Rat Owners: Tips for a Newbie?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I recently acquired a pair of pet rats (despite my father’s wishes for no new pets in the house - I’m gonna keep telling myself he just meant not another cat). They are utterly adorable and I love them to pieces already. Their names are Templeton and Bob (even though they’re both female - I reeeeeally wanted to name them Templeton and Bob), and I need some advice on how to make my rat-owning experience eccellent for both me and my new girls.

A few basic questions:
Do they need toys? Their current home is a 10-gallon tank (they’re very small as of yet - their bodies are shorter than my palm, and I have small hands) with Carefresh bedding, food dish, water bottle, and a “Timber Hide-Away” wooden box/house type thing. They seem to enjoy running around, in and out of, and climbing on the box/house thing, but I wonder if they need something else to play with/chew on. They’re on their own alot while I’m at work and such. Can’t get them anything jingly, though, as their tank is in my bedroom. :slight_smile:

Food-wise, I’ve got the rat/mouse nuggets (I forget the brand) that the pet store reccommended. But they seem so bland. Can I give them treats? Veggies? French fries? Cheese? What do they like, and what’s good for them?

They were extremely skittish when I first brought them home, but I’ve been trying to handle them a fair bit and get them used to people. Is there any specific way I should handle them to get them used to me and get them to stop freaking out when I pick them up? I’ve spent years handling kittens, so I’m trying to treat them the same way, gentle, always support them, soft stroking and such. What’s the best way to get them acclimated to handling?

Can/should I train them? Can I teach them tricks or to do anything cool? Can I at least teach them not to poop on me every time I hold them?

And any other tips or advice you have I would very much appreciate. I really want to take good care of them and have happy rats. :slight_smile:

Oh, and what new pet thread would be complete without pictures?

Templeton
Bob
Timber Hide-Away
Escape! Escape!

2

Yay for new ratties! Templeton is adorable, she looks just like my dear departed Milo <snif>. I’m not terribly fond of albino ratties, but Bob is kinda cute all the same.

Good on you for Carefresh bedding. You wanna make sure the bedding doesn’t get shoved under the ball of the water bottle too high, or all the water will come out and you will have wet and unhappy ratties.

I’m guessing the food you’ve got is Kaytee Rat & Mouse pellets - that’s a basic good rat diet, and there are a couple other brands that are right up there too. yes, they can and should have treats - they’re basically omnivorous, but you don’t want to be giving them hamburgers. You can buy other brands of rat food that are a mixture of seeds and dried fruits and veggies - this is not recommended as a sole diet, but in addition to their regular “rat chow.” (And they will QUICKLY learn to pick out their favorite bits and leave the rest!) I used to save veggie and fruit trimmings for mine - the ends of cucumbers, a slice of apple, the tops of green peppers, the bruised part of a banana, etc. They like Cheerios, but they’re kind of high in salt, so give sparingly. Mine also liked dry spaghetti every now and then.

They do need something to chew on, or their incisors will grow too long and interfere with their abiility to eat. Incisors can be clipped, but that’s pretty traumatic for them AND you. You can buy special untreated bits of hard wood in bags at the pet store for chewing. My guys always liked to play with/destroy/hide in toilet paper tubes (which have the added benefit of being real cheap and usually handy.)

Since you’ve got them in a an essentially closed environment, you’re going to want to be careful that ammonia fumes don’t build up. Clean the tank out pretty often - there’s less air circulation than there would be in a cage.

Sounds to me like you’re doing fine on the handling them part. Gently, and let them get used to you. It won’t take them long to recognize you as a source of food and nice petting, and before long they will come to greet you.

Milo never pooped on me, and Rodney never DIDN’T poop on me, so no help there.

Good luck and have fun!

3

We used to give our hamsters (we only had one hamster at a time, but we’ve had several of them over the years) a couple of raisins now and then, as a treat. They LOVED raisins. Of course we had to clean out the cage pretty frequently, so we’d pitch their food stores. LifeOnWry’s plan of scraps sounds like a good idea, I’m sure that any rodent would like a bit of fruit or vegetable. If we ever get another hamster or other rodent, we’ll probably make sure to save a bit of vegetable scraps for them.

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Keep them away from NIMH.

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Oh, Lynn’s post reminds me: rats don’t routinely store food like hamsters do. They’re not gatherers, they’re scavengers, so they eat whenever there is food and they will pretty much eat it ALL. It’s really easy to overfeed your rats, because they will get excited about food even if they’ve just eaten everything not nailed down.

