My very first rats were Ginger and Mr T (pictured above). I was working at the RSPCA at the time and these little critters were going to be put down for being too old. I adopted them and they lived another year and a half and we had a wonderful time together. They were so in love, Mr T died just a week after Ginger, despite being totally healthy before. I believe he was heart broken. If they had been put down when they arrived at the RSPCA they would have missed out on a wonderful life of cuddles, snuggles, treats and exploring.

Unwanted rats deserve a second chance and sadly they are not always given this when surrendered to pounds or the RSPCA. Other unwanted rodents,  are given away as snake food. That’s why I have decided to start the NSW Rodent Rescue to help those rats and mice (yes mice deserve love and compassion too) that are in need of new homes in New South Wales, Australia.

Other than my resident ratties Pea and Mingles (who are in their forever home with me), rescued rats will be taken in from death row at pounds, vets or kill shelters and given plenty of love, care and attention (plus any necessary veterinary treatment) and then placed into loving homes.

I am based on the Central Coast NSW, but rescue and rehoming can be arranged in other areas of the state.

If you would like more information on the NSW Rodent Rescue, need to surrender an animal or if you feel you could offer a wonderful, forever home please contact me by filling out the form below or calling me (Catherine) on 0457 394 903

If you would like me to call you please enter your telephone number along with your message:

Note: Although we do not always have rodents available for adoption if you feel you could offer a great home to some rescued rodents I would love to hear from you. Please do not be offended when I ask you lots of questions it is to make sure I am not speaking to someone who wants rodents as snake food, or as disposable pets. That is also the reason I ask for a small donation when re-homing. Giving away rodents (even to people who seem really great) is too risky. There are people out there who want rats and mice to feed to reptiles or to test on in laboratories and that sucks.

NSW Rodent Rescue via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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A question I get asked a lot is whether it is possible for those who already own a cat to adopt pet rats. There are a number of factors to consider before making this decision. Whilst there are those few people who say that their cat poses no threat to their rodent pals and happily post pics of their cat and rat getting along well this is a very rare case and should not be treated as the norm.

I should point out at this stage that I live with my 2 pets rats, Pea and Mingles, my dog, Charlie, a Maltese x Shitzu and my cat, Dylan, a Ragdoll x Persian. All of my animals are rescues and they are all wonderful in different ways. However despite his Ragdoll bloodline, Dylan most definitely has the hunting instinct and I would never let the rats run around out of the rat cage whilst he is in the room. It is important to remember that even if you choose a gentle breed like a pure Ragdoll cat and have them from a kitten, they should still never be left out with your pet rats.

It is possible to keep pet rats if you have a cat, although you should weigh out the pros and cons before adopting your new pets. Here are some things to consider:

1. Separation – You will need to be able to easily separate your cat and rats when you want to let your rats out. This could mean using a spare room as a ratty room. This is what I do. The spare room is free from rat dangers like wires, sharp objects and small things they could choke on. It is also fully sealed. There are no little holes in the wall that the rats could escape from. I try to spend an hour a day in there with my rats. We can play together and I can do some training with them safely away from naughty cat claws and teeth. I also have a lot of fun tubes, boxes and even a rat swimming pool for them to explore. Cats are usually fine with this time out and as long as they have plenty of room to roam and their food, water and litter tray (and in our case a doggy companion) they will be fine.

2. Security – You will need to be 100% sure that your rat cage is secure. Of course you would need to do this anyway, because you wouldn’t want your rats to escape and get into danger. When we first adopted our two rats Pea and Mingles the old owners gave us their cage and it had a hole in. It was a small hole and I blocked it with plastic boxes and duct tape, but I had the scare of my life when I found Pea running around the floor with Dylan the cat about to pounce. Luckily I picked Pea up in time and the rats have since moved to a 100% safe (and huge!) cage, but please don’t let your pets get into this situation. Rats are notorious escape artists. You may think that the space is too small for them to squeeze out of, but they will surprise you. Make sure the rat cage is sturdy (cannot be knocked over) and that there are plenty of areas for the rats to hide from prying eyes.

3. Common Sense – You know your cat better than anyone, but even if you have the gentlest cat in the world who appears to want to be friends with your rats, please be very careful and never ever leave them unsupervised together. I can have my rats sit on my shoulder whilst Dylan is sitting next to me on the sofa, but if he is sitting on top of the sofa I am very careful. The rats’ tails are irresistible to most cats.

If you have a cat and you are willing to put in some extra effort to ensure the safety of your rats then there is no reason you shouldn’t have rodent pets. However, make sure that you have more than one rat. This is always best as the rats can keep each other company when they are in their rat cage. Even if you can spend a lot of time with your rat, when you are away, or asleep the rats can snuggle and play together and groom each other. It will make all the difference to their lives.

Rats may seem fearless at times, but if you have more than one cat, perhaps you should think about whether a rat is really a good pet for you and your family. Imagine how the rats will feel as all the cats investigate the cage and try to figure out ways to get in.

If you have decided to adopt some rats, be sure to take responsibility for their welfare. If you have a child who has begged you for rats they may learn some responsibility, but ultimately it is the adult who should ensure the animals’ welfare and make sure the cats do not pose a problem. It is also essential to ensure your cats are getting just as much attention as they used to, before the new additions.

I hope this article has helped you work out whether keeping rats and cats together could work for your family. Good Luck!

For more tips on introducing other animals to rats click here.

Is it Safe to Have Pet Rats and a Cat in The Same House? via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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It may be a good idea to replace the water bottle that comes with the cage, as some have said it is poor quality, but other than that this is a great cage. The tunnels make things interesting for your ratty friends and there is still plenty of room to add a comfy hammock and other rat toys.

All in all this is a good cage, especially for the price, but could be better quality.

You can get a discount off your first order below.

For more information on the Tom Cage, to buy it, or to see other UK rat cages click here.

Tom Rat Cage Review via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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This is a lovely rat cage, with plenty of interactive space, such as tunnels and ramps. The wires are spaced nice and close together to avoid any naughty rats squeezing through the gaps. This is essential, especially for young rats, you would be amazed at how easily they can get through bigger spaces.

There is room in this cage to hang a comfy hammock or other cuddly bed area. This is essential, as the tunnels are fun, but not perfect for sleeping. Ventilation is good in this cage and it is also nice looking (although I am sure your rats don’t care too much about that).

I would only keep 2 rats in this cage, although some people buy 2 cages and use a tunnel to make it into one big space, perfect for more rats.

One problem with the jenny rat cage is that access is not that great. There is a small door on the front and top of the cage. If the doors were bigger cleaning out would be much easier. As it is, it is still manageable, but there is room for improvement.

If you want more information on this cage, or you would like to buy it click here and get your 10% first order discount.There are also lots of other UK rat cages to choose from.

