and i need to know what to get for it i have a 10 gal. fish tank with locking lid so will that be good or what do i need
Fish tanks are unhealthy for a rat because it can not have fresh air, keeping the stink inside. It can also get stuffy and hot in there, too.
Cages that are wire mesh on the walls, but not on the floor (because a rat's foot can get sores from walking on wire) is healthier. Rats do not stink unless you do not clean out their cage, if you may worry about that.
What you need are things that can entertain your rat and to distract him/her. It is best to get two of the same sex so that they will be less likely to become stressed and depressed. Two do not cost much more than one (since they are not expensice at all). You can make a lot of homemade things, too. Such as using non-toxic ink newspaper or shredded paper (that is not toxic). You can make wooden boxes that are stable for houses. Have hanging toys so you rats can climb on it or try getting it (but just do not make it too high where they can hurt themselves, and also sometimes it can stress them not reaching it). Make sure you have clean food and water bowls. Have toys like balls with a smaller ball inside so they can play with that. You can have a rope they can chew on, as long as it does not hurt them with hard spikes or choking them. Have chewable things. Make tunnels and tubes that are big and will not get them stuck. Just use your imagination to think of fun things if you were a rat.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Do not use clumping litter or aspen, cedar, or pine as bedding as they can cause respiratory infection. Make sure you do a lot of research on rats!
Alright well, I really don't recommend using a fish tank. Rats need A LOT of ventilation because they can get respiratory infections so easily. I would go to a local pet store and find a cage with bars on the side.
Secondly, you should always get more than one rat. Rats are very social animals, and can become really lonely if kept alone.
You also need to make sure you have enough time every day to get them out and play. Make sure you have a lot of chew toys and places for them to hide in their cage. Rats also drink a ton of water, so make sure their water bottle is always at least half way full.
Rats are really great animals, and are extremely sweet. They love people, so make sure you play with them as much as possible.
NO NO NO!!! Please do NOT keep a rat in that!!! I would consider keeping a rat in that some sort of abuse! But thank you so much for trying to do some research before you actually get a rat!:) The last rat i adopted the old owners new nothing about rats so they kept her all by herself in a ten gallon tank just like you want to do, the poor thing was so bored and depressed an lonely. The cage was so small her nails got grossly over grown and she developed a URI (upper respiratory infection) from the bad ventilation! Her old owners didnt know what to do because their rat became bitter and unsociable because of her living conditions. But now that Sophie has a huge cage lots of toys and a buddy to live with she is so happy and the cuddliest rat i have ever had:)
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What you need to know:
Rats need to live in pairs. They are very social and well get depressed if kept alone and even develop health problems.
They need a cage, not a tank to live in. Tanks build up ammonia from their pee causing URIs, and need to be clean twice as much as cages. If you are wondering if the cage you wan to get is big enough you can plug in the dimensions at
http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/... But remember buy the biggest cage you can possibly afford even if you only plan on getting the minimum two rats. You can check craigslist lots of people get rid of really good cages for cheap.
They need to be taken out at least a half hour to an hour a day for play time
They need lots of toys (A wheel, hammocks, chew toys, ladders, sticks ect. Use your imagination)
Bedding should not be ceder!! It may smell good to you but it damages rats respiratory systems. Care fresh is considered to be the best, but can be kind of expensive and can start to smell faster. So most people go for aspen shavings, i use aspen pellets, they are actually made for horse stalls. Its $ 6.75 for a 35 lbs bag at my local feed store
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Food should be primarily lab blocks. I free feed my rats (which means i just give them a ton of food all the time so they never run out. Rats dont over eat, if they are fat its because their diet is high fat) I give my rats lab blocks and a suebee mix (you can find the recipe online, its basically a mix of grains nuts cereals pasta and other healthy things) and i of coarse give them fresh fruits and veggies everyday. (carrots bananas apples ect. Just one piece a day they love it)
When I first got started with my rats I tried a 10 gallon aquarium until I found out about how bad the ventilation is. It also got a lot stinkier a lot faster than a wire cage does . I would highly recommend getting a wire cage instead of an aquarium. Rats do also drink a lot so they will need a decent size water bottle. If you do decide to get a rat please get more than one. Rats are social animals! I started out with one and he was so lonely so I got another one and he was so happy. Rats should never be alone. Also when you do get a cage make sure that you get one with a sufficient amount of space. Good luck!
