hey i am getting a rat. i want to know if anyone has any thing to say about them. i had a rat when i was younger. anyhoo, has anyone had any expereances with rats? yup, that's all. oh, and what you ya'll think of the name Nyuhn for a female rat? it sounds like nigh uhn.
2007-01-13 07:23:47 · 13 answers · asked by Mrs.Me 3 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
first off, no one here gave any actual information.....soooooo......
rats are VERY social and NEED to be kept in same sex pairs or more.....
each rat needs about 1.5-2cubic feet of space....a GREAT place for rat cages is
(www.martinscages.com)
NOTHING less than 24inches Long x 14 inches wide x 24 inches tall for 2 rats...
NO wire floors that have 1/2inch x 1inch spacing as those can cause broken feet/ankles
You will need a good diet, try the suebee's diet, it is what I use and my rattis LOVE it. (http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html)
You WILL need a good vet, as females are prone to mammary tumors, and both sexes are prone to respirtory infections, abcesses, and tumors, and cancer.
One trip to the vet could cost over $100.
They need daily "out" time, time spent outside the cage running around.
It is best to get them from a breeder or a rescuer....
(www.ratster.com)is a good place to find both in your state, you can also contact your local shelters.
Rats make wonderful pets, and they are packed full of love for the short time they are here.
A good forum to go to is (www.goosemoose.com/rfc)
they can help you with any unanswered questions or you can email me at
sapphire_snake_goddess@yahoo.com
put "need rat info" in the subject or it may get deleted.
2007-01-13 08:28:30 · answer #1 · answered by Sapphire 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Rats are wonderful pets. They are actually less likely to carry diseases than cats and dogs. They are playful and they like to have a companion. They do chew so if you get them a cage with plastic on it anywhere make sure to watch it so they dont chew their way out. They also love to have plenty of space. Not too hard to take care of though. My neighbor had rats and I LOVED them. They do have huge turds though. Not fun with bare feet on the kitchen floor. All they really need is a companion, water, food and a decent amount of space. Mabey little plastic igloos. Thats about it. They are great pets. Go for it.
2007-01-13 16:01:00 · answer #2 · answered by Kitty 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Me, I've had a rat before, They make good pets. I had a big cage, lots of food for her. Yep. I named her Princess. She was cute, but can get stinky, clean the cage at least every other week. (mainly just new bedding) New food and water= every other day
hold her every once in a while too! Oh yeah, get them something to chew on: like card board, chew sticks, or they love carrots!
make sure she gets enough exercise.
2007-01-13 15:30:10 · answer #3 · answered by Rosey M 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Watch out that the rat doesn't chew its way out of the cage and get into the wiring and start a fire. Your suggested name doesn't do anything for me but we may be from different language groups. If you want a suggestion, pick something that you value, person or object, and use that , especially if you know a foreign language word that does the job.
2007-01-13 15:29:35 · answer #4 · answered by St N 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
they make great pets ,but can be a little smelly just clean it regular and it will keep this down ,but they love to come out and play and can be taught to do things they are very inteligent ,they can even learn to come to their name,they love toys as well they like to have plenty to do ,and always leave a radio on if you go out or they actually get a little lonely,cos they will miss you ,have fun and always be very gentle and so will the rat ,
2007-01-13 15:30:03 · answer #5 · answered by whitecloud 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Very unique name. I like it. Im a fan of creative names....No fluffy's or cuddles in this house, thank you very much.
I think its great that youre getting a rat, they have a bad rep, even though theyre awesome pets.
I bought a cage specifically for rats, its tall with a ton of climbing space, My rats love it. Some people say you can put them in an aquarium but I think thats mean. They love climbing, and need to be able to.
Make sure you buy a big wheel for your rat, they're little balls of energy and will probably use it all the time (mine always do).
The only bad experience I've had with rats would be female rats. Theyre soooo sweet but females are prone to getting tumors (they dont all get them, theyre just more likely than the male) When this happens you either have to have them put to sleep or have to pay to get it removed, because it wont ever stop growing.
That and they only live a few years, which is heart breaking but, theyre still worth owning.
As for the diet, I have a plastic tote I keep the rats food in. I put in one big bag of rat food, and one bag of grainy cereal (like wheat puffs, or cheerios, nothing too sugary), mix it all up and fill their bowls once a day (they have 2 bowls in their cage) the cereal makes the food last longer, and they love the treat.
Rats arent suppose to have a lot of sugar so thats why I make sure to buy the 'natural' cereal..nothing like lucky charms or cocoa puffs. I also give them fresh veggies like carrots or broccoli at night. They snatch the food out of my hand and run right for their little igloo to munch on it.
Other than that, Theyre like furry little dogs and make the coolest pets ever. As long as you give them a big enough cage, a wheel, and lots of love.
toys are a good idea too. The dollar store is a great place to get toys for your rat. I buy white towels and cut them up and put them in my rats cage. they tear them up and make a comfy bed out of them...when it comes time to change their cage, theyre cheap and easy to replace.
They also sell wicker baskets that the rats like to chew on and sleep in, and crinkled up paper for stuffing gift baskets, etc..this makes a great bed for them too.
Make sure you get a bed for them to sleep in. they like to stay warm at night. Mine have a big plastic igloo and they love it. it keeps them nice and cozy at night.
The pet stores have those cloth beds for ferrets, those also make a great rat bed....but keep in mind rats love to chew so if you get them one of those, you'll probably end up throwing it away or replacing it within a month or 2. Ferret toys make great rat toys. Tubes, beds, etc. seeings as the tubes are bigger, the rat can fit into it easily (unlike hamster tubes/wheels...much too small)
I hope you have fun with your rat. and dont listen to the people who say theyre gross. People who have never owned a pet rat always assume youre talking about sewer rats, so they dont know what theyre talking about.
2007-01-13 17:48:47 · answer #6 · answered by Dani 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
cool, i use to have one and he got huge, at least you getting a girl cause when boys get older their testicles get huge (gross). I like the name, mine was named gunja. Rats are very smart and make awsome pets.
2007-01-13 15:30:28 · answer #7 · answered by troxie79 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
for the last 10 years weve had rats,love them! smarter than mice, gerbiles,hamsters, rabbits, cats and very affectionet, enjoy!
2007-01-13 15:47:19 · answer #8 · answered by jlbudweiser 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Go for it, they're great!.
2007-01-13 15:27:50 · answer #9 · answered by Dorothy and Toto 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
carrots are better
2007-01-13 15:27:50 · answer #10 · answered by So totally AWESOME its not funny 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