If you would like info on breeding, please email me.
Advice: Finding People Who Know What They Are Talking About!
I am a member of many rat boards on Yahoo! and MSN and there are some of the best people around! We have lots of fun and everyone always has something to say...You can find me under the ID "KoRnKiDjR" on Yahoo or "a H o" on MSN. Links to the clubs I'm in are on the links page.
Thanx for taking the time to read this page:) If you have anything else that you think should be posted here, let me know and I will!
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