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Original Rat FAQ Thread by Skutter The Rat Faq Welcome to the Pet Island Rat FAQ! Here you can find out if the fancy rat (Rattus norvegicus) is the right pet for you, or answer questions about the rat you already own. This FAQ has been put together from questions asked and answers given by other rat owners. We hope that it will be helpful and informative for you. Please feel free to ask questions or answer ones already asked, post pictures of your rats, or submit a section of your own. I am interested in owning a rat as a pet. What are some things I should know about rats before making a decision? Well, we’re glad you asked. There are many things to consider when buying a new pet, and rats are no exception. Rats are very social creatures and will do poorly if they are alone, so you should be prepared to buy at least two rats. It is recommended that you buy rats of the same sex, as a male and female rat can breed every one to two months and have up to fourteen babies in a single litter. Males are typically more laid-back, but are prone to rough-housing with each other and are “smellier“. Females can be hyper and are very social, so take the sex of the rats you choose into consideration. Something else to consider when you are buying your rat is where you are buying it from. Many people suggest either adopting a rat from a shelter or buying one from a breeder. Pet stores have many animals and do not have enough time to properly socialize all of them. They also do not have the facilities, and sometimes the experience, to properly quarantine rats to isolate diseases and infections. Buying from a reputable breeder or a shelter ensures that the rat is healthy, has been taken care of, and there has been some sort of attempt at socialization. There is a list of rat adoption sites in the Links section. Rats live from two to three years on average, but sometimes as long as five or six years. Rats can be taught tricks, learn their own names and are very athletic. They are mostly crepuscular (active in twilight), although if you socialize with your rat often, it will learn your schedule and adapt theirs to fit it. A study done by the University of Georgia showed that rats have metacognition, and an MIT study showed that rats can actually laugh. Rats are social, lovable, smart and are fun pets to own. Please read the FAQ to learn more about rats and rat ownership. Check out the Links section for rat clubs, rat owner guides and other useful information. A. Basic Care, Housing and Toys …What do I need to get started? …What should I feed my rat? What about treats and water? …What kind of cage should I buy? …How should I clean the cage, and how often should I do it? …What kind of bedding should I use? …What product should I use to help keep my rat clean? …How do I keep my rat cool in the summer months? …How do I keep my rat warm in the winter months? B. Medical Advice …How do I do a basic check-up of my rat? What signs should I look for to see if my rat is unhealthy or sick? …My rat has diarrhea, what should I do? …Oh sweet Jesus! My rat is bleeding out of it’s eyes/mouth! …How can I get my rat to eat it’s medicine when it refuses? …What can I do about my rat's sharp nails? …My rat has a scratch/cut on it. Should I do anything about it? ...My male rat is greasy, he has orange dandruff and/or his fur is slightly yellow. What is going on? ...Why is my rat scratching himself constantly?/Why is his skin is flaky, scabby and has a lot of dandruff?/Oh no! There are bugs! ...I'm allergic to my rat. Is there anything I can do about this? …What should I do when my rat passes away? C. Behavior …How can I litter train my rat? …Why is my rat making a chittering/clicking sound? …How should I socialize my rat? …What kind of behavior and activity levels should I expect from my rat? …How do I introduce my new rat to the rat(s) I already have? …Help! My male rat is going insane! -or- Should I neuter my guy? D. Links A. Basic Care, Housing and Toys What things do I need to get started? Here is a quick list of things you will need to purchase to get your home ready for your new rat: -cage -bedding -food -house -chew toys -water bottle -vitamins Optional: -litter box with litter -wheel or ball -snacks Questions about cages, bedding, and food are answered below. It is recommended that you get the cage set up before you get your rat, so you can introduce him to his new home immediately and he doesn’t have to wait in a small cardboard box while you get everything ready. What should I feed my rat? There are different diets you can feed your rats. Here are your choices: -Whole food diet (100% homemade) -Lab block supplemented diet (lab blocks plus other healthy foods) There are different diets people have created for rats with their nutrient requirements in mind. Here are a few: -Superconsndar's Whole Food Diet -Suebee's Rat Diet -Debbie D - 'The Rat Lady' Diet Along with homemade diet, many people feed lab blocks. They contain much of the essential nutrition a rat requires for their diet. However, lab blocks should never be fed alone. Other foods must be supplemented in. You should read the homemade rat diets to see what you could add. For example, you could add dried fruit, raw whole wheat pasta, low-protein dog food, dried beans, whole wheat cereal, unsalted seeds or nuts, brown rice, or oats. Where should you obtain lab blocks? The best block you can find in stores is Mazuri; it is easy to find in pet store chains like Petco and PetSmart, and it is for rats of all ages. Another highly-recommended lab block brand diet is Oxbow’s Regal Rat, but it is only for adult rats. If you are looking for the best rat lab block out there visit Harlan Teklad. They make rodent diets specifically for lab animals, so their food is top-quality and perfectly formulated for the animals. The biggest thing of note about HT is that you can not buy this food in retail stores, nor will the manufacturer ship it to you. You must order at least $100 worth of food and find a warehouse to pick it up at. You can also try to find an online supplier who can ship it to you in smaller quantities; Kim’s Ark is one such supplier (they don’t have an online store, but you can e-mail them for the price and send money via PayPal, and they will ship it to you). There are nine different rodent diets, but the one that has been recommended by a HT nutritionist for rats is diet 2014. Do not make a seed mix your rats' main food source. Seeds are very high in fat and rats get fat very easily. You do not want to have an obese rat and the associated medical problems. Also, be careful about how much protein you are feeding your rat, too much of it can lead to kidney damage. A non-breeding rat requires 9% crude protein in their diet, whereas a breeding rat requires twice that. Keep an eye on the amount of protein you are feeding them in both their treats and their regular diet. Treats should be limited to a few times a week, and should mostly consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, as opposed to lots of seeds or sugary treats. Don’t over-feed your rat fruits and veggies or they will get diarrhea, and make sure that you remove all uneaten fresh food from the cage every day. If you can’t afford fresh fruits and vegetables or don’t keep a lot of them around, you can substitute baby food instead. Rats also love beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, oats, pasta (cooked or raw), yogurt and wheat bread. Give your rat as varied of a diet as possible while providing for their nutritional needs. It is also very important to make sure that your rat has adequate hard items to chew to keep their teeth in check; cooked animal bones, small-size Greenies, Nylabones, wood toys, pumice blocks and nuts will accomplish this (be wary about rawhide though, as it might not be treated properly or disinfected before curing; try to buy rawhide that was made in America or is from a trustworthy source). Also, this link will take you to a website with a list of foods that you should be cautious about feeding your rat, or foods you shouldn't feed your rat at all. Rats should not drink tap water. The chlorine in it is bad for their system. You can buy filtered drinking water from your grocery store, or invest in a water-filtering pitcher from Brita or Pur. Rats need fresh water, so make sure that you change their water supply every day. What kind of cage should I buy? How big should it be? There are many different types of cages on the market, but one of the most highly-recommended cages (at least on this forum) are Martin Cages. Many pet owners in the forum currently have one or have purchased one for their pets, and most are pleased with it. Another popular choice is the Midwest Critter Nation Small Pet Habitat - it comes in two sizes and has wide doors that open up, for easy access to both rats and cage. Other larger cages you will find in pet stores that are advertised as being for rats are not bad either. You want to make sure that it will be large enough to hold an 8”-10” animal, and that if it has a wheel, the wheel is solid with no spokes (so the rat doesn’t get it’s tail caught). It is suggested that you have two cubic feet of space for one rat, but many people feel that it isn’t enough. Remember to take into account how many rats will be in the cage, and how much room you have in your home. Rodents need places to hide while they sleep, or somewhere to hang out, so purchase a rat home for your rat. You can find many different types of rat homes. Anything made for a ferret (hammocks, fleece houses, etc.) is perfect for your rat. 8 in 1 makes a line of products called “Ecotrition” that features “Snak Shaks” which are rodent homes made out of pressed alfalfa and honey, so your rat can safely chew on their home (you can find these at Petco and PetSmart). If you are a pet owner on a budget, you can re-use empty pop/beer can boxes in the cage. Cut a few openings and peepholes and provide your rat with a hiding place and something to chew on. What kind of bedding should I use? A very popular type of bedding to use is shredded paper. It’s absorbent, has no fragrances and isn’t toxic to your rat (if you are using newspaper in the cage, make sure it is printed with non-toxic soy or vegetable ink). Many rat owners use CareFresh, which is made from non-toxic paper pulp. It has good odor control, although some people complain about the smell, especially when it’s wet. There is also pellet bedding, one of the most popular ones being Yesterday’s News, which is made out of non-toxic recycled newspaper. It does tend to crumble and get the cage dusty after it has gotten wet and then had time to dry out, which might not be good for sneezy rats. Cell-Sorb Plus is another pellet bedding brand. If you have any old towels or clothing lying around, you can cut it into strips and put that into your rat’s cage as well. Make sure you don’t use cloth that unravels easily, or your rat could get tangled in it and hurt themselves. Wash the cloth in a hypoallergenic laundry detergent with warm or hot water. Some people line the cages with fleece or other fabrics that you can find cheap at Walmart, Target, or other stores. You should never use cedar or pine shavings as bedding, EVER. They are softwoods that contain phenols which are very toxic to rats and other small animals. Inhalation of the fumes can harm your rat’s immune system and make it more susceptible to respiratory problems, and studies have shown that phenol alters your rat’s liver enzymes, which could lead to liver damage and possibly even liver failure. Aspen shavings are alright to use as bedding because it is a hardwood that doesn’t contain any phenols. It has also been mentioned that you should be careful about store-bought bedding because they can sometimes be host to mites and other parasites that get into the bedding while it’s waiting for shipment at the warehouse. If you are worried about this, you can place the bedding in your freezer to kill off any pests before you use it. What kind of toys should I buy for my rat? Rats need toys to occupy themselves with while they are in their cage. There aren't many rat-specific toys on the market, but you can buy pretty much anything that is marketed for other rodents, or ferrets and rabbits. One line of toys that are often recommended is the Kong Dog Toys (site requires Flash). The rats will love chewing on the rubber (don't worry about them eating it), and it's great watching them trying to dig out the treats inside the toy. You can also buy small cat toys that they can pick up and hide, or push around the cage. Bird toys are good as well, especially if it has some tasty rope on it to chew and climb on. One user has found that their rats love playing with a clothespin clipping to one of the cage bars. Another user ties a ribbon around a few treats and hangs it from the top of the cage. Try getting a few of those small plastic bubbles from the cheap candy/vending machines. Wash them well, fill them with a treat, put the cap back on and watch the fun as your rat tries to get at the treats inside. As long as the item is non-toxic, easy for them to grab with their paws and fun to chew on, rats will love it. Experiment with different things around the house such as place bottle caps, shredded newspaper (non-toxic ink of course), paper bags, PVC piping and whatever else you think your rats might enjoy. How should I clean the cage, and how often should I do it? You should clean the cage at least once a week. Many pet stores sell non-toxic cleaning solution that you can use in their cage to wash it. A popular solution is Nature's Miracle. Rinse out the bedding tub with hot water, spray some of the cleaning solution in the tub, scrub hard, rinse again and dry. DO NOT use regular household cleaning products in your rat’s cage. They contain harmful chemicals that could get your pet sick. Make sure to wipe down any surfaces that your rat might have gotten