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dr. dick
Hey guys, future rat owner here. Hoping you could answer a couple questions for me..

1) Do you prefer an aquarium or a wire cage?

2) What size?

3) Would a female blue rat and a female dumbo be good for a rat newbie? I've raised hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and degus, but never rats.

4) What kind of bedding do you like?

5) Any special things I need to do or look for? I mean, is there anything very different from other rodents you need to do for rats?

Thanks guys!
>> Juba, The Baghdad Sniper !1EVr3uyPJI
1.) wire cage, he can climb on that shit and have fun.

2.) Rat sized, anything else is a mouse or a gopher.

3.) You'll be fine.

4.) I use storebought bedding. It comes in big chunks, which I like because my rat kicks the bedding out of his cage.

4.) Yes, remember that your rat will never threaten to stab you, and in fact, cannot speak.
>> Anonymous
>>304586
1) wire, aquarium cages are generally a bad choice for rodents, as they can't air out very well.
2) if you're going to get two rats, a nice two-story cage will do very nicely, I think. 3-story if you want to be extra awesome.
3)I'm unsure about breeds, but I would recommend males over females STRONGLY. All rats are awesome, but males will be more willing to sit and chill with you than a female. A hyperactive rat might sound a little cool, but a nice male who will sit on your shoulder contentedly is better than a rat climbing you like a jungle gym. I had females once and while I did enjoy them, I prefer males and have a better time with them. But two is the right choice, indeed. I would just suggest two brother males, maybe.

for rats, be sure to take them out of their cage relatively often and spend some time with them. They will LOVE to hang around with you, be pet, and run all about. They are generally more interactive and affectionate than most other rodents (hamsters, mice, guinea pigs) and really will bond with you more often than not. Be careful not to get one from a run-of-the-mill petstore or a shady place. I know I did once, and the thing died within about a day of getting it, it had wettail and nobody had even checked. Another got a tumor. So, investigate a place and talk to the workers before jumping the gun and buying one. You don't want a sickly or socialized rat.
>> Anonymous
I have rats of my own and they are the best rodent to have as a pet. I use an aquarium. It's easier to manage. Rats like to kick up the bedding and the gas tank keeps it in the cage and not on the floor. Get one big enough for the rat to run around, if your getting multiple rats, make sure there's room for both so they don't fight. All rats are good rats, it also depends on how much you handle them. Try out different beddings. I like the recycled newspaper one. It just seems softer for the rats to sleep on. Also get a hose for them, they like cubbies :)
>> Anonymous
>>304595
*unsocialized rather

Also, you can put bits of cloth and other soft things, like maybe old socks, for the rats to mess around with. Its fun to watch them cart it around the cage to make a little bed.
>> Anonymous
Oh put paper towel rolls in the cage. They love that.
>> Anonymous
> 1) Do you prefer an aquarium or a wire cage?

I prefer a wire cage. It gives the rats something to climb on, it's well ventilated, it's generally easier to clean, and it's easy to attach toys or second stories to. The only major drawbacks are that the rats may kick bedding, food and bits of poop out of it, and they might chew on the bars, which is a very noisy affair and most likely to take place at night. (Putting bitter apple spray or any other kind of anti-chew substance on the bars is inadvisable - they'll stop climbing around because it will get on their paws and they'll have to taste it every time they groom.) Also, make absolutely sure that the floor is solid, not wire, otherwise they'll develop infected sores on their feet.

Rats /can/ be kept in aquariums, but it's dramatically more difficult to keep it sanitary - not just in terms of maneuvering that hunk of glass and silicone, but also in how often you'll have to clean it to prevent an ammonia build up. You'll need to clean it probably twice as often as you would a wire cage, as well as disinfect it. This will get old quite fast. You'll also need to get a wire or screen top - I suggest the wire top, so you have something to attach hammocks and other "second floors" to.
>> Anonymous
>>304681Cont.

> 2) What size?

What size cage, you mean? If you do, for whatever reason, choose an aquarium, it should be at least a twenty gallon long, preferably larger. For wires, I suggest something at least 18x18 inches (again, preferably larger).

> 3) Would a female blue rat and a female dumbo be good for a rat newbie?

Yes. Different rat colors and domestic "breeds" really aren't that genetically different, they all descend from the same species of wild rat and were only domesticated a century or two ago. It's like the difference between a chocolate labrador retriever and a black labrador retriever, or a rough coat collie and a smooth coat collie.
>> Anonymous
>>304683Cont.

> 4) What kind of bedding do you like?

Most different types of bedding have different strengths and weaknesses. (Absorbency, smell management, ease of cleaning, price, etc.,) I like to mix different beddings. I currently use an even mix of Carefresh, aspen chips, and timothy hay. Experiment, and research.

Although you most likely already know this - avoid pine and cedar shavings like the plague. They contain phenols that are toxic to rats and other small animals.

> 5) Any special things I need to do or look for? I mean, is there anything very different from other rodents you need to do for rats?

