Please can you tell me some things about looking after and training rats please. I am hoping to get some and need to know lots about them. I also need to know lots so I can persuade my mum to get them!
Also, should I get females or males. I know it is down to personal choice, but I have previously had gerbils so will I be more suited to females as I am used to fast, playful creatures?
Thanks
PS I already know that they have to be in at least pairs, so please don't go on about it!
Rats and gerbils happen to be my favourite studying subject, so here we go ...
As you said you know that they have to live in pairs or groups, and not to go no about it, so i wont, but i will say, it could lead to an earlier death if they are to be kept alone, so if one is to pass away then getting another friend for the lonely one is always a good ides. (depending on how old the remaining rat is of course)
HANDLING
When it comes to bringing your rats home, they should be left alone for a few days to settle down, but then start to introduce your hand offering treats ect. When you feed them in the morning, or night, u should put some of it on ur hand and feed it to them, that way they get used to ur smell, and get used to the person as to where there food is coming from, after a few days of them warming up to you, they will happily enough come out and play with you, just b careful on how u pick them up as they tend to cling to the bars of the cage, and they shouldn't be pulled off. With mine, if they climb to the top of the cage, i lay my hands out flat and allow them to climb on my arms and then i move them to where i want them to be. this gains there trust with you, and also allows you to play. if you are young, and active, then ur rats will sense this and will be active and running round aswell. they love climbing up ur shoulders and smelling your hair and hands and clothes to see where you have been. If you hold your arms straight out and put a rat on one arm, it will run across to the other and back again (which is very cute).
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
FOOD
when it comes to food, you should buy "rat nuggets" this provides your rats with all the nutrients they need for a healthy diet and they cant be picky as to the foods they eat iof you give them musli. Obviously with nuggets they can get boring for ur rats to eat, so treats must be provided of a large variety of flavours for them to choose from, chicken and cooked eggs tends to be a favourite, and maybe small amounts of cheese.
TOYS
rats, espicialy babies, are very active and love to play with toys, but as they love jumping and bounding around, it is best to get toys that swing. ie the swinging ladders with dangling toys, or the 3 chews that dangle from a rope . the hammocks are their favourite place to sleep, there not like gerbils in that way, gerbils anmd hamsters like their lil homes, rats like their swinging hammocks, the hammocks tend to smell a bit tho so will need washing on a regular basis. Tunnels and tubes that are big enough to fit a ferret through are perfect. i have 2 large tubes in the cage i have, and when the hammock is getting washed they sleep in the tubes. Rope balls and plastic balls (suitable for rats) are all great fun.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com CAGE
The cage has to be as big as you can get it. They love to climb and can jump up to 2ft. It needs to be filled with loads of toys and things to do, as they can easily get bored.
The basing of the cage must be catlitter, as they are allergic and causes health problems if you have .. sawdust/hay or straw.
LITTER TRAINING
My rats never had to be litter trained, i just put a large dish-bowl thing with chinchilla dust in and they used it as a litter tray.
Choosing the rats
Both males and females are great pets, i prefer the females as they look nicer and don't have their "bits" hanging out the back end lol.
Mine have all been female so far and the 2 i have are female, they are great pets, love to be handled, have no temperament issues, and never bite. They can be shy when u first get them and for a few days after but they soon warm up to you.
ADDITIONAL INFO.
Rats are harder to look after than gerbils, they will need a lot more time and you around alot as they can get lonely even with a cage pal.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Clean them out alleast twice a week and the litter tray everyday, and they won't smell at all.
Good luck with getting them, i think i have mentioned the basics.