dirty, especially their wheel (if they have one). You should also clean the cage structure every few months, the easiest way being is to put it in the shower and spray it down. You can also take it out in the yard and spray it with a hose. What product should I use to help keep my rat clean? Rats can be bathed occasionally with baby or animal-appropriate shampoos (kitten shampoo will work). There are also animal wipes that can help out too. Unscented baby wipes should also work. Rats are pretty good at grooming themselves, so you shouldn't have to worry. You shouldn't bathe them too often, as it isn't good for their skin and will strip them of their natural oils. How do I keep my rat cool in the summer months? Rats are most comfortable around 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit (21-24 degrees Celsius). You can tell it’s too hot for your rat if they are acting very sluggish and/or lying on their backs (rats sweat through their paws). Putting a dish of ice water in the cage is very helpful, and you can always buy a second water bottle if you think they might run out of water while you are out. If that isn’t enough, fill up a 20-ounce plastic bottle with water, freeze it and put it in your rat’s cage. You can also freeze a wet washcloth and place it on one of the ramps or balconies in the cage. If you decide to use a fan, don’t point it directly at the rats so they don’t get too cold. How do I keep my rat warm in the winter months? Rats are pretty good at snuggling to keep each other warm, but if you're worried about them getting too cold, there are lots of things you can do to help them stay toasty. Get a heavy blanket to drape over the top of the cage to help trap in heat. Make sure it is made of something that is rat-safe because they will chew it up. You can give them pieces of heavy fabric (fleece is great for this) to shred and stuff in their house or create a nest out of. Pet stores also sell miscellaneous fleece cage accessories in the ferret section (such as tubes, "beds" and hammocks) that are the perfect size for multiple rats. If you can't afford the sometimes-expensive hammocks, make your own! One user says go to a fabric store, buy a few yards (or meters) of fleece, cut it into 2' x 1' (~60 cm. x ~30 cm.) rectangles, fold them in half and sew some grommet holes into it. Another user has also suggested cutting up sections of flannel pajama pants and hanging them with shoelaces. The most important thing you can do to keep your rats warm is to minimize drafts. Are they near a window, or a door that leads to the outside? You can always weatherproof them, but a less-expensive idea might just be moving them to an area where it won't be so cold for them. Rats are also sensitive to temperature changes, so if they are a bit sniffly or sneezing when it gets colder, don't worry too much about it. B. Medical Advice Disclaimer: All of the answers contained in the medical advice section is just that -- advice. This is to help rat owners take care of their pets by helping them look for signs of infection and injury, and ways to take care of them. If your rat has a serious problem, please take it to a vet that specializes in small animals. How do I do a basic check-up of my rat? What signs should I look for to see if my rat is unhealthy or sick? Things to check for on your rats include tumors, tooth overgrowth, parasites, abscesses, and just general outer health. At least once every week you should examine your rat thoroughly with your eyes and your fingers. Feel around their ears, jaws, bellies, backs, paws, and tails for any strange lumps or wounds. Check through their fur for cuts or parasites. Check their teeth--the upper teeth should be a full orange color, and the lower ones should be more of a darker yellow. If their teeth start to curve or bend to the side, take your rat to the vet to have their teeth trimmed. Also check to make sure the rats' feet are in good order, without sores or cuts, as wounds on the feet can lead to bumble foot. Please visit this site for more information about performing rat check-ups. My rat has diarrhea, what should I do? The most common reason that a rat has diarrhea (or “wet tail”) is because it has eaten too many veggies and/or fruits. Remove all uneaten veggies/fruits from the cage and do not feed any more to them until their stool returns to normal. Sometimes introducing new foods can cause diarrhea as the rat’s digestive system isn’t used to it. If the diarrhea continues for a few days, stop feeding them the new food. If there hasn’t been any change in their diet, and the veggie/fruits haven’t caused it, go to your local pet store (most PetSmarts and Petcos don’t carry it) and purchase Mardel Dri-Tail. If you can’t find it anywhere, try burning some toast. Get some good charring going and break it up into small pieces to feed to your rat. This simulates activated carbon/charcoal and should help cure your rat of his diarrhea. If you have tried all of these and the diarrhea persists, take your rat to the vet. Oh sweet Jesus! My rat is bleeding out of it’s eyes/mouth! Calm down, it’s not blood. It’s a substance called porphyrin. Rats will produce this if they are stressed, so it is a common occurrence. If there is an excessive amount, you can take them out of the cage and gently clean it off with water. Rats will also produce porphyrin if they are eating a poor diet. Examine your rat’s space and see if there’s anything that might be stressing them out, and make sure that you are feeding them a proper diet. If your rat has frequent porphyrin staining and is showing any of the other following symptoms, get it to a vet right away: disinterest in food, lethargy, head-tilting, limping, squeaking when handled or touched, hair loss, bloody urine, very loose stools, and any unusual behavior for the rat. How can I get my rat to eat it’s medicine when it refuses? Try mixing the medicine with a tasty treat such as plain non-fat yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream or even grenadine. Make sure that they eat it all though. You don’t want to risk under-medicating them. What can I do about my rat's sharp nails? You can cuts your rat's nails with a regular pair of nail clippers, but make sure it's the straight kind, and not the curved edge (it's much easier). You will most likely need someone to hold the rat for you while you cut the nails. Make sure that you stay away from the pink area (the quick) of the nail. You don't want to make your rat bleed. If you do end up cutting the nail too short, you can use styptic powder to stop the bleeding. If a rat is too hard to pin down for clipping, or you don't feel comfortable doing it, just use an emery board on your rat and file their nails instead. Doing this when they're sleepy will help cut down the chances of a struggling rat, and you can also bribe them with a treat so they are preoccupied. Small animal vets will also perform this service, but you can do it yourself for free. Remember to reward your rat with