Rats.

[J.huff23]

Theres a slim chance that i may be getting a pet rat. So, questions:

Do they or their cages put off any foul oders?

What kind of cage set-up should I keep it in? (How big, what kind, ect.)

And (this may sound stupid) are they a kind of pet that you an just sit down and watch TV with and they will fall asleep? (I used to have a uramastyx lizard that did this).

Whats the life span from newborn to death?

Thanks,
-Jake

 

[reverendsterlin]

they smell, not as bad as mice but bad enough. Figure 3X or more a week doing a total cleaning (you did use the plural), slightly less if you house outside with a mesh floor. 3 female to 1 male for breeding, extra housing for mother and new born, many new mothers will eat their first litter and many will do it regularly (I always fed off females if they did it a second time), males cannibalize so separate, males fight, females establish dominance. Larger cages are better when possible but use up substrate, they chew everything so plastic and wood don't last. Group members generally are poor 'pets', one that is kept and raised alone with regular handling can be a good pet, they are smart, can learn tricks, can be friendly. With one rat as a pet figure 1x cleaning a week maybe two and thats a basic for you. When I kept rats it was for feeding my snakes, within 6 months I fed them off and went to frozen. I found them far more trouble than they were worth.
Rev

 

[JohnEDove]

Rats are rather social animals and tend to do better if there is more than one.
Think of it this way, how would you get along if you were left completely alone for 20 hours every day and only had the company of a dog for that 4 hours. Suppose it was only 4 hours a week.

 

[halfwaynowhere]

rats are very social. its unreasonable for you to be able to spend 24/7 with them, so a buddy is a very good thing.
A large cage is great, they can be little monkeys, and enjoy climbing. coated wire cages are best, as they will chew, and a non-coated cage will rust from their urine.
If you want a pet that will just sit on your shoulder and watch TV with you, get males. They are lazier, and like to just chill out. females are more active and high strung.
If you add a few drops of vanilla extract to the water, it really cuts back on the smell of their urine...
and their lifespan is about three years, but you want to make sure you get them from a good breeder, or their lifespan can be drastically shorter due to genetic issues and things. Females are very prone to developing mammary tumors...
anyways, if you do decide to get ratties, you won't be disappointed. they are super intelligent, and a lot of fun.

 

[mouse]

if you spend time with them and handle them, you can even wank around with them just sitting on your shoulder. my first rat was a hooded rat (white in the back and dark grey/black front), she wouldn't sit still in the beginning, but after a few month, i could walk around anywhere and she'd just hang around on my shoulder, walk up on arm, down the other. i always have my hair in a scrunchy, and she loved hanging out in the back of my neck, crawling in the hair right above the scrunchy - and fall asleep.
oh, and with the smell, besides cleaning the cage, get pet shampoo and a little plastic tub, fill the tub about 1 1/2 " with warm water, and wash the rat. i washed mine quite a few times.
i really like the dumbo rats tho, mine allways looked confused, she was so cute.

 

[arachyd]

They make awesome pets. I didn't feel mine were any trouble at all. They were worth the small effort to keep them clean and well fed. They are very clean and nowhere near as smelly as hamsters or mice. Weekly cage cleaning will keep them happy and odorless. They are truly sociable as opposed to other small mammals that would rather you left them alone - your rat will look forward to the times you come home and let it out to play and be carried around.

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

i absolutely love rats, but they don't live long at all 2-3 years.

i give them lots of hay or bedding and clean it out every 3 weeks approx. there is no smell. i keep mine in a 10 gallon tank with a ten gallon cage on top. i wouldn't keep them in anything smaller.

i had one i used to get out every evening to watch tv and i would fall asleep eventually, and she'd crawl up on my neck or shoulder and go to sleep too
my favorite thing to do is just get them out to watch a movie and let them crawl around in my hoody. the one i have now i just leave her cage open when i'm home and let her run around on my bed. she's basically toilet trained herself so she doesn't poop or pee in my blankets. my cousin had some that she litter box trained and let them run all over her house.

all in all they're fantastic pets, the only downside is i'm always fighting respritory infections or tumors females almost always get tumors, i dunno if males do or not, i've never kept males though, i think their nutsacks look disgusting lol

 

[Andrew273]

I've got two rats, I love them to death. I have a large cage for them so it only needs to be cleaned like once a week or so. They're two males, never fight (except for late night boxing which always ends in the two curled together sleeping). The one I had since he was a baby is a sweetheart. He comes to the cage door when I enter the room and grooms me to death when I play with him. The other I got as an adult, he's a bit bitey and skittish but gets along great with people who show him attention. Excellent pets!

