# Does anyone keep rats?



## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

First and foremost - Mum says yes.

The main things I've learnt from reading and research is:
-Don't keep them on their own
-Keep them as single sex's.
-They need lots of exercise
-Balanced Diet
-Good living arrangements.

Aside from the obvious things, are there any tips that rat owners could give me?
How large should their cage be for 2-3?
Where is the best place to buy them - I don't really want to get them from my local pet shop because... they suck tbh.

Are there any incredibly important things that I've missed that I should know before thinking about buying some rats?

Thanks in advance x


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I have 4 rats - all boys! I'm not a breeder and certainly not an expert, but everything you've said there is spot on.

Here's a link to a cage calculator Fancy Rats | Information | | Cage Calculator If you do some research on cages and put the measurements in here it'll tell you how many rats it will correctly house.

You're right not to buy from a pet shop - at least if you buy from a breeder they know the health of their animals and are breeding responsibly.

There are quite a few good breeders on here who have rats for sale.

More 'ratty' people will no doubt be along soon to offer better advice, but this is a start! :blush:


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

Ah brilliant thank you! 
So considering rats like to chew absolutely anything - are there any sort of cage styles to avoid buying, Certain materials and what not that they might chew through?
So far I'm just thinking spacious with lots of stuff to climb and play with.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I think the main thing you need to watch out for is the space between the bars and that the cage has coated bars. If you buy one with metal bars, the rat wee will eventually rust them.

My first cage is a Tom Rat cage and it comfortably houses my 4 boys. At first I bought 2 and then when they were a year and a half old I introduced 2 new babies. I bought a slightly smaller cage to house the youngsters for a few days to give them time to see and smell each other, but even though it was listed as a rat cage the bars were very slight wider than I realised and the 2 babies could squeeze out of them, so had to put the adult boys in that cage and the babies in the Tom Rat, so the new cage is no good for baby rats. The exact space between the bars of the Tom Rat is 10cm, whereas the space between the other cage was about 2.5cm.

A lot of people have had problems with rats chewing the plastic bottom of their cage and escaping - my cage has a plastic bottom, but thank goodness none of my boys have ever tried to chew the bottom. To be honest I think most of the people with rats which have done that they've nearly all been females - male rats are calmer and more laid back and girls are very active, from what I've learned on here.

My boys have wooden toys to chew and when we have meat with bone in, they get the bones to chew and whole hazelnuts in shells so they have to chew the shells to get the nut out, but you won't ever


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

And you need to house them on paper based substrates.... They're got sensitive respiratory systems and the phenols in wood based substrates can really irritate them.

I like using aviary-type cages for my ratlets.... Can give them loads to climb (just make sure the falls are broken up with levels and hammocks) and are usually all metal, so no escapees.


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

Ok thank you for the advice 
So I'm thinking two baby males, small gaps between coated metal bars and different levels with hammocks and shiz :] x


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## ami_j (Jan 6, 2007)

Anna_x said:


> Ok thank you for the advice
> So I'm thinking two baby males, small gaps between coated metal bars and different levels with hammocks and shiz :] x


i really would recommend three if you can...sadly one will likely die before the other leaving a sad friend behind that you have to try get a friend and intro quickly which puts pressure on you finding a rat quickly. three means that in the sad instance that one dies you will have time to find another baby or two to add to your group and you never have a lone rat
google the shunamite diet...much better than the preprepared foods on the market and can be adapted to different stages in your rats lives
good choice of pet :2thumb:

ETA what some people do is buy a pair and then get another pair when the original pair are about 5-6 months old


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## Zober (Aug 24, 2010)

We have 11.. 9 girlies and 2 boys.

My Girlfriends site in my signature has some good basic information and some good treat recipies :whistling2:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

ami_j said:


> i really would recommend three if you can...sadly one will likely die before the other leaving a sad friend behind that you have to try get a friend and intro quickly which puts pressure on you finding a rat quickly. three means that in the sad instance that one dies you will have time to find another baby or two to add to your group and you never have a lone rat
> google the shunamite diet...much better than the preprepared foods on the market and can be adapted to different stages in your rats lives
> good choice of pet :2thumb:
> 
> ETA what some people do is buy a pair and then get another pair when the original pair are about 5-6 months old


I waited until mine were older - like halfway through their lives, before I introduced another 2, then hopefully when one of the older one dies, the survivor will still have company. And hopefully if my younger boys have a good long life, they'll be half way through when the older ones die, so then I'll introduce 2 more to continue the scenario. That's the theory - of course we know animals don't read the text books so I'm relying on my rats being good and healthy and living until they are at least 2½-3 years old.

