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Anyone keep Rats?


ZeromiserY

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I'm getting a couple of rats soon.

looking for tips on care and play for them that i cant find on the interweb anyway. like good toys that are durable and what foods will give them bubonic plague etc.

anyone keep them?

also looking for pictures of home made/modified cages coz im building one myself. need ideas

thanks

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Guest bluesxman

I used to have 2 rats, both dead now, aged 2 and 2.5 when they died.

Food wise, just get the rat pellets you get at the pet shop down the beach, plus some veg/fruit. Mine used to love frozen peas, just put them in the cage frozen. Cooked chicken also used to go down well. In fact they got their own Xmas lunch, with a small portion of what we had potato, brussel sprouts, carrot, turkey, etc.

Pity you werent a few months sooner, you could have had our old cage, it went to the dump, was a good size for 2 rats with loads of extra shelves, etc.

The best way to keep them interested is to let them out to run around, we just used to let them run about the sofa and on us. Beware that if you get males they pee on you to mark their territory, in that respect females are better. Any plastic or wooden toys you get in pet shops are good but also be warned that they may not pay any mind to them, everything we got ours was ignored.

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Hey,

I work with rats and know a few people who have had them. They make really good pets! My friends rat would chase objects, fetch tennis balls and collect plastic bags! All rats are different though, some will love playnig with toys whilst others won't be bothered by them. I'd recommend one of the bigger hutchs with various levels and a little house for them to hide in- maybe 2 separate ones?

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i feel slightly silly posting about this, of all things, after a year of absence but hey.

Fancy Rats | Home is a good place for information.

definitely get at least a pair of rats! P.A.W.S.S Pet & Animal Welfare Support Service Aberdeen often has rescues needing homes. there are a couple of reputable rat breeders towards dundee and glasgow; if you buy from them, you're buying a rat that is almost guaranteed to be much healthier and longer lived. does bought from pet shops are notorious for developing mammary tumours and both sexes are more likely to struggle with respiratory problems.

i can't offer much advice on the cage - i'm a diy dunce - but make sure you make it big enough. while they're young and mobile, you'll be able to get away with a tall cage (as opposed to a low one that takes up loads of floor space) if you put in shelves and hammocks so there're no long drops.

sawdust is really, really bad for wee furry animals so avoid that. carefresh is a good but relatively expensive alternative. bedxcel or ecopetbed are huge bales of chopped up cardboard (marketed as horse bedding) which are cheap as chips and do the job perfectly if you can get your hands on them. biocatolet or bob martin's 100% paper cat litter are other options. you can litter train rats so you have to do a full cage clean less often.

the rat nuggets pets at home sell are pretty good but the best diet you can give them is home made. it's a bit of a pain to make but if you do a lot at once, it keeps in a plastic box for ages.

if you get bucks, don't let them eat orange peel or mango. does are okay with them. rats can't burp or vomit so don't let them drink any fizzy things and obviously alcohol's not good. i can't remember exactly why but caffeine is bad too. mine usually go bananas for a little chopped up boiled egg or bits of spaghetti.

i don't bother buying many expensive toys any more - my rats get old cardboard things (they love tissue and egg boxes) to play with and destroy. a hammock can be as little as an old trouser leg safety pinned to the side of the cage. if you really want to buy toys, a lot of parrot things are well suited, as are the ropes with endy bits that screw on the the side of the cage.

they need a lot of "free range" time too - so if you can tidy up any loose wires, close the windows and doors and make sure there're no holes in your skirting, they'll run around and explore quite happily. keep an eye on them though - i've had a few that just can't resist crawling down the back of a sofa and chewing it up from the inside.

i should probably stop there. :laughing:

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thanks for the advice folks.

its a pity about the cage!

if anyone knows a guy who spoke to this chick at work (or something) who has a cage they want rid of i'd be happy to buy it. just cant afford the 90 for a new one!

i've heard they are very intelligent and train quite easily.

looking for the names of famous rats as well.

i'm thinking splinter and rizzo. (or maybe roland)

:up:

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