Jenny Rat Cage Review via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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When I first researched pet rats online I read that rats can live up to 4 years and felt rather optimistic. Little did I know that with respiratory infections and nasty tumors to contend with that age would be so hard to achieve. The truth is that the average age for our ratty friends is only 2 years and for most of us that is not nearly long enough. The worst bit is seeing our little darlings poorly, as we try and nurse them back to health.

So what can we do to help our pet rat’s reach that elusive 4 year birthday? Well luckily there are a few things you can do which can reduce the risk of tumors, respiratory infections and other illness and help to prolong your rat’s life span. Let’s take a look at them now.

1. Soy Milk - My rats adore the taste of chocolate soy milk and it is also good for their health. You can get a small bowl to clip on the side of the cage and fill it with yummy soy milk every day. This will help keep tumors at bay and provide a taste sensation for your pets.

2. Clean the Cage to Within an Inch of it’s Life – Of course you already clean out your rat’s cage on a regular basis, but many people simply do not do it thoroughly enough. A cage that is not completely clean or ventilated is the Number 1 cause of deadly respiratory infections.

Every week take all the toys and other equipment out of the rat cage. Place everything from the cage (except the rats!!!) in hot water with antibacterial bleach. After soaking everything scrub it hard with an old toothbrush and rinse with clean water. Throw out any toys and accessories that can’t be cleaned such as egg cartons etc and replace them. Wash your rat’s hammocks in the machine.

Go about your usual cleaning , removing old bedding and cleaning the cage floor. Buy a spray from your local pet store or online especially for pet cages and scrub the bars of the cage. You can then put everything back and arrange the cage so it is interesting for your rodent pals.

3. Bedding and Ventilation – You have probably already read this during your research, but ventilation is key for a healthy pet rat. Aquarium tanks are not suitable, as they are a great breeding ground for bacteria and the air flow is not good enough, which can lead to respiratory infections. Choose a wire cage and clean it regularly (see above).
As for bedding, never keep your rats on shavings, as the dust is very bad for the lungs and pine shavings are actually poisonous to rats.

I use recycled paper as a base on the cage and then I tear up sheets of unprinted newspaper (so they do not ingest ink) for comfy bedding. Some old rags are also great to cut up for extra comfy bedding as long as you replace (or wash) them weekly.

4. Companionship - It has been proven time and time again that happy rats live longer. This is why it is so important to keep rats in pairs (or more). The fact is you cannot be around all the time. You have to sleep! This is when your rat needs a playmate, a grooming partner and someone to snuggle with. You should also spend plenty of time with your pet rats. Set aside time for them every day and be sure to handle them a lot and give them loads of attention.

Free range time is also really important, as rats need things to explore and play with.

5. Inositol - This is an ingredient found in brown rice that has been proven (in horrible labs) to extend the lives of rats and help prevent cancer and promote better health. Simply cook some brown rice for your rats daily. They will probably like it and it is great for their little bodies.You will also need to supplement your rat’s diet with Iron or your rat’s may not be able to absorb the mineral.

If you are worried about weight gain from too many carbs go to your local health food shop and ask for the powdered version of Inositol. This can be ordered in if they do not have it. Simply add a sprinkling to your rat’s water daily and they will love the slightly sweet taste. You should not have your rat’s cage in direct light anyway, but if you do be aware that you will need to cover the water bottle as Inositol is light sensitive.

6. Food and Weight Management - The only thing that has been proven beyond doubt, time and time again is that slimmer rats live longer. It is important to make sure your rat gets all the nutrients they need, as without this a low calorie diet will be no good at all, but by reducing calories you can ensure better health for your rat. The best base food is Rat Block available online, or from your local pet store. This has all the nutrients that your rat needs. You can then add some more exciting things to the mix, but if you are feeding high calorie items such as crisps, only do this very occasionally. Your rat may love them, but their body won’t.

By following these guidelines you may be able to increase your rat’s life span and improve their overall health. There are other supplements you may wish to consider such as flax seed oil, which is great for keeping joints supple and garlic, which helps to open up the lungs and is good for the heart.

Be aware that pet rats who are descended from lab rats will be more prone to tumors, as they were bred for this purpose. On the same note rats you save from feeder snakes may not be in tip top health. Just try your best for these rats to provide them with the happiest and healthiest time possible, but do not beat yourself up if they do pass away at an early age. However, you should never breed from these animals, as bad health traits will be passed to the babies.

The main thing is to shower your fuzzy friends with love and attention and enjoy the relatively short time you have together. Make every day of your rats’ little lives a great day.

How to Double Your Pet Rat’s Life Span via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Symptoms of Mycoplasma Pulmonis

Labored breathing, chattering, weight loss, sneezing, sniffling, squinting, rough hair, Porphyrin staining (red staining) around nose and eyes.

In more severe cases your rat may have pneumonia, infertility, miscarriage and death.

Mycoplasma Pulmonis can also cause an inner ear infection, so watch out for head tilting in your rat.

Prevention of MP

Your rat will be more susceptible to MP if he is stressed. Try to keep his life as stress free as possible by keeping him stimulated (see rat toys and games pages) and keeping his home super clean.

Pollutants and exposure to ammonia and fecal material (pooh) will also make your rat more susceptible to MP. Keep you rat in a clean, uncrowded and well ventilated cage with clean and safe bedding. Do not use shavings, as these will aggravate MP and may cause other diseases too.

If you get a new rat keep them in a separate cage, in a separate room from your other rats for two weeks. This is a quarantine period. As MP can spread to other rats easily.

What is Mycoplasma Pulmonis?

Are you ready for the science bit?

Mycoplasma is a PPLO (pleuropneumonia-like organism). It is different from other forms of bacteria, as it doesn’t have a cell wall (this is important to remember when treating it). There are 95 types of mycoplasma, but rats get the kind called mycoplasma pulmonis (MP). Mycoplasma is the organism genus and pulmonis is the organism species.

MP is carried in the upper respiratory system. It causes a blistering effect on the surface of the lungs and can cause secondary infection. However genital mycoplasmosis is common in female rats and although they do not always have an infection they will have reduced fertility.

MP is very fragile outside of the host (your rat) and it is very susceptible to heat, detergents and disinfectants. This means that washing your hands with hot water will kill MP.

People can’t catch MP, but we can carry it on our clothes and skin for short periods of time. Mycoplasmas live in respiratory passages and lungs, so if we sneeze we could transmit it to our rats. MP can infect an entire rat colony as they transmit it by sneezing, grooming and sexual contact.

Although MP is very delicate and has a slow rate of growth, once it takes root in a rats system it is incurable. MP mimics your rats antigens fooling your rat’s system into ignoring the invading organism.

Rats can be more susceptible to other respiratory diseases once they have MP, as it compromises the integrity of the lung wall.

Treating Mycoplasma Pulmonis

Not all antibiotics work on MP. This is because some antibiotics attack the invading organisms cell wall and remember MP does not have a cell wall, so these antibiotics will be useless.

