File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
So, I'm considering getting a couple of pet rats. Does anyone else have rats/advice/stories/etc?
>> Anonymous
buy all males and fight them
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
dont feed them anything containing MSG
>> Anonymous
rats make awesome pets
BUT - you need to get them when they are really young so they don't grow up ferral
- have only one rat at a time or make SURE they are all the same sex
- don't feed them cheese, it's not good for their bellies
>> Anonymous
rats are very intelligent, and make really good and cute pets. just be sure to get a large enough cage to keep them happy, and research their dietary needs, etc.

you might wanna look at your local rat rescue, they can give you some good info, and a friendly rat.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>101065
Wh..what the FUCK?

>BUT - you need to get them when they are really young so they don't grow up ferral
NEVER get a "really young" rat unless you are trained in raising them. If it's ears are folded, or it is mouse-sized, don't get it. Rarely are domestic rats feRal (note the one R there, buddy), regardless of how poorly socialized they are. Even if you hardly handle a rat once you own it, it will (99% of the time) come to you when you reach in it's cage, and attempt to be social.

(cont: field too fucking long)
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
It's better to get a rat that is a "teenager"- it will be easy to tame, and is likely to bond very closely to it's owners. Adult rats can be adopted easilly, they are adaptable and have developed their personalities, but they might have been traumatized, so there may be issues to work through. Most pet stores will have adoptable-aged rats- if the rat's body from nose to rump fits in your hand, it's a good starter rat. If it's bigger, it is an adult, and smaller and it's too young. There ARE runty adults and there are huge babies, this is just a general guide.

>have only one rat at a time or make SURE they are all the same sex
The only time you could keep a rat alone is if it was with you 24 hours a day, every day, for the rest of it's life. They are social animals, and even if the rats fight, they are better together than apart. They will wither and die when kept alone. You actually said something smart though, about making certain you have a single-gender colony. VERY true. Rats can mate in under 3 seconds. Don't get female rats from a mixed-gender cage, no matter how young she looks, chances are you'll have a dozen more rats in few weeks.

>don't feed them cheese, it's not good for their bellies
Any food not taken in moderation is bad for them (or you, for that matter). A few nibbles of cheese in a week is fine. Giving them a slice a day is bad. The thing you have to remember is that they are fucking rats, they will eat what you give them, and if you can eat it, they will surely try to.
http://ratguide.com/
http://www.curiosityrats.com/
plz2rsrch
>> Porkchop Sandwiches
I've had a few ratties myself, and they do make wonderful pets.

As far as feed goes...

Good lab blocks are the best thing you can feed your rat on a daily basis. Most major pet stores sell stuff in a big bag that contains lots of seeds and a few small gray lab blocks thrown in. This stuff is NOT good for them. They should be eating a balanced diet of mostly nutritious lab block.

Mazuri and Sunseed make excellent lab block food for rats. Cheerios are another good snack to give them often but should not be their main diet. We usually fill their bowls with lab block and mix in some cheerios. Another little snack here and there is good too and we usually bury them at the bottom of the bowl every other day or so.
>> Anonymous
they like to live in damp places so make sure you have a big bowl of water readily available and mist their cage one a day.
>> Anonymous
One thing that sucks about rats that you need to keep in mind though, they get tumors very easily for almost no reason, and bathe them regularly (yes) they can get mites pretty bad too. If you don't keep the cages clean, they sneeze alot. (Obviously not good.) But its really fun to have them running around and stuff. Very cute.
>> Porkchop Sandwiches
>>101114
I have heard the opposite on bathing. They can be bathed regularly but not often. Rats produce a musk and oil that coats their skin and fur that protects them. This is natural and should not be removed. I've heard bathing them once in a while is not bad, but it should not be often.

Also, be very careful with bathing as you do not want to get water in their ears. Their ears are very sensitive and succeptable to infection. Our last rattie became very ill due to an ear infection when he got water in his ears after a bath.
>> Anonymous
>>101121

Bathing rats is completely unnessisary. Keep their cage and litter clean, and that's all you need to do.

