i ended up with a rat. help?

[Neuroticax]

A rat that's running away from movements is scared and nervous. As I said before it needs to get used to the environment and most importantly, you.

Do you have places for it to hide? They love things like those igloos, hammocks, tissue boxes, etc.

Like I said before you need to be slow. Sit there with your hand in the cage for amounts of time, let her get used to you. No sudden movements. Again with the treats, she needs to associate you with good, yummy things. Over time that will help. She also might need a companion. She probably will eventually, but with her being shy it might help her more.

Can you get a picture of her (its) privates?

 

[pouchedrat]

Rats are absolutely amazing creatures.. I've been keeping them for 14 years now and cannot imagine a life without them. Currently I have 7 boys in a ferret nation 142, all ranging in age from old, to ancient (lol).

Ok, bits of treats won't harm them as long as it's occasional. Rats really can eat most anything except what's on the list that was already given. I do feed mine a tiny baker's chocolate chip once in a while, as it supposedly helps with their respiratory problems (I have one with chronic myco flareups, despite treatment it doesn't go away for long.. the lungs are probably scarred up). Other than that I give them a rat mix I made up long ago that is similar to Suebee's (from when we first met online and off many years back). It contains kashi cereal, oats, dried pasta, low protein dog food, soybeans, etc. Basically it always changes and it's whatever I find at the time. Variety is always the key, never feed just one food item all the time.

Aspen bedding doesn't really hold odor, but it's the safest commonly found wood bedding out there. I use unscented Yesterdays news, and buy the large bags in the cat litter section. Since my rats are litter box trained, it lasts a long time. The shelves and floors are covered with fleece and I wash them twice a week with their hammocks.

The general cage calculator is here: http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml
Girls use up less space and are smaller, but are more active than boys. Boys just laze about and sleep most of the time. Of course there's exceptions to the rule but it's the behaviors we mostly observe.
One thing to note with cage bars, if their head can squeeze out of it, the rest of their body can too. You'd be surprised what they can get out of, even a big fat 2lb. male. Usually bar space shouldn't exceed 1/2" although I do use a cage with 1" bar spacing successfully, but they're adult males and I have had one who still likes to escape and visit me in my living room unexpectedly.

They do need to be kept in same sex pairs to be happy. You CAN keep one singly, but they groom each other, sleep together, and are just in general extremely social animals who crave the company of others. I've always kept somewhat "large" colonies (ok, usually around 10 or so rats, other rat people keep larger than me) in the largest cage possible, and when you do, you witness their social structure in the works. There's the Alpha rat, the beta, and what I've experienced personally, I like to call the "grandmother figure", which all the other rats help out, feed, and is the overall say to the other rats. If a fight happens between the alpha and another rat, this one will come over and just pin one, and that's it, fight is over. It's just a personal experience I've seen far more than once or twice in my crew, thought it was interesting to mention. Even with other rats around, they still will bond to you as well, and accept your hand as another member of their crew.


You mentioned you heard a noise.. what does this noise sound like? Does it sound like gurgling snuffling sneezing noise? It could be a respiratory infection in the works. It'd need to be treated by a vet if it is, though. If it's a clicking teeth grinding noise, that's called bruxing, although they wouldn't be doing it all the time. That means they're content, happy, or in pain (I believe this was already mentioned).

They use their mouth to test out everything, especially young rats. They may nip, but usually never bite. Although once again, from an unknown background, you can't rule out biting. Just make a high pitched EEP noise and that'll deter a bite.

You can always force bond. If you have a hoodie with front pockets, or if you sew up a bonding pouch, just keep the rat in that all day with you, keeping your fingers in with it, getting it used to your smell, etc. Offer it treats by hand and such and it'll calm down in the enclosed environment and associate you with goodness. You can even potty train the rat. If it gets antsy, put it back in it's cage to do it's business, and take it back out of the cage again. Rats eventually will learn NOT to pee or poo on you, and will try to get away from you when they really have to go to the bathroom. They can even be litter box trained fairly easily (haha, I say that but I have one who downright refuses to use the litter boxes even though I always scoop his poo in the cage into the box. I think it's because he lived in a tiny box most of his life before he came to me, so he just goes wherever he's standing).
Usually a good rule of thumb is every half hour, then every hour putting the rat back in it's cage, then waiting a few minutes, then take it back out again to get used to using it's cage to go to the bathroom.

