Hi, congrats on choosing to do some research before getting your boys.
Male rats are very snuggly and squishy. They make excellent pets (as do the hyper females). If you are getting both males from the same litter then you will not have to worry about intros, however, if you find that you end up with 2 males that are not housed together please have a look at this http://www.ratfanclub.org/newrat.html
Rats require a varied diet consisting of lab blocks, seeds and grains plus fresh fruit and vegetable. They can also have some of the foods that you prepare for your own meals just not too much fatty or oily foods.
Here is a couple of list with suitable foods and foods that should be avoided http://www.prrr.org/ratcare/feeding.html
Please make sure you provide your boys with a lovely, well ventilated, large cage. If you do not provide enough space for them to sleep, play and eat you may have issues in the future with aggression. Aquariums do not make suitable homes for rodents due to rodents have very sensitive respiratory systems here is a little bit more about aquariums http://www.prrr.org/ratcare/housing/aqua鈥?/a>
These are some guidelines to follow when looking at cages and toys etc
Any Rat cage must :
* be big enough so that everyone living within it has their own space. Could you imagine having to spend 8 hours or more a night with 10 other people in your bathroom?. (Rats are nocturnal and are most active while we are sleeping)
* be well ventilated to allow fresh air in and the ammonia and other toxic smells out.
* be escape proof (more on this later).
* provide some protection from cool drafts as this can cause illness.
* provide some privacy in the way of safe bedding, hammocks, old boxes etc so your Rat can feel warm, secure and safe while resting.
* provide enough area to allow your Rats to be able to run and play, remembering that Rats are most active while you are asleep and need somewhere to burn their energy during the night.
* be cleaned thoroughly and on a regular basis with safe to use cage cleaning products.
* provide mental and physical enrichment objects to keep your Rat from destructive behaviour like barbering themselves or their cage mates.
Respiratory illness is one of the most common ailments that rats suffer from. Here is a link to more on the subject http://www.prrr.org/ratcare/illness/myco鈥?/a> If you rats show symptoms of any sort of respiratory illness it is important to take them directly to the vet, the faster antibiotic treatment can be started the faster and better your rat will recover.
Rats also suffer terribly with Tumors, spayed and neutered animals tend to get tumors less, however, they can still get some other types of tumors. Here is some information on tumors and other illness that effects rats http://www.prrr.org/ratcare/illness.html
For bedding avoid pine or cedar chips as this causes respiratory distress and can harm your rats. Look for litter such as carefresh or other things that do not create a lot of dust. I personally prefer to use material for bedding as it is washable and reusable. Rats also love hammocks, tubes etc.
For toys look for bird and small animals toys that are non toxic if chewed. Cardboard boxed also make excellent play things.
I hope this all help. Rats are great pets and if handled correctly everyday will be the best friends you have ever owned.Rats?? Do they make good pets?? Pros and cons??
You are very welcome. Enjoy, Rats are worth every second that you spend with them.
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I think they're sweet pets...got two males myself a while back....one white, one brown. The white one would actually sit in my lap or lay on the table while I did homework. He even played well w my cat. The other one...Brownie, was anti-social and disappeared one day. He pretty much lived behind the stove and cabinets for a long time til I caught him. He didn't want to be domesticated, so I let him go. The other one, though was great and is a good pet for kids, too.
Sad though...after about 6 mos...he got away and my roomate's snake found her to be a tasty snack....guess it's nature!
Get a clear ball you can put him in it and let him run around,and not lose the critter.
I just got 2 new baby rats, Pumpkin and Juno.
I love em, they're so cute.
My friend got me into them becuase she has two also.
They're very smart and clean rodents. They stink a little, but you just need to clean their cage regularly.
They're so fun becuase they're like little puppies, they love their tummy's rubbed, they eat almost anything, and they can learn their names and do tricks.
They have a very bad reputation for being dirty and mean, but that's not true at all.
Get them, they're awesome. :)
i would say two female rats, their more active.. i LOVE rats! i used to have alot when i was younger. just remember to always clean their cage, or itll smell up fast. and use tissue boxs for houses, lol
Rats do make good pets, however I wouldn't get two male rats. i would start out with females.
Male rats are the BEST! I have 3 of them =] They are hyper when young but as they get older they calm down and will like sit on your shoulder or cuddle up on your lap!
Just play with them lots and remember they stink a bit so you have to clean their cage once a week, get a cage that has good ventalation(spl?).
