I have three naked (hairless) rats -- 2 males and a female. I'm not *SO* concerned about the males, because they have each other to amuse themselves with and cuddle with.
The female's friend/roomate passed away about a week ago, and I am worried about keeping her warm and happy. I take her (well.. all of them, just don't bring the males out the same time I bring her out) out and give her attention when I have time to, but I feel that isn't enough. Is there any toys that she.. or all of them for that matter would like?
Same with keeping her warm.. I've tried putting an old t-shirt of mine in her box so she'd stay warm, and she dragged it out. What she has always done was put all the newspaper she has in the cage and puts it in the box, but I don't think newspapers would keep a hairless rat all that warm. It's cold outside and I'm sure she gets cold in her bedroom.. I know I do!
2007-12-03 03:22:09 · 15 answers · asked by Trish 6 in Pets ➔ Rodents
She is an adult, but she's smaller then the males (pic: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v282/trishanelson2005/My%20Babies/?action=view¤t=09-29-07_2037.jpg ) so I don't think a sweater would work..that would be adorable though!
I shred the newspapers when I put them in her cage, and for the ones I 'don't shread good enough' she shreads more. I wont use cedar for her bedding, as that causes breathing problems.
2007-12-03 03:33:15 · update #1
Hey there!
I have 2 hairless rats as well, so i think i might be able to help you out!
What i do with mine, is i go to the petstore and get what's called "cozy cups". They are little fleece beds, made for rodents. And mine all cuddle together in that, with their other furry rat-brothers. My suggestion is, if you can, get another rat to keep her warm. Either a hairless, or even better, a furry rat. Your hairless will find comfort in the companionship of another little guy now that she lost her friend (sorry to hear that, by the way, it's so sad when pets die..), and they will most likely cuddle together and keep each other warm! If you don't want to do that, here are some other ideas that would work.
1) Try Carefresh bedding.. It feels like fabric, and might be a little warmer to sleep in, rather than wood shavings.
2) Roll up a pair of socks, and stick it in her cage. It'll be the approximate size of another rat, so she might see it as one and sleep with it!
3) Get her a little house to sleep in, and go to the fabric store and buy some cheap fleece and put it inside the house.
As for toys, get bird toys!! My boys all LOVE those!!
Here is a pic of my rats cage. (You can also see my 2 hairless boys in the pic!). http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j63/blondie80389/Allrats1-1.jpg
As you can see, they have alot of different things hanging in their cage, and it's all bird toys, and 1 sock. You can see what the cozy cup looks like, by looking behind my hairless rat on the top shelf (that's an example of a chewed up one lol), and also on the bottom level, to the right, underneath the white shelf and sock, there's another non-chewed cozy cup lol.
Hope i helped, and good luck with your babies!!
2007-12-03 06:00:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If possible, adopt a furry gal-pal for your rat-- she'll be great company as well as a warm body to snuggle up against.
Also, you can put up some fleece hammocks in the cage & give her extra bedding too. I wouldn't use a heating pad or anything electric in a rodents cage, but you might put an old towel over the cage for extra insulation. Make sure it's something you don't mind "sacrificing" for your little one's comfort b/c she'll probably chew it up & bring part of it inside.
Our local Petco has little shirts made for ferrets & it looks like the small size would fit a hairless rat doe but the tag might be scratchy & I wouldn't reccommend dressing rats except when they're under supervision.
2007-12-03 06:22:23 · answer #2 · answered by Catkin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do NOT use a heat lamp on your rat's cage. Also, don't use cedar bedding like one poster suggested. Cedar can kill your rat.
Simply supply her with enough things, fabric, bedding, little house to keep herself warm. You can buy her a hammock with a pocket in it, which my rats have always loved. If you get it in fleece then it'll definitely keep her warm.
Try: http://dearpiehammocks.com/
Also, if she is a younger rat, you might consider getting her another friend, as rats are not solitary animals. If she's older, and you don't see her being around long enough to warrant getting another friend...Then just take her out a little more often than than the boys. Another option is to have her spayed if she's still young enough, and put her in with the boys. I've had the procedure done many times, and never had problems.
Good luck!
2007-12-03 04:18:18 · answer #3 · answered by hamsterofpain2 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there is a bedding material that kind of looks like a big ball of fur. let her try some of that. also, a heat lamp might be a good idea. now.. you say she's in a box. hopefully that's not like a card board box, as she will chew through that if she gets too cold so she can find some place warmer. there are some pet stores that sell little rodent houses that you can put in their habitats. the two rats we had loved theirs and would pull bedding in there and sleep quite snug. if all else fails, see if you can find some rodent treats that are a little higher in calories, as that will help keep her warm.
2007-12-03 03:33:21 · answer #4 · answered by wrldzgr8stdad 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not that bad though. Of course if we were naked we would be freezing but were not hairless rats. Just leave them a few rags and newspaper. They know how warm they want to get. So leave it up to them. That so cute though =) Take care of them
2007-12-03 03:27:54 · answer #5 · answered by </3 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How about a warm hot bottle or heating pad under a nice fleece blanket. That is what they use for breeding baby rats.
You could also try shredding the newspaper.
And if you use a heat lamp make sure you place it where she can get away from it if she finds it too hot.
http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/
http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/articles/small_pets/faq02.htm
2007-12-03 03:28:44 · answer #6 · answered by The Mentor 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depending on how large your rat is .. you might be able to find a sweater (I'm thinking small dog or cat sweater).
Another option is to get a heat lamp .. but I'de be really careful when choosing this option as you don't actually want to cook her - you might have to buy a timer so you don't accidently leave it on for too long ..
Anyways, Good Luck
2007-12-03 03:27:46 · answer #7 · answered by fok_eet 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
small animal bedding. it comes made from different materials, you can choose; cedar, corn cob, recycled paper pulp, maybe some other kinds. these inexpensive materials come in bags in a pet supply vendor. the animals use it to burrow in and it naturally insulates them just fine. these guys in the wild just burrow in holes in the ground, your pet will be happy with whatever you decide to put in there. newspapers are suitable to an extent, they are fun for them to tear and they do, also provide a place to burrow in. some people say the ink used in newspaper print is not suitable for small animals to ingest. just go to a small animal supplier and they will have the right bedding for the pet.
2007-12-03 03:30:19 · answer #8 · answered by que otro hay 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A heat bulb is best to keep her warm.
We gave our rats edible huts from Pet-co and they loved them so you could try getting one of those and that might help her build a nest and keep warmer.
Have you thought about getting her another friend?
2007-12-03 11:05:02 · answer #9 · answered by mezich 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
make the rat's home large enough to have a nice warm light bulb available in one corner of his home, that way he can adjust and go near the bulb when he wants warmth or move away when it gets too hot..... making some option would be best
2007-12-03 03:25:46 · answer #10 · answered by 21 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