tell me EVERYTHING i need to know about pet rats?

i ave two pet rats, one thats all black,(Coo) and one thats white with black spots(Binkie).

First of all, you need a medium or larged sized cage. i actually have 3 cages stacked on tp of each otherXD. Binkie loves it because they like to climb. I ave a pretty nice big sized cage, the a cage thats a tiny bit smaller on tp of that one, the a small bird cage on top of that one. They loves the bird cage cuz she loves to climb.

For bedding, you should get the kind that looks like blue puff balls are better cuz its easier on their feet, and the other one thats kinda like thin wood hips hurts their feet, and many people are allergic to it.

Food: FOr my rats, my pet stoe has a food that has some kind of dried fruit or vegtable, a lot of different seeds, and some stuff thats not naturally made, cuz they look like green and orange cheerios x].

In your cage you should have ladders, houses, platforms, balls, springs, etc.

Rats make very good pets for people of all ages. They are a good size to be easy to handle by children or elderly, while Hamsters, Mice and Gerbils tend to be able to jump and wiggle away much quicker.

Rats are fairly clean animals and are very friendly. They learn fairly quickly and act much like a small dog. They enjoy cuddling and playtime but are also comfortable doing their own rattie things while in their cage. Some can be taken for walks outside or just given shoulder rides.

Rats are fairly inexpensive to acquire and care for generally, but rats are prone to cancerous tumors and respiratory problems and may need to see a Vet in their lifetime. If you are unwilling to pay for medical bills if they arise please do not get a pet.

For anyone unsure about rats i suggest you just stop and take a look into their cute little faces!

Rats make wonderful pets, they make great Friends.

It is common amongst the rat community to say that "You are owned by your rats", instead of saying "you own rats."

As once you fall completely in love with your rattie friends it is very common they take charge and boss you around rather than you bossing them around! :)

Once you get a rat you can never go back -most people are hooked for life and will never be ratless again!

Feeding your rats a varied diet is very important to keeping them healthy.

Rats do not like alfalfa pellets, as much as the rat food companies try to persuade you and them, most rats do not like them and most will not eat them.

Be sure your rat has plenty of water available at all times. (a Dehydrated rat is not a happy rat.)

Rats sweat through their tails -if their tails are overly dirty and covered in dead skin it is hard for them to sweat properly. Try to Keep their tails clean for them.

*I have noticed when my rats are hot they will dip their tails into water dishes to help cool off.

If a rat fight occurs, You can break up the fight by spraying them with a water bottle.

Rats can get into everything and will need some training on what the "Rat appropriate" areas are. You can train your rats by squeaking loudly ( a stern "No"), spraying with water, using a whistle & using food rewards.

Try to never stick your hand under furniture or in rat houses unexpectedly, (especially with new rats) you may startle the rat and they may bite you thinking they need to defend themselves or that you are food. (even if your rat has never bitten before a good scare may make them bite.) I always try to clear my throat or bang on the cage bars a little bit to try to get the rats attention before picking them up, so they won't be startled.

Rats should be picked up by first letting them know you are there, then wrapping both hands around their middle area and picking them up. By providing support for their feet, this will make them more comfortable and stop them from scrambling around as much. Holding them close to your body will help make them feel more secure as well, so they are not just dangling in the air.

Never pick a rat up by their tail! Pulling on a rats tail could cause the tail to break, or cause a serious injury called Degloving.

If you need to get a hold of the rat very quickly to prevent escape or injury try to grab for a foot rather then the tail.

(See the rat illnesses page to learn more about Degloving.)

Rats do not have a gag reflex and are unable to throw up.

Thus when trying new foods they have never eaten before, to prevent themselves from becoming sick they tend to take a small test bite and wait for several hours to make sure they don't get sick and then come back and finish the meal.

After a rat has eaten a certain type of food several times or if another rat in the pack sees another rat eating a new certain type of food they are more likely to eat it without testing it.

Rats can chew through steel if determined enough, it may take them a while to do it, but eventually they could/will succeed.

Rats do not have nerves in their teeth so when chewing on wires or tinfoil they do not feel the p

You can visit my site for info: http://www.tessatstarrsrats.weebly.com/

It is still under construction though and weebly won't let me edit anything. Make up a list of questions and e-mail me; I'd be glad to answer all of them.

(the info didn't fit in the message box, so i'll put it here :))

For their daily diet, they should have a specially formulated rat block. Avoid all seed mixes. NEVER feed rats food that was made for another animal. The only decent rat food sold in stores is Mazuri. However, I'd highly suggest ordering Harlan Teklad online. It is very cheap and, even with high shipping costs, is cheaper than any store-bought food. You should also feed your rats fresh fruits/veggies daily. Keep rations low, though. I'd highly suggest giving your rats 2-3 blueberries daily because they have been scientifically proven to help reduce the risk of cancer which is very common in females.

