Rats - anyone have them?

[Sarah]

This is a BIG maybe, but I've been thinking, after all my hammies are no more, I'd quite like rats. Long way off likely, as my youngest hammy is only just 1, and as my sister, who I live with, will not even entertain the thought of a rat at the moment. But I'd like to know a bit more first anyway.

Firstly, what cage is the best for a pair, and am I right in thinking a pair does best? I've seen several rat cages, but are they actually big enough?
Could I have a female pair (as I don't much like the male 'view' lol)?
Roughly how long do they live?
And can they be litter trained like hamsters?
How hard are they to tame?
Do they actually use rat sized wheels, or is it like hamsters and rat wheels aren't actually big enough?
Does one sex smell more than the other?
Where's the best place to get them from?
And is it easy to find ones with black eyes (not so keen on the red ones!)?
Do they need any special care?

So yeah, this would be useful and any more you think I should know! Pics of cute ratties to persuade my sister would be good, and cages too :) I know there is a breeder in Wick, so I might contact her for info too.

[chaz]

There were some on the Balmore website.

[Phoenix200416]

I had ratties! Lovely little critters they are! Very loving and affectionate! I will try and answer some of your questions where I can!



Firstly, what cage is the best for a pair, and am I right in thinking a pair does best? I've seen several rat cages, but are they actually big enough?
I have seen some in P@H that I would say would be an adequate size for 2 female ratties. It has been a few years since I owned rats and the cages that are available have changed! I had a quick look on the P@H website and >this< (http://www.petsathome.com/shop/rat-cage-and-accessories-kit-%28available-in-store-only%29-36757) would be adequate though you can get a double one with another section like that on top which would be better. Obviously as I said, the cage linked would be fine, but I don't think its possible to give a pet of any species too much space.

I remember seeing >this< (http://www.petsathome.com/shop/jenny-rat-cage-by-ferplast-15949?cm_re=barilliance-_-cross%20sell-_-product%20details) one in a shop and I thought it was pretty big, though I can't be so sure now as I am so used to shopping for Ferrets and obviously they are bigger than a female rat!


Could I have a female pair (as I don't much like the male 'view' lol)?
Yes you can. I have had a group of 4 females living together. Obviously, it goes without saying that the more you have the more space they will need, but I have never had a problem with female rats fighting. Even when a new female was introduced to the group.


Roughly how long do they live?
I would say 4-5years would be a max. Obviously there are exceptions to the rules. I know a rat who lived to th grand age of 6 1/2 years.


And can they be litter trained like hamsters?
Yes, they are very clean animals and like to be clean! In fact looking back on my ratties they are cleaner than my stinky little poo and pee everywhere ferrets ^_^ *rolls eyes* For litter training I just popped a litter tray in, left no bedding on the bottom of the cage for a while just so that they would get the idea, they got it very quickly and then I put fleece on the bottom of the cage.


How hard are they to tame?
Not difficult at all! All my rats have been from pet shops (with the exception of a couple from an accidental litter of a friends that her father was threatening to drown) and I can say I have *never* been bitten by one.


Do they actually use rat sized wheels, or is it like hamsters and rat wheels aren't actually big enough?
This I couldn't say. I would think that the rat/ferret sized wheels would be big enough for a female rat, though they aren't big enough for my ferrets! I excerised mine giving them run of the room and with large exercise balls.


Does one sex smell more than the other?
I would say that males smell worse! My friend kept a couple of males and I think they did smell more! I have only had females. They are more active and playful than males. Males are good cuddlers and like to fall asleep in your arms. I taught my girlies various tricks. Putting my hand in the cage and clicking my fingers would get them running up my arms to my shoulders. They would run up the banister. One of my rats was a great jumping and could jump from the back of the sofa to my shoulder when I was standing 5 feet away.


Where's the best place to get them from?
I would have loved a rat from a breeder. I am determined to own a blue dumbo! I will one day! All of my pets were from local pet shops, not the large brand stores. She had her small animals supplied from local breeders.