a treat after the procedure (or during) so they learn that it's not all that bad, and it will help calm them down. My rat has a scratch/cut on it. Should I do anything about it? Rats have sharp nails and will frequently scratch one another while they wrestle (help prevent this by keeping their nails short). If you notice a cut on your rat, wash the cut in warm water and leave it alone. Keep an eye on it to make sure that it stays clean and is healing, and your rat will be fine. They heal very quickly and you should notice the cut will be gone in a few days. If it is a large gash, clean it with warm water and antibacterial soap. You can put some Neosporin on the wound to help it heal. Put the rat in a cage by himself so that his cage mates don't aggravate the wound further, or try to lick off the delicious medicine. Don't use bedding in the cage; you don't want debris getting into the wound. Use a towel or some old t-shirts. Depending on the severity of the wound, your rat will only need to be by himself for a few days, and you should wash his wound at least twice a day (you can choose if you need to continue to use Neosporin, if you did in the first place). He can have play time with the other rats, but make sure he is supervised at all times. Clean off any medicine on the rat so that the others don't try to eat it. Rats are really great animals in that they will take care of their sick and injured. They will clean the hurt rat's wound for him, and this will make it heal a lot faster than anything you do. If the cut isn't healing on it's own, or it seems to be getting worse, contact a small animal vet and discuss it with them in case you need to bring them in for a check-up. My male rat is greasy, he has orange dandruff and/or his fur is slightly yellow. What is going on? That is a substance called "buck grease" and it happens in any un-neutered male rat, from an overabundance of testosterone. You can give them a bit of flax seed oil or olive oil on a piece of wheat bread two or three times a week to help cut down on the buck grease. It will also improve the condition of their coat overall. Dry dog food also works well for this, but watch the protein content. ...Why is my rat scratching himself constantly?/Why is his skin is flaky, scabby and has a lot of dandruff?/Oh no! There are bugs! If your rat is exhibiting any of the symptoms listed in the questions, he or she probably has mites, lice or fleas. Mites can cause mange in rodents just as they can in dogs. Although rats and mice may both be infected with lice, those lice will not cross over from one species of animal to another. This also means you will not catch lice from your pets, and if you were infected with head lice, you could not transfer them to your pets. Transmission from mouse-to-mouse or rat-to-rat is by direct contact and by fomites (objects). Rats can get three types of mites: 1. Fur mites - generally doesn't cause problems unless the infestation is heavy; known symptoms are patches of hair loss with possible skin ulceration or lesions. 2. Burrowing (ear mange) mites - they attack the ear pinnae, tail, nose, and extremities; lesions caused by this mite are reddened, crusty, itchy areas. 3. Bloodsucking - almost the same causes and results as lice (anemia, blood parasites, etc.). HOW TO CURE YOUR INFESTATION 1. Buy some 1.87% ivermectin, which shouldn't cost more than $20. You can find it as horse paste or dewormer at a horse, feed, or country store. Make sure it is 1.87% ivermectin and not some other multisyllabic alternative! 2. Read HOW TO PREVENT AN INFESTATION. Remove rats to safe place. Toss all wood, bones, straw, hay, litter, etc., and sterilize everything remaining with bleach, or boil or bake. Vacuum very well. 5. Squeeze out all the ivermectin into a resealable container such as a clean dry photo film container. Stir the gently caress out of it to make sure the ivermectin is evenly distributed throughout the paste. 6. Get your rat's favorite small treat, or use a chocolate chip. Stir the ivermectin again. Place a very small amount (the size of an uncooked grain of rice) on the treat. Feed to rat. WARNING DO NOT OVERDOSE ON IVERMECTIN. OVERDOSING CAN CAUSE NEUROLOGICAL DAMAGE. Remember, the tube of ivermectin is measured for a 1,500 pound horse, and you're treating a 1-2 pound rat. Take it EASY on the ivermectin - you can always give your rats another week's treatment if necessary, but you can't un-dose a seizing rat. 7. If your rat won't eat the ivermectin on the treat, gently rub the same amount on their paw(s), on the inside of their ear flaps, or on the side of their nose so that they'll lick it off (hopefully). 8. Mark on your calendar when you dosed them, then mark off 2-3 more weeks. Repeat steps 2-7 for the next 2-3 weeks or until the mite infestation is gone. You'll have to treat your rats for three weeks to a month to completely eliminate mites. Treating the rats with ivermectin will kill the current infestation, but not the eggs or little mitelings scattered about bedding, litter, or even the carpet. Mites can jump quite high, so make sure you sterilize EVERYTHING and keep up on the ivermectin treatments to ensure complete elimination of the parasites. HOW TO PREVENT AN INFESTATION 1. Every time you buy a new bag of bedding, freeze it for 48 hours. You can also bake it to a minimum 140 degrees Fahrenheight, but since Carefresh is paper, and paper + oven != profit, I don't recommend baking your bedding. 2. Vacuum weekly. Disinfect everything in the cage at least weekly, and dump old litter in a bag and put it outside away from the house immediately. Bleach is recommended, but make sure you rinse anything you wash with bleach very very very well. You can also bake said toys in the oven for at least a half hour or boil them in water for a half hour. Or, you can bleach, then bake, then boil, whatever gets your hat off. 3. Don't buy wooden toys, as eggs or parasites can hide in the porous cracks. Wood is not easily disinfected. I'm allergic to my rat. Is there anything I can do about this? Some of the rat owners here are allergic to their pets, and they have come up with some suggestions as to how to deal with it. Before you try anything else, you could talk to your doctor and see if they will prescribe some antihistamines for you. If it's a mild-enough reaction, you can always take over-the-counter Claritin. If you welt up badly when a rat scratches you, try putting some Benadryl spray on it (trim or file their nails to keep them from scratching you in the first place). If the cage is what makes you have a reaction, try keeping it in a well-ventilated area with a lot of traffic, but not a place where you spend a long amount of time. When you clean the cage, put Vick's Vaporub under your nostrils and cover your mouth/nose with a bandana or face mask. You can even buy an air purifier with a HEPA filter in it to help keep the fur and dander out of the air. What should I do when my rat passes away? If you wish to bury your rat, place