An Accidental pet Rat....Help please?

[Nivek]

Well....I purchased 2 rat pups today, for my Monitors. My savannah ate hers with no trouble, but my Nile just refused plainly...After a while, I realized that the rat pup could eat solid food, or at least tried to. I decided I would try to turn it into a pet (Not sure why...) I soaked some bread in milk and put it in the lid to a butter bowl, which the rat seems to nibble at, so I am sure it is eating. My question is can I, and if I can, HOW can I keep it alive? From nose to tail it is about 2.5-3 inches, it seems active and healthy. Any advice would be appreciated, lol.

Here is a picture, I hope it helps.

 

[T-kid's mom]

Rat pups (or kits if they are pets) are absolutely one of the best pets around. If raised from very young they are affectionate, loyal, and unlike hamsters and gerbils they never get lost because (1) they know and respond to their names or call signs (i.e. bell, squeek ball,etc.) and (2) they are well aware where their next meal is coming from and will always return home. We have five ratties, though one is not at all tame and may well be soon sacrificed to the Ball Python (she came from a feeder tank pregnant which spared her life and her offspring made yummy treats for my Egyptian boa.) Anyway the other four ratties are wonderful and those we had before who have lived out their natural lives were also wonderful pets.

One thing I advise doing is to go get some Ensure since solid food is probably limited right now. A small bowl of Ensure will help you to be sure your ratty is getting enough nutrients while weaning. You can also soak some dry dog food in ensure. Use a cage with wire, rather than an aquarium if you can, and if you keep the bottom dry with only a litter box and keep putting droppings in the box your rattie will litter train. Don't use pine or cedar as substrate if you choose to go that route. Pine will kill a young rat fairly quickly, especially if it is in an acquarium. Carry the baby around as much as possible. It will quickly learn to hang out on your shoulder. Pretty soon you will know if it is male or female (I promise it will be obvious if it is male).

You know, it's funny but some of the best pets we've had came as accidents. Good luck with your ratty. Oh, and don't believe what you read about ratties having to have a ratty companion. Yes, they are social, but they will accept you and any other mammals in your house as part of the pack (Our former hooded rat used to boss the cat around mercilessly). I found that when we only had one rat it was easier to litter train and seemed perfectly content. Never have more than two unless you plan to devote your life to ratties. Two are nice -- you don't have to feel guilty if you can't give them attention. But once you have three, we've found they tend to take on pack behavior and you have to constantly reassert your dominance. The only thing I warn you is that once you realize how intelligent and amazing rats really are it'll be a tad bit harder to feed your snakes. Mine (my snakes I mean) eat mostly defrosted mice.

Feel free to email me with any other questions. I'll also try to check this thread as much as I can.'

Best of luck to your new baby. I love black rats almost as much as agoutis and silvers.

Take care,

Susan

 

[YouLosePayUp]

at 3 inches it should be weaned. Therefore you have a self sufficient lil guy/girl. If you cant find a rat food at your local petstore hamster food and some extra goodies does the trick too. Im not sure on the views of the others in here but ours were miniature garburators(bad spelling) they would eat anything from balogna to spinach. Try not to feed them too much of one certain "human food" if you can call bologna human food. And unlike other mammals they can have chocolate in small amounts too They are fun to have (I just have a complex about the males. They have a huge "set" and they can tend to rub on your arm lol)

Anyhow Congratulations and good luck on your new "accidental pet" lol

Trevor

P.S. sry for the choppy letter as I went back a few times and added to it lol

 

[Nivek]

Hmm...As for substrate, I am limited until tomorrow to:

Cedar (as you see in the pic)
Humous (Wet due to rain)
Newspaper

Also, thanks for all the input!

 

[YouLosePayUp]

You may also want to purchase a couple 3 1/2-4" new plumbing Y-pipes for it to run through and hide in.

 

[Nivek]

Of the 3 substrate options I listed, which suits the rat best?

 

[Cooper]

I don't really know how you would raise it, but they are amazing pets! Sooo intelligent! They just sit on your shoulder and love to be held.

 

[Joe]

That pup looks a little young to be weaned yet. They're normally weaned at 5 weeks. Some breeders use KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer) to handfeed pups. As for substrate, aspen shavings or Carefresh are what I use. Cedar is speculated to cause respiratory and liver problems in small animals. Pine too, for that matter.

 

[mimic58]

Ok well firstly bred & milk is the worst thing you can give it lol , But dont worry rats are hardy bastards, If you want it to REALLY do well and grow fast give it cat food and a mixture of dry food from the petshop, rats a more carnivores than omnivores despite popular trends rats hunt mice alot in the wild an will eat most carion, though in trueth they will do well on pritty much any food cat food in my expereince is the best.