Do not fall for their pitiful “but I’m STARVING” routine. There should be a guide on the back of the bag of rat pellets that roughly indicates how much food they should be getting on a daily basis. Try not to go TOO far over that.

One other little feeding tip: offer treats and tidbits on the flat of your hand, rather than between your fingers. Fingertips look a lot like food to near-sighted rats, and if they mistake your fingers for carrots, they WILL bite.

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ANOTHER thingie I just thought of: do not give them onions or asparagus. Both are members of the lily family and are toxic to rats.

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I haven’t had rats in years, but when I did, they went crazy for dandelion leaves. I’m sure its not the greatest food for them, and I only gave them once in a while, but when I did, look out.

8

I’m glad there is a thread like this, because I’m having rat issues.

I have a rat (his name is Radu) and he’s in a 10 gallon tank. I use to have this fantastic add-on cage that attached to the top, and it gave him two extra levels of running around room. I was very happy with it, he was very happy with it.

One problem though - things got messy. I didn’t so much mind the fact that he liked to make little nests in each corner - hell, it was cute and cleaning up the stray bedding that fell to the floor wasn’t a big deal. However, he also took to peeing from the corners at the very top. He chose one specific corner, and his urine would drip down the sides of the tank on both sides. It was getting too messy - and I cleaned the mess up constantly. I had to lay out towels under his cage, and I didn’t want the room to start smelling like rat pee, so I was scrubbing the tank and changing the towels constantly. When I moved, I got rid of the add-on cage because I was sick of dealing with it.

I feel as though Radu has suffered because of it though. He’s not neglected, and I make sure he gets out and played with every day, but when he’s back in his tank, he must feel so closed in - especially after having all that space before.

Do any of you have any recommendations on what I can do? I would get another add-on, but I’m afraid he’ll start peeing from the top again. I could get a full on huge cage - but it still doesn’t really take away the risk either. I feel so bad whenever I look at him in his tank - all he has is a wheel anymore for entertainment when people aren’t playing with him, and I feel like a bad rat parent.

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If only Jinwicked were here, she’s our pet rat expert.

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Ratties!! squeeeeeee!!! They’re sooo cute!

Oh my oh me!

Feed them what you are eating as treats, but in small portions. I always gave my boys my pizza bones, ends of veggies, dried fruit, yogurt, etc. Don’t give them too much fruit and veggies as they may catch the runs! :eek: Also, I heard too much protien may give them a rash, so watch the meat. Mine loved Bouda Bones and sticks, I bet they would have liked Greenies, too. They didn’t like rasins, tho. I don’t like them either, so they must have gotten it from me. :smiley: A lot of rat treats are unhealthy for the little beasts, but I liked to give them Yogies in small quantities. Once I left the little contaner on top of their wire mesh cage. When I got home from class they had knocked it over, gnawed the lid off and eaten all the yogies that had fallen out! Little monsters! They pretty much laid around nursing their giant bellies that night–Think Templeton after the fair.

I think a 10 gallon tank is too small for ratties. Once they get bigger I’d recommend picking up a 20 gallon long at least. Pensandfeathers should as well. Make sure you clean it a lot, the trapped air will get smelly for the little guys. My boys chose a corner to poo in which made clean up easier. After a while they also figured out only to poo in their cage when they were out. Very smart little beasts!

Toys–I would take a few choice treats and wrap them up in a couple napkins and hang it with some string from the top of the cage just high enough for them to reach while standing up. Voila! Ratty Pinata! Just keep an eye on them so they don’t try to eat the string or napkin. Also, treats in the middle of a TP tube stuffed with napkins are fun. I wish I could remember more fun stuff I gave them, but it’s been a while.

OOh! Word of warning! Right now they are wee and would probably fit into toys and stuff made for hamsters and gerbils. They won’t fit soon, so don’t buy any! They could easily not realize how big they’ve gotten and get stuck. Yoplalit containers are easy to get stuck in for a big rat, too. Have fun with the little beasts and skritch their little noses for me!

11

A 20 gallon is a good idea. He’s not fully grown yet, so he hasn’t grown out of the 10 gallon, but it will happen eventually. I may just get a big ol’ cage, and see if I can rig some sort of shield device at the bottom around the sides so if he does take to piddling from the top, it will be easier to clean. Plus, I really would prefer to have him in something that enables him to really run around and climb a bit. Besides, I miss watching him gather bedding and make little beds in the corners.

Just as a side note, I can’t get over how cute his nostrils are. I know it sounds goofy, but look at your rats nose the next time you’re with it! When they’re sniffing around (which is all the time), the nose wiggles all over and the nostrils are so bitty. Cutest thing ever.

