Thinking of getting some rats

[CAPT-Irrelevant]

After growing up with 3 dogs (one of them still alive, the other foremost recently passed (check RIP thread)) which were females, I've decided to try and instead adopt some rats.

My intention is 2 males from as early of age as possible. I live in an all-wooden floor house with 2 housemates, one of whom has a dog (Pomeranion which is a bit of a wuss anyway).

I intend on having their home sitting on top of my chest-of-drawers which is up against the window so they'll get plenty of sunshine.

Some Qs:

- What is the adequate size cage to get? My chest-of-drawers are 450mm depth by 840mm width.
-- Mind showing/linking me to a picture of your setup?
- What type of toys to invest in?
- What should I look at when buying them? I intend on getting them from the Pet & Aquarium Centre in Campbelltown and they told me they have a few 6 week old ones in stock. (I once worked there in year 10 and I went to school with the shop owner's son).
- What common environmental and health issues to keep an eye on?
-- With the dog, I know it means 'FLEAS' but with the lack-carpet, I don't think nests will be brewing on the floor.
-- I was first thinking about getting a makeshift playpen for their at-least 1 hour exercise a day, but then remembered tonight I could get those hard plastic balls they run around inside of.

Please also provide any further advise you see fit.

[ipex]

they are active and smart little buggers , i used to put cat toys those rattling type in my enclosure , i had ropes and ladders so that they could climb , when i let them run free around the room i had broom handles and planks of wood for them to run around on

i had two lots , had them for a few years each , they develop breathing problems and one lost the use of his back legs dragged them around behind him , but still lived an active life

make sure you put lots of newspaper in the enclosure as they like to dig and hide etc


they are clean and effecionate

[oculi]

why male rats? do you like getting bit and the smell of slightly worse rat piss?

[Hetty]

Male rats smell more, but they don't bite more.

That size is fine for a cage, but would it be hard to clean?

When buying them, you don't want them to be flighty, to be sneezing, or have any red stuff around their eyes or nose. If you want to find breeders, there's plenty on australianratforum.com

Respiratory problems are the biggest issue with rats. Most rats have issues with it as they get older. If they're sneezing at 6 weeks old they're likely to have big problems.

I'm not sure what you mean by the fleas comment. Have you tried advantage on the dog? that should get rid of the fleas.

I don't think people tend to use those hard plastic balls for rats anymore. A playpen would be better.

[millhouse]

Chase down (PM) Baringa - she is quite knowledgable about Ratties

[CAPT-Irrelevant]

Originally Posted by oculi

why male rats? do you like getting bit and the smell of slightly worse rat piss?

As per the start of my OP, as I've grown up on female companions for most of my life thus far, I feel a change of pace is in order.

I've read males are also easier to handle as they like to laze around more, and I also don't want to have to deal with a female suffering stress if she's in the middle of heat.

I already have a deodoriser and moisture catcher in my room, and smell is less likely to be absorbed into wood than carpet, so it won't be an issue for me.

Originally Posted by Hetty

I'm not sure what you mean by the fleas comment. Have you tried advantage on the dog? that should get rid of the fleas.

The dog isn't my dealing, but just one of the first things that would come to mind regarding dogs is 'fleas', but the dog is allergic to fleas anyway so my housemate washes and defleas him regularly.

Originally Posted by Hetty

I don't think people tend to use those hard plastic balls for rats anymore. A playpen would be better.

Playpen was the first thing that came to mind, but what I will do first is invest in the plastic balls then evaluate gradually.

[Pinkeh]

Mice like newspaper. They'll chew/shred through them and create a nest. Give them something to hide under - like a toy hut. They also like to climb.

Never got bitten though.

We had two male mice and they stink like rat piss all the time. They poop a lot. They poop into their water too. Gross!

We had a little wheel for them to run on and often both mice will get on it and run at the same time. Occasionally one will stumble and cause the other to fall over too Then they fight.

Gave them away after 9 months tho. Had to move and the new place had a cat i was told love catching, playing and toying with field mice. Efficient little pets for people with little time/room for pets but still want one.

[svendenhowser]

I prefer female rats as well, although I don't think males "smell" they do have a different smell to females, males seem more muskier. I've found my females to interact with people much more and I've never been bitten by one. The only problem I've found with girls is mammary tumours, which can be removed by a vet but many people scoff at the idea of a $100 surgery on a rat that cost $10..

I have also battled respiratory illness with my males non-stop, didn't have a problem with the females but I don't think it really has anything to do with whether they are male or female.

Use recycled paper kitty litter or newspaper as bedding, wood shavings are a respiratory irritant and increase the risk of respiratory disease. Most rats are born into the world with the bacteria mycoplasma, but often only develop clinical disease when they get a secondary infection due to stress, other illness or they have wood shavings as bedding.

They don't get your dog fleas if that's what you were thinking about with the flea comment, they do get (v. commonly) a type of lice though (SPECIFIC to rats, there is no way of you or your other pets contracting them!), but it is a hair chewing lice, not a biting lice so they don't irritate your rat and make them itchy. You can use revolution (selamectin) on them safely though (off-label).

I think rats are one of the best pets you can have, except they only live 3-4 years which is always sad..

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Say hello my little friends [/cwutididthar]



Approx 8 weeks old, unknown if siblings.

The red-eyed one looking towards to camera is 'Thish' (like "fish" but with a 'th'), and the black-eyed one looking away is 'Thysce' ("Thigh" with a sharp sounding 's'. The 'e' is not sounded).

[AngelMoo]

if they're still small enough, throw in some empty toilet rolls - our mice used to love them