And to that end I feed the Shunamite diet - in fact I actually buy mine all nicely ready mixed from Alison, so I don't even have to think about it! :2thumb:


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## Zober (Aug 24, 2010)

feorag said:


> I waited until mine were older - like halfway through their lives, before I introduced another 2, then hopefully when one of the older one dies, the survivor will still have company. And hopefully if my younger boys have a good long life, they'll be half way through when the older ones die, so then I'll introduce 2 more to continue the scenario. That's the theory - of course we know animals don't read the text books so I'm relying on my rats being good and healthy and living until they are at least 2½-3 years old.
> 
> And to that end I feed the Shunamite diet - in fact I actually buy mine all nicely ready mixed from Alison, so I don't even have to think about it!


:2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:


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## pippainnit (Feb 20, 2009)

I would definitely recommend a trio or more. I've got five girls at the moment ( four of which are courtesy of rosie75 on here  ) and it seems perfect. I keep mine in a Ferplast Duetto, which - aside from being a bugger to clean - is ideal and gives them so much space to climb and the bottom is metal so no risk of them chewing their way out. I was lucky in that I got that cage second hand from Ebay for £25, which is an absolute bargain - it may be worth your while having a look online or in freeads for any second hand large cages that you can modify to your own specification.

As for decorating the cage - old tea towels, socks, etc. make good hammocks and rope bridges (knot socks together), as opposed to shop-bought ones that can be quite expensive. 

Colanders hanging from the top seem to be quite fun for them, and I also have old guttering as slides. Tesco sell some great twisty tube things for ferrets that can be moulded to suit the cage too, and they're only a couple of quid.

I use Biocatolet litter for the bottom and then paper shreddings, etc. for bedding. That seems to suit them perfectly as I've tried other litter (such as Carefresh, etc.) and they've caused the sniffles. 


I always used to keep pairs of females but recently have expanded the group as - as lots of others on here have already said - you never know when one might die and then you're left with a lonely rat and having to possibly rush to introduce others, whereas if you have a nice trio or little group then there's less chance of one being left alone. Also, from what I've seen, sometimes pairs can get a bit sick of each other, whereas keeping a little group allows them a bit of difference and change! Or maybe that's just me being silly...


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

Anna_x said:


> First and foremost - Mum says yes.
> 
> The main things I've learnt from reading and research is:
> -Don't keep them on their own
> ...


I'd advise choosing a good breeder or rescue, and avoiding pet shops - that's my most important piece of advice. If you email [email protected] they'll send you a list of breeders out. Just because they're on the list doesn't mean they're in any way approved though, but all the breeders I'd recommend are on it. I didn't read whereabouts you are before I hit reply - but happy to give recommendations if you say whereabouts you are...

A good cage for 2-3 bucks is a Freddy, or if you want an all metal one - something like a Critter 2 or 3 might be an idea. However, the access on the Critter cages is better for more confident rats - I think something with a large central door is best, so the Freddy, or a Furet Plus (not the Furet XL - these are horrendous access wise and a really stupid cube shape and take up as much floor space as a very large armchair).

Diet wise, I'd recommend a home made diet - ours are fed rabbit food with various low sugar/salt cereals and crackers added, some seeds, dog mixer (the kind with NO meat in), dried veggies, etc. More info on my website. Up until recently we used to add dried dog food, but we've recently dropped this and found a dramatic improvement to condition and weight. If you dont add dog food though you will need to give fresh protein in the form of cooked chicken, tinned sardines (in tomato sauce not oil or brine), Applaws or Almo cat food, Naturediet or scrambled eggs or porridge made with Lactol or goat's milk (more often for babies, less so for adults). Plenty of curly kale and rat safe veggies too.



Anna_x said:


> Ah brilliant thank you!
> So considering rats like to chew absolutely anything - are there any sort of cage styles to avoid buying, Certain materials and what not that they might chew through?
> So far I'm just thinking spacious with lots of stuff to climb and play with.


If you go for girls (which I see further down you're not - but just for info!) I'd choose an all metal cage. Girls are notorious chewers! Terry towelling is probably best avoided too, as loose strings can catch on feet.