You must use the correct antibiotics as soon as possible. remember there are other pathogens that effect rats, so make sure it is MP before you begin treatment.

Good antibiotics to use are:

Doxycycline combined with Baytril. This should be given in an oral form using a syringe, or dropped in your rats favorite liquid food (Ginger loves soy milk). Give your rat 2.5mg/pound (make sure you get an accurate weight of your rat using electronic scales). Give this twice a day for 14-30 days, or as advised by your vet.

Aminophylline can be used if your rat has pneumonia to help your rat breathe more easily. Give 2.5-5mg/pound two times a day.

Prednisone can reduce inflammation, and can be used with other antibiotics. In the advanced stages of MP this will allow your rat to live more comfortably. Give 0.25-1mg/pound once a day. Only ever use this for a few days at a time, unless your rat is dying, in which case keep it up until he passes.

Make sure your rat is getting enough fluids. You may wish to use a syringe, or eyedropper to give water to your rat by hand. If your rat is not eating properly use a vitamin and calorie supplement, such as Nutrigel. This tastes nice, so your rat should take it easily. See Nursing a Sick Rat for more information.

Please consult your vet as soon as your see symptoms of respiratory infection. If you catch it early you can treat your rat with antibiotics, which may prevent scarring of the lungs and worsening of symptoms. The doses on this page are a guideline only. I am not a vet, so it is very imprtant to contact a professional asap.

Mycoplasma Pulmonis in Pet Rats via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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The thing I really like about this cage is that the space between the wire is very small, perfect for even small rats. I have seen some amazing ferret cages, that I just wish were suitable for rats, but the wire is too far apart and the crafty rats will squeeze through.

The Prevue rat cage is large, sturdy, easy to clean out and easy to move around if you need to. The cage comes with an optional grate on the bottom, but I feel this is essential as otherwise the black tray may sag. It is simple to cover the bars along the bottom with some newspaper to stop your rat’s feet getting sore. In fact this makes it easy to clean.

I also like that this cage has storage underneath, as it is the perfect place to keep my pet rat’s stuff, like food and treats. For around$125 I think this rat cage is excellent value and with a few snuggly things like hammocks and tunnels, will make a wonderful home for your rats.

The only downside is that the cage is not as simple to put together as I would like. Then again, I am not very handy and neither is my husband and I still managed in the end. It just took a little effort. If you are good at DIY you will have no problem.

For more info on this rat cage or to buy click here.

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When your rat is ill, the most important thing to do is to consult a vet. Your rat’s health and happiness should be a very high priority for you. However there are times when you can try homeopathy, to accompany a veterinary treatment. I have listed suitable treatments below. The substance names may sound like gooble-de-gook, but a homeopath will be able to find them for you in their shop and give you some more advice. You can also research the various treatments and buy them online.

So what is homeopathy?

Homeopathy is an alternative therapy. It is a system of complementary medicine in which disease is treated by minute doses of natural substances that in large quantities would produce symptoms of the disease. There are no side effects with homeopathy. As odd as it may sound the more a substance is diluted, the more potent it is.

First you need to look at your rat and decide what symptoms he has. Homeopathy looks at the body as a whole, rather than just the illness.

Once you have defined the symptoms you can use the information below to find out what treatments you can use. It is best to find a veterinarian that also practices homeopathy to advise you.

You can buy homeopathic treatments online and the websites or product customer service will often be able to give you advice as to what potency you should use and how frequently you should use it for best results. It is best to use 30c potency for most treatments. You generally give them 3 times a day, for 3 days a week. You then stop the treatment and let it work. Give it time. It may take up to 3 weeks to see an improvement. You may see a slight aggravation of the symptoms. This is because homeopathy uses the “like proves like” way of thinking. If the condition of your ratty improves or worsens before the 3 days treatment is up, it means it is working. Stop the treatment and let it work. You can get the treatments in liquid form or tablet form, liquid is easier to administer to rats.

You should give your rat the remedy when they haven’t eaten for 15 minutes. You should then ensure that they don’t eat for another 15 minutes, after the treatment has been taken.

Respiratory Infections

Use Pulsatilla 30c for mucous coughs and Antimonium Tartaricum 30c for rattling, wheezing coughs.

Aconite 6c can be used in the early stages of respiratory disease.

Spongia Tosta can be used for harsh, dry sounding coughs.

Allium Cepa can be used to treat discharge from the eyes and nose.

Bleeding from Wounds

Use Ferrum Phosphoricum 6c. Crush it and sprinkle it onto the wound.

Bumble Foot

Calendula, Echinacea used with Hypericum cream twice a day will help greatly.

Burns

Urtica Urens Tincture – Use 1 part to 4 parts water. Soak the gauze in this formula and apply to burn as soon as possible.

Use Carthans 30c every 2 hours to relieve rawness.

Use Kali Bichromium 6c every 2 hours if the burns are deep.

Bladder and Bowel Infection

Contharsis helps painful urination.

Phosphorus relieves constipation.

Arsenicum Album will help diarrhea caused by eating too much of a certain food.

Chamomilia helps to relieve watery, slimy stools.

Ringtail

Ringtail in rats is usually caused by temperature and in particular humidity. The optimal temperature range for all pet rodents is between 65°to 80°F with a relative humidity of 40 to 70%. Ringtail effects the rats blood circulation and annular constrictions and can make the tail fall off. You will notice constrictive bands along the tail.

You should make sure to feed you rat a very low fat, healthy diet and check the humidity, but you can also use the homeopathic remedy secale to help the healing process.

Eye Injury

Ruta Graveolens will help an eye injury or painful irritation.

Hypericum will also help.

Skin Itching

Rats love a good scratch, so don’t worry if you see your rat itching away. However, if during your daily health checks you notice anything strange on the skin, or your rat is itching a lot, you could try any of these treatments:

Alumen, Alumina, Bacillium or Pulsatilla

Tumors

Unfortunately rats, especially females, are very susceptible to tumors. You can try the following treatments for any tumor:

Arsen alb, Viscum alb

If the tumor is ulcerated and inflamed use Asterias

If the tumor has suppuration (pus and discharge) use Phosphorus.

Abdominal tumor

Use Hydrastis

Mammary tumor

This is probably the most common tumor you will have to deal with. My rat Ginger had a mammary tumor behind her left front leg. Until then I didn’t realize rats have nipples in such odd places.

Try any of the following:

Arsen alb, Asterias, Calc. fluor, Calc.iod, Conium, Hydrastis, Phosphorus, Scgirrinhum, Scrophularia, Thuja.

Heart Weakness

If your ratty has a weak heart use Crataegus to treat.

Shock

Arnica 200c

Aconite 30c

You can also try using Bach’s Rescue Remedy (available in most health food shops.)

To Ease Suffering Prior to Death or Euthanasia

When this time comes use the following to make your rat more comfortable:

Arsen, Tarent

For General Injury and Illness and to Relieve Pain

Use Arnica to make your rat feel better. It will reduce pain, reduce inflammation and help control bleeding.