They need about a an hour of play time day =]
I have one pet rat at the moment, and he's lovely. I've just bought him a bigger cage because I'm getting another rat in a week or so. If you don't already have a cage, then I reccommend that you get a large one with multi levels, especially since you're getting two rats. Each rat needs at least 2 cubic feet, so this calculator is handy for working out what size cage you need. All you do is put in the dimensions in of the cage size you were thinking of getting and press calculate. :)
http://www.huskyrat.co.uk/aboutrats/cage鈥?/a>
I would also say that if you can, buy your cage from ebay, or get a second hand one and clean it well with pet safe disinfectant, rat cages can be very expensive. I purchased my cage off ebay, and it was much cheaper than if I had bought it from any of my local pet stores. The only problem with this cage is that it has a wire floor, but this can be easily remidied if you fit something over the shelving. Rats can easily damage their feet on unusual surfaces such as wire or even sawdust, so the best thing to do if you get a wire bottomed/shelved cage is to cover it with something like lino. Its easy to cut to size, inexpensive, and can be wiped clean. Another alternative could be flanneling or wood, but both of these would soak in any urine and need changing regularly to avoid bad smells. I intend to use the lino option.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LB-SA12-3-Tier-Fer鈥?/a>
As for the bedding, I wouldn't advise using sawdust or flakes as they may irritate your rat's eyes and nose, and as rats are well known for having respiratory problems already, anything you can do to try and reduce the dust would be a good idea.
I use shredded kitchen roll (bought cheap from the supermarket - just make sure its not scented or anything), and I also purchase a ready cut bedding, which is like the kitchen roll but thinner and is made out of edible vegatable parchment. My rat likes to drag that around, and its nice and wam on those cold nights.
At the moment I am also using paper flakes as they are good for keeping the rat warm, these are soft like a disc cloth and are in tiny pieces, this again can be purchased from a pet store or good supermarket.
A good thing to buy for your rats burrow is a 100% viscose bedding, its very warm and great for cold nights. An old easter egg box, or shoe box with a door cut out makes a cheap substitue for a bed, but it needs to be pretty sturdy as you will find that your rat will sit on it, lol. You could also get a hammock, or even make your own.
If your rats are chewers, then it would be wise to get an unchewable water bottle, theyre made out of a glass like material with long spouts, there is no way they can be chewed, theyre around 拢3.99, I dont use one of these as my rat hasnt started to chew it yet, lol.
If your rat does chew, you can put other things in the cage that they can chew on instead. You can buy specific rat toys, but bird toys are cheaper and can also be used.
A good place to look up home made toys, and fun games for your ratty is here.
http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm
Its much much better to buy rat pellets for your rat rather than a mixed food, I use a mix at the moment, but im gradually phasing it out. You will find that rats will only eat the bits they like and may become undernurished, so the pellets are a good way to go. You can instead, treat your rats occasionally with pieces of fruit, meat, cereal etc. But a word of warning - do not give male rats oranges or anything orange related, theyre bad for them. My rat likes multi grain cereal and turkey, lol.
Another good thing to give your rat is a salt lick so they can get the stuff they need from them. Putting a clean stone in the cage or when its play time is good for keeping the rats claws in order, and they love to play with them!
Its really upto you which gender you get, I have a male rat and I'm getting a second soon, but it all depends on which you think you prefer. Apparently, male rats prefer to cuddle up rather than play, but will still play. Whereas females want to play all the time, and wont like being in a cage all the time. Each rat will be different personality wise, so just pick a gender that you actually want. Always make sure you handle the rats in store or wherever before you get them. Some pet shops dont handle them a lot and they become viscious and may bite. I wont buy rats from the petstores near me because one of them the rats ARE viscious and the other dont look after them very well.
Rats are great pets, and theyre very fun to watch. :)
Yes! I have three rats currently, a pink-eyed-white, alfie, a tan hooded named Coco and a black hooded named Milo. I love them all. They all come when called and only go poo in their litter pan here else is why.
WHY RATS?
I know. Why rats? For years they have been symbols of disgusting, lowlife, disease-carrying animals. But things have changed. Rats have been domesticated. In fact, their popularity as pets is growing every year and more and more people are realizing how great they can be when they are not from city streets. I don't even know where to begin in talking about how great these animals really are, but after the following fun facts, I think you'll be convinced.
Rats clean themselves from head to toe about six times a day. They are the cleanest rodents.
Of all mammals, rats share the most physical similarities with humans excluding primates.
Domesticated fancy rats do NOT carry disease that can be transmitted to humans. All rat sicknesses are species specific.
Rats can be litter trained like cats very easily.
Rats are just as intelligent and sometimes even more so than dogs.
Rats can easily remember their name and can come when they are called.
Rats do not require alot of money to keep.
Rats are not aggressive at all unless they are mistreated and abused.
Rats do not require an expensive diet from the pet store.
Those are just some quick facts. There are many other good things about rats. I have had many pets, and rats are my favorite by far. I have created this website to inform you of proper rat care so you and your rat can be happy and healthy.
If you're still not convinced check out some of the awesome pics on dapper.com.au. Or check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoSrrPIao鈥?/a>
Good luck, rats are really palm sized dogs without the barking and all. If you need more info, go to my site: www.freewebs.com/raerats
Ok, no offense, but I think you're crazy! I don't think I could think of one of those things as ';pets';!! Whatever you do, keep them up! If one of them get loose, your house is in for trouble! They can sure do some damage! Trust me!
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