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General Information About Rats

Rats are extremely intelligent creatures. It is often said that they have the intelligence level of a two and a half year old child. Contrary to popular belief, they are also very clean animals. Rats groom themselves over seven times a day, from the tip of their nose, to the tip of their tail. They also frequently groom each other, but as more of a social gesture.

Rats are very social animals. Not only do they thrive on the companionship of their own kind, but they seek out and enjoy the company of their humans. In the wild, rats live in large groups called mischief's. These groups function very much like a pack of wolves, with the same hierarchy or structure.

When obtaining a rat as a pet, it is very important that you have multiple rats of the same sex, or different sexes only if the rats have been neutered or spayed. Two or three are adequate for new rat owners, more for those with more experience. A rat should NOT be housed on it’s own. Solitary rats often suffer with being more antisocial towards humans, and are often more sickly throughout their lives. Every avenue must be exhausted before deciding to keep a rat on its own.

The rats cage should not be left in a closet, or in a back bedroom where nobody ever goes. It is important that they be kept in the midst of where their humans spend most of their time. They want to be included in what is going on around the house.

Rats require about an hour a day of social time outside of the cage interacting with their humans. The time spent free ranging is also important because rats need a certain amount of exercise that they cannot get within the cage only. Male rats especially tend to get overweight if not given adequate exercise.

Rats are good pets for children, although the child should always be supervised if they are on the younger side. Rats are fairly robust animals that can endure handling and are not easily damaged, unlike a lot of smaller animals. Rats are not prone to biting, and enjoy being stroked and played with. They are nocturnal creatures by nature, but will adjust their sleeping schedule to correspond to when their humans want them out and about. They are always eager to interact with humans, and do not get cranky when woken up from naptime for playtime.

While rats tend to be less expensive to purchase/adopt, realize that their supplies, medical care etc can add up! While their housing is not too expensive, their medical bills can be high, and just like any other animal, they must go to the vet when ill.

Please do not purchase/adopt a rat, (or any animal), based on the price of the animal alone. All that the animal needs to be healthy, happy, and live a full life must be taken into account.

Choosing A Rat

When a beginner, it is best to have only one sex of rat in the house, unless the rats have been altered. It is easier to free range, and it eliminates any accidental pregnancies from happening. It only takes a couple of seconds for an accident to occur, and unfortunately accidents are fairly common.

As far as which sex is concerned, it is an individual preference. Female rats are smaller, their coats softer, and they normally scent mark their territories less. They are also extremely active throughout their lives, and rarely sit still on their owners laps, preferring to be out and exploring. Males are far more laid back on a whole, grow much bigger in some cases, and are more likely to be ‘lap’ rats. Their coats are usually coarser, and they can scent mark quite a bit. They have very pronounced testicles, which can sometimes turn people away.

Of course, this is only a generalization, some rats will be the complete opposite. They are all individuals with their own distinct personalities.

When deciding upon which type of rat to get, the choices are abundant. There are standard eared, and dumbo eared, standard coat, rex coat (curly with curly whiskers), patchwork or semi hairless, and hairless rats. Hairless rats do need some special treatment, so are not a wise choice for beginners. Rats come in a rainbow of different colours and with different markings. There are self's (all one colour), hooded, capped, Berkshire, Irish, blazed, and many more markings, in all colours ranging from black, white, blue, beige, Siamese, agouti and everything in between. There are nearly as many colours and markings of rats than there are cats.

For more examples, or for pictures of each, please visit the following websites:

www.ratbreeding.com/Coat_Color_Photos.htm

www.altpet.net/rodents/rats/rf03.html

mutantspud.com/frc/info_pages/about/markings_colors.html

www.rmca.org/Standard/Rat/ratidx.htm

www.afrma.org/fancyrm.htm

When you are choosing a particular rat there are a number of things to watch out for. You want to chose a rat that is active and seems curious. Your rat should have no pink/red staining around the nose and eyes. This staining is called porphyrin and could indicate that the rat is not well. Their eyes should be big and wide, their coats should look healthy and shiny and their skin free of scabs or bald patches (unless the breed is a patchwork or semi hairless). Your rat should not be fearful of you, and should be eager to be picked up. A rat that runs and hides, or squeaks or struggles when picked up could be a less socialized rat and will require special handling until the rat is comfortable with humans.

Their breathing should be very quiet. Be sure to hold the rats chest up to your ears. All you should hear is their heart beating and maybe a slight breathing sound. If what you hear is a raspiness, or congested chest, the rat could have a respiratory infection that should be taken care of before they are adopted out. They should not be sneezing, or making clucking sounds when they breath. Their teeth should be straight and their noses clean.

Housing

Rat owners have several options for housing their rats. The most important part of housing is that the rats have enough room. Each rat requires a minimum of 1.0 cubic feet within the cage, with 2.0 cubic feet per rat being ideal for an animal their size. If rats feel cramped they will fight and behave aggressively towards one another. Overcrowding makes for unhappy rats. There are cage calculators available to test to see how many rats are able to fit inside your cage. The calculators can be found here:

http://www.kristinewickstrom.homestead.com/files
/PanelApplet.html

http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml

Although others have found glass or plastic aquariums acceptable, they are not always the best choice. Aquariums work well in areas that are drafty, or for sick or nursing rats. Aquariums keep heat in efficiently, and provide a safe environment for rats small enough to fit through cage bars. Never keep aquariums in direct sunlight.

Aquariums are also very inexpensive. Rat owners can find second hand glass aquariums sometimes very cheaply due to the fact that they no longer are able to hold water.

Aquariums need to be cleaned out completely every couple of days because the ammonia from the rat urine builds up quickly and causes the rat respiratory distress. It is very challenging to find items that can go into the aquarium that need to be elevated as well.