I will warn you that once it gets used to you, it may scent mark you. Males that are neutered stop this activity altogether, but females don't, even if they're spayed. They stop doing it once you're pretty much theirs, though, lol...

 

[Neuroticax]

I use the dark chocolate whenever mine seems to be making noises.

Not all males stop scent marking after they are neutered. It's rare but it's not 100%. Females have been known to mark also.

 

[LeilaNami]

Just because you CAN feed something to rats doesn't mean you SHOULD. It's like eating healthy for yourself. You CAN eat junk food but you SHOULDN'T.
And orange slices shouldn't be fed to male rats, btw, just a note.

There are wild dogs and cats, would you feed your dog or cat fast food, chips and candy all the time? I would assume not. Can you? Yes. Should you? No. Same rules apply with rodents.


do you seriously think feeding a rat a tiny piece of candy on rare occasion will shorten their lifespan? i think you're being awfully over dramatic

(sorry I'm gonna quote mine here )
Do you seriously think a piece of chocolate is going to shorten a dog's lifespan? It doesn't matter how many times you feed it candy, it only takes one piece with an ingredient toxic to rats to shorten their lifespan.

Treats are fine every now and then but you need to make sure that it is safe for the ratties, not just picking random junk foods.

 

[Drachenjager]

ok its been awhile since i posted on the boards but anyway two days ago i went out for food for my reptiles, and only one place around me has live pinky mice. (i just bought a cornsnake who was fed live so i wanted to make sure it would eat) and i wanted to get mice for my ball python. i got to the store etc, and they had no mice. so i talked to the people working there and they suggested a small rat after i gave them a estimate of my bps size. well took the rat home and it looks too big to feed to my bp, and i cant seem to bring myself to take it back or try to feed it to emily (my bp)

so i have a pet rat for now. its in a small hampster cage with a coolwhip container for water and some hampster bedding (i think its aspen not sure) and a small exercise wheel. ive been feeding it bread until i can get some decent food for it.


what am i missing? is there anything i should know about keeping rats (requirements, etc?)

and it was in a cage i assume was all feeder rats, is there any problem keeping a pet rat bred for feeding?

thanks in advance for advice.

-k-train

it needs housed with a really big T blondi...well maybe lol
a rats a rat. it does not matter at all if its was bred as a feeder its still a rat.

 

[K-TRAIN]

A rat that's running away from movements is scared and nervous. As I said before it needs to get used to the environment and most importantly, you.

Do you have places for it to hide? They love things like those igloos, hammocks, tissue boxes, etc.

Like I said before you need to be slow. Sit there with your hand in the cage for amounts of time, let her get used to you. No sudden movements. Again with the treats, she needs to associate you with good, yummy things. Over time that will help. She also might need a companion. She probably will eventually, but with her being shy it might help her more.

Can you get a picture of her (its) privates?

i actually just put a hide in today. a empty tissue box.
they only problem right now companion wise is i dont have the money to buy a bigger cage at the moment.
do you know of any kind of self made cage i could make?

and ill look again, but im 90% sure its a female.

it needs housed with a really big T blondi...well maybe lol
a rats a rat. it does not matter at all if its was bred as a feeder its still a rat.

lol i wish i had a T blondi lol
not to feed rodents to but becasue its a species i like.

 

[LeilaNami]

Do you have any large aquariums? You can temporarily house it in that but make sure you clean the bedding on schedule or the ammonia buildup with get to be too much for the baby. Also...bird cage? lol

Oh, if it's a male it will be obvious. Like dragging on the ground obvious

 

[K-TRAIN]

Do you have any large aquariums? You can temporarily house it in that but make sure you clean the bedding on schedule or the ammonia buildup with get to be too much for the baby. Also...bird cage? lol

Oh, if it's a male it will be obvious. Like dragging on the ground obvious

i have two twenty gallon tanks, one recently held a snake and the other turtles (or a uromastyx, i cant remember)

will that hold two rats or possibly three?

and i assumed it would be obvious if it was a male, so im sure its female.

now to give it a good name ive been calling it "ritz" for the last few days (it loves ritz crackers)

 

[LeilaNami]

i have two twenty gallon tanks, one recently held a snake and the other turtles (or a uromastyx, i cant remember)

will that hold two rats or possibly three?

and i assumed it would be obvious if it was a male, so im sure its female.

now to give it a good name ive been calling it "ritz" for the last few days (it loves ritz crackers)

I'd say it's pushing it with two and definately not three unless you plant to change the bedding every other day. Only keep that as a temp enclosure though.