Amalthea said:


> And you need to house them on paper based substrates.... They're got sensitive respiratory systems and the phenols in wood based substrates can really irritate them.
> 
> I like using aviary-type cages for my ratlets.... Can give them loads to climb (just make sure the falls are broken up with levels and hammocks) and are usually all metal, so no escapees.


We use cardboard or a good quality kiln dried shaving such as Bedmax. I hear Hunter shavings are also very good. There are many other substrates than just paper - hemp, megazorb (not my favourite but others say it's good), straw, fleece, etc.

I agree about the aviaries though - my favourite cages by far. I just got rid of my duetto for critter cages instead to save space, and am now kicking myself...

More than happy to give any specific advice - drop me a pm if I can help


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I LOVE my duetto!!!! Used to house rats, but now has my gliders in (since I have a larger group of flying furballs)....


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

Wow thank you so much for all the advice!
I will look into those recommended cages :]
I live in Derbyshire but wouldn't mind traveling to find a good breeder :]
After talking to mum we've decided that a trio of boys would suit best.


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

LisaLQ said:


> A good cage for 2-3 bucks is a Freddy, or if you want an all metal one - something like a Critter 2 or 3 might be an idea. However, the access on the Critter cages is better for more confident rats - I think something with a large central door is best, so the Freddy, or a Furet Plus (not the Furet XL - these are horrendous access wise and a really stupid cube shape and take up as much floor space as a very large armchair).


For three baby boy rats would a Critter 3 be suitable? I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'access' sorry :blush:.


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

Yep - a critter 3 is suitable for up to 6 rats, so it'd be plenty big enough for 3 boys. Access means - how you get in to the cage to get your rats out. Eg doors. The doors on Critter cages are off to one side, and open inwards and up, so you need to take them off with some needle nosed pliers and turn them round so they open down and out. Still, if you get shy babies, you may find it hard to get them out, unless you have long arms and a lot of patience! This can make the difference between being able to tame them or not - as if they realise if they sit in the back corner you cant reach them, they will play up to this. I find the Critter cages are better for rats that have already settled into their new home and are outgoing, as then they come to the door instead of you having to reach in and try to catch them.

I prefer cages with one big central door, and another on the top if possible. Some of the bigger rabbit cages make good homes for adult bucks - but bar spacing is too wide for babies or smaller bucks under about 450g. My bucks are in either a Baffy 120 (triple rabbit cage), or a Tommy 82 T2. Again - those have big bar spacing though, so I use a growing on cage (Freddy, Samo, something like that) for them until they're big enough not to escape.


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## Minerva (Aug 24, 2008)

Anna_x said:


> For three baby boy rats would a Critter 3 be suitable? I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'access' sorry :blush:.


Critter = shitter for access/doors/rearranging cage furniture/getting rats out etc :2thumb:


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I absolutely HATE critter cages with a passion........ They're a pain to clean, have crap access, seem to have the ability to jump out at a person walking past to inflict painful scratches, etc etc etc


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

LisaLQ said:


> Still, if you get shy babies, you may find it hard to get them out, unless you have long arms and a lot of patience! This can make the difference between being able to tame them or not - as if they realise if they sit in the back corner you cant reach them, they will play up to this.


:lol2: They certainly will. My 2 boys very quickly learned that if they went to the back of the top corner shelf, stood on their hindlegs and 'spooned' together that I just couldn't *quite* reach them, so we had to adjust the height of that shelf to stop them doing it.

And here they are demonstrating! :lol2:


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## fliddie (Oct 3, 2009)

Rats are the best pets!! They are so much more fun than any other rodenty critters. I have rats, gerbils, a jird, chinchillas at the moment, I have had hamsters etc in the past. Rats are so incredibly inquisitive and affectionate especially if you go for a reputable breeder rats. Mine always come running up to see me and follow me around when they are running around the floor. They are so ace! 

I have 3 boys whose mum was a pregnant snake food breeder rat when my friend who also breeds rats (for loving pets, not food!) rescued her and another. She had her babies and I had 3 buck kits from the litter. They had been well handled from only a few days old and the difference in their confidence with people and handling is worlds apart from my girls who came from [email protected] as babies and needed a LOT of time and patience to come round to handling. Having said that though I do have an incredibly affectionate boy who came to me as a foster (and stayed!) who was a [email protected] rat. 