Overly damp enviornments are NOT good for your rat's health either. Dampness is ideal for mold growth (much of which is toxic) and also promotes respatory infections.
>> Anonymous
I have pet mice and the tip about putting a small drop of Vanilla Extract into their water certainly does help for the smell

http://www.boakingdom.com/rodents.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Take-Care-of-Mice

http://www.ratz.co.uk/ratintro.html


(DAMN GOOD SITE) http://www.ratbehavior.org/rats.html
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Never ever stick your fingers to a rat when you got a band-aid on, it will make minced meat of your nice little fingers.
>> Anonymous
>>100994

i have a pet rat right now...only because i bought the bastard to feed to an adult snake...but it turns out the snake just started the process of shedding it's skin. i can't wait to get rid of this little bastard though...one more cage to clean, and one more mouth to feed.
>> Anonymous
>>101219
Yeah, because a rat eats sooo much.
Git.
>> Anonymous
>>101219
Hope you got money for the vet. Just in case that rat decides to take a chomp out out of your snake.
>> Anonymous
>>100994

my point is that, not only am i snake sitting...now i have an unintended extra "pet" its a "small" rat according to the pet store..while i know it can bite the snake..the snake is a full grown corn snake and has no trouble with rats.
>> Anonymous
>>101227
Doesn't matter what snake you have, a rat has teeth. It can bite.
>> Anonymous
my bf's sister has pet rats they are the nicest pets so frindly but smell funny
>> Anonymous
>>101227
My girlfriend worked at a petstore and they would just grab the rat by the tail and bash it slightly against the wall to stun it and then give it to the snake.
>> Anonymous
I learned this the hard way when I was about 13.

Do not let a rat crawl inside of your clothes when you have layers on. During one winter, I let a rat crawl up my sleeve... then it crawled inside my next sleeve unexpectedly. Then it went down and sat on my belly inside another sleeve. And I was wearing overalls, so I couldn't just pull it out. I had to take off a coat, a sweat-shirt, and unhook the overalls to take the rat out from under my t-shirt.

This process took several minutes.

Other than that, rats are awesome. They're sweet and will just hang out on your shoulder while you walk around the house or watch TV.
>> Anonymous
>>101237

did you read the part where i said "while i know the rat can bite the snake" ?

in the few days i kept that little bastard...it pissed and shit more than any other animal i've kept besides a dog..but a dog shit is about the size of the fucker in the first place.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I've had lots of girly rats, generally two at a time, and I can't recommend them enough. Make sure you spend at least half an hour a day paying attention to them. And DON'T get them at a regular pet store, they're a lot harder to keep from getting bitey. You can get a purebred hand-raised rat for only like 20 bucks if you look around and they will be 1000 times more affectionate.
>> Anonymous
...and don't let them drink anything carbonated! They can't burp or barf so they can get bloated from that and die.
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>101363
Not necessarily, it depends on the store you get them from. Just ask the staff. If they don't seem to care, then don't buy there, simple as that.
>> Anonymous
Male rats generally tend to smell worse than female rats. Just because they are a bit territorial.
If you plan on getting males be sure to clean their cage more often if you mind the smell.
Otherwise cleaning every three days to once every week (if your lazy) shouldn't be a problem.
>> Anonymous
I used to feed my rats bugs. They loved it.
>> Anonymous
I think rats make the greatest pets. I have two females right now; I recommend getting a female rat (they don't smell as much as males). Though this is the first time I've had two rats (they're sisters), and it's extremely hard to control both of them at the same time.

I suggest starting out with one female rat. If you can, a hooded monk. I've had a PEW rat before (The albino ones with red eyes), and it wasn't the nicest, though it was also adopted... Make sure when you get it it's still very young; The older they are the more they'll need to get used to you. And make sure you get a decent sized cage; no fish tanks! And never EVER use cedar for bedding!! I recommend the kind of bedding that's recycled newspaper; it's soft and is unscented. Rats have very sensitive noses!
>> Anonymous
Well since there is a rat thread I'll post my concerns and issues here.

Ok I got a female and male rat. Thought the female was a male when she was tiny since she had a little buldge. Anyways now I need to get rid of her since well she hides in the house all day and in case she is pregnant I can't take care of the babies. I'm thinking of e-mail a breeder that is down a few hours from me. Me and my boyfriend are headed down that way anyways. Is this a good idea? I'm hoping the breeder lets me "trade" the female for another male.