 

[K-TRAIN]

I'd say it's pushing it with two and definately not three unless you plant to change the bedding every other day. Only keep that as a temp enclosure though.

oh ok. i only said three because i normally try to give more then enough space when i have two or more animals in one enclosure, normally i give enough extra space to hold an extra animal.

but tomorrow ill have it in a twenty gallon.

are there any specific brands of cages better then others? i mean experience wise?

 

[LeilaNami]

Not really. I actually had four rats in a four story ferret cage. They had a blast. Just make sure it's a wire cage for plenty of ventilation. You will actually save money buying a ferret cage usually. Just make sure they can't fit their head through the bars. For comparison, I had a 3 story cage from Petco with wheel that cost me $75..I then bought a four story ferret cage for $90. The second cage had far more room because the shelves were spaced out. Rats love to climb so this wasn't a problem.

 

[K-TRAIN]

Not really. I actually had four rats in a four story ferret cage. They had a blast. Just make sure it's a wire cage for plenty of ventilation. You will actually save money buying a ferret cage usually. Just make sure they can't fit their head through the bars. For comparison, I had a 3 story cage from Petco with wheel that cost me $75..I then bought a four story ferret cage for $90. The second cage had far more room because the shelves were spaced out. Rats love to climb so this wasn't a problem.

oh ok. i think when i get the money ill try for the four story cage then.


thanks for all your help, i appreciate it.

 

[LeilaNami]

No problem :}

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

(sorry I'm gonna quote mine here )
Do you seriously think a piece of chocolate is going to shorten a dog's lifespan? It doesn't matter how many times you feed it candy, it only takes one piece with an ingredient toxic to rats to shorten their lifespan.

Treats are fine every now and then but you need to make sure that it is safe for the ratties, not just picking random junk foods.

i don't belive in safety. any piece of food you give your pets at any time could be tainted in some way.

if you want to keep flaming me for giving my rats treats that you wouldn't feed yours then fine. i'm just pointing out, IMO, little pieces of candy on occassion will not hurt your rats.

 

[LeilaNami]

i don't belive in safety. any piece of food you give your pets at any time could be tainted in some way.

if you want to keep flaming me for giving my rats treats that you wouldn't feed yours then fine. i'm just pointing out, IMO, little pieces of candy on occassion will not hurt your rats.

That is completely ridiculous. Yes any food can be tainted but if you give food that has toxic ingredients what the heck do you think is going to happen? Not believing in safety for your animals? Maybe you shouldn't own any then. Start reconsidering your responsibility as a pet owner. Sorry if this seems really harsh but that is completely insane.

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

you really can't let this drop can you?

it isn't sane to reject the idea of "safety" as being possible? are you truely safe at any time? is there actually a time or place where you couldn't die for any variety of reasons?

i guarantee any food you buy at the petstore or anywhere else, at any time, could possibly have something in it that could kill any of your pets, whether by accident or negligence. your pets could die at any time for any reason no matter how well you take care of them.

i enjoy how self-righteous your internet opinion is. "Start reconsidering your responsibility as a pet owner." I'll be looking forward to more of your pearls of wisdom.

 

[K-TRAIN]

you really can't let this drop can you?

it isn't sane to reject the idea of "safety" as being possible? are you truely safe at any time? is there actually a time or place where you couldn't die for any variety of reasons?

i guarantee any food you buy at the petstore or anywhere else, at any time, could possibly have something in it that could kill any of your pets, whether by accident or negligence. your pets could die at any time for any reason no matter how well you take care of them.

i enjoy how self-righteous your internet opinion is. "Start reconsidering your responsibility as a pet owner." I'll be looking forward to more of your pearls of wisdom.

ok.. normally i wouldnt say anything to bickering, but since this i started the thread and i did reaseach on what you told me, the facts outweight your ideas......

sure animals die without reason, sure animals can die by accident, but all animals are different yet the same.

for example, i had a friend whos dog died from eating a piece of chocolate, while my dad had one who ate a whole bar of chocolate and it didnt die.

all animals are slightly different in terms of how resistent they are to some things, thats what we call evolution, those who have traits that make them fit to survive do survive.

same goes for rats, you may feed yours candy from time to time, but just because your rats arent having problems eating it doesnt mean another rat wouldnt have problems.

generally all animals i can think of have trouble with candy.

not saying your wrong about feeding candy to rats, its just something that most advise not to do, i mean these days they say everythings "bad for you" or "does this" or "causes that", but in the end who knows the effects from different foods besides the general average of effects.

i guess what im trying to say is one thing that works for one person may not work for another person (or pet for that matter)

so please stop the bickering about it...... its worthless to argue an oppinion.