Or you could look at the hundreds of rats in rescues needing homes, lots will be nice big squishy easy to handle boys or kits born in rescues. 

Here are some pics of my cages for ideas, the girls destroy EVERYTHING put in their cage, the boys wee all over everything in their cage but dont chew as much. Nice cheap cage ideas which they love are hammocks of cheap / old towels, cardboard boxes, cardboard tubes from inside carpet rolls- free from carpet shops chopped up and cable tied to the side of the cage, pringles tubes, hamster balls with one end piece removed and cable tied to the sides and filled with shredded paper make nice cozy beds, plastic peg baskets cable tied to the sides make beds...

Girls cage:










Boys cages:


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

Wow those setups are awesome I bet they are some happy rats! :]
I'll post pics up of mine when I get it all sorted.


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

Wow those setups are awesome! I bet they are some happy rats :]
I'll post pics up of mine once I get it sorted x


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

Thanks everyone for being so helpful! 
Just a few last minute questions really...

I have my cage, a Jenny cage which I got an amazing deal on, it's practically brand new and gives me the option to add more if I ever decide to which is cool.
However the bottom is plastic and although I'm told its the girls that are chewers I'll have to keep an eye on that and get them lots of bits and bobs to gnaw on lol.

I'm going to pick up the rats tomorrow, I'm getting 3, 8 week old boys.
The bars on the cage are small (and coated) so I don't think they could squeeze through them but do you think I should cut off access to the top shelves and stuff until they are a bit bigger and have settled in?
The car journey is about half an hour and I'm not sure what I should transport them in (as I don't want to stress them out). Would a cardboard box be ok? If I sort of had them on my knee with some bedding and food in there and stuff?
Also I'm going to buy bedding and substrate (I don't know if that's what you call it haha I'm so used to keeping reps) and I'm not sure which is the best to use really. For their beds I was thinking the ripped up J cloth type stuff but I've been told not to use sawdust etc... Shredded paper? I plan on gradually adding up hammocks and things to play in/on etc as I go along.

Also how long should I leave them to settle in and make themselves at home before I go about handling? With the beardie I started the handling process by hand feeding and stuff but obviously there's a good chance rats will be different!

Sorry for the stupidly long last minute message 
Thanks, Anna x


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

congratulations! I bet you're really excited! :2thumb: I know I was! :blush:

I had 2 boys for nearly a year and a half before adding 2 more youngsters. I have a Tom Rat cage with a plastic bottom and none of mine have chewed it, or even attempted to, so you might be lucky!

I'm pretty sure the Jenny has the same space between bars as mine, so no problems with them squeezing out.

When mine were young I didn't have the shelves too high up, so that I could reach the rats if they chose to go to the back of the high shelves to avoid being handled. Also, because I had hung a hammock from the top of the cage, I had a cargo net strung across to catch them in case they fell.

For substrate I use small cardboard squares - I buy mine from a local rat breeder by the sack, but I believe you can buy it on line if you google "finacard". I use cat litter in their litter trays. The cardboard pieces are great because they collect them and nest build with them in the litter trays and some of the hammocks. I also give them shredded paper, which I buy at the pet shop or use my own when I'm shredding, which they also like to carry to the litter tray to nest build. By the time I clean out the litter tray it's really full of cardboard and paper! :lol2: 
A good idea is to hang the paper through the bars of the cage, so that they have to collect it if they want to use it - that's a good boredom buster. :2thumb:

I also make rat hammocks and pouches etc so they get all the offcuts of leftover fleece to utilise as well - anything to keep them occupied! :lol2:
What I got my first two boys, I put them in the cage and observed them for a few days. I noticed that they favoured the two corners at the back of the cage for toileting etc, so then I put 2 triangular litter trays in each corner. They tend to poo in the one on the left hand side with an occasional wee and wee/eat and sleep in the one on the right hand side, but not many poos! It does make life easier because if you can get them to use the litter trays you can clean just the litter trays every few days to keep the smell down. When I only had the 2 boys I only cleaned out the substrate every second week and changed the litter trays about every 3/4 days. 

I found my rats a wee bit smelly, but not unbearable because I could change the litter trays through the week, but when they got to about a year old the smell didn't seem to be as bad. They're in my living room, so if they smelled I wouldn't be able to avoid smelling it.

I would say handle from day one, but don't force them. Food treats are the best way, very few rats will refuse food! :lol2:. If they come to you in the cage, just stroke them or tickle their necks and talk to them at first until they gain a bit of confidence in you. 