Use Hypericum to relieve pain from nerve areas like fingers, toes, claws and tongue.

Natural Antibiotics

Rats have fast metabolisms, so you should see a difference quite quickly if you use these treatments.

Tea Tree Oil – Mild antiseptic. Add a couple of drops to your rat’s bath water and bathe them gently to help treat parasites.

Echinacea – This can treat viruses, fungi and is a great immune system booster. Add 10 drops to your rat’s water. It can also help with respiratory diseases. It is best to give it for 2 weeks on and 1 week off, as continued use can make your rat lethargic. You can add some honey or sugar if your rat doesn’t like the taste.

Goldenseal – Use this with Echinacea to combat congestion and sooth inflammation.

Garlic – This is antiviral, anti fungal and helps to open up the lungs. Use a little garlic oil over your rattie’s food.

Propolis - This can be used to sterilize and disinfect. It can also speed the healing of wounds and can soothe skin irritations. Mix it with a little warm water and dab it on the affected area. It won’t hurt your rat if he licks it off.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Supplement – Use to treat arthritis. You can buy it in the health food shop. Give your rat about a quarter of a tablet, once a day and you should see a difference in a few days.

Remember…Always consult your vet if your rat is ill!

It is a good idea to keep some basic homeopathic remedies such as Arsen, Arnica and Echinacea, so you can treat your rat as soon as possible.

Homeopathy for Your Pet Rat via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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We all hope it doesn’t happen, but no matter how well you care for your rat, there will be a time when you find yourself nursing a sick rat.

Quarantine?

The first decision to make is whether you are going to move your sick rat into another cage. If he is not too sick and the disease is not contagious, it is best to leave your rat in with his companions. It will be less stressful and your rat will feel better being around his friends.

If your rat is very ill, or has a contagious disease, you should move him into a separate cage. This way he will not spread the illness and he will also have peace and quiet, in a space where he can recuperate.

Bedding

Make sure the cage is extra comfy for your rat. Use old jumpers, or towels for bedding, so that your rat can snuggle up.

If your rat has a respiratory disease he may get rather cold, so make sure you take steps to keep him warm. Put a heating pad under the cage, covered by a towel. Do not put it inside the cage, or your rat will chew the wires. You can also get a microwaveable heat pad. Keep the pad over one side of the cage, so that your rat can move away if he gets too hot.

Make sure you change the bedding in your rats cage frequently. If it gets dirty your rat’s illness could get worse. Clean the cage with a germicidal cleaner, such as Parvasol, a mild bleach solution.

Drape a towel over one half of the cage, so that your rat can retreat to a dark place to hide. Make sure that your rat doesn’t get too hot and that he stays hydrated.

Remember your rat may not be able to clean himself when he is sick. Use a damp cloth to clean off any urine or waste. Whatever you do don’t rinse him under the tap. It will be too stressful. Make sure to dry him thoroughly and gently with a towel.

Food

Your rat may not be eating much, or may not be able to eat the same foods when he is ill. Try soft foods such as avocado, thinly spread peanut butter, eggs, baby food, chocolate soy milk and bananas.

Vanilla mixed with banana will be really tasty.

You may need to hand feed your rat. Use a syringe if he will not eat. 3cc, 6cc or 12cc are best, depending on the size of your rat.

Give your rat a pea sized blob of a vitamin supplement such as Nutrigel, along with his other food.

You may also need to give water by hand. Mix the water with a teaspoon of sugar and syringe feed it to your rat.

Use a damp tissue to gently clean any food off your rat after each meal.

You can also use a syringe to administer your rat’s medication, or if he is eating you can add the meds to his favorite liquid food (yogurt or soy milk).

If your rat is very ill, you may need to administer injectable drugs. Gently pinch the skin on the scruff of your rat’s neck and slide the needle under the skin. Massage the area before you do this. If possible, try not to get antibiotics in pill form, as they are hard to administer.

Check that your rat is not dehydrated by gently pulling up your rat’s skin and then releasing. It should ping back straight away. If it takes time, your rat is not getting enough water and you should give water by syringe.

Keep a careful eye on your rat and if his condition worsens seek advice from your vet.

Nursing a Sick Rat via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Desexing

When you first choose your new pet rats, try to get two of the same sex, that way you won’t have to get them desexed. Getting your rat desexed is a major decision, as (especially for females) it is major surgery for such a small animal.

That being said it is a possibility if your male rat has become aggressive. Having him castrated will suppress those raging hormones and the aggressive side of his personality should calm down. He will be happier castrated, than if he wasn’t. Wombat was never aggressive, but he did scent mark a lot when we first got him. After a couple of months this has calmed down, so it could be worth letting your rat adjust first. You may also want to check out our article on Curing Rat Aggression and then if you have to resort to surgery, you can rest assured you have tried all the other options.

It is very important to consider the pain your rat will be in after the surgery and to get your vet to give you something to help ease the rat’s pain. This is especially relevant for females who have been desexed.

If your female rat is having abdominal cramps after the surgery, you will see her looking uncomfortable and tense. She may stretch out flat. Give her 1 drop of oral Metacam once a day until the cramping has stopped.

There are pros to spaying a female rat too. It reduces the risk of mammary and pituitary tumors.

But remember this: Spaying is a more serious operation than removing a tumor – is it worth it?

Surgery

You do not need to fast your rat before surgery, as they cannot vomit.

Try to find a vet that uses Isoflurane anesthetic, as this is the safest for rats.

Make sure you ask the vet what stitches they are planning to use. For small incisions, dissolvable stitches are best. These can be hidden under the skin, which will make them much more difficult for your rat to chew.

If skin glue is used, the rat will not be able to resist chewing it.

After the Surgery

After the surgery, it is important to look out for any reactions to the internal stitches. This could be redness or swelling, or anything unusual.

After the surgery the vet will monitor your rat for a couple of hours, to check all is well. They may give you antibiotics to administer at home, although this is often not necessary for mammary tumors.

Make sure you have a clean, fresh cage at home waiting for your tired little rat. They should not be put in with their friends just yet, as they will be tired and will need to recover. You will also not want the other rats to damage the stitches.

It is very important to keep your patient nice and warm. You may have a microwaveable heat pad you can use. Make sure they have a space they can move to if they get too hot. Give them something cosy, like polar fleece to snuggle into.

Your rat will be groggy for a while. Check on your rat every hour and make sure they are drinking. You may need to offer fluids from a dripper, eye dropper, or your finger, to make sure they drink.

If your rat is not eating you can use a vitamin supplement, such as Nutrigel, to ensure that your rat is getting the necessary vitamins.You will only need to use a pea sized blob, and must not give too much. This vitamin gel tastes yummy, so your rat should take it easily off your finger. Some rats may not like the sticky texture, so put the blob on a small piece of bread and wrap it in the bread, before offering it to your rat. They should eat it easily.

