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  1. #1
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    Pet Rats - Fancy, fancy, fancy rats

    I was amused that their breed is called Fancy Rats.
    I've been doing my own investigation across numerous sites out there but I was wondering if we maybe had a rat expert here on BG. We'll start with the questions I have so far.

    1) Anything I should know about rats in particular that sets them apart from the small animals I've owned?
    2) I can already tell you that rat poop and pee have a distinct... smell even in the bedding. If I were to buy say like 7 different fleece sheets and swap it out daily would that reduce the odor and make it easy to clean while still being comfortable for the girls?

    So to give you a background on my small animal history:
    1 Hamster (Hated everything)
    2 Chinchillas (Loved everything)
    1 Ferret (Everything hated it--besides myself--it was blind and harmless)
    2 "Female" Guinea Pigs (ended up having 3 babies a year later)

    What I've done and noticed so far:
    I made sure to buy everything necessary and extra unnecessary, some wood blocks to chew on, food, some really really expensive bedding (dust-free), a really big cage with lots of places to explore.

    Cage picture:
    Spoiler: show




    They are different, one has a gray-brownish hood and the rest of her is pretty much white. The other has a speckled back and multi-colored tail. Temporary names (probably permanent) are Salt and Pepa since I'm not creative.

    They won't hold still for a picture:
    Spoiler: show




    Pepa is a sweetheart, she immediately tried to climb on my hand and loves exploring a lot. The second my hand is in the cage she is trying to climb onto it. When I take her out of the cage she won't sit still but her heart doesn't beat rapidly. She does chatter her teeth while looking at me so I'm not sure if that's discomfort, happiness, or nervousness? She seems fine.

    Salt might as well be the opposite. She hides in one corner of the cage and when my hand comes in she moves as far away as possible. I realize that I need to handle both of them equally so I make a point to try to hold her a little until she calms down. Unlike Pepa, her heart beats very rapidly and she doesn't try to move, she holds very still and squeeks when I touch her (like I'm going to hurt her). I guess she's really really really scared.

    After I put them both back into the cage I give them a singular tiny sunflower seed treat which Pepa is very happy to take. Salt just runs to a corner and hides so I don't give her a treat Maybe she doesn't like the sunflower seeds from the pet store? She still explores around the cage but I would say that she doesn't like climbing the walls of the cage and she also doesn't like doing the risky things like jumping onto the hammock.

    Neither of them have really taken a liking to the exercise dish. They had been actively playing on the metal running wheel at the pet store so maybe they haven't quite worked out the logistics of this dish. I figured the dish would be better for them than the metal wheel cause it looked so tiny...

    Anyways! Any advice you can give to someone who is just surfing on google all day to read pet rat information will help me along.

  2. #2

    I deferred to my girlfriend and she said this:

    Sooo....I personally wouldn't line the cage with fleece sheets. They'll likely chew and tear the sheets to nest. It's easier to do the carefresh. Don't use wood shavings (pine or cedar) since rodents have extremely sensitive respiratory systems.
    Chattering is normal behavior for rats, so no worries.
    And in dealing with shy ratties, just keep handling her. Just like people, rats have different personalities. She just needs time to adjust. Be sure you're not picking her up solely by the base of the tail, as it could be painful for her. A rat's tail cannot support the weight of the body. Pick them up supporting the body. Also try holding her outside of the cage, wrapped in a blanket. That way she gets used to the outside environment but can retreat into the blanket when feeling vulnerable. And not all rats like sunflower seeds, try something else, like apple or carrot or cooked pasta

  3. #3
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    Well I definitely want to make it both comfortable for them and also keep it clean as possible. I'll give the carefresh a try then after I burn through all the bedding I've purchased.

    I've been using the "claw" technique to pick them up that I was told on numerous sites. Unfortunately picking up Salt is like pulling teeth. She runs and darts so quickly that I realize I must be scaring her more for this entire process. I don't see any way of making her get to like me better without more handling though.

  4. #4

    I'm not sure if it's ok for rats or not, but when I had Chinchillas those plastic shelves were a no-non. They will chew the shit out of them and get an impacted digestive system. Rats might have a heartier digestive system that can handle it though.

    What I did was just get some nice wood shelves to go on top of the plastic. I can't remember what wood was ok off the top of my head, I just remember Cedar was a big no no. Wood is cheap to replace, and they can chew it without much harm.