My breeder told me not to give them anywhere to hide away from me, so I took out the little rat house that came with the cage and all the large plastic tubes because they just ran straight in there when I walked up to the cage. So for the first few months, they only had open hammocks. That helped get them used to handling.

There are other tricks you can try if you find they are very nervous, but hopefully you've made a good choice and breeder and they'll be outgoing kittens. :2thumb:

Now all we need are photos when you get them!


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## ami_j (Jan 6, 2007)

is it a jenny KD or the regular jenny? if its the regular jenny i recommend you get some japlac and coat the bars...uncoated bars will smell vile before long. theres another thing used to coat but i cant for the life of me remember what its called...plasticote i think

if you have a spare small cage they will need to stay in that while you do it, takes about a day to dry but i really recommend it.

also if its a normal jenny you might want to get some spare ferplast doors instead of the small ones... it can make it hard to get rats who really dont want to come out to come out 

for transport you are best getting yourself a small pet carrier 

substrate wise , you can get chopped cardboard from equestrian shops or as feorag says finacard, though the chopped card is just as good and likely to be cheaper if you have your own transport


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

ami_j said:


> substrate wise , you can get chopped cardboard from equestrian shops or as feorag says finacard, though the chopped card is just as good and likely to be cheaper if you have your own transport


I'm pretty sure mine is just chopped card, but I know a lot of people use finacard and you can buy it online.

My boys love it!


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## ami_j (Jan 6, 2007)

feorag said:


> I'm pretty sure mine is just chopped card, but I know a lot of people use finacard and you can buy it online.
> 
> My boys love it!


yeah ive used finacard , the only real benefit is it goes up the hoover a little better but is about a fiver a bale more expensive...i think the bales are about 7ish quid if you can fetch it yourself, i get bales from my supplier for a tenner


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I can't remember what Alison charges me. A tenner sounds about right, but I haven't been for any since I brought my boys home a year past February. She lives halfway between Barry's work and home, so I send him to collect my card and food when I need it on his way home from work. That way not only does it save me the journey, but he pays! :2thumb:

However, I can tell you that in a year and a half we haven't finished off our second bale yet!


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## ami_j (Jan 6, 2007)

feorag said:


> I can't remember what Alison charges me. A tenner sounds about right, but I haven't been for any since I brought my boys home a year past February. She lives halfway between Barry's work and home, so I send him to collect my card and food when I need it on his way home from work. That way not only does it save me the journey, but he pays! :2thumb:
> 
> However, I can tell you that in a year and a half we haven't finished off our second bale yet!


lol i wish i could say that my bales last about a month or two


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## Nito (Sep 15, 2010)

I have 5 boys. I did have 6 but we lost 1 of our beloved boys this evening. For substrate I use a mixture of aubiose (dust extracted shredded hemp) and shredded paper. The only down side to aubiose is that they flick it everywhere but it sweeps/hoovers up easily enough. Some of my boys' favourite toys are free/cheap ones. I get a plastic tub and fill it with shredded newspaper, scrunched newspaper, a bit of shredded paper, some tissues - basically all different sizes and textures, then mix in a small handful of treats and they love 'digging' for them. I hang a whole toilet roll to the side of the cage and they spend ages pulling it apart and carting it off to wherever they want it. They love cardboard boxes of all different sizes, but especially those that sachet cat food comes in. I make my own hammocks rather than buy expensive ones because then I can afford to replace them when they start to get chewed and tatty. In warm weather they love to go 'pea fishing' and on extra hot days they enjoy it even more if I use frozen peas. They love cage cleanout time because I rearrange things and they spend ages exploring their 'new' surroundings.

Here are a few pics of my boys...










My gorgeous boy Tux that we lost today, demonstrating pea fishing.


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## 8legpet (Mar 25, 2010)

Oh My Word!
They are beautiful!
I hold my hands up. We were "feeder breeders" but we fell in love with them and now have about 25 of our own little pals (kept in a seperate room to the Pythons!)

Heres one of our lastest "Badger Dumbo" style.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Mine love pea fishing too!

















This is Wee Jeemy being taught what to do

















I also every few weeks thread a few Cheerios onto a length of string and tie it up in the cage










Here they are opening their Christmas present























I also put treats inside a toilet roll tube, fold the ends over so it's closed and they have to chew it open to get inside for the treats.