Cages are looked upon as the better option for the following reasons. Cages provide constant air exchange that does not allow the ammonia to build up within. They are easier to clean in that they can be wiped down much of the time with a non-toxic, animal friendly product instead of being completely submersed in water. Attaching water bottles and hammocks are easy with a metal cage. When choosing a metal cage, it is better to go with powder coated as opposed to galvanized. Powder coated are much easier to clean, and do not smell as the galvanized tend to do with time.

Most metal cages come with plastic, or metal bottoms. Both are fine as they are covered with shavings or cloth for the comfort of the rats. The bottom of the cage must never be wire, always a solid bottom. A rats foot can easily be damaged between the wire bars along the bottom of the cage.

The most common problem with metal cages are that they are expensive for rats due to their size requirements. Many use cages designed for ferrets because they will house multiple rats in one cage. They can also be awkward to clean when the shelving inside cannot be removed.

Where cages are kept is also important. They should not be in a drafty area, or in direct sunlight.

Different types of metal cages can be found here:

www.martinscages.com

www.petsmart.com

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Bedding

There are many options that can be used for rat bedding. Pine and cedar ARE NOT two of them. Pine and cedar woods contain phenols, which are natures insecticide, and phenols are what gives the wood the favorable smell. However, they are deadly for small animals, especially for those with sensitive respiratory systems. They also release hydro carbons which can cause respiratory problems and liver damage in small animals. The only acceptable wood shavings are made from Aspen.

Safe rat bedding includes Wood stove pellets, and paper based products such as Yesterday’s News or Care fresh. Care fresh can be dusty, irritating sensitive rat respiration. Yesterdays News (compressed newspaper pellets) will break down less that Wood Pellets when in contact with urine, (causing piles of dust to develop).

Towels are also very popular. Towel bedding does require changing frequently, every day or two, due to the buildup of rat urine. When washing any cloth bedding, it is suggested to use non perfumed detergent and fabric softener.

Other items commonly used are hemp, wood stove pellets and rabbit food, or alfalfa pellets. Rats will not eat alfalfa, so using it as a bedding is safe.

Many rat owners will use a combination of the above, shavings at the bottom of the cage, and cloth as hammocks or to line shelves for ratty comfort.

It is important that a rats environment be kept very clean. If the smell of pine and cedar are appealing in order to keep the smell down, the cage is not being cleaned frequently enough. A well maintained rat cage should have very little smell to it. It should not require masking by using dangerous aromatic wood bedding.

Cage Acessories/Toys

Due to their high intelligence, rats need to be intellectually stimulated in addition to physically stimulated. When they are not out free ranging and playing with their humans, they should be provided with toys and entertainment within their cage. There are also many ways to entertain your rats, and keep them happy, while they are out of the cage. Toys can include digging boxes, rattles, ramps, chew toys, etc.

A very good website that lists lots of entertaining and inexpensive ideas can be found here:

http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm

Nutrition

Rats are omnivores, insectivores, and scavengers. In the wild, they will eat almost anything to survive. However, their lives are shortened because they do not get the proper nutrition that they require. It is very important that pet rats have all their nutritional needs provided to live long and healthy lives.

Rat diets should consist of the same items as a human diet. Those foods that are not healthy for humans to eat, should not be given to rats either. Sweets and treats should be given in moderation as rats are notorious for having a sweet tooth.

Rat blocks, or lab blocks are designed to provide all the necessary nutritional requirements. They are also designed so the rat will not eat just the favourite pieces and leave the rest. Seed mixes are not ideal for this reason. The rats will eat the fattening nuts and leave the bits that they need the most.

Another staple that is frequently used is Nutro Natural Lite Dog food. Because dogs are also omnivores, their kibble is an acceptable substitute for lab blocks designed for rodents. For more info, visit:

http://www.epetpals.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=079105206006

One of the most important things to check for when picking a stable block or kibble for your rat is the protein levels. Male rats should not get more than aprox 18% protein in their diets. Females or nursing mothers should receive more protein, but should not get more than about 25%. When rats have too much protein in their diets, they can suffer from very uncomfortable and itchy skin conditions. They will scratch themselves constantly causing hair loss and scabs.

Rats cannot live on their staple food alone. Be sure to substitute frequently with fresh fruits and vegetables, with a treat of meat or chicken thrown in occasionally. Store bought treats should be kept to a minimum, instead use cereal, or the rats favorite fruit or vegetable. Peas are usually a favorite of every rat.

Be aware that there are a handful of foods that should not be fed to rats. A list of forbidden foods, or foods to give with caution can be found here:

http://www.ratfanclub.org/diet.html
(scroll down about ¾ of the page)

Health

Rats can suffer from many medical conditions. The most common are respiratory diseases, and tumours in females. It is very important that a new rat owner already has a vet lined up that is familiar with treating rats, and not be caught with a sick rat and nobody to treat it.

Not all vets will treat rats, and many others are not very knowledgeable with their specific health issues and current successful treatments. Please do not assume that a vet that treats cats and dogs will see rats. Do some research on area vets, and their prices & experience with them. How many rats do they see each week? Rats are considered ‘small exotics’ by many vet practices.

Some excellent links on rat ailments, care and medications can be found here:

www.ratguide.com

www.nenuphar.plus.com/FirstAid

www.raisinrats.com/medicalinfo.html

www.rmca.org/Articles/dchart.htm

This last one is very important, and all rat owners should be familiar with the treatments it outlines. It is strongly suggested by many rat owners that it is printed out and brought to the vet along with the rat in order for the owner to discuss with the vet the best course of treatment.

Choosing A Rat

Further Reading