them in a plastic zipper bag and store them in the freezer until you are able to bury them. You can also take your deceased rat to a vet that will cremate it, and you can keep their remains in an urn, or bury them. C. Behavior How can I litter train my rat? Litter training for rats takes some effort. Observe your rat's bathroom habits for a few days, making note of where they like to do their business; most times they will pick a corner. After you've seen where those spots are, remove all the poop from the cage (set some aside), clean their cage and set up litter boxes in the prime areas. Use a litter that is different in texture and smell from their bedding. Make sure the boxes are also large enough for a rat to sit in, and has high enough sides that they won't fling poop out of it. After you've placed the boxes, add the litter and the poop you set aside earlier. Over the next few weeks remove all the poop that is outside of the boxes and put them in the boxes (changing the litter out as needed). Eventually your rats will associate the litter material with pooping and learn to use it. But even litter trained rats won't necessarily use it for peeing too. Why is my rat making a chittering/clicking sound? It depends on what the noise is. Rats, when happy or stressed, will grind their teeth (this is called bruxing). It makes a bit of a clicking, chittering, and grating noise at once. If a rat is VERY happy its eyes will start to bulge in and out, and this is called boggling. Chittering noises on their own can sometimes mean respiratory distress, so check for the context and keep an eye on your rat. Every one is different and you'll learn yours. How should I socialize my rat? Don't try to grab your rat of the cage and force it to socialize with you. You don't want them to associate fear and discomfort with you. One thing you can do is sit in front of their cage with the door open and let them inspect you, crawl around on you and sniff you. They have their safe zone of their cage nearby in case they get spooked, and they can choose when they want to interact with you. You can even bribe them with treats to get them to engage you. Scratch them, gently wrestle with them, speak soothingly, etc. The more positive actions they associate with you, the more likely they will want to associate with you. They will be more comfortable than if you just yanked them out of their home and put them somewhere they don't recognize in order to play with them. When they become comfortable enough to stay on your shoulders for more than a few minutes, take them around the house with you. If you have an intended play area that isn't right next to their cage, sit down in it with them and hang out with them (if they aren't litter-trained or mark a lot, put a towel down to save yourself the trouble of cleaning up). They will associate the area as a place where they can be out of the cage and with you, and will learn to recognize the new area. Another idea is to put an old shirt into the cage so they can get used to your smell. If the smell is in their home, and you smell like it, you can't be too bad, right? One last thing: Your new rat will test EVERYTHING to see if it is food; this includes fingers, toes, earlobes, noses, clothing, etc. Most of the time it is a gentle nibble, so try not to freak out when you feel your rat's teeth on your fingers. A stern "NO", a squeak or anything similar will help them learn not to chew on your clothing, furniture and body parts. Rats also have a thing for Band-aids. We don't know why, they just do. Be careful when handling your rats if you have a Band-Aid on your finger. What kind of behavior and activity levels should I expect from my rat? Rats have very different personalities and there is really nothing that is "normal" across the board. Each rat will have it's own way of interacting with you and it's cage mates. Don't be alarmed if you have a lazy rat or a hyperactive one. You will learn what is normal for each individual rat that you own. Some rats will be a snuggly lap rat that sleeps all day and ignores his pals, and some will be constantly exploring, digging, climbing, running and playing with his fellow rats. Learn what your rat is like so that you can note any behavior changes in case of sickness. How do I introduce my new rat to the rat(s) I already have? Rat introduction can vary greatly depending on the age and gender of the rats involved. Males will be more territorial when meeting a newcomer, but females can get aggressive too. Some rat owners have no problem putting new rats together on the first day, others have to go through an introduction process that can last almost a month. Do not put a rat younger than six weeks in a cage with an adult rat; they will sometimes kill strange baby rats if they are younger than that. If you are thinking about getting another rat, get a new cage. It doesn’t have to be anything terribly expensive or large, but remember that you might have to keep your new rat in there for a few weeks. Place the two cages next to each other and let the rats become accustomed to the scents of the other cage. After a few days, have the rats trade cages. If this goes well, have your rats meet in neutral territory (somewhere that your old rat’s smell isn’t overpowering). Rats are extremely sensitive to new smells and you might want to put everyone on even ground before the meeting. Putting a few drops of vanilla extract on the rats will help mask their scent, or you can try bathing them. The Rat Fan Club’s rat introduction page even suggests smearing the rats with some chocolate pudding so they all smell the same, and this has the added bonus of the rats bonding by cleaning a tasty treat off of one another. Watch for signs of aggression from the dominant rat (and any of the others), including raised fur, back arching and swinging the body sideways at the other rat. If you notice any aggression, separate the rats immediately; you do not want to risk having one of them injured. Watch out though -- an aggressive rat might bite you, so take care when you are picking it up. This is the stage where the dominant rat will “fight” the new rat. He will pin him on his back and stare at him, to put the new rat in his place. As long as you don’t see any aggressive signs or biting/scratching, let this continue. It’s normal rat behavior and part of the introduction process. Depending on how many rats you have, everyone will want to face the new guy. Just keep an eye on them and let things develop from there. This fighting can last up to a few days, so don’t worry about your rats not getting along. Eventually things will calm down and the rats will just power groom and play fight. If the aggression doesn’t stop after a few days, separate the rats and try again a week later. If it continues for a prolonged period of time, then you need to keep them separated permanently. Help! My male rat is going insane! -or- Should I neuter my guy? Some male rats are hyper balls of energy that seem