Also my male rat seems to have one tiny patch of fur that has thinned out. Doesn't seem to be spreading but I'm wondering what it is. Any ideas?
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>101114
You are a terrible rat owner. If your rats are sneezing, they likely have myco. It's pneumonia that doesn't go away. Take them to a fucking vet. Your rats don't have mites, they have LICE, because you give them shitty bedding. Don't give them bedding if the plastic has holes in it. If they do get lice, you can bathe them with a puppy flea shampoo. It IS safe to bathe rats, but it should only be done when nessicary: gets into a fight and is bloody, gets some kind of chemical on it, etc.
>>101363
It doesn't matter where you get them. A rat from a 'breeder' may be healthier and may have a better starting temperment, but some of the best rats come from shitty sources. Just like with people, if you raise them right, they will overcome their horrible beginnings.

>>101491
>>101685
Male rats stink because they, literally, ooze testosterone. It has nothing to do with being territorial. Some rats do leave drops of urine around to mark territory, but that doesn't cause the *rat* to stink. A good, healthy buck should have shiny fur with a red tint to the skin on his back(Note: Red TINT, not red FLAKES. Said flakes are a skin condition caused by lice)
Their colour doesn't matter at all. It's purely cosmetic. Get the rat you connect with emotionally, not the pretty one. You're right that aquariums are bad, but if they are cleaned regularly and have a wire top, they can make good homes for nursing, sick, or injured rats. Ceder and pine are HUGELY bad for them. Aspen is okay, but the best litter is, as you said, recycled paper. I just use newspaper I shreded with my paper shredder: virtually free, I know it doesn't harbor disease, and they can shred and nest easier with it than the pulped paper.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>101796
I made a special post just for you.

>Thought the female was a male when she was tiny since she had a little buldge.

Your rat did not change genders. You are just inept at discerning the difference between a female rat and a male (Hint, boys have HUGE testicles). When you get rats, make sure the area under their tails match. Sometimes, a young male will "tuck" his bits in, leading you to believe you got two girls. Press on his stomach or let him get comfortable around you before you take him home, he will calm down and drop his balls.

>Anyways now I need to get rid of her since well she hides in the house all day and in case she is pregnant I can't take care of the babies.

How sure are you that she is pregnant? Has her abdomen doubled in size? She could just be poorly socialized. Honestly, it sounds like you got a young, shy male.

>I'm thinking of e-mail a breeder <snip> I'm hoping the breeder lets me "trade" the female for another male.

Thank you for attempting to be responsible. I highly doubt the breeder will allow you to 'trade' rats, but they might take the female (if she is) off your hands, or help you locate homes for the babies. I'd suggest you take a few good pictures of the rat you suspect is going to have babies, and either post them here, or email the breeder you mentioned.

>Also my male rat seems to have one tiny patch of fur that has thinned out.

Where is the patch at? If it's on his testicles, it's normal- if you have ever seen human testes, you will notice certain parts don't have hair. If the bald spot is on his head or shoulders, it's because the other rat is grooming him. It's not dangerous, but is a sign of anxiety in the other rat, which keys in really well with hiding in the box all the time. However, if the bald spot has blood or a scab or something, then you should try to clean it and watch that it doesn't get infected.
>> Anonymous
>>101804
>Your rat did not change genders. You are just inept at discerning the difference between a female rat and a male.

Yea I notice now that I missexed the female. And I know its a female now since it's been atleast two months since we got her. At the time it was at a pet shop and she was a young one.

>How sure are you that she is pregnant? Has her abdomen doubled in size?

I'm pretty sure she's not pregnant now. But I can't take the risk that she could become pregnant. If I seperate them both but keep the seperator see through will that give them enough social time between each other? Or should I just let them stay together until I get another rat?

>Thank you for attempting to be responsible.

Hey I'm trying at least right? As for the breeder maybe I could buy another male from them? Also get some tips on how to train them. I have a litter box right now and they still keep.. missing it.

>Where is the patch at?

The patch of fur is on his back.. more to the lower back. I guess I should take this at just the female being nervous? How do I make her unnervous? I've tried to hold her a lot but everytime she just keeps going back. Tried luring her with food only to end up the same. Is she just this way or am I doing something wrong? Almost the same with the male but he's comming out on his own now and even crawls around on me a bit.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
>>101872
If she's in with a male, consider her infested with fetuses.It takes, literally, three seconds for her to get knocked up.

There's no harm in letting them stay together right now, in fact it's good for both of them. If they were from the same cage and about the same size, then they are likely siblings, and to seperate them would futher traumatize the girl.