BTW Just lemie see if i can take a wild guess here an say the rat that got eaten was a "white one" just i have alot of troble getting my herps to eat brown or black mice & rats , why i have apsolutly no idea but they insist white mice are much tastier :? :?

 

[T-kid's mom]

Hmm...As for substrate, I am limited until tomorrow to:

Cedar (as you see in the pic)
Humous (Wet due to rain)
Newspaper

Also, thanks for all the input!

Of those three, definitely use newspaper. In such a young ratty cedar could kill it. When one of our rats had babies I thought I had aspen and it turned out to be pine. Much to my Egyptian boa's delight another baby would die each day. It got to where Hathor would come up from the sand every evening looking for her snack. When only one ratty kit was left we figured out the problem and so he lived on to be named Algernon. He is very tame and sweet but is mother, having grown up in a feeder tank is ferocious. She's bitten me more times than I can count and based on what I've read it's a lot worse than the average tarantula bite.

There is a lot of ratty websites but be careful when you surf. If you asked questions don't mention that you have snakes. The people on the rat lists practically worship their animals and will quickly blacklist you if you tell them how you came to have the ratty.

Susan

 

[Nivek]

Alright, it is now on newspaper substrate witha toilet paper roll to hide in, a heatpad under one corner, and still bread and milk (I havent gotten out yet). Now, when I get the supplement, the one our wal-mart has is liquid, an 8 oz can, by "hand feed" what does that include? (Also, the rat does have some teeth, it nibbled on my finger last night, and has no trouble eating moistened bread so far. Thank you all again!


(The one that was eaten was in fact a white one)

 

[xelda]

I too vote for the newspaper substrate, but shred or tear it up into small pieces instead of just laying it out flat.

 

[rwfoss]

Rats are so great! I gave one to my wife for Valentine's day and she is the sweetest thing! (I'm talking about the rat, but my wife is too!) If you are going to keep it, however, find out the sex as soon as you can and get it a friend. They are extremely social and when they can't spend time with you, they'll want a friend.

And Susan is 100% right, don't mention that you have snakes. Sheesh! I learned that one...

Rick

 

[arachnoguy]

after a while your new small fuzzy friend will build a sort of hiding area out of its toilet paper role and the newspaper which is kind of cool to watch. rwfoss is right about getting it a friend. when it starts to mature a bit you will want to get it a friend otherwise it will sulk (a sulking rat is not something you are going to want to experience). my rat einstein used to sulk when he wasn't being held or played with and then my (ex)girlfriend got him a girl rat to keep him company

 

[Nivek]

Alrighty, for now it is eating cat food (turkey and cheese) with a water bowl with a kitten milk + nutrient supplement. It is very active, and seemingly healthy! How long do I have before it is large enough for my slight paranoia of random death to dissipate?

 

[MyNameHere]

I'd hazard a guess that if she's made it this far and is eating and active (and not getting *too* cold at night), then she'll make it.

Congratulations!

Others have said it, but I don't think it can be stressed enough how not recommended cedar shavings are as bedding. Rats are prone to respiratory problems as it is, and the aromatic oils in cedar (and pine) tend to exacerbate this problem.

 

[Sonofaglitch]

I've been following this thread and I'm glad to hear that your lil rat is getting good care! I know more than a few people who have had "accidental pet rats", and they all love it. Sounds like you're already a little attached too! Any way, I just wanted to add another suggestion to the "bedding debate". I have always used corn cob for the bottom of my tanks. I know some people who use the corn cob mixed with the white softsorbent bedding, and that doesn't seem like too much of a bad idea...but with the corn cob bedding it seemed less dusty and my rats liked to carry it around and make little heaps in corners, where they would usually proceed to drag whatever tube/tissue box (empty), sock was in there and hang out. A great idea for when your rat is slightly older is to get one of those tissue boxes with the oval shaped openings (not the one where you pull the tissue through that plastic slit to get individual sheets) and cut a few "windows" in the sides and back, then place it in the tank with the shallower part of the oval towards the ground...you'll have a cute little house that the rat can hide in when it wants to, and chew on! When it gets too tattered, take it out, and you can replace it easily with another one. Good luck!

 

[Nivek]

Well hey, after a few days, Lucky the Rat is doing great! Now eating a diet of water and turkey + cheese cat food, with an occasional muffin hehe. Doing very very well, though it seems to have trouble grooming itself so I have to wash it off a couple times a day lol. I am moving the rat into a 10g soon, once I can get better substrate than shredded newspaper lol. I will post new pics asap!

 

[Crotalus]

The Final Solution

Get a snake!

/Lelle

 

[Nivek]

I would have had a snake, but due to ignorant family members, no snakes until I move out (Which is in 25 days now). Also, I believe I may be too attached to let Lucky get eaten now lol. Also, that is a beautiful snake, and a full one I'm sure