  5. #5
    D. Ring
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    I owned rats for several years. Believe me when I tell you they are the most adoring, loving animals you will ever own, and they're intelligent to boot. It is really important to build a personal relationship with each rat. You're going to have a favorite but do your best either way heh. Rats love to be handled generally. I had one that watched TV on my shoulder or would sit on my desk while I played Aion. Don't force socialization on them. They'll come to you when they want to and if you set good boundaries they will generally attempt to follow them. You can also teach them some tricks and have fun with that. We got a lot of info from the helpful people over at The Rat Shack when we still owned rats. We had 6 at one time once and it was fun but definitely a lot work.

    As far as cages, fleece lining is a cool idea and it makes the cage look spiffy and somewhat easier to clean (assuming you get fitted ones for your cage and a couple pairs as backup) but they will most certainly chew it up over time. Rats love hammocks so make sure they have at least one each (one large for both, and one small for a solo rat). Make sure that there are some hiding places in the cage and they have small pieces of fabric to line and nest with as they love that a lot (pick up at local fabric store). We had a small hut in there and then toss in 5-6 pieces of 6"x 6" fleece and they would use them for various things. They are interior decorators so let them design things the way they want so they feel at home.

    As for food options or getting to know them and build trust, yogurt drops are the bomb. No rat can deny the power of a yogurt drop, but they will horde them so be careful about that. We fed them a diet of special block food (link). Blocks make a ton of dust but they're pretty messy eaters so you can't really solve that problem anyway. Keep the blocks dish filled and encourage them to finish half-eaten ones by handing them to the rats directly (another trust builder). Use a standard water feeder they can easily reach. Sometimes they both want to use it at the same time and it makes for good photo ops. Little things that make them think are interesting for some rats too, such as little boxes they can get yogurt drops out of. Keep them entertained and they will do the same for you.

    I'm sure I can think of more later. I'll update if I do!

  6. #6
    You wouldn't know that though because you've demonstrably never picked up a book nor educated yourself on the matter. Let me guess, overweight housewife?
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    I second the yogurt drop. That shit is like crack to them.

    When we stayed at my inlaws back in the day my MiL was terrified of the thought of rats and we kept them in the garage....within like three days she was bringing them out a saucer of milk a/d or grapes everyday rofl. The rats loved her for it. Maybe give the shy one a treat outside the cage so she feels safe. Take a rag you don't care about them destroying and rub it on yourself, then put it in the cage so they get used to your smell.

    Oh, and as others said, rats love to make nests. I used to give them each a napkin a day (I would shred long strips and hand over one by one.) They would grab them and make a nest out of them. Was tons of fun for them and it was no hassle.

  7. #7
    The Shitlord
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    i wish my apartment allowed pets.

  8. #8
    You wouldn't know that though because you've demonstrably never picked up a book nor educated yourself on the matter. Let me guess, overweight housewife?
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    Quote Originally Posted by BaneTheBrawler View Post
    i wish my apartment allowed pets.
    have you asked about caged animals?

    Usually no pets = no cats n' dogs, but they don't care if it is in a cage (I wouldn't mention rats though as that could freak them out, say hamsters or chinchilla or something). That's why we had the rats in the first place.

  9. #9
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    Rats are really smart and personable. I still use them at work, so I won't be owning one as a pet any time soon, but I kind of wish I could. A few things I've noticed:
    1) Females are smaller than males (and neater in my experience).
    2) They hate being upside down.
    3) Wood chips are fine. I'm not sure which kind our animal facility uses, but we wouldn't be using them if rats had any kind of an issue with them. You don't want to buy shit woodchips with worms in them, though.
    4) Make sure they always have something fun to tear up (like a dense cotton swab) and nest with, or they'll use the innards of your sofa.
    5) "Forced socialization" does work with rats and they don't seem to resent it in the long run. By this I mean picking them up and holding them 15-30 minutes a day for a few days. They get used to it. Wear a long sleeve shirt that you don't particularly care about and hold their tail in your hand to start. Make sure they're supported well and let them look around while you just kind of stand there. Don't make loud noises.
    6) Don't loom over them. (really a tip for every animal/person smaller than you)
    7) Rat allergies are common and can develop rapidly. Avoid exposure to their piss in particular.