There are loads of things you can do and make for rats that are very inexpensive.


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

please dont use finacard it nearly killed my rats because of the dust in it
i now use ecobed and its much safer and i cant spot any dust at all!


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

Well they are all getting settled in!
The cage looks so huge compared to them I don't think it dawned on me how tiny they are.
Mum's got the 'rat food' with her atm, so I've given them some bran flakes and scrambled egg and a couple of raisins and they've pulled it apart and taken it inside I can hear them nibbling away 
I'm looking at this recipe that I can hopefully make in bulk :]
The shredded paper seems to completely engulf them so I will be changing that to the substrate you have recommended asap :]

THEY ARE SO UNBELIEVABLY GORGEOUS! Can't wait to get to know them:]
They are hiding atm but pics up asap :]


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## SteFANNY162 (Oct 28, 2010)

**

I had 2 male rats the died a week apart from each other  but lived til they were about 5 years old!... I kept them on cat litter but the paper based one it's cheap & keeps the smells at bay!!! ! Give them a box or something for them to bury into some socks or an old top and a hammock...! Hide treats all over the cage and get them out whenever you have free time  let them run around the be while you're in it they'll come & give you snuggles <3


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

5 years, wow, that has to be a world record (or perhaps parents replacing deceased ones?). Average lifespan is 2 to 2.5 years, my oldest was 43 months. I've only ever known one rat get past 4 and that was going on someone's word. Someone once told me they had a rat live to 7, I had a good giggle at that...

We tried finacard, and agree about the dust - although I wouldn't say it was deadly (!), it wasn't something I'd want to pay double the price of my usual bedding for.

I pay £6 for a bale of Walmsley Premierbed, delivered. 

There's details of what we feed our rats on the website...


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

Ps. The lovely "badger" rat at the top is in fact a roan. Badger is a different marking, also known as blazed berkshire.


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## scoobylyn (Nov 24, 2009)

missyrain said:


> please dont use finacard it nearly killed my rats because of the dust in it
> i now use ecobed and its much safer and i cant spot any dust at all!



That's a bit harsh. I use finacard on all of my rats znd have done so now for almost two years and its the best product in my opinion to use. I have only ever had ONE slightly dusty bale. Dilip works very hard at his product and he admitted there was a problem with a batch and immediately rectified it. There are more dust in some shavings and they don't almost kill rats as soon as you open the bag.

Finacard is an excellent product and should not be tarnished with the above statement.


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

I still think that the bigger squares are better, and I agree Finacard was horribly dusty and as I said, almost damp in the one we got (but it was a free sample so I cant complain). Even still I didnt repeat the purchase, for double the cost of regular cardboard it didn't seem worth it.

It was nice and soft for babies, shame the dust stopped me using it for them though as the babies did react to that a bit.


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

Clouse








Desmond








Jerry Cantrell


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

Crikey, how old are they? They're very very small. Are they from a breeder?


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## Minerva (Aug 24, 2008)

LisaLQ said:


> Crikey, how old are they? They're very very small. Are they from a breeder?


Thats what i was thinking, they look about 4.5/5 weeks old maximum, and still have baby fluff and big baby heads.


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## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

Teeny little'uns  Very cute, though!! I woulda said they were about 4 weeks....


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I agree they do look very young.

Anna, as a comparison, the photograph I posted first of my 2 boys 'spooning' at the far corner of the top shelf to avoid me was taken about 3 days after I picked mine up at 8 weeks old and this is Hamish sitting on my hand (and I do have big navvy's hands, sadly! :sad the day I picked them up.


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

Hmmm. 
The lady I picked them up from bred lots of rats, she said, if I remember correctly that they were 8 weeks. :hmm:
They are doing well though... they are eating lots of fresh.
I'm under the impression they have only been on 'rat food' until I bought them.
So far they've had scrambled egg, cooked chicken, curly kale, crackers, bits of low sugar and salt cereal, drinking lots of water and a couple of rat treats to get me on their good side.
Do you think they will be ok? They are climbing lots and are very energetic, and Clouse has no objection to being handled however the other two are a bit more nervous.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I'm sure they will be fine and you'll soon build them up with a good varied diet! :2thumb:

I bought a bage of Pak Choi yesterday and boys went mad for it this morning! I cut a large head into four quarters lengthways and gave each boy one and they loved it!


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## JulieNoob (Jul 9, 2008)

The babies are adorable - ver cute - bet you can spend hours watching them!!!