And is it easy to find ones with black eyes (not so keen on the red ones!)?
I would say yes. The most common one's I have seen have been brown and white. They have black eyes. I have also owned a black and white and a champagne, but the champers had red eyes. I don't think you would have too much trouble finding one with black eyes. The darker colours usually have black eyes.

I hope you found some useful infomation in all my blabbering!

[Sarah]

Thanks! I asked on the rabbit forum I use, and the only niggle I have now is that a lot of them end up with tumours that need removing, especially females? I would worry about that!

This is the breeder I found, she has some gorgeous rats!
http://www.northern-lights-rats.co.uk/index.html

[Phoenix200416]

I haven't had problems with tumours in the rats I had, though this was 10 years ago! Things can change a lot in that amount of time!

That website looks fab! I didn't know she was there! Very interesting, if I can't get my hand on a blue rex dumbo, I could at least have a good chance of getting my hands on a british blue rex & friend in the future! :D

[KEEP_ON_TRUCKIN]

when I saw your post thought you mean rats about the house - oops.

[lauraspetportraits]

I would agree with pretty much everything Phoenix has said apart from the lifespan is more like 2.5 - 3 in my experience.

They don't generally use a wheel, if you do get one, you need to make sure you get a rat one as Hamster ones are too small and make sure it's solid as they may get their tails trapped in anything that has bars across it.

Rats love company, they get very miserable on their own. I have groups varying from 3 up to 10. The 10 live in a large aviary. Even un-neutered boys will live happily together, though they are better in smaller groups.

The Furat cage in P@H is fine for two, but as has already been said, the bigger the better.

They are very intelligent and do need some time out the cage to explore and play. Mine are exercised in a purpose built play pen, which is obviously not feasable for most people, but bathrooms are good free range areas as they generally don't have wires to chew and are easy to clean. A hallway is good too if all the doors can be shut.

As you said, tumours can be a problem in rats, particularly girls. They can also be prone to respiratory problems. But a lot of breeders are very careful about the rats they breed from and do try to breed away from the likeliehood of tumours, though obviously it's never guaranteed that a rat won't develop one.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Dadie]

Breathing probs and tumours are common ailments in pet rattys.
My niece just had her ratty PTS for a large tumour and it was the "healthier" of the 2...
OK they are getting old in rat years..
but they are more sociable and far more intelligent than a hammie...and therefore need more stimulation or they get bored easily....I just cant get past the tail...:(

[sweetpea]

Have you thought about Degu's? I have 2 females that I rescued about 6 months ago and they are so intelligent. Similar but different. Just a thought:)

[buzzard]

I used to have rats. They always got huge tumours or other really horrid forms of cancer (bleeding out of nose and eyes), they normally didn't get older than 2-3 years. The cancers are a real problem and it did stop me having rats!
Maybe some breeders select healthier rats but I'm sure pet shops don't.
I agree they need a lot of time outside the cage exploring...they are just too intelligent to be locked up all the time, but they do love chewing electical cables and other stuff.
I think albino rats (with the red eyes) are more nervous than others (which seems typical of many albino animals), so not the best choice anyway.

[Sarah]

Have you thought about Degu's? I have 2 females that I rescued about 6 months ago and they are so intelligent. Similar but different. Just a thought:)

There's a a pair of degu's in the SSPCA in Inverness, was considering it actually. How long do they live roughly? I need to do some more research on them before going down the degu route!

[ShelleyCowie]

i agree about the degu's! I had 2 males and they were fab pets! I had a super huge cage for them (hard to clean but worth it) and had lots of things in there for them.

Sadly one fell from the top of the cage and broke his back, he was paralysed. His brother lived for another few months but died of being lonely, they prefer living in pairs.

I had mine for a few years though. Great pets, easy to tame. I used to let them run around the lobby and upstairs too. Mum could never catch them, ya gotta be fast! :lol: They like their bed to be seperate from their pee and poo area. Also having a bowl of sand in the cage is great because thats how they clean themselves.

If i had the space i would get degu's again! :Razz Oh and if you choose to get them have NOTHING plastic! i had a wee plastic house for my 2 to start with and one got his bum stuck climbing through the window of it!! [lol]