Yep, you can proably buy another rat from the breeder, though they tend to be very picky with who they sell to (not a bad thing, imho), but if you show that you really care and *are* trying, they likely wont have a problem with it. Don't just take the girl down there though, call or contact the breeder first and explain to them about your mistake and how you're trying to fix it. A lot of people in your situation would just dump the rat out the door, or kill the babies.

Some rats are just shy. It could be that you scared her when you first got her, and that mixed with being shy makes her extremely antiscoial. I'd suggest sitting down and reading a book with your arm in the cage, hand near the nest box, maybe with some treats on it. You have to show her you aren't going to hurt her. Though, if you are 100% sure that she is female, then don't worry too much about trying to tame her, since you will have to get rid of her somehow.

Also, please call wherever you got the rats and bitch at them. They should NEVER have males and females in the same cage for just that reason.
>> Anonymous
>>101875
Thanks for all the info. As for contacting the breeder I figured it would be horrible to just show up one day with my rat so I will be either calling or e-mail them. Hopefully I can set up a date to be there.

I think I'll still try and make her not as shy if I can just to make it easier on the breeder I'm taking her too. As for where I got her a bitch? I don't think I can since the only places that have rats around here are pet shops that use them for food. I'm sure they don't give a rat's ass about them. (horrible pun) There was supposed to be a breeder here but the site is no longer and the e-mail is dead.
>> Anonymous
>>101890
Good idea, I was going to suggest you do that. It will be easier to find her a home if she isn't shy. I've also read about that pregnant females can get really bitching during pregnancy.
>> Anonymous
>>101909
Well if human females get bitchy during that I don't see why other animals would not.

I've left a message to a animal rescue. Hoping they call back soon. Otherwise I have another one in my bookmarks. I just hope one of these places also has a male I could adopt as well since we all know one rat is not good. Would Scrapper(the male) get really lonely if I took the female away for a few days?

My plan here is if this one rescue calls back then the few days around June 25th me and my boyfriend will be heading down to naples FL. This rescue is on our way back and forth. If I dropped off the female, Wesker, then on our way back up got another male, in those few days would the male be too lonely? Otherwise I'll just go to the rescue that is about 1-2 hours away instead. But if we could get both the trip and rats done at once that would be better.
>> Anonymous
>>101124Bathing rats is completely unnessisary. Keep their cage and litter clean, and that's all you need to do.

Sounds like someone hasn't owned rats very long, at all, or is being a hardass because they have no drive to do it. Just like cats who people think are "self cleaning" and never need baths, every domestic animal needs a hand from time to time or the bacteria and dander builds up.

Use tearless baby shampoo, and avoid getting water in the ears. Use a damp cloth and (new) soft bristled toothbrush to help keep the fur straight. Only bathe if really necessary, but it will become necessary. Especially if you keep more than one to a cage. They mark each other frequently and that funk builds up no matter how spotless you keep a cage.
>> Anonymous
>>101914

The "bacteria and dander builds up"...and does what exactly? That's preposterous. Rats groom themselves just fine.

Rats have been surviving for millions, if not tens of millions of years on this planet. And, unless god descends from heaven with a brush and baby shampoo for each little rat, in the wild nobody bathes them and they are doing A-OK.

As has been mentioned earlier, bathing rats will remove the natural oils in their skin and coat. It's just not necissiary, barring extraordinary circumstances.
>> Anonymous
Ok guys enough debating on this. Your only going to confuse the people who look to this thread for help. You both put good answers to both your ideas but now I think it's best to just let it go and now anyone who reads up on both of you can determine what they think is best for their pets.

My personal choice would to only bathe them when they need help. If their too fat they can't reach or if they have a medical issue. Otherwise they should be able to clean themselfs. I've only washed my cat once and that was for flea and tick prevention. But hey if you think bathing them more often and can do it safely then by all means.
>> Anonymous
Needs more rat disccusion.
>> Anonymous
I had a couple of rats, they lived about 2 years. you can't let em run around or they piss all over everything, and it stinks. One of my rats got cancer in his foot or someshit and it grew like as big as his head then he became sickly and died. Also my rat killed my sisters pet bird!
>> Anonymous
They are good pets. Very cuddly creatures, DO NOT GET MICE. GETRATS. And they are super awesome when you carry them outside in your hoodie and poke their heades out and scare the shit out of people.
Mine died of cancer