more questions about rats...?

Question

i have a bunch of questions...

1) how often do you need to clean the cage?
2) how often do you need to handle them? [once a day enough?]
3)how much/what food do they need?
4) can i use horse shavings in their cage? [i work at a barn]
5) if i get 2 should i get males or femals [pro&cons of each]
6) will they be oka in my room w. the door closed all day when im at school? [in a cage or course]
7) what do you do w. them when you take the out of the cage? [play, teach, feed?]
8) what the best/most in expensive cage you can find?

thank you SOO MUCH!
will def. pick a best answer [if one deserves it]

Answer 1

1) cleaning the cage: It really depends. Males' cages seem to get dirtier faster than females'. It also depends on the size of the cage and how many rats live in it. I have a (roughly) 4x2 foot cage with two boys and I clean it once a week.

2) handling: Rats are social critters. If you have more than one, once a day for a half or full hour is enough. If s/he lives alone, its a good idea to spend time with him 2 or more times a day.

3) food: Pellets and blocks with a side of fresh veggies are best. Most people seem to free-feed them (having food available all the time), but some people say this isn't a good idea. I'd recommend free-feeding unless their weight becomes a problem.

4) bedding: I'm not sure what you mean by horse bedding. Like hay? I'm honestly not sure about it. All I can say is the less dust, the better. Rats are very prone to respiratory diseases and I know ceder and pine bedding can cause it. I'm always on the look out for better bedding, but the best I've found so far is a brand called Alpha-Dri. Its hard to come by and its expensive to ship, but I drive 20 miles for 20 lbs of this stuff. If you can't find it, the next best option in my opinion is a corn-based litter.

5) male or female: There are characteristics distinct to each. Males are more laid-back while females tend to be more ... spastic (I mean that affectionately, of course ;) or energetic. Both dribble pee, but the boys do it a bit more and, as forementioned, can make the cage messy faster.

6) door closed: They'll be fine. But if you don't plan to be home very much, I definitely recommend getting at least a pair so they don't get lonely.

7) play: I just saw this question recently asked. (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvI9wjqkDE6jVBqY9TS2vADsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071007170420AA0U81f) My answer is already posted there. But this website is a good site too: http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm

8) cage: Unfortunately, a good cage usually isn't cheap. STAY AWAY FROM AQUARIUMS! They don't breathe and is more likely to get your rat sick, in addition to just unhappy. I personally say a bigger cage the better, but the general rule of thumb is that a cage can hold 1 rat per 2 sq. feet. Also a bigger cage can go a little longer in between cleaning. Oh, and I recommend a cage with at least two levels - it doesn't have to be a full level, just something to give them a little exercise and room to move around. To give you an idea of price, my 4x2x2 foot cage (one story w/o accessories) runs about $60.

Here's an all-round good site:
http://firstrats.tripod.com/id29.htm

And an explanation of some of their behaviors:
http://www.ratbehavior.org/WhatIsMyRatDoingFAQ.htm
Good luck with your new pets!

Answer 2

Wow, you are right, you do have a lot of qustions! But that is okay, though my answer will be a book long! LOL

1) Rats usually use the bathroom in a certain corner, so everyday you would want to take out the soiled shavings and replace them with a handful of fresh. As far as actually cleaning it, usually once a week is good. During this, you should do the following:
#1. Remove all the shavings and non replaceable toys and throw them in the trash
#2. Take all the reusable toys, food dishes, water bottles ,etc, out
#3. Take the cage and wash it in the bath tub with warm water and a little dish soap. After washing, rinse it very well as soap residue can cause skin conditions
#4. Wash anything else that needs, then dry and put the cage back together

2.)Rats should be handled more than once a day I think. Think about it this way. You could take them out for about 10 minutes in the morning right when you get up. Then, when you got back from school, you could take them out for at least two hours for thier main romper. Then, before you go to bed take them out for at least another 10 minutes.

3.) Rats require both a staple diet and human food. They need about 1/2 cup of rat mix, like this a day, http://www.petco.com/product/2276/Kaytee-Fiesta-Fortified-Gourmet-Food-for-Mice-and-Rats.aspx, plus some fruits and veggies. They will eat dinner scraps as snacks, like rolls, mashed potatoes, chips,etc.