Add grapes and broccoli to your rats diet, as these are both very high in antioxidants.

The Day After Surgery

Your rat can go back in with his friends the day after surgery. Make sure you have fully cleaned out the cage first.

If the operation was castration for aggression, you should wait about six weeks until you reunite him with his friends, as this is the time it will take for the hormones and sperm to dissipate.

If your rat has had surgery to remove a tumor, you may wish to introduce the anti-lump mix to her diet. Hopefully this will help towards preventing further tumors from appearing.

Is Your Rat Pulling Out Their Stitches?

If your rat won’t stop chewing at his stitches, there are a couple of things you can try:

1. Apply a bitter apple mix, or Johnsons anti-peck (there are various brands available). It tastes yucky, so your rat will be less likely to chew the area.
2. If this doesn’t work, try using a surgical stocking to cover the whole body of your rat (including the wounds). Cut holes for the head, legs and tail and this will be a barrier, so that your rat can’t reach the stitches.
3. Never use an Elizabethan collar on a rat. It is highly stressful and won’t work.

Make sure you give your rats lots of love, attention and care and I am sure your little one will be back to tip top health in no time.

Surgery for Pet Rats via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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If you’re lucky and your rat’s illness can be treated with medicine, you may find it is easier said than done.

We took Ginger to the vets recently and she was given some antibiotics. The Vet held the tiny syringe to her mouth and tried to squirt the medicine in. She wriggled so much that most of the medicine ended up over my hand. It was also pretty stressful for poor old Ginger.

There is an easier way.

What’s your rat’s favorite food? Ginger loves chocolate soy milk. Your rat may love yogurt or cold tea. Whatever they love as long as it’s runny you can simply put some of the special treat in a spoon (noodle spoons are the best for this) and drop the antibiotics in. Sit your little friend next to the spoon and they will lick it clean, lapping up the antibiotics as well.

If this doesn’t work, ask your vet to put a cut off, blunt needle on the end of the syringe. You can then get it right into the corner of your rat’s mouth. I get my husband to hold the little rat. He can keep the rat still and stop her from using her hands to push the syringe out the way. I can then squirt the medicine into her mouth.

Make sure that you monitor your ratties progress carefully, after going to the vets. If what you’re doing isn’t working go back to the vets for more advice. Your rat’s health is at stake.

Giving Medication to Your Pet Rat via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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When searching for the perfect home for my pet rats one problem I have come across time and time again is that the bars are too far apart and my little friends could squeeze through if they really wanted to. There are some gorgeous, big homes for ferrets out there that would be perfect for my rats – apart from the bars!

One of the reasons I like this rat cage is that the bars are very close together, so that even baby rats, or mice could not squeeze through. The cage is great value at under $100 and is a great way to start off when you first get your new pets.

The cage comes complete with a comfy hammock and a large exercise wheel. Now, a couple of my rats have really taken to a good run on the wheel, but others are not interested. If yours show no interest you could take the wheel out to allow more space. Other pros of choosing this rat cage include the cure little personalization plate, where you can add your rats’ names and the easy to clean tray. Once you take into account the ramps and shelves there is a lot of space here for your pets.

If you have elderly rats, a single level home may be more appropriate. My older rats prefer not to climb as much as they used to.

Click here for more info or to buy the Super Pet® Deluxe My First Home Cage for Exotics from PetSmart

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There are loads of good vets out there for your pet rat, but it is not always the easiest task to find them.

Some vets may be wonderful with cats and dogs, but do not have the same knowledge about rats. Some vets do not respect rats and think it easier to let your rat die and buy a new one. Some may overcharge because they don’t want to treat your rat.

But there are some who respect rats and have knowledge about them. There are others who respect rats and are open to advice. These are the ones to track down.

You should try and locate a good rat vet as soon as you can, so that if an emergency occurs you know who to call.

Never accept derogatory comments about your rat.

Call up your chosen veterinary practice and be upfront. Ask whether the vets there have dealt with many rats before. Maybe even talk to the vet and ask as many questions as you like. Ask them how many rats they treat and their surgery success rate (it should not be less than 95%)

You can even ask a trick question, such as “Should I withhold food before surgery?” If they know about rats they will know that they can’t vomit, so you don’t need to withhold food.

When you take your rat to the vets they should put a towel down for your pet, so that the cold table, doesn’t make them uncomfortable.

Read up on your rat’s symptoms, so that you can maximize the productivity of your trip to the vets.

And finally…if you find a good one let us know. We can put them up on the website, so that others can get good treatments for their pet rats.

Finding a Good Vet for Your Pet Rat via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Iodine Solution – You can use this to disinfect small wounds. Dilute a teaspoon of iodine solution in a litre of water, before applying.

Cotton Balls – To apply iodine solution or water.

Calendula Balm – use to help heal scabs and wounds.

Salt Solution – dilute and use to gently clean your rats eyes. This will need to be changed daily.

Pain Killer – Ask your vet for a rat pain killer.

Wormer – There are many different brands. Have some wormer available and use it every 21 days to keep worms at bay. You can use horse wormer paste, but only use a tiny bit, the size of a grain of rice.

Sodium Bicarbonate – Useful to clean open abscesses.

Nutrigel – This is a wonderful and yummy vitamin supplement. You just need a pea sized amount twice a day to supplement the diet of a sick rat.

Udder balm - Good for scabs and wounds.

Sterile gauze - for open wounds.

Syringe with no needle – to give water, food and medicine.

Tweezers – to remove splinters.

Cotton Buds (Q-Tips) - to gently clean eyes and ears and to apply ointment.

Toothbrush – If you need to clean your rat’s tail.

Baby nail clippers – For trimming your rat’s nails. Be careful not to cut too far. Look where the quik (red vein running through nail) starts and stop there.

Wash cloth – to clean your rat.

Jar of baby food – In case your rat is too ill to eat solids, you may give this by syringe.

Heating pad and towel – when your rat is ill, he is more likely to get cold. Make sure the heat pad in only under half of the rat cage, so your rat can move to a cooler area.

Bottle of Ice - your rat can cool down on a cool bottle in hot weather.

Rat treats – These are good to distract your rat if you need to apply ointment etc.

You can buy some of these essentials, as well as lots of other great ratty stuff from our online Rat Store.

First Aid Kit for Rats via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Your rat’s health is the most important thing, so do these checks every day to make sure all is well and spot illness before it gets too bad.

If your rat has any of the problems below please take him to the vet immediately. It is not worth waiting, whilst your rat is in pain.