Not really. Don't pick them up by the tail, and make sure they get plenty of exercise and socialization, and get at least two. (Same sex, and preferably from the same litter.)
>> Anonymous
I heard ferret cages are great for rats. They're big and have lots of stuff to climb on.
>> Anonymous
>>304702

Yeah, they're great. Just make sure the gaps between the bars aren't too wide.
>> Anonymous
>>304715
Yeah, there's this "ferret starter kit" at Petsmart that comes with carefresh bedding, hammocks, toys and feed for only like 80$. I was tempted to snag it and a pair of rats.
>> Anonymous
>>304681
Eep. If you already have a cage with wire floors and can't afford a whole new one now, how would you recommend covering the floors to make them solid?
>> Anonymous
If I remember correctly...24.5x12.5x24.5 inch is a good sized cage for two rats.

http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml Mess around with that.
>> Anonymous
1) We've always used plastic cages because they're easier to clean, and the walls keep the animals from kicking up a mess.

2) Standard large rat cage. Rats can grow pretty big; our recently deceased Remy (had only one eye, so we nicknamed him the Distinguished Sir Remy Blinks-A-Lot) was over half a kilo at about nine months of age. He had a massive three-story cage built for him by cutting out the bottom floors of two old cages. He liked sleeping with his head hanging over the ledges, and hence fell off a lot when he wasn't careful =P

3) Like a previous poster, I'm not well versed in the different rat breeds, but I would second the suggestion to get a pair of male rat instead. From personal experience, females tend to grow VERY skittish if you don't play with them regularly, and even when they do become familiar with you, tend to do a lot more running around and don't like being still. Males are pretty chill in comparison and like wandering around your lap/hanging out on your shoulder as you go about doing your regular business.

4) Aspen chips. I like throwing in paper towels and/or similar material for them to tear up and make nests out of (although Remy never cared much for it; we had another tailess female named Emelia who loved it though).

5) Provide them with lots of enrichment: toys (i.e. tubes to hide in), the occasional treat, and just play with them like you would any regular pet. You CAN pick them up by the BASE of their tail when they're still young for SHORT distances (i.e. if they're hiding in their tube and you need to get them out a tall cage), but if you've socialized them enough, you won't need to resort to doing so because they should be comfortable with you picking them up around their midsections anyway.

Have fun!
>> Anonymous
>>304681
shelby?
>> Anonymous
I'm not OP but I have a question...how active are rats during the day? Every time I go to Petsmart and look at the rats (they only sell females) they're all sleeping...is this boredom or are they usually this sleepy during the day? I know they're nocturnal and all.
>> Anonymous
>>304730
Hmmm...maybe cover the floor with a flat piece of corrugated cardboard and then cover the cardboard with bedding?
>> Anonymous
>>304740
I find rats are only really active when something's disturbing the environment (i.e. you walk in the door, you change the bedding in their cage, change their food/water, etc). They'll run around for a bit, play fight (especially if you've just changed their cage), but they mostly sleep the day away if nothing interests them.
>> Anonymous
Is there a directory for rat breeders anywhere online? I've tried googling it but no luck...
>> Anonymous
>>304742
Wouldn't that just get totally pee-soaked and chewed on?
>> Anonymous
>>304749
Not sure, but try googling "rat fanciers" with your location to see if a club or something pops ups.

Also, try http://www.ratfanclub.org/links.html for adoption links.
>> Anonymous
>>304755
Then use a sheet of plastic. I'm sure you could find some at your local hardware store that you could cut up to fit the dimensions of your cage's floor.
>> Anonymous
>>304759
What about the ramps and stuff? Would plain plastic zip-ties be allright to keep the plastic on, or would ther likely chew through that?
>> Anonymous
>>304772
I think it would be okay, just because playing on the ramp itself would be a lot more interesting to your rat than trying to destroy a tiny piece of plastic. Keep in mind though, depending on how bored they are, they'll easily chew on anything. I've had rats gnaw away at their PVC pipes until there was almost no more tube for them to hide themselves in (granted, it takes a while, but still).
>> Anonymous
>>304586
I have exactly that... a blue female and a blue capped dumbo female. I love them to death, but these are the first females I've had, and I'd definitely go back to having males. They just have too much energy and they're not very cuddley, while all the boys I've had have been big cuddley love bugs.

Also, wire cage, always. As big as you can afford.

The best bedding I've ever tried is Carefresh Ultra. It stays fresher longer and doesn't make them sneeze. I've used regular Carefresh, and apsen shavings, but they almost always had mites in them and I had to freeze all my bedding before I used it. Carefresh Ultra is expensive, but it goes a long way and it's worth it.
>> Anonymous
1) Do you prefer an aquarium or a wire cage?
Wire, as big as you can afford/have space for. Tanks dont have very good ventilation, are usually not big enough, hard to hand toys/hammocks and rats cant climb up them.