I will finsih later, I have to get off now

Answer 3

1. Every 2 weeks, unless the cage looks dirty sooner.
2. Multiple times a day, preferably. They thrive on attention.
3. Rat-specific pellet diet, 2-3 pellets per rat (not the seed based diet! Too fatty.)
4. Depends on the type of shavings. Pine shavings are perfectly fine.
5. Definitely get two, they do best in pairs. Females are more energetic and ''on the go'', while males are more calm and content with hanging out with you.
6. Yes, they'll be fine in a room while you're at school.
7. Pet them, give them treats, and just let them explore (in a rat friendly enviroment, perhaps a fenced in ''play area'')
8. Your local PetSmart will have plenty of cages to choose from. The best isn't exactly inexpensive, as it costs a little over $100. You can get a suitable cage from them, for $30-50, though.

Answer 4

1. We clean our cages thoroughly once a week & do spot-cleaning as needed. Usually spot-cleaning is only necessary if the hammocks are soiled, they've made a mess with their food or something like that. Our girls are so meticulous about dropping empty sunflower seed shells back into their food dish, but the boys strew food *everywhere* & then usually wet on it. On the other paw, the girls tend to chew their hammocks to pieces but the boys' hammocks can be laundered repeatedly.
2. The more attention you can give your little friends, the better. Once a day should be the minimum. We usually have ours out for a play session a couple times a day (not both sexes @ the same time). If you have a lone rat, he or she should get *much* more attention (it's much better to have 2 or 3 of the same sex so they can keep each other company).
3. There are prepared rat foods you can get, but we give our rats & mice various whole grains (including unsweetened puffed cereals), dry vegetarian dog food, a bit of wholegrain bread, crackers etc. when we have them & a small amount of fresh fruits & vegetables. They eat a couple ounces daily, per rat. We keep dry food with them all the time so they can nibble whenever they feel like it. We also give them vegetarian dog biscuits (they love the peanut butter ones) & various chew treats.
4. Not sure about horse shavings. Both cedar & pine are bad for their health & should not be used (aspen's ok).
5. You should get 2 of either sex. Males are bigger when full-grown & in *general* are more cuddly & better 'lap pets' while girls *tend* to be more active & adventurous. Each has a unique personality tho & these are just generalities-- I've had a very playful, adventurous male in the past & one of our females is as cuddly as any male I've ever known.
6. Sure, as long as it's not too hot or too cold & preferably with the company of another rat so they don't get lonely.
7. Outside of the cages, they play, ride our shoulders, have treats, explore, hang out on my lap... The girls actually invented a game & somehow managed to teach me: I open their lower door & hold my hands out for them while they run up & down my arms, jump into the cage & back out again. They very obviously *love* doing this. Our dumbo girl enjoys wrestling with my hand, too.
8. Most petshop cages marketed for rats are *way* too small. Cages with wire floors are uncomfortable & bad for the feet. Larger Superpet cages are good (the kind for "critters" or chinchillas), so are Martin's cages. I've been eyeing multi-level ferret cages for the future.

Answer 5

1. cages should be completely cleaned once a week. Which means spraying with a mild bleach detergent and then rinsing off. Rats can and do use litter boxes, so if you give them some corner boxes with UNscented litter in them, they will use them for poo. (can't help you with pee tho)
2. Giving them attention for 1 hour a day or more, watch TV with them hanging out with you.
3. Rodent pellets low in protein (like Mazuri), three to four pellets a day..don't free feed..they stash. Give them healthy snacks.
A little bit of plain rice, a cheerio or two, fresh broccoli, etc.
4. using horse shavings from a feedstore would invite mites to infect your rats, in addition I do believe shavings sold for horses are either cedar or pine which is bad for small animals. If you can get the pelleted pine from the feedstore, that can be used. Otherwise, buy a bag of Aspen from Petsmart and it will last a good while with only two rats.
5. Males are more laid back than females, but they also tend to mark things (little pee trails) unless you get them neutered.
Females are more active, require a wheel and smaller cage bar spacing. I have no personal preference on males or females.
6. They will be fine in your room, just make sure the cage is not getting blown on by a vent or near a window that gets direct sun.
7. Mine chill with me while I watch TV, running around and exploring. Anytime I am sitting down relaxing, I pull one or two little fuzzbutts out to explore. Some people set up boxes and tubes in a ratsafe room for them to explore, or on a flat surface they cannot get down from. They chew, so make sure there is nothing you are particularly attached to near their play area.
8. The best cages as far as size for your money and quality are Martin's Cages. http://www.martinscages.com/
Most people are completely surprised when they get their Martins cage and realize that the cages sold at Petsmart are too expensive, smaller and not as sturdy.

You can see my rat cages on my web site
http://home.earthlink.net/~yldchyld/id23.html
Don't let the size of my cages intimidate you..you don't need anything that size for two rats. Mine live in Ratty Mansions.