Buying from a pet store is not as horrible as people make it out to be. Some pet stores take care of their rats, some don't. It is generally a much better idea to buy from a breeder but that is not always possible. If you get your rats from a pet store, just make sure of a few things:

1. Make sure the rats are not housed in pine or cedar bedding.

2. Make sure the rats' living space is clean.

3. Make sure males and females are separated if they are over 5 weeks old.

4. Make sure they are being fed a proper rat block diet (this alone should not deter you from buying the rats)

5. Make sure the rats are not sneezing, wheezing, or have a red discharge about their eyes and nose. Their fur should look smooth and soft. Their eyes should look bright (even black eyes can look bright. if you've ever seen in ill rat with dull eyes, you could tell the difference.)

6. Last but not least, make the rats are being sold as pets and not food. Typically feeder rats are not taken care of properly at all.

If you visit my site, there's lots of detailed info on what to look for when buying from a pet store.

Female rats are uncommon in many business-owned pet stores like Petco and Petsmart, but smaller family-owned pet stores should have both. And breeders, of course, will have both.

Rats should have a very large wire cage with multiple levels and a solid, non-barred base. They require 2 cubic feet per rat. I've added a link to a cage calculator so that you can be sure whatever cage you choose is large enough. I've also added several good cages. Martinscages.com is recommended by most rat owners and is fairly cheap. However with these cages the wire shevles need to be covered with something to protect the rats' feet.

That cage will not be appropriate. It needs less space between the bars, and if you are thinking of getting juvenile rats, they will be able to escape through the barring. I prefer female rats. They tend to be more affectionate, even giving kissing and grooming you! They tend to be less smelly also. You need to make sure that they get time to exercise out of the cage. I let mine run around my bedroom and explore for a bout a half an hour, 2 times a day. They love it, and it gives them a sense of freedom, and they actually return back to their cages! They are smart and clean animals indeed. Finding a rat breeder in you area might be hard, but just try it out on a search engine like go ogle and see what you can get. ALSO: You may want to check out your local ASPCA, Humane Society, or any Rat Rescue programs nearby. Rescued animals always make the best friends. One last note. Although the white fur and pink eyed rats are cute and sweet, they are primarily bred to be feeder rats for snakes and large lizards. They are not genetically safe, and they are 99% inbred, and they really don't ever make the best pet. Good luck with you soon to be little rat family. They will bring you nothing but joy!

It'd be easier to look on google.com or go to this rat forum: Goose Moose.

I have two female rats that I got in November of '07. It's takes them a while to get used to you, but it's worth it once they do. :) I feed them lab blocks (pellets) from PetSmart. (They're available at most any pet stores) Do NOT get rats from Petco, some friends of mine do and their rats bite and are not healthy...plus they are kept with boys. <(the girls) Get them from PetSmart, if you're looking to get them from a pet store... or if you know a reliable pet store or breeder near you. Don't give them seed mix, because dried corn has mold in it which is bad for (and can kill) rats and plus they pick out their favorites things in mixes and don't get the healthy things. I used Carefresh bedding, but shredded paper works. DON'T give them PINE or CEDAR!!!, they are allergic to that and can kill them if kept with it too long. Don't buy them a glass cage, but I recommend going to Martinscages.com, they really great cages there and for pretty good prices. ;) For a starter cage though, I recommend, "My First Home", it's purple. But make sure the bars aren't too wide from them to slip out, because that happened to me and it really is a scare! My rats looooove plain cheerios as a treat, and yogies (yogurt drops) They need to chew on things to keep their teeth down, so give them wood blocks. I put empty cleenex boxes in my rats cage and they love hiding out in them. Also, maybe provide a hammock (where they would sleep... it's really recommended) and also an igloo, where they can hide out. ;) I have two girls, they're a little more hyper than boys. Boys have those butts lol which i find unpleasant (regarding their sweet personalities hehe) and they go through puberty; giving off a yellow substance from their fur. :P Also, I'd get a rat book at a pet store to learn more. Good luck with rats! They are soo amazing and don't listen to anyone who says they're vermin. ;) (Cause you'll probably-- most likely-- hear that a lot) If I think of anything else that would come in handy for you to know, I'll be sure to post it.!!! *hugs*

I suggest you join a rat forum such as Fancy-Rats and ITWOR both england based forums but they both contain some great information and people always willing to help.

Um sorry but why a rat? Guinea pigs are friendlier, playful and nice. They hardly ever bite. Rats might bite though. Guinea pigs are fun and lovable. Get a guinea pig. NOT a rat. THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, so no one else say anything bad about it.

They are amazing pets. They need a big cage so they can run about when your not with them. they need plenty of exercise. You can teach them tricks which i think is pretty cool :)

They're pretty easy to keep , but would need cleaning out often because they can get rather smelly .

Hope i helped x

i can't give you as much great information as this website can.

http://www.dapper.com.au/

its got fun cute photos of rats, ways to build them cages, ways to play with them, a long food list! it's a GREAT website, so enjoy searching around on it. Good luck getting a rat!

diet

http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#diet

important stuff.

http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#diet

get a guinea pig