2) What size?
something like a critter 2

3) Would a female blue rat and a female dumbo be good for a rat newbie? I've raised hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and degus, but never rats.
Doesn't really matter about colour/whether they are dumbo etc, doesn't make them any different.
I have females, they are pretty hyper, but still friendly, but I hear males are a lot more lazy (they get big and squishy too ^^)

4) What kind of bedding do you like?
Dont use wood shavings of any kind. I use like cardboard squares, and I get huge bags of it that last for ages, stuff like carefresh is also okay but its expensive and you cant get very big bags.

5) Any special things I need to do or look for? I mean, is there anything very different from other rodents you need to do for rats?
If you let them roam free they have no limits, they can climb practically everything but vertical walls ^^ Prone to respiratory problems and also tumors(not sure if that the right word, they often get lumps anyway)
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
1) wire cage with plastic bottom, preferably with multiple levels which also have plastic bottoms
2) large; 2ft length 1 1/2ft width 2 1/2 - 3ft high
3) doesn't really matter, whichever you prefer. try to get rats that seem to be more relaxed and are handled well. get one from a breeder if you can.
4) carefresh bedding. it's kind of expensive, but from what i know it's some of the best stuff out there. corncob bedding works too, and is less expensive than carefresh.
5) it sounds like you have a lot of experience with rodents. rats need a fair bit of attention and love to get out of the cage and explore, so make sure you have a room in your house that's escape proof. i find bathrooms seem to work nicely. i take my rats out into my backyard when it's nice out, though i wouldn't recommend that you take your rats outside until they've gained enough trust in you not to run away. you can always get a leash and harness for them until they get used to being outside with you.

pic related, it's one of my rats climbing in a willow tree. :3
>> Anonymous
1) Wire cage. The rat will be able to climb on it, and they're a bit easier to clean than a tank.

2) Pet stores should sale ones sized for a rat, also, if you don't plan on handling it a lot, I'd get it something that it can explore around in.

3) That's fine.

4) At work, we use carefresh, but I hate that stuff, but that's only because I'm allergic to it. I usually recommend yesterday's news, aspen, or corncob bedding.

5) Not really.
>> dr. dick
Thanks for all the answers, everyone!!

I have one question I forgot to ask, how do rats handle cats?

I have a cat that I'm sure will be at least interested in them, but I'm not going to leave them together out in the open or anything.

I'm asking because I had a gerbil who I think had a heart attack after seeing my cat. I know rats are a lot smarter than gerbils, but will they be okay by just seeing a cat?
>> Anonymous
>>305237
I just had my two boys at my mom's house this weekend and she has 3 cats. None of them are agressive and jsut kind of watched the cage curiously and occasionally poked at it with a paw, or stood up near it to get a better view. The rats really didn't seem to mind much.
>> Anonymous
>>305237
When I had rats, i recall them as being very fearless. They weren't afraid of the dog OR cats. When the cats would come up and touch their noses to the cage, the rats would excitedly run up to it and be brainlessly interested. I had females at the time though, so they were hyperactive. I would assume that males would be indifferent all the same, and not scared or aggressive. Just let the cat run up to the cage and see what the rats do about it, really.
>> Anonymous
Rats are not pets. They are for labs and feeding snakes.
>> Anonymous
>>305237
My rats would all aggressively pursue my cats in an attempt to touch/grab/groom them, whatever. They fucking hated it and would clear out whenever the rats were around. They were 100% fearless and the cats didn't know how to act. The cats wouldn't even come close to the cages because they knew the second they were in grabbing range, several pairs of hands would shoot through the bars and latch onto the nearest fur, whisker, nose, ear, tail, whatever.

This might just have been my rats, but I've had several, mostly unrelated, who all acted the same way.
>> Anonymous
A great little site that helped me out when I got my rats; http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/home/
There's a list of cages to avoid and cages that are really good, and where to buy them as well. Basically, it's full of really good info.
Also, if you're thinking of getting females, take into account that female rats are usually a lot more active and gutsy compared to males. Males just want to sit around and be lazy.
>> Anonymous
>>305376

Everyone seems to be reccomending getting males over females, but I've always preferred the active nature of females. One of my female rats is a total lunatic, and does cool spider-rat climbs on the roof of their cage and leaps great distances when I take her out.

There is one where I put her on the top of the fridge and she launches herself onto my shoulder from there, even as I'm standing at the sink. It's quite some distance - and was a total shock the first time she did it.

However, the other one is incredibly docile. She has no sense of adventure and just sits around on her fat ass all day.
>> Anonymous
>>305350
my rats gang up on my sister's dog and bite her paws. also my black rat, ebony, runs around her and pokes her, then runs away. it drives the dog crazy, but it's so funny to watch.
>> Anonymous
1. Get a wire cage, or even a big ferret cage. My gf got this one http://www.petsolutions.com/images/200/45160248.jpg and our rats absolutely love it.

2. A large cage like the one above.

3. Get males.

4. I get wood chips and they seem to work just fine.

5. Rats are very social and are simply just plain awesome pets. Give them old towels and chunks of cloth - they love to horde and play with it.
>> Anonymous
in regards to the second post,

i love making portal part of our everyday lives