Could I Afford Pet Rats?

$70/month? That's a little on the high end IMO - i know people who spend that much on their DOGS - but i guess it depends on a ton of factors like location, wether you buy in bulk, and so on. I can give you a rundown on my costs - i have three rats, though, not two - so you can get an idea of what i pay and how i save.

Food: I buy a 40 pound bag of food online for $30. I bought my last bag in April of 2013 and i'm on the last five pounds of it now and expect it will last until the end of february. For three rats, the 40 pounds lasted almost a year (which is about how long you can store it if it's frozen). That averages out to like $3 a month. If you have the option to freeze it, then this kind of deal is far better than spending the $13/month on Oxbow sold at Petsmart.... Shop around online to other deals. You might find something better for you, since you'll only have the two rats.

Note: You want a block food, not a seed mix. Oxbow, Harlan Teklad (Native Earth), and Mazuri are the more commonly suggested quality foods. For babies you want the high protein versions - 18% and up - unless you supplement with egg, chicken, etc.

Bedding: I buy the biggest bag of bedding i can find, which is around $20. It lasts me two months, give or take. Probably closer to a month and a half. Now you CAN save $$ by litter training your rats and using fabric liners. Many people do. I cannot, however, because my girls destroy liners and to use them would be twice as expensive because i would have to keep replacing them. If you want to, try liners - saves you a good bit of money in the long run.

Note: As far as bedding/litter goes as long as it isn't pine, cedar, or clumping litter then you're good to try it. Just avoid the ones with added odors as they tend to be too harsh for ratty noses.

Toys: Rats are intelligent, active, and love to explore and play. Their cage should be decked out with toys. Toys WILL need replaced. I find myself replacing toys every other month, depending on the toy. They have their favorites so those are the ones i replace regularly. I spend maybe $20 or so every other month to replace toys, or i buy in bulk when there are sales. Dollar stores are good places to pick up cheap things for toys - and check out fabric stores for remnants to make hammocks and braided ropes.

Those are the main monthly or regular care needs.Treats are easy and cheap - just buy stuff when you grocery shop! Apart from the start up costs - and i suggest budgeting at least $300 for that - medical is the biggie.

Medical needs are probably not going to be monthly, though it's a good idea to put a small amount away per month for them. Most rats will only need the occasional check up when they get sniffly/sneezy or develop lumps. I've had rats that NEVER had to go to the vet until the end of their lives, and i've had rats that had to go a couple of times throughout their lives. It varies. In general it's good to keep a starting fund of $100-$150 per rat for vetting and maybe put away $10/rat per month, if not more.

Note: I've had to treat URIs, which are very common in rats, and most of my treatments have been in the $70 range per rat. That includes the office fee and medications. I've also had a rat with a pituitary tumor that wound up costing $150 to work around and she did not make it to try the new medication i had them order for us. My oldest girl is going in the week to be put to sleep (inoperable tumor) and i expect that may run around $50. Some people opt to have surgeries done on tumors and those can run in the hundreds.

As far as finding a breeder, use google to look in depth at available breeders or even rescues in the area. If you're determined to buy from a breeder/rescue then you may have to travel outside your comfort zone. Some will work out ways to meet halfway, so if they're slightly out of reach don't dismiss them until you've talked to them first.

I have never heard of someone spending that much on a pair of rats. Quality care can easily be afforded on a $10-20 budget monthly.

An appointment, and treatment can range from $100-200 dollars. I believe surgeries are much more, though I am not sure. Females are said to have a 75% chance of developing tumors throughout their lifespan requiring surgery (though some can not be removed, meaning you would have to euthanize the rat). Males can, but are much less likely. They also are more cuddly :) If introduced from a young age they can live peacefully together.

As far as caging, I would recommend the Critter Nation (Single or Double). It a heavy duty cage, safely spaced bars, easy to access, and is one of the most highly sought rat cages. One Unit can house four females,and two or three males. I find the cheapest place to order from is PetStreetMall.com where they have the single unit for $140.00 SHIPPED. That is an incredible deal so I have heard. There may be better deals, you just have to look around. Craigslist and Ebay are some great places to look as well.

Rather than care fresh, fleece is another good option. It's not as messy, and you don't have to continually buy new bedding monthly; which can be expensive. For my sugar gliders I used fleece, and had some extra for when the dirty fleece was washing. It worked great.

I find that the best food seems to be the low protein Harlan, or the Oxbow. I would personally go with Oxbow. On Petfooddirect.com you can get 40 Ibs. Of Oxbow Rat food for $80.00 SHIPPED. That much food could last four rats a year, and two over a year. Usually each should be fed 1-2 pounds of food a month, though some feed more, and others feed less. It depends on the rats, and there age. Babies should a have more protein in their diet.

You can save a little money on using toilet paper tubes as chews, though you should also have uncared wood available to your rats at all times. Card board works too.

Rats can be litter trained, and there are two kinds of litters that seem to be used the most. Shredded printing paper, and Wood-Stove pellets from MENARDS. The pellets come in 40 Ibs. Bag for only $5.00

Toys can be made by safe things around the house, which is another cheap alternative to having to buy a bunch of toys.

Rats would also like a bunch of hammocks to sleep in. Youtube.com has some helpful tutorials on how to create easy, cute, and safe hammocks for cheap as compared to pricey hammocks at pet stores.

I don't know any breeders in that area, I live in SW Fl. I usually typ in a key word like "animal rescue", "small pet", "rat" and look at the results. It tells me the results, the time to get there (you pick car/bus/bike/on-foot) and how far away. I found a few rescues near me by doing them, also some ratteries.

Your budget will definitely make spoiling your rats super easy if you keep making what you are at the moment. Have fun! Hope this helped!

Rats aren't expensive to own and they make awesome pets. The ONLY expensive thing is the cage. Which you can save for. Plan on spending anywhere from 100-150. Plus cage accessories I'd save about 200 if I were you. It's the most important thing when it comes to your rats mental and physical health. NO aquariums!

Food is cheap, but make sure you get good food. Oxbow is a great brand and about 10 bucks per bag which lasts a couple months depending on how much/what else they eat. Youre gonna need to give them fruits and veggies too.

Unlike dogs they dont need regular grooming and dont necessarily need regular check ups. Its always good to get them checked when you first get them though.

Rats are nocturnal, so it sounds like your schedule will be just fine for them. They do need their love and affection, but since they're nocturnal, you shouldn't keep them up all day anyway.

As far as which sex to get, I am personally a fan of females. I have never owned a male though, so I am a little biased. One of my girls I got from a rescue so she was very well socialized and bottle fed from birth. The other is a dumbo dwarf and I got her from a breeder. Its rumored that dumbos are nicer/more calm, even females. This is said because they have been bred more carefully than standard rats, which sort of makes sense. I believe it is true because my dumbo girl has the personality of a boy. My standard girl is a little crazier, likes to explore and has more energy, but still is sweet as ever. When they say females like to explore, it doesnt mean they will try to run away. They are just more curious. In fact, it is actually easier to train a female since they have that extra energy. My girls just like to be part of the action. They like to hang out on my shoulder, sniff everything, rearrange their cage, play with each other more etc.

You sound like you'll make a great rattie owner. Just make sure you keep that money set aside in case of emergencies. Rats are small, but vets are still expensive lol.

For me, I have 2 rats and spend $10 a week on food, $20 every 2 weeks on bedding. I have spent $20 on toys. $100 on a cage and $120 on vet bills so far (I've had them for 3 months. I'm a new rat owner so someone more experienced may be able to give you a better idea, but this at least gives you what my experience has been so far (cost wise).