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## Daisyy (Jan 15, 2010)

Anna_x said:


> Ah brilliant thank you!
> So considering rats like to chew absolutely anything - are there any sort of cage styles to avoid buying, Certain materials and what not that they might chew through?
> So far I'm just thinking spacious with lots of stuff to climb and play with.


 
Don't get girls if you have a plastic base cage, they chew threw it:lol2: Mine's re inforced with steel lmfao


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

Anna_x said:


> Hmmm.
> The lady I picked them up from bred lots of rats, she said, if I remember correctly that they were 8 weeks. :hmm:
> They are doing well though... they are eating lots of fresh.
> I'm under the impression they have only been on 'rat food' until I bought them.
> ...


They will be fine with good care, sounds like you're on the case. However, I wouldn't return to her as it sounds like she's not got a clue.

They're not 8 weeks, 4 weeks maybe at the very most. And giving only rat food with no extras for mum or babies means she doesn't seem like a very knowledgable breeder.

Even if they were 8 weeks, the responsible thing to do with babies that small would be to keep them til they're ready. Clearly if they're 8 weeks and not had a proper moult yet, let alone got to the size of average 8 weekers, they weren't ready.

Good job you have them now though, they'll come on leaps and bounds. However, just because it turned out for the best doesn't mean it's worth repeating - so I'd avoid her in future.


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

LisaLQ said:


> They will be fine with good care, sounds like you're on the case. However, I wouldn't return to her as it sounds like she's not got a clue.
> 
> They're not 8 weeks, 4 weeks maybe at the very most. And giving only rat food with no extras for mum or babies means she doesn't seem like a very knowledgable breeder.
> 
> ...



Thanks, I'm just thinking... considering she seems to be quite unreliable... how do I double check that they are ACTUALLY boys.
I don't want to distress them by grabbing them because atm we're only at the taking food out of my hand stage and I don't want to ruin our progress :/


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## JulieNoob (Jul 9, 2008)

Anna_x said:


> how do I double check that they are ACTUALLY boys.


Bar climbing time gives you a good view of the important areas!


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

Testicles should be fairly obvious even at their age - if you're in any doubt, post piccies of bums up here and I'll sex them for you.


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

scoobylyn said:


> That's a bit harsh. I use finacard on all of my rats znd have done so now for almost two years and its the best product in my opinion to use. I have only ever had ONE slightly dusty bale. Dilip works very hard at his product and he admitted there was a problem with a batch and immediately rectified it. There are more dust in some shavings and they don't almost kill rats as soon as you open the bag.
> 
> Finacard is an excellent product and should not be tarnished with the above statement.



its not harsh its life its very dusty and i have not used it for months 
i want the best for my rats i use ecobed 
and i cant see why i got finacard in the first place the first bale was bad the 2nd was even worse


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

Anna_x said:


> Thanks, I'm just thinking... considering she seems to be quite unreliable... how do I double check that they are ACTUALLY boys.
> I don't want to distress them by grabbing them because atm we're only at the taking food out of my hand stage and I don't want to ruin our progress :/



get a treat hold it up to the bars 
or just pick them up and talk to them they wont mind it will do them some good 

you can see here 
Fancy Rats | Information | Sexing Rats
its not hard to tell as you think boys have bigger bumpy bits girls have flater smaller bits

forgot to say look for nipples if you find any then its a girl


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

My daughter has two dumbo rats - and we have had loads over the years. I kept them myself, before she was born.

We've tried lots of substrates over the years. We now use cat litter pellets (from Wilkinson). These are very good, as they don't create loads of dust and absorb smells quite well.

Handle them very regularly from a very young age. As soon as they get over any fear (which won't take long), they clearly enjoy the interaction. They're inquisitive and playful. However, if you don't put the time in, they will be timid and shy. They rarely bite and usually this is when they mistake you for food. Their eyesight isn't brilliant, so if your finger smells of food, don't be surprised if it gets nibbled! They are very definitely not aggressive, though!

Food wise - they will eat just about anything! Avoid citrus fruits, though. Ours love scraps from our plates, but be careful, as they can get a bit portly if their diet is too rich! The standard rat mix from a pet shop should be the staple, with the odd treat from time to time.