    I did some rat behavior work years ago and the rats got to the point where they'd climb my sleeve and perch on my shoulder. One of them liked sitting in my pocket until he got too big. Also, I'm serious about #7. After years of working with rats, almost everyone in my field is allergic to some degree raging from "Slight rash when peed on" to "he has to shower after going into any animal facility with rats so his wife doesn't end up in the hospital."

  10. #10
    Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain
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    Rats are very easy maintenance and almost unkillable.

    At one time I had up to 6 male rats in the same cage. Leaving the cage door open seemed to get even the shy ones to end up socializing. Rats experts will probably hate me for this but sharing your meal with them seem to get their attention quickly. Of course after years of sharing pizza and bacon one of them ended up weighting way above one pound.

    Give them plenty of fluffstuff to destroy, improvised hammock made from rags or concealed places to pile in and they'll be happy.

    I used only unscented wood chips during the whole time I had them. I tried scented ones once and they really seemed to hate it.

    Oh yeah and you should expect a life expectancy of 5-7 years.

    Also this:

  11. #11
    You wouldn't know that though because you've demonstrably never picked up a book nor educated yourself on the matter. Let me guess, overweight housewife?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ragns View Post
    Oh yeah and you should expect a life expectancy of 5-7 years.


    Average is more like 2-3.

    Think mine were only 1.5 before we had to put them to sleep.

    That is only the huge major downside to having pet rats. The way many go is just so sad and awful. One of ours had a major tumor, the other had spinal nerve root degeneration which is fairly common in rats (they lose the use of their hind legs.)

    I absolutely loved them to death, but could never have rats again. I don't want to feel that depressed every few years. At least my cats should live to 12-15 years. ;_;

  12. #12
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    yes i asked about caged. they said no. didn't ask about fish, so i'm just going to quietly assume they're okay and set up a tank. eventually. i wanna do some fancy filtration stuff so gonna take it slow.

  13. #13
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    Low life expectancy is the reason I can't get more rats. They move on too fast and it's really heartbreaking. I lost it way more when my favorite rat died than when my first dog did. His death anniversary is even in my phone. It was actually this past Sunday too

  14. #14

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    I had 2 when I was younger and they were awesome. One I got as a rescue from a vet that one of the workers or someone tried to feed to a python. It killed the python.

    I used an old bird cage with the wooden bars all around and they loved climbing around. I never had issues with the wood chips, just clean it often. Downside is sometimes they are assholes and jam chips in the bottle blocking the ball from closing, which floods the cage. A lot of guides say not to used wood chips, but the labs at the university I attended used them. Used a smallish clay pot that I cut an entrance into so they could hide when they wanted, which wasn't often. I had some compressed cotton blocks that I'd toss in there so they could chew and nest, and a paper towel roll is fun for them. I'd advise against the wire wheel as their tails can get messed up by it.

    They like being held and will likely crawl all over you, see if your vet can do nail trimmings. You can bathe them, mine seemed to like it. Never hold by the tail, but you can use the neck scruff like a cat.

    Be prepared for tumors. One of mine had that problem, I was devastated. My vet removed the first one for free, but unfortunately she got another so we euthanized her. It was rough.

  15. #15
    Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ksandra View Post
    Average is more like 2-3
    Madness... that's because you didn't feed them enough bacon!

  16. #16
    The Fucking Voice of Actually
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ragns View Post
    Madness... that's because you didn't feed them enough bacon!
    "Blue Gartr Meal Time: Bacon optional? Bacon required."

  17. #17

    Sweaty Dick Punching Enthusiast

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    i'm a snake person, and even i love rats. they're pretty neat.

  18. #18
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    mice are better snake food anyway, mice don't have secret ninjutsu

  19. #19

    yes i asked about caged. they said no. didn't ask about fish, so i'm just going to quietly assume they're okay and set up a tank. eventually. i wanna do some fancy filtration stuff so gonna take it slow.
    Some places have limits to the size of the tank. Salt water or fresh? I have had reef tanks for years. A bit of maintenance required, but well worth the time and money investment.

  20. #20
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    30 gallon fresh. but i wanna set up a secondary 10 gallon tank as a terrarium for filtration, and possibly some aquaponics tubes. and i wanna do some specific plumbing stuff to make it easier to do water changes and whatnot. so i wanna get the tanks and plumbing set up and tested first, then put the dirt/water/plants/gravel/props in and let it run for a while before i put the fish in.

    but yeah i think i should be okay. worst case they catch me and say no and i have to give the fish back to my parents.

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