Daily:

• Eyes – Check that you rat’s eyes are bright and clear. Check for staining, weeping or cloudiness.
• Nose – Check for discharge, wheezy breathing or blood.
• Ears – should be clean and should not smell
• Face - check for scratches or red, bald patches that could mean mites
• Lungs - Hold your rat up to your ear and listen for any wheezing.
• Skin - Check that your rat does not have any red patches, or scabs. Check around the ears and tail for mites. Gently pinch skin. It should ping back immediately, otherwise your rat may be dehydrated.
• Feet – Check whether their nails need a trim. Are there any red lumps or bumps? They may have bumble foot.
• Coat - Should be shiny and full. There should be no bald patches, scabs or yellowing. If your rat is very fluffed up he may be ill.
• Tail - Check the shape of your rat’s tail. If it is slightly square this could be a result of poor nutrition
• Urine - Check that there is no blood in urine, as this could mean a painful urine infection.

Weekly:

• Check your rat’s teeth. They should be a yellowish colour. Check that they are aligned.
• Check your rat over for any lumps and bumps.
• Check the way your rat walks. Is he hobbling or having any trouble?

Monthly:

• Check your rat’s weight. If he has dropped or gained significantly there could be a problem.

General Behavior

• Keep an eye on how much your rat is eating and drinking each day
• Head Tilting – this could be an ear infection
• Flattening themselves out – if they are doing this they could have stomach cramps.
• Head Weaving – Your ratty could be bored.
• Rapid breathing or rasping – there could be a respiratory problem.

Remember if there are any health problems please go to the vet immediately. Things will only get worse if you leave it. Your rat deserves treatment asap. It may be as simple as antibiotics.

Whatever it is, it is always best to catch it early and by doing these daily checks and staying observant at all times you should keep a healthy, happy rat.

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Red Discharge from Eyes and Nose

This is usually caused by stress. See whether there are any lifestyle changes you could make to ensure your ratty is stress free. The stress could be caused by an illness, so give your rat a thorough health check.

Head Weaving

This can be caused by boredom. It is similar to when you see zoo animals repeating an action again and again, as there is nothing else to do. It is like a madness. You must provide your rat with more to stimulate him. Make sure you are spending time with him every day. Does he have a companion? Rats are very social animals and a human friend is not enough. Are you providing your rat with toys and new things to explore in his rat cage? Try reading up on rat training and toys for inspiration.

Head Weaving can also simply be your rat trying to see better. Pink eyed rats in particular cannot see very well, so they may weave their head, as they try to get a better view.

Head Tilting

If your rat is tilting his head this could be a sign of an inner ear infection. In this case you must take your rat to the vet immediately. Ear infections are painful, but can be treated easily with antibiotics. Check your rat for other signs of illness.

Sneezing

Rats have a mycoplasma organism that infects their respiratory system. Some simply have it worse than others. It is OK for your rat to sneeze occasionally. Wombat is my most sneezy rat, but he only does it occasionally.

If your rat continues sneezing for an extended period of time he may need antibiotics. So take him to the vets.

Make sure you don’t keep your rat on shavings as this will only make it worse, try vetbed or recycled paper instead.

Look to see whether your rat is having trouble breathing. Is his breathing labored, or rasping? If so take him to the vets immediately.

Check out our page on mycoplasma pulmonis for more info.

Skin Problems

All rats love to have a good old scratch, but if you notice that your rat is itching a lot, or there are red, scabby or bald patches on your rat, it is time to take action.

Diet plays a part in keeping a rat’s skin healthy. Make sure that your rats are eating a diet full of fresh fruit and veg, along with their cereal. You can also provide them with a very small amount of flax seed oil once a week to promote health.

The skin problem could also be caused by parasites. When Ginger had red, scaly patches the man in the pet shop gave us some lotion that cleared it up wonderfully. You can get anti-mite lotion in the pet shop, the vets or at our Rat Store.

Sarcoptic mites are very rare, but are still worth looking out for. They are found on rat’s ears, tails and feet and can infect humans as well. After 3 weeks treatment with Ivermectin your rat can completely recover, but as the mites are so contagious you must separate the ill rat. Look out for abscesses and red itchy patches.

If you are unsure take your rat to the vets.

Skin Abscess

This is a collection of pus, surrounded by inflamed tissue. This can occur from Sarcoptic mites (see above), but also if your rat has had an injury that has become infected.

You must consult your vet straight away. He will most likely lance the abscess with a scalpel and prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection.

Make sure that you remove the cause of the accident and keep your rats environment sterile.

Bleeding from the vulva.

Rats do not have periods, so if your rat is bleeding from the vulva there could be something wrong. It is important to take your rat to the vets straight away.

If your rat is in labour it is natural for there to be a little blood. There is also the possibility that if your rat is pregnant she could be having a miscarriage.

If there is a tumor in the area that could be causing the bleeding, or it could be an infection. Either way please take your rat to the vet as soon as possible.

Worms

Worms are endoparasites. You can diagnose that your rat has worms by looking at his pooh. Not all worms can be detected that easily though. Some are just organisms that you can’t see with the naked eye. Your vet will be able to diagnose whether your rat has worms, by looking at his pooh under the microscope.

Worms feed from the blood of the rat (or other animal). This can eventually lead to your rat’s death.

It is important to worm your rat regularly to prevent them getting worms. You may be able to get a small pet wormer. Otherwise you can use a horse worming paste every 21 days. You only need to use the size of a grain of rice.

SDA (Sialodacyoadenitis)

This disease is related to mouse hepatitis (MHV). It is highly infectious and can be passed in the air and through direct contact. It is important to keep any new rats in quarantine for about 2 weeks when you first bring them home, in case they have SDA, or another disease they can pass onto your original rats.

Symptoms to look out for include sneezing, nasal and eye discharge, swelling under the neck, squinting, blinking, eye rubbing, swelling around the eyes, ulcers of the cornea, bleeding eyes.

Self mutilation may also occur from eye itching.

SDA weakens your rats immune system, so they may catch a secondary infection. Most commonly this is Mycoplasma Pulmonis (MP). An SDA rat is more likely to die under anesthetic.

A rat suffering from SDA will remain active until near the end.

To diagnose SDA your vet will need to test a tissue sample. They can take a blood sample, but this can be painful for your rat.

The best cure is prevention. Make sure to isolate any new rats for two weeks.

Go to your vets as soon as symptoms occur.

Heat

It is very important to keep your rat at a comfortable temperature. If the weather is hot turn a fan in the direction of your rat cage. You can also provide them with a shallow wading pool to cool themselves down.

You can put some frozen veggies in for them to nibble at. Try fishing for peas, where you put frozen peas in a bowl of water and your rats can play and cool down at the same time.

You can provide your rat with ice in a dish. They will love to lick it and it will be a good way for them to rehydrate.

You can also put a bottle of ice in the cage for them to lie on.

Also, please make sure the rats cage is not in direct sunlight. This is just plain cruel.

By recognizing these illnesses and ill health symptoms you can take your rat to the vet as soon as illness strikes. This will give your rat the best chance of recovery.

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Ask yourself:

Is my rat acting normally?

Does anything look different about my rat?

Is my rat eating/drinking the same as usual?

Are there any lumps, bumps or nodules on my rat?

Is my rat sneezing, wheezing or having trouble breathing?