 

[J.huff23]

I am looking forward to getting it. But first, A few more questions:

How big of a wire cage do I need?

What do they eat?

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

i would say 20 gallon + as far as size of cage

as far as food, i give mine a combination of "rat blocks" from walmart and then a "rat treat" from pet smart, although they probably only need the rat blocks. plus they get a little bit of whatever I eat. they absolutely love, popcorn, spaghetti, fruits and veggies, any kind of noodle, rice, yogurt, or chips for a treat. i even give them a little peppermint every now and then. i know you're not supposed to give pets candy but they don't get very much, plus this is an animal that eats food out of sewers and garbage dumps so i don't think a tiny bit of candy every now and then will hurt.

 

[mouse]

the rat blocks are the best, but you can also use dog kibble. the book i had said dog kibble would work just as good, but not cat food - unless the rat is pregnant.

 

[Diggy415]

i have been rasing rats and mice for my snakes, they are all housed in 10gallon tanks or larger like a 30 gallon for offspring, i feed them COB you buy for horses, mix that with dog and cat food and then human food as mentioned above, anything you eat except avacado and chocolate those are toxic to them, and yes the females are proned to getting tumors. I make them mix vegetables, the frozen kind, thaw out and serv. apples, oranges they go nuts for and heels of bread gosh what can't you give them I alos go a step further because i feed mine off, and i add vitamins and antibiotics to their water, they can also get a respitory infection and you will hear chest wheezing and they sniffle alot and is contagious to other rats, but have fun,

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

does anybody know if male rats get fewer tumors?

 

[J.huff23]

I hope I can get one, or maybe evwen two. Its just, Im kinda running out of room . The basement is were i keep my 20 some T's and scorps. In my bedroom i keep my two snakes. So I may be able to get one, maybe not. I will have to make room . Thanks everyone. I will keep you guys updated if I do manage to get some.

 

[Laceface]

You can also feed them broccoli and a few other veggies, and they looooove mealworms. I think the fruits and veggies make for a happier, healthier rat. And, watching them eat mealworms is funny as heck. We used to have them, until I developed an allergy. There were four of them, all girls, and they lived in a ferret cage, wrapped in chicken wire. They loved it, and were very happy, and the openness cut down on smell. They are amazing pets.

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

if you get any get at least two, they are a social animal and do best in pairs or more. plus the extra won't be anyharder to take care of

 

[antbebo]

My ratties have been by far my favorite pets ever. I have had 5 at one time, all being females. The are SO affectionate, and love being handled and cuddled. I kept mine in a 3 story cage from Martin Cages with plexiglass covered in upholstery fabric on the wire stoops to avoid bumblefoot. If you clean your cage out weekly, the smell is minimal. You definitely need more than one rat. I used aspen shavings and carefresh bedding. There are lots of good food pellets on the market. They love fresh fruit and veggies. My girls also got yogies (yogurt treats) each night as a treat. Get them some wood chews to keep the teeth trimmed. Unfortunately I lost three of mine to tumors. The downside is that you will become extremely attached and they will be gone way too soon. Try to find a good breeder so that they have been handled, and steer clear of pet shop finds.

 

[mcy]

i had a male white and black rat when i was a kid, it sat on my shoulder and went everywhere with me loved taking a cruise on my shoulder while i rode my bicycle. Even took it into grocery stores to get a soda and a loaf of bread never was told to leave.

 

[arachyd]

One important note, since they can develop respiratory problems easily you want to avoid any kind of dusty or aromatic bedding like pine and cedar.

 

[ThistleWind]

I love rats. I used to have a couple as a kid.

I would have one now, but all the rats at Petco are albino (probably just feeders). And I like mine black and white. They're good pets. Very social and active. The only problem I had with mine was that it pooped every 30 seconds.