(How to keep your little ones safe and happy)
Your cage
Make sure of the following:
* If you have a cage with wire shelves the rats can walk on cover this to prevent
"bumblefoot", a painful condition that causes rats a lot of pain. A good idea is to cover it with
plastic embroidery sheets. The holes will drain the pee and the plastic will protect their feet.
* If you use an aquarium make sure that the rats have good ventilation. Buy a special top for
the aquarium or make one from weighted wood and wire mesh. Make sure that the
gaps in the mesh are small enough not to let small rats squeeze through but big enough not to
get any paws caught.
* If your cage is tall make sure that a rat cannot fall from a big height. Place things so that
the rat can jump off things in succession to get to the top or bottom. They will climb the sides
of a wire cage but if there is a big space they will sometimes attempt jumps they can't make! :(
* There is much debate about the types of litter to use. I prefer to stay away from woodchips
for my rats. Definately do not use sawdust as this is too dusty for their lungs and peat (unless it has
been baked in the oven to help sterilise it and I wouldn't use it in the whole cage) isn't a good idea
also. There are some good products on the market at present that are made from recycled paper
that seem to control odour well and won't hurt them if they chew it (e.g. Breeders Choice).
* If your cage is stinky and you're cleaning it lots then there are good products like "Home Sweet
Home" that neutralise odours. Make sure you wash anything fabric as soon as it starts to
look soiled or smell horrible. Baking soda sprinkled on the litter can also help. Dilute vanilla
essence smells nice although this only masks smells. Rats seem to like the smell of lavender
essential oil, and this has antibacterial properties also.
* To clean your cage a good thing to use is diluted bleach, diluted so much that you can't smell that bleach
smell anymore. First scrub out anything with soapy water as hot as you can stand it and then rinse with
the hot water. Then spray your bleach solution from a spray bottle and leave to dry. This will help kill any
nasties.
* If your rats are getting soiled so much they aren't cleaning it off properly or are overly stinky then you can
give them a bath (though most rats don't like it too much). Use water that is slightly hotter than you would have a
bath - rats have a higher body temperature than humans. Use a mild small animal shampoo or a drop of baby
shampoo after wetting your rat. Rinse the rat and wrap it up in a towel and gently towel dry. Put the rat
in a warm place away from draughts (a plastic terrarium is good for this) and let them lick themselves dry.
Rat Diet
A good healthy balance is the key to a happy food-loving rat :)
This is what I feed my little furry friends:
Some of the following (not all at once, they'll be fat rats!) :)
* Puree baby food bulked up with one of the following: frozen peas, pasta, eggs or rice. This ends up really
cheap if you don't have too many rats to feed as the most expensive thing, the baby food, just ends
up as a sauce.
* Boil and freeze a mixture of legumes and veges so that you can just chip off and heat some of
these .... I use peas, haricot beans and chick peas. They have a small amount of corn on occasion
as a treat and they refuse to eat carrot.
* Fresh fruit and veges! If you're having veges for dinner set some aside for your friends! Also applies
when making salads. Offer a small amount of fruit as a rat can't brush the sugar off it's teeth :)
* Porridge. This is brilliant in the winter and lovely with a lashing of soy milk.
* Treats: A good way to bribe and train rats is to use yoghurt-covered raisins. Pet shops have
"yoghurt drops" but these are expensive when you can buy yoghurt raisins in the bulk section of
your supermarket. They also like yoghurt, apple sauce and corn chips. These shouldn't be used as
staple food because of sugar or salt. Of course they like unsweetened yoghurt but not as much ;)
* Make sure they have dried food available at all times when you're not there to feed them. I use Hagen
Nutriblocks, nice and hard to grind down those teeth, browse your local pet shop for similar things
that look like dog biscuits for small animals.
* Make sure their water supply is clean and topped up. Rats can drink quite a lot of water, especially
in the summertime.
* At night my rats get light soy milk, they especially love the vanilla flavour.
Play time and socialising with others
Rats love to play! Whether it's with you or with other rats. Girls require more room for play than
boys. Playing with your rat is especially important when you first get it. It's a chance for the two
of you to get to know each other. Try and set aside some time to cuddle and talk to your rat and
let it run about. A nice rat-proof area like the bathroom is good for this. Supervise your rat
at all times as no place is completely safe for a rat. Rats are sociable and love to cuddle up
together, groom each other or play-fight. As long as the "fight" isn't getting too rough then its
fine. When introducing new rats a good idea is to spray them with water if they are getting too
rough. If you buy a new rat keep it in a cage away from the others for at least a week as it may
be carrying diseases harmful to your rats. The bathtub is a good place to introduce them. Before
you put them in make them smell the same (vanilla is good for this) and watch for fights. Start
with small introductions, increasing the time each day. Have the cages next to each other
at all other times so they can get used to each other's scent. Of course, don't put opposite sexes
in with each other unless they are neutered (common sense always prevails!) :)
My rat cage Click here to see my cage and a list of toys you can use in your cage
to keep your little ones happy.
First Aid for Small Furries This is the site I go to if anyone looks ill. If it looks serious, the rat is in obvious pain or you aren't confident to take care of your rat take your rat to a vet as soon as you can!