You might want to take the time and browse around the Rat Guide http://ratguide.com or go to the Rat and Mouse Club of America site and browse as well. http://www.rmca.org/

Answer 6

1. Cages should be thoroughly cleaned out at least once a week but may need spot cleaning of shelves every day or two and hammocks will need changing every few days. Don't over clean as rats will mark things even more as a result.

2. Rats should be handled daily and should be given a minimum of one hours attention per day. This can be a combination of being held and stroked, shoulder-riding, riding in a pouch or under your clothes, playing on the bed or sofa, and free-ranging on the floor. The more you interact with your rats the more confident and playful they will be with you.

3. Rats should be fed a base dry food supplemented with fresh food. Avoid anything with artifical colours, alfalfa and too many seeds. The best diet advised is the Shunamite diet (see link) which combines an appropriate base feed with dog kibble, dried pasta and cereals and should be fed alongside fresh vegetables and cooked pasta, rice etc. Rats love to eat and so variety is very important to them.

You will need to feed them as much as they will eat in a 24 hour period. If you give them too much then they will selectively feed the best bits and so not get a balanced diet. In addition you would be tempted to top up the feed bowl and so it would not get washed (rats will mark their feed bowls so they need to be cleaned daily).

4. Shavings are not the ideal bedding as they can be very dusty and aggravate rats sensitive respiratory systems. There are also mixed opinions about the risk in certain softwood shavings of the phenyls which are suspected to have links to kidney and liver diseases; although this has not been proven.

Personally I use cardboard square bedding (also designed for horses). You can also use carefresh or 100% paper (not paper-based) cat litters, shredded newspaper (although this is not very absorbant and needs changing frequently) or hemp.

5. Please do get at least 2, preferably 3 so that you will not be left with one alone at a later date. Males and females are very different animals. Bucks are larger and as they age they tend to be very calm and enjoy a cuddle with you. Does are much more active and playful and more likely to want to explore their surroundings.

Males can get aggressive due to hormones (this is at its highest between 4 months and 1 year). Usually this isn't a problem, but in some cases neutering may be necessary. Females are often prone to mammary tumours which may need removing.

6. So long as your rats have a large enough cage and enough attention they will be quite happy alone while you are at school. The more time they have to spend in the cage the bigger it should be. Rats are naturally nocturnal and so will usually sleep all day unless there is a good reason for them to be awake.

7. You can do lots of things with your rats. Teach them to come when called, teach them tricks (jumping between objects, racing each other, standing on hind legs) , let them climb under your clothes, let them roam your house/room, let them play in the shower with you, groom them, take them around on your shoulder. Bribe them with treats and they will love you forever. Rats are very intelligent and like to be stimulated so the more you do with them the better.

8. Rat cages should be very large and so they are quite expensive. For a cage suitable for 2-3 rats you should expect to pay around £50-£80 new; but if you want a bigger cage you can spend more like £150-£200. Look out for second hand cages on places like Ebay for good bargains. Or people sell no longer needed cages on rat forums. The best cages tend to be those aimed at ferrets or specific rat cages. Aviaries are also popular.

I hope that helps you. Rats make lovely pets but they do take a lot of time and money. I highly recommend the fancy-rats website and forum below for information on all things rat-related.

Answer 7

1) it all depends on the size of the cage, but once a week is usually enough- rats like their cages clean

2) once a day is perfect, especially when kept in pairs or more

3) rat lab blocks from any petstore's good for their main food. give them as much as they'd like, and give them a treat such as a little piece of fruit, ect to give them a bit of variety in there

4) do you mean pine bedding??? pine and cedar and other dusty bedding is dangerous for their health, but i don't see why you wouldnt be able to use straw or anything... i prefer aspen wood shavings.

5) females aren't as cuddly, but they are more active and some are a bit cleaner. males are just as friendly but some of them smell slightly more, but they're more cuddly as adults then females. i'm glad to hear that you're getting 2 though. i like females because you can introduce them to each other in case one dies

6) yeah they'll be fine in your room as long as they're not in the way of an air vent or direct sunlight. just don't forget to give them stuff to do. them being in your room can give you more opportunities to play with them too and it'll help them get to know you

7) when i take my rats out of their cage, i let them walk around on a table with some stuff for them to explore in, i pet them, and the only thing i teach them really is how to communicate with me in a way and that i'm NEVER to hurt them- i believe that trust is crucial. here's a great website with tons of rat toy ideas http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm

8) when it comes to a cage, go for a wire cage. for some of my cages, i have a tank with a wire cage on top of it, and they seem to like the wire cage more. think levels, entertainment, variety, room to play, room to switch up toys, and of course a cage that is easily accsessable for you. http://www.dapper.com.au/cages.htm