Is my rat particularly quiet today?

When a rat is ill he may be lethargic and look fluffed up. He may lose his appetite and you may find his breathing labored.

There are some things above that could be easily treated such as skin mites. If you pop into your local pet shop they should have a small animal spray that you can use to treat your pet. You can also find treatments like this in our Rat Store. There are also some homeopathic remedies you can look into.

But in most cases.

If something doesn’t seem right with ratty. Go To The Vet.

It is so important to catch illness in the beginning and your rat will thank you for it.

Illness Symptoms in Pet Rats via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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How to keep your little friend in peak health and what to do when illness strikes.

If you keep your pets in a clean rat cage, with toys to prevent boredom, a companion rat, free-range time and a reasonably healthy diet your rat should have a happy, healthy life. It is however, very important to check your rat every day for signs of illness, or any lumps and bumps.

Female rats are especially susceptible to tumors and male rats can sometimes get these as well, so if you find a lump on your rat it is important to take him to the vets as soon as you can.

Oh by the way…mobile phones have been proven to hurt ratties’ brains. The brain cells are killed when the mobile phone waves cause the protective barrier in rats brains to leak, permitting blood proteins that are normally kept away from the brain tissue to contact the neurons. I know, I know, it all sounds like gobble- de-gook, but just give it a thought and maybe keep your phone in a different room than your rats.

Check out the articles in this category for loads of info on how to keep your rat in tip top health.

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When your rat grows older, make sure you put aside extra time every day to look after him and tend to his needs.

Companionship

Companionship is very important, so continue to play with your rat (although perhaps, at a slower pace) for a couple of hours a day. Remember human company is not enough. If your pet’s, rat playmate has passed away consider adopting a couple of young rats (of the same sex) to accompany your older rat. It is always best to introduce more than one young rat, as this should result in less conflict. Check out the introducing rats to each other page for more info on this. An old lonely rat is a sad sight, as they are such sociable creatures, so make companionship a high priority.

Toys

As they grow older, rats are not so interested in toys. However, they still appreciate a cuddly hammock and are more likely to appreciate a cuddle with their owner.

Tumors

Older rats, especially females are rather prone to tumors. Check your rat every day for changes in health and if you spot any lumps or bumps take them to the vets. You may also be interested in finding out about homeopathy as a possible addition to veterinary treatment.

Even older rats,can survive under anesthetic, but there is a higher risk involved and you should consult your vet for advice. Try the anti-lump formula to try and prevent tumors.

A healthy diet of cereal, fresh fruit and veg is very important for optimum health.

Hind Leg Degeneration

Elderly rats will develop more of a waddling walk and their hind legs may eventually deteriorate. This can be caused by spinal trauma, or it can be hereditary. Either way don’t worry, with a few lifestyle changes your rat can continue to live a happy life.

Hind leg degeneration tends to effect males more than females. A good diet in the older rat can help to prevent this.

• A Vitamin B12 supplement given every day (50 micrograms a day)
• Glucosimine, sulphate and chondroitin can help.
• Flaxseed oil once a week will deliver omega 3 as well as essential fatty acids.
• Oats, wholewheat and bran are high in phosphates

All of the above can help any rat remain healthy, but are especially useful for an elderly rat with hind leg degeneration.

Your vet may prescribe steroids, but these are only really of short term benefit. The best time to use these, is if your rat is nearing the end of it’s life and the steroids will probably be accompanied with antibiotics. As your rat nears the end of it’s life you should do everything possible to make it happy and comfortable.

Many people have found that acupuncture can be a great help. It may be hard to track down an animal acupuncturist, but it can be a real relief for your ratty.

The acupuncturist will use BL40 Masterback, Hip point and Baihui points behind the knee. It is definitely an avenue worth considering.

Rats can learn to cope very well with this disability, with a little help from you.

Practical Care

If your rat is not as able bodied as he once was, you may need to transfer him to a single level rat cage.

He may need help with grooming himself, for example if your rat cannot use his back legs he will not be able to stand on them to groom his ears. Use a damp cotton ball to gently help him out.

He may also need a softer diet in a lower bowl and you may need to lower his water bottle, so that he can reach it.

It is a good idea to change the bedding to vet bed as your rat gets older, this will also help prevent respiratory disease. Put newspaper underneath and change it daily.

All in all

A relationship with an elderly rat can be a very rewarding thing, They are still so full of personality and mischief.

They deserve the best care you can give and they will give you so much in return.

Caring for an Elderly Rat via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Rats make great Mums and can cope very well with motherhood on their own, but what happens if Mum isn’t around to care for her baby rats?

It’s down to you. Don’t worry, yes it’s hard work, but it will be worth it when you have lots of healthy rats. Read the information below carefully, before embarking on your ratty journey.

If the pups are under two weeks old it will be much easier for you to find a nursing foster rat to help out. Rats will nearly always happily adopt the orphans and of course it is much healthier for the pups, if they have all the nutrients they are meant to get from a real mummy rat. If you don’t have a nursing rat check with your local breeders and pet shops. They may well have one.

If you do find a foster rat, you will still need to check on the babies once a day. Pick them up and check them over. This way you can check they are healthy, whilst they get used to your smell and to being handled.

You may hear the babies making a chirping sound, a bit like baby birds. Don’t worry, this is normal and mummy rat will look after them.

Hand Raising

So you are now responsible for bringing up the baby rats. If you are dedicated and caring, you will be fine.

Bedding

First make sure that you have somewhere comfy and secure to keep the babies. A small box will be fine. Make sure it is at least 6″ deep, as you would be surprised what the little bubbies can escape from. Line the box with a cosy baby blanket or polar fleece. If you are looking after one orphan rat he will find it very comforting to have a mummy rat sized soft toy to cuddle up to.

Baby rats can’t regulate their own temperature, so it is up to you to keep them warm and of course, to make sure they don’t get too hot.

You can use a warm hot water bottle, covered by a blanket, a heat pad, or a light bulb in the direction of the box to warm the babies up.

You can get microwaveable heat pads, or a proper veterinary one. Either way make sure that it is not too hot and that it is covered by a cosy blanket.

Keep the heat pad to one end of the box, so the babies can wriggle away if they get too hot and keep the heat pad on a low setting. If the babies become too hot, it can be fatal. You may want to keep a thermometer handy to check it is not getting too hot or cold for your babies.

Cleaning

When they are with their mother, rat pups will get individual attention every day and this is essential for you too.

Baby rats cannot go to the toilet on their own and it can be fatal if too many toxins build up. It is your job to help them get rid of waste. You should massage your babies genitals gently before and after each meal, with a damp cotton ball. Be gentle, but make sure you get the waste out. Remember this is a matter of life and death.

It is also important to make sure that you keep the baby clean. Clean any waste, or spilt food off your baby and dry him gently, but thoroughly.

Give each of your babies a gentle, full body massage after every single meal. This is very important and mimics what a mother rat would do. It is comforting for your babies and will help them to digest their food and will stimulate their growth. It will also get them used to being handled.