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Please, please don’t hang anything in your rats’ cage from string, even if you think you’re watching them. I lost both my ratboys when they got hold of a small piece of ribbon - they both choked to death on it.

13

Thanks for the info, guys. I gave them some celery as a treat earlier this evening. Bob snatched it right out of my hand, but Templeton wouldn’t even sniff it. We’ve got some apples in the fridge, I may have to eat one tomorrow just so I can treat my girls to apple bits. :slight_smile: And I’m waiting eagerly for the toilet paper roll to run out so I can give them that to play with. I bought them this past Sunday and I’m planning on cleaning their cage out tomorrow (Thursday).

Templeton seems to be much more calm and easier to handle. Bob is more skittish, more apt to poop on me, and seems to be developing a tendency to nip. Not really bite, just a little nip or two when I get fingers near her face. What should I do about that? My dad already declared that if I got rats they would “gnaw your fingers off while you sleep,” so I really don’t want her to turn into a biter.

Right now they are still very small, so they seem to have plenty of room in the 10-gallon. As they get bigger I’ll probably upgrade to something a little larger.

14

You have rats? I have snakes.

Let’s get together sometime.

15

I started out with a snake, but the rats I was raising were better company. So I sold the snake and kept the mammals. :slight_smile:

One of the best things I ever got my little ones was a rat wheel. Yeah, it was hard to find, and they called it a chinchilla wheel, but they LOVED it.

Any place that sells stuff for chinchillas will have good rat toys. Rotate the toys so they don’t get really bored.

Handle LOTS. Rats love to be exploring and sniffing. One of my rats grew to the size of a small cat, (well, maybe not that big, but close) and he loved to be taken out and placed on my shoulder. People would always squeal, which was his cue to act cute. He would sit up and beg, dance on his hind paws, and play peek a boo. Many a person would say, “I always thought rats were gross (weird, dirty, smelly ect) but this one is so cool!” :smiley:

If you live in a single story house, a play ball can be fun. That allows some exploring without fear of cats and dogs swooping in. Not that I ever feared for my guys, 'cause even a domesticated rat can defend themself.

They quickly learn what is expected of them (manners, ect). When my guys would do something I didn’t like, I would put them in their home for awhile. They are very sociable, and prefer attention.

Personally, I like rats the best of any pet rodents. Guinea pigs are kinda noisy, gerbils all have ADD, and mice get stinky really quick. Hampsters like to pee on you, and they tend to be nippy. Chinchillas are a little too high mantenance for me.

So enjoy your girls! They only get cooler with age!

16

You have snakes? I have a mongoose. Let’s schedule a play date!

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DISCLAIMER- I’ve never actually owned rats

Yes, they need toys. Rats are inteligent animals (Why do you think psychologists use them for so many experiments). Inteligent animals can get curious, and bored.

You’re unhappy with my earlier feeding suggestions?

Should you? Idunno. Can you? Decades of psychological research say yes. I’m guessing that defecating when you pick them up is just another example of a defense common to small animals. When picked up by a potential predator, they defecate and/or urinate in order to get the predator to spit them out. Once the recognize you as the giver of food and affection, they should stop and will even be eager to be picked up.

I second the warning about fingers. It’s the same with hamsters. They see something that might be food, so they bite into it to find out. It isn’t a sign of aggression, or that they don’t like you, or anything else.

18

Wow, you guys are good! You really didn’t leave me much to say. About the only advice I have is to not get the type of exercize wheel that comes on a metal stand. I lost a mouse once when it got it’s head caught. The solid plastic wheels are much safer.

I’ve notice that rats go through a teenage stage when they’re just wired. Don’t worry, they’ll calm down eventually! Once they do, you can teach them all sorts of things. Matter of fact. the animal wrangling course at our zoo requires that you teach a rat at least one trick.

It looks to me like Bob is a Siamese, not an albino. We used to have 'em at the zoo. Very cute!

Enjoy your sweeties!

19

You’re right, I think. She’s not quite white. She’s got pink eyes, but her nose is slightly darker than the rest and if you look close she’s got very faint beige markings on her back, same as the splotchy stripe Templeton has, only much lighter.

Thank you guys so much for the tips. They seem to be thriving. I’ve given them some celery and apple cores, which they loved. I’m trying very hard not to overfeed, which is tough, since every time I see them they’ve eaten everything I gave them! I gave them an empty toilet paper roll to play with the other night, and I could hear them all night going nuts and having fun ripping it to shreds. They’re already a lot calmer when I pick them up, and haven’t pooped on me in two days! Exciting!

Now I just have to figure out a way to tell my Dad about them… :o