to go non-stop. A lot of people will jump to the neuter suggestion too hastily sometimes. Surgery should always be the last option, especially because surgery on rats can be so difficult. Look at your guy’s situation before going that route: -Does he have any playmates that he can interact with? As stated before, rats are very social creatures and do not do well as solitary pets. If you have only one rat, think about investing in a second one. This will give the guy a playmate and someone to wear him out. -How socialized is he? Do you take him out often enough to play with him? Your rats need attention from you, and that includes playtime. Take them out of their cage for at least an hour every day and have fun with them. Use your hand to wrestle with them, have them sit on your shoulder, or let them explore a special “rat-only” play area where they can have fun outside of their cage. -What does he have in his cage to keep him occupied? Rats should also have toys in their cage to keep them occupied while you are gone for the day. Make sure they have plenty of things to chew on. Rats love crawling, jumping and any other acrobatic activity, so buy them a house that they can climb on and play around in. You can also buy your rat a wheel. As mentioned earlier, make sure that it is an enclosed wheel that is large enough to fit an 8”-10” rat (not to mention the tail). Rat has a very informative thread with links to rat wheels. Also, if you have two (or more) adult males that are rambunctious and play a little too roughly with each other, think about getting a younger rat (not younger than six weeks) for them to play with. You can always try a process know as "reintroduction." This will involve cleaning the entire cage with a bleach solution (one capful of bleach per one gallon/3 liters of water) to get rid of any smells. You can also go over everything after this with some white vinegar. Wash any fabrics and accessories that will go back into the cage, and buy new accessories that can't be washed. Before you put the rats back in together, wash them all at the same time (preferably with some animal shampoo), and dab some vanilla extract under their nose and on the tops of their heads so that it masks their scent. Go through a formal introduction in neutral territory, and then put them back into the cage. Watch their behavior for a week or so to gauge any changes that may have occurred. It might sound like a laborious process, but it's better than having to put your rat through risky surgery. Sometimes though, you just have a rat that does need to be neutered. Talk with your vet before committing to the surgery. Rat neutering usually cost along the same lines as a cat neutering. It can take up to eight weeks for your rat’s behavior to change, and if you are neutering him for reproductive reasons, note that a neutered male can still impregnate a female up to four weeks after his neutering. Please visit this for more discussion of rat neutering, and surgery on rats in general. D. Links Rat Owner Guides: http://www.afrma.org/kidsguide.htm http://exoticpets.about.com/od/careofrats/ http://www.petratscanada.com/ratcare.htm http://www.petrat.info/ http://www.ratfanclub.org/helpinfo.html http://www.ratguide.com/ http://www.dapper.com.au/ Rat Clubs and Owner Communities: http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/community/index.php http://www.rodentfancy.com/ http://www.goosemoose.com/rfc http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ratlist/ Rat Rescues/Adoptions/Breeders: http://www.kimsarkrescue.org/ http://www.ratrescue.com/ http://www.goosemoose.com/ http://www.petfinder.com Rat Cages, Accessories, Food, Toys, Treats: http://www.theratshop.com/ Thanks to: Chickan Raptor, Cuddlebottom, dagger dragon, demozthenes, Finite Pasta Bowl, Fnordia, The Hoobit, Moraine Sedai, Mo Schmuck, The Phantom Goat, Rat, RazorBunny, Rhizoid, Ruthie-chan, Skutter, Silver Nitrate, Slidje, Superconsndar, Traumatic, Zapf Dingbat Carebear fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Jun 23, 2010 |
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Jun 23, 2010 18:37
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 13:20 |
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I would like to update the medical section on information for more information on tumors and mycoplasma - if anyone has any ideas let me know. Plus, if anyone has any ideas on changes/additions to the FAQ please post them! Also post any new rat pictures you have. 
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Jun 23, 2010 18:38
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Superconsndar posted:I wish we could mention forced socialization in the OP, the whole "don't force them to interact with you" thing is outdated and LOTS of unsocialized rats never get to the point where they're super friendly without it. I've had a lot of rats that would have remained jerks their whole lives if I hadn't just grabbed them, threw them in a hoody pocket, and made them stay there for an hour or so once or twice a day. I agree with you for both counts. I edited the food part, and I'll change the socialization later. If anyone else has any thoughts on what I wrote for the food section, let me know.
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Jun 23, 2010 21:14
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She's so cute.. she looks like a dumbo, maybe that's why they bred her.
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Jun 27, 2010 00:56
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CompactFanny posted:This is supposedly her first litter. Is it possible to spay her and give her an abortion? A non emergency spay might be cheaper...
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Jun 27, 2010 23:38
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My vet is right up the street and is fantastic, so I think I'm going to call her up and let her know that we might be having issues around... I'm thinking Saturday July 3rd, that being 3 weeks from last Saturday. That way maybe we can make sure an exotics person is on call that night or something at the emergency place? I don't know but I'll call and ask what we can do. I'm not made of money or anything, so expensive e-spay surgery would really suck.
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RazorBunny posted:Isn't that what an emergency spay is? Spaying an animal that's already pregnant? Or are you saying take her in for an abortion/spay so that it doesn't become an emergency situation? She's worried about the cost of an ER spay if something bad happens (I think, if I read correctly). In my opinion she should just schedule an abortion/spay now while the rat is healthy, because there's less chance of anything happening while under anesthesia compared to dealing with a real emergency/sick rat. I know its a rescue and it would probably be a very sudden loss of money for this, but significantly less if she took a gamble and had to get an ER spay done.