 

[LeilaNami]

you really can't let this drop can you?

it isn't sane to reject the idea of "safety" as being possible? are you truely safe at any time? is there actually a time or place where you couldn't die for any variety of reasons?

i guarantee any food you buy at the petstore or anywhere else, at any time, could possibly have something in it that could kill any of your pets, whether by accident or negligence. your pets could die at any time for any reason no matter how well you take care of them.

i enjoy how self-righteous your internet opinion is. "Start reconsidering your responsibility as a pet owner." I'll be looking forward to more of your pearls of wisdom.

It is complete different to feed something that is supposed to be safe for your rattie than to feed something you have no freaking clue to the ingredients and whether they are toxic or not to the animal. You are simply making excuses for your irresponsibility and it is offensive. Learn from your peers on this forum rather than rejecting all thoughts on your practice. Self-righteousness has nothing to do with my opinion on your practices. Sarcasm is not appreciated.

K-TRAIN, good luck with your rattie.

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

It is complete different to feed something that is supposed to be safe for your rattie than to feed something you have no freaking clue to the ingredients and whether they are toxic or not to the animal. You are simply making excuses for your irresponsibility and it is offensive. Learn from your peers on this forum rather than rejecting all thoughts on your practice. Self-righteousness has nothing to do with my opinion on your practices. Sarcasm is not appreciated.

K-TRAIN, good luck with your rattie.

ah more nuggets, thank so much. i understand it is your unyielding desire to have the last word. after all that makes you right doesn't it?

i guess i should be sorry that my simple opinion, is so offensive to you, that it leaves you incapable of responding to any sort of logic i present to you. i however, am not.

i find your posts ignorant, self-righteous, and annoying. you offer no worthwhile substance to this discussion. you keep responding with the same thing over and over simply to have the last word.

however this will be my last post on the subject. my opinion stands firm. tiny pieces of candy fed on occasion will not hurt your rat, just like they won't hurt your children, or even you. if my opinion makes you so angry that you can't stand it, i suggest you find psychological help b/c something is wrong with you if you can't fathom the thought that someone who you don't even know, and who probably lives hundreds of miles away from you has differing oppinions on rodent husbandry.

this is my last post on this subject. i'm tired or presenting logic to someone who can't understand it. but you should be happy. you win! i'm an idiot, i'm giving you your chance to have the last word. i will not respond to your next post no matter what you tell me, no matter how profound or unintelligible it is. i no longer care what you have to say. you can tell me i'm fat, stupid, ugly, and all sorts of awful things. you can tell me to give all my pets to a shelter and commit suicide. you can say you made sweet love to my mother while i was unaware of your doing so. you can tell me you love me and want to have my children. i don't care! you win! you freaking win! you won an arguement on the internet. congratulations!

write this day on your calendar. you won an arguement on the internet February 28, of 2009 in the year of our Lord. light a candle on this day for every year afterward in memorium of your glorious victory in virtual oratory! tell your children about it. tell their children about it! tell everyone you ever meet about it. you are an internet arguement winner! you win! you win! you win! halleluah!! Praise God! Praise L. Ron Hubbard! Praise Peanut Butter and Marmalade! You won an internet arguement!

 

[Flower]

I breed blue and siamese dumbo and rex rats.

I feed mine a high quality dog food, like Blue Buffalo. That's considered one of the best foods among people in the rat community. You'll need a bigger cage, and rats prefer out of cage time to wheels, rodent "balls", or anything else that little less intelligent rodents enjoy. Rats are very smart.

Make sure you have aspen or Carefresh bedding. Buy a little plastic igloo or wooden hut for it to hide in and have privacy while in it's cage. Rodents love that.

Rats need to chew. Bones are especially good, because the meat on them really encourages rats to chew. They, unlike dogs, can even chew chicken bones, because they gnaw and the bones don't fracture the same way that makes them potentially deadly do dogs.

No matter how much time you spend with your rat, it'll be lonely when you're gone or not playing with it. Rats are group animals. Consider getting the rat a friend (of the same gender of course) if it's male, make sure to take precautions so they don't fight. If you need further help, PM me.