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

i make mine dinners and put onto trays they have a cooked dinner 3 times a week
the odd treat to mine is trifle 
and the best cooked food is white fish and rice,brown bread 
they eat that best


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

I wouldn't give them the standard rat mix from the pet shop. It's usually full of nuts and seeds and completely unsuitable for rats.

I'd use rabbit food, add a bit of good dog food (fish based JWB or duck or salmon Skinners) if you want (I dont add this as I give fresh protein when necessary), and if you want to give more variety - break up some unsalted rice cakes, ryvita, and low sugar cereals into it.

The only rat food from the pet shop I've been told is any good is Xtra Vital.

And my only rule for my owners - avoid nuggets!


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

LisaLQ said:


> I wouldn't give them the standard rat mix from the pet shop. It's usually full of nuts and seeds and completely unsuitable for rats.
> 
> I'd use rabbit food, add a bit of good dog food (fish based JWB or duck or salmon Skinners) if you want (I dont add this as I give fresh protein when necessary), and if you want to give more variety - break up some unsalted rice cakes, ryvita, and low sugar cereals into it.
> 
> ...


Good point about rat mix:no1:. Our local pet shop is very clued up on rats and has some great mix. A lot of places will sell you stuff that was meant for other animals and is not suitable.

Ours get treats of left over bread, weetabix, cornflakes (they love these), dog biscuits and leftovers from our dinner. It's tempting to overdo this, though, as they clearly prefer our food. They will also go for any fat rather than lean meat, so again, care is needed.


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

I've always been very strict with mine, the only treats they get are dog treats - but the other night I gave my girls a crunchy nut cornflake each - just the one. They all love me now :lol2:


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## missyrain (Feb 14, 2009)

LisaLQ said:


> I've always been very strict with mine, the only treats they get are dog treats - but the other night I gave my girls a crunchy nut cornflake each - just the one. They all love me now :lol2:



i sit on the floor eating them :lol2: they all come running! they all love nutty cornflakes!


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

LOL - yep, they're into anything I'm eating, hence me not getting them out at tea time (I'm not good at sharing!).


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

missyrain said:


> i sit on the floor eating them :lol2: they all come running! they all love nutty cornflakes!


So do mine - and Shreddies.

The other night I was sitting watching telly and who came wandering along the sofa to me, but Hamish. Now the previous night when Barry was out filling up the car with petrol he brought me back a giant bar of Cadbury's Whole Nut - which I *love* and which I ate half of that night. 

So I leaned over to the coffee table and snapped off a piece, bit off a hazelnut with a teeny bit of chocolate on it and gave it to Hamish, whereupon he sat on the settee next to me and tucked in - wasn't that cute?

Barry came in with a cup of tea and I said "look at us eating our chocolate" :lol2: So I snapped off another row of squares (leaving the last row in the wrapper) beside me on the settee and bit off another hazelnut for him and sat watching the telly. He ate his hazelnut and eventually wandered off and vanished. 

When I came to get my last row of squares - the wrapper was empty!! :gasp: The little b*gger had pinched it! :bash: I went over to the cage and there it was sitting in the middle of his litter tray - a full strip of 4 pieces! 

I *loved* it!! :roll2: PMSL!!


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## M355Y (Jan 28, 2011)

Aww they so titchy!


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## Anna_x (Jun 2, 2009)

Hey everyone! Quick update.

They have practically doubled in size and are very confident little rats now :]
I'll get some pics up soon.

My only issue really is getting them out.

The first time I got one out, he 'escaped' within milliseconds and it took about an hour to find him again (hense why it's taken him much longer to trust me than the others).
The second time, I held the most confident rat, Clouse, who loves the interaction but he too escaped my grip and luckily he went under the bed for a second and was then just trying to get back into the cage.

I know they really want to get out, whenever I open the door they dart across the cage and almost make it out!
But I want to do it in a safe, confined way and I'm not really sure how!

Any suggestions would be much appreciated x


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

Pop them in a carrier then take them to the hallway or bathroom, somewhere where there's not lots of furniture for them to hide under and no wires to nibble at. Obviously move anything (bleach, etc) dangerous out of the way.

Or make a playpen out of correx or tough cardboard (about 3ft high).


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I used to take mine up to the bathroom and sit on the floor and interact with them when I first got mine because they would just hide under their cage all the time when they were let out!


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## LisaLQ (Jan 29, 2009)

In the (empty) bath is another option, although mine dont like that much they just bounce and bounce and bounce up against the side and slide back down again trying to get out...


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