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Jun 28, 2010 02:04
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Amiss posted:Well, that caps it-- someday, I am going to get a giant pouched rat, and I am going to name it Beef. I've been wanting one of these guys for years. Someday when I have a house and enough space, I will get one... Maybe. I've always liked that they live longer. But the problem with having one would be locating a good vet and figuring out proper nutrition requirements, etc. In other news, Neko is freaking huge. If you guys remember, its the rat that I thought had an internal mass. Here is her previous xray if you forgot I just weighed her and she is 635 grams. She is massive. As far as I can tell she is doing okay. She basically just hangs out in the hammock all day long. Lately she has gotten even more skittish than she usually is, though. I keep thinking the time is coming soon, but she is eating fine and seems okay for the most part. Raella is doing great. She had myco a few months back and a few weeks on baytril/doxy and it cleared up right away. She does have a couple mammary tumors, but since she's over 2 years old I feel uncomfortable getting them removed. Ugh. I love her so much, though. I took her to work and she was totally fine with everything, getting passed from person to person, and riding on strangers' shoulders. Though she kept trying to come back to me, it was cute. Is anyone interested in seeing pictures of how huge Neko is? I might take some tonight. Updating the FAQ later tonight, too. Carebear fucked around with this message at 16:56 on Jun 30, 2010 |
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Jun 30, 2010 16:53
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My coworker wants rats, she misses having them. The problem is, she's not sure where to get them, all her rats had been from labs and she wants babies. We're in NYC. Anyone know of a breeder/rescue in the area that isn't horrible and known for producing horribly diseased animals? Anyone? *crickets* Also, I will update the FAQ soon! I've been super busy lately. 
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Aug 25, 2010 00:40
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I rarely ever wash my rats, but I've come to see that most rats hate baths and will try to scale your arm and cover you with many scratches, like prior posters related. They also get scared and do fear pooping. I'm a big softie so I try to make it so that they don't get scared, I really don't like just throwing them in the tub. I feel too bad.  The best way I've found is to cover the sink with a washcloth/small towel, and dip them under the faucet with warm water. Make sure you have LONG SLEEVES on, they will get wet but your arms will be protected! The washcloth helps them feel more stable, when they are standing on the slippery surface of the sink it can scare them more. After they're wet, lather them up (minus their heads) with baby shampoo and then quickly rinse it off. After the initial submersion under the faucet they generally calm down. The best way is to bathe them as quickly as you can, you don't need to be incredibly thorough since you really don't want to strip away all the natural oils in their skin anyway. After the bath I usually cuddle them in a thick towel and rub them down until they're mostly dry, then I put back in the (clean) cage for them to go hide and groom themselves.
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Aug 27, 2010 00:50
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I had a ruby eyed rat's eyes turn bright red one time. We took her to one of the best rat vets I know, and she had no clue. I even emailed back and forth with Debbie D ("the rat lady") and she had no idea. It happened when she was less than a year old, and her eyes never changed back. She lived until she was two years old, died of acute pneumonia.
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Sep 3, 2010 01:06
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Dr. Spaceman posted:She has a healthy appetite, though I've had to switch her to softer foods because she can't really hold foods with her paws. 2 years and 3 months isn't that extremely old that she'd lose strength in her limbs. She can't hold food with her paws? Can she use her front legs at all? Did this come on suddenly or gradually? Have you looked into the possibility that she may have a pituitary tumor? http://ratguide.com/health/neoplasia/pituitary_tumor.php Losing limb strength always sets off an alarm in my head for pituitary tumors, I had a rat that had one. I went through that too, I had to hand feed her. She lost some weight too, so I had to hold her up and hand feed her ensure and baby food. The worst day in the world was when I was hand feeding her one day on the counter, and turned around for a split second, and she rolled off the counter. Hit her head, and died. I was maybe 16 at the time, but I will never forget that and I will feel guilty for the rest of my life. So if you are feeding her on a counter or something, don't do what I did! How is her weight? If she has had any weight loss, I'd advise feeding her ensure. They love the chocolate kind. I would also advise not putting it into a cage with high ramps, because she could roll off and hurt herself. When this happened to me, I just took the ramp out and let her stay on the bottom because she couldn't jump or climb, but the other rats were still able to get around. Carebear fucked around with this message at 12:32 on Sep 7, 2010 |
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Sep 7, 2010 12:22
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I've personally never had a rat boggle while stressed. I've always been under the impression that they only do it while extremely content. But, it could be like cats and purring, I guess. That really wouldn't be surprising to me at all!
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Sep 8, 2010 02:11
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 When do you know when its time? Neko has had mammary tumors (as well as an internal tumor) growing for over half a year now. Today is the first day I've notice any change in her behavior. She hasn't been jumping, but today she won't come up onto the second floor at all, isn't eating as much, and is sort of limping as she drags her tumors. I have a feeling this is the beginning of her downward spiral... I'm thinking I will euthanize her within the next few days. Part of me is saying its too early, but the other part doesn't want her to suffer. I don't know. I'm spaying the next female rats I get.
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Sep 10, 2010 03:17
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Olifanten posted:I found my Petunia dead this morning. She was all cold and limp at the bottom of the cage D: I'm so sorry about your Petuina... But as for Penny - little crying sounds? I'm not really sure that's normal behavior for rats. I've had rats become depressed for a short period, but never make noises like that. I would take her to the vet. If you can, upload a video if it? Either way, give her as much attention as you can. Sometimes when I see rats that are left alone after their friends die, they become VERY attached to me. She isn't alone though... Just give her lots of love, and a check up to the vet!
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Sep 16, 2010 12:22
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I just put Neko to sleep. I did it at home (took home telazol and euthanasia, I work at an animal hospital). Her tumor ruptured last night (has anyone had this happen before?) so I decided to do it today even though she was still eating and moving around. It was a really hard decision to make, but I didn't want her to get to the point of suffering. I'm so glad I got to do it at home though. She licked me right before I took her out of the cage to do it. 
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Oct 1, 2010 03:14
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eig posted:Are any of you city dwellers? What do you guys do with your deceased rats? I have no backyard for a pet cemetery. :-( I work for an animal hospital and the crematory gives employees the ashes back free of charge to us.. Its a nice perk.
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Oct 6, 2010 00:04
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Invenerable posted:My girl's tumor ruptured last night. Today is going to suck. I'm really sorry..
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Oct 6, 2010 00:05
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I would get them neutered! You could also try bleaching the entire area that they live in, I've had that work before, but with female rats. Also, posting to shamelessly promote a new veterinarian at my hospital... Because for as long as I've lived in the tri-state area, it has always been a struggle for me to find a good vet for my rats... A lot of vets really don't know rats! If you live in the NYC area (or even NJ/PA) there is a new exotics veterinarian, Dr. Malka at the Humane Society of NY. (http://www.humanesocietyny.org/) I believe he's also board certified. This is really exciting because HSNY is a low cost clinic and animal shelter, and from personal experience I know that sometimes treating and owning exotic animals is really expensive. Plus Dr. Malka is an excellent vet. I trust my own rats with him.
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Oct 13, 2010 01:29
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Raella got 5 mammary tumors removed last night. Our new exotic vet, Dr. Malka, did an awesome job. It took so long for her to completely wake up though. She was so dopey for hours. This morning she's feeling a lot better. When he was taking one of the tumors out, some strange yellow fluids came out of it. He's not sure what it was, because the milk that rats lactate doesn't look like that - he's never seen it before. So he thinks it may be an abscess. I wish we did a fluid analysis, but I was too nervous to go back into surgery to watch. However, he did take a culture of it to see if it was bacterial. Its my goal to have my little girl make it to three years old. Also, the vet has her on .5ml of clavamox BID. It seems a bit high to me. She's 400g and with a calculator the dosage should really be .05ml. I thought maybe the girl working in pharmacy made a mistake, but the doctor confirmed it was that high. So I'm giving her some plain yogurt to help.. but I'm still not positive on the dosage. Any opinions? Carebear fucked around with this message at 20:32 on Nov 13, 2010 |
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Nov 13, 2010 19:00
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Raella's incision from the mammary surgery has healed well, but she's took a turn for the worse. I noticed late last week that she's come out of the surgery with something that might be neurological? I thought it was from pain, but now that everything's healed, its something else. She drags her back feet sometimes when she walks. She also seems weak and in general less healthy. Not only that, but she developed myco on Tuesday and I started a zithromax regimen (I had some unmixed powder on hand at home) and intended to bring her into work to see the exotic vet on Thursday, thinking it wasn't serious because I had Wednesday off (I work at a clinic). But then around 7pm Wednesday night she suddenly went into respiratory distress. Really, really sudden. She was breathing FINE up until that point and then all of the sudden she was gasping for breath!? It was serious too, she was making that horrible clicking noise that they make right before they die sometimes. I spent that entire night in and out of the bathroom with her, steaming her lungs up with the shower and gave her some dark chocolate to open up her airways a little, and ran the humidifier full blast. She made it through the night and I took her to work. Unfortunately we don't have an oxygen tank and I can't afford to take her to a specialized place so we're doing what we can. She's now on .4mL zithromax once a day and .2mL injectible baytril PO BID. That's all we can do for now. She's not happy about being in the cage and is constantly trying to get out. In my experience of having rats, this always happens. When they start having severe respiratory issues, they have problems with being in the cage. I think they feel constricted or something? It always happens, they sort of freak out about being in there and then get stressed and open mouth breathe worse, so I'm letting her out until I go to sleep. Ugh. I have on hand euthanasia drugs (telazol and the euthanasia) in case she gets worse, and will give her some SQ fluids before I go to bed. I really hope it doesn't get to the point I have to euthanize her. I hope she pulls through. As for the back leg dragging, the vet didn't really know why that was going on, we're focusing right now on attacking the mycoplasma. At this point it's either she will get through this and live maybe a few more months, or she will crash and die. And the worst part is, I have a wake and funeral to go to tomorrow night and Saturday, so I'm having a coworker watch her... And what if she crashes while I'm gone? Ugh. I'm so worried. She's my last rat. I won't have any for a couple years after this and will have to live vicariously through this thread.
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Dec 10, 2010 04:39
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My last rat died a week ago of lung disease. We were doing everything we could for her aside from an oxygen tank - lasix, zithromax, and then steroids towards the end until she withered down to nothing and was getting forcefed chocolate ensure and baby food. She kept on going though... I left on a vacation I planned a year before, and my coworker had to put her to sleep while I was gone. She crashed. Right before putting her to sleep, my coworker held her and said that she looked up at her, as if she knew... just like my coworkers last rat did, who also had lung disease. I've been depressed about it so I haven't gone near this thread. I have no rats now. I'm so sad. She almost made it to 3. Even though ferrets get adrenal disease I'm seriously considering getting a couple instead of rats just because they live slightly longer. I love rats, they are seriously my favorite animal. I always get four at a time. But after the last one goes... 
Carebear fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Jan 18, 2011 |
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Jan 18, 2011 00:58
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YOU GUYS! I haven't even read this thread because I've been so distressed about my rats all dying that every time I open it up and look at the cute pictures I literally start tearing up. I'm sorry, I know the FAQ is in need of some big updates!! But guess what, I get to petsit my coworkers super cute rescue dumbo rats for a week in May. I'm so EXCITED!
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Apr 27, 2011 17:18
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Random thing, my coworker was contacted by Discovery channel recently to appear on something they were gonna film about pet rats. She was too scared to go on tv, but if you are in the NYC area and want to be on tv with your rats... try contacting them! They especially wanted rats who knew tricks. :3
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Sep 20, 2011 01:19
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| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 13:20 |
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Hello. I was surprised to see this thread is still around. I had to very suddenly disappear from SA some years ago due to an incident involving a creepy stalking goon. But it's been a while so I'm back. Please let me know if you want me to edit anything in the FAQ. I'm pretty busy lately but will try to get to it when I can. I no longer have rats. My last group passed away around 3 years ago. I went to the dark side and got ferrets instead. I miss my rats though, they were all such great pets.
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Oct 31, 2021 05:51
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