Food

The closest milk to a mother rat’s is powder soy baby formula. This is actually closer in nutrients than the milk you buy for dogs or cats. Of course nothing compares to Mother Rat, but this will give the bubs all they need to grow and hopefully be very healthy too.

Do not under any circumstances use regular milk. You must use powdered soy formula, or ask your vet for her recommendation. It is important to get the powdered variety, so that you can water it down as much as needed.

You will need to feed your baby rat every 2 to 3 hours during the day and once in the middle of the night (told you it was a full time job) for the first week. In the second week you can drop to feeding every 4 hours. Do not feed your baby rat too often, as this can stop proper digestion.

It is very important not to overfeed your babies, so follow the guidelines below or ask your vet for more advice.

First Feed

Dilute the soy baby formula with 4 parts water. To work out exactly how much to feed the baby, weigh him on some electronic scales. Weigh him in grams and then multiply the number of grams by 0.05. The number you end up with is the amount in ml that you should feed your bub at each meal. For example if your baby weighs 5g, you would feed him 0.25ml per feed (5g x 0.05 = 0.25ml). It is very important to get this right, so make sure you weigh the baby, before each meal.

Dilute the soy baby formula with 4 parts water. for example if you use half a teaspoon of powder, you dilute it with 2 teaspoons of water)

The water should be warm, but not too hot. Test it on your wrist, as you would with a human baby’s milk. To warm the water, sit it in a bowl of warm water. Do not microwave it, as this affects the nutrients in the formula.

Once you have the feed ready get a comfy piece of fabric to hold your baby rat with, whilst you feed it. Hold the baby upright. You can use a small rubber feeding tube, or an eyedropper to feed the baby (your vet should be able to source these for you).

Make sure that the tip of the feeder (or the nipple) is in the babies mouth and then slowly squirt the milk in. Do not overfill bubs mouth, or he will choke.

Remember rats can’t burp, so make sure the end of the feeder is definitely in bubs mouth, so that he doesn’t get wind. If he gulps in too much air you will have to take him to the vets straight away.

Your baby will then start feeding. he may lick the drops of milk, or open his mouth to suck the teat hard.

If you have trouble the first time you feed your baby rat, remember it may take a while for him to get used to the new way of feeding.

The Next Feed

By the second feed you will feel a little more confident in your abilities as a foster mother. This time dilute the powder with 3.5 parts of water. The feed will be a little more nutritious for the baby, but it is important to build up slowly, or the baby’s digestive system may not be able to cope. So if you have half a teaspoon of powder, dilute this with 1 and 3 quarter teaspoons of water.

By the third feed you can dilute half a teaspoon of powder with 1 and a half teaspoons of water.

By the fourth feed you can dilute half a teaspoon of powder with 1 and a quarter teaspoons of water.

By the fifth feed you can dilute half a teaspoon of powder with only 1 teaspoon of water.

Remember…

to massage your baby and help him to toilet after every meal. If you find the baby has diarrhea, then go back to diluting the powder with 1 and 3 quarter teaspoons of water and gradually build up again.

Every night you must remember to sterilize all your feeding equipment in boiling water. This is very important to keep your babies healthy.

Weaning

It won’t be long until you can breathe a sigh of relief. Your babies are growing up!

Even after only a week when their eyes open you can start to introduce very runny baby food on your finger. This is the first step to big ratty food.

After two weeks you can stop the bottle feeding and let your babies eat baby food mixed with formula from a shallow bowl. Over the next two weeks you can phase out the formula and introduce more baby food and by the end of week 4 you can stop the formula and feed the young ‘uns on real food.

Well done! You’ve reached the end. Now make sure you separate the boys from the girls before you have more trouble on your hands.

If you are wondering how to tell boy rats from girl rats click here for more info.

Hand Raising Baby Rats via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Rats are into free love. Remember the shelters don’t need any more orphans, but if you do find yourself with a pregnant ratty here’s some info that may help.

If you keep male and female rats together, you are in for a shock. Rats breed very fast and you will find yourself with lots of little fuzzlets on your hands before you know it.

You may be wondering why I keep Ginger (female) and Mr T (male) together. Good question.I adopted them from the RSPCA and was informed Ginger couldn’t have babies. I was skeptical, but it turns out she can’t and they live together very contented indeed. They are just like an old married couple.

Left to their own devices female rats will give birth to five or six litters a year. Each litter has between five and fifteen rat babies. One rat has been recorded as having 23 babies in one litter!

As you can imagine, it quickly mounts up!

Rats can breed from about two months old. Their gestation period (the time between when they get pregnant and when they have the bubs) is between 16-21 days.

You may find your female rat gets a bit, well, “ratty” when she is pregnant. She may even bite. It’s the hormones. Just like people get grouchy when they’re pregnant. She will return to normal after the birth, so don’t fret.

The young rats are born blind and naked in a comfy nest made of any material mummy rat could find. It may have fabric, hay, grass, and paper. Provide your mummy rat with extra bedding material, during her pregnancy, so she can wile away the hours happily making her snuggly nest.

The babies open their eyes at about two or three weeks old. They live off their mother’s milk until they are about five weeks old and they leave the litter to go into the big, wide world at six weeks old.

It is important to separate the males from the females at this stage. You certainly don’t want any more “accidents”. It is easy to tell apart boys from girls. Click here to find out how to tell the sex of your rats.

If you get your rats from a pet shop, or a rescue centre they should already be separated into groups of male and female and the pet shop worker can tell you whether it is a boy or a girl.

Rats are very good mothers and you shouldn’t need to intervene, apart from to handle the bubs (so they get used to people) and of course to separate the sexes at a later date and start feeding them solids.

If you have more than one female rat you may find that the babies are mothered by all of them, like an extended family. In the wild rats sometimes pool their bubs and then take turns in caring for them.

A male rat has nothing to do with rearing the bubs and it is probably best to separate Dad when they are born, as occasionally he will eat them. Yuck!

When you first give the young rats solid food, don’t be scared to give them hard food. Rats can gnaw from the moment they eat solids, in fact, it’s good for their teeth.

Now, if for some reason Mummy isn’t around to look after her new babies, it is possible to raise them yourself. Take a look at this page on hand raising baby rats for more information.

As your rats get a bit older no doubt they will have unlimited amounts of energy in their “teenage” months. You will have fun watching them wrestle, box and play. These are all ways that they learn about adult life.

Rat Babies via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Physical Differences

It is very easy to tell adult males from adult females.

Males have large, prominent testicles between their back legs. It even makes them walk with a little bit of a waddle. Sometimes when your rat is scared his testicles may draw up inside him, but this will only be temporary.

Females have nipples to feed their young.

When your rat babies are only ten days old, you will already be able to see little dots where the females nipples will be and a small bump where the balls and penis will be in the male.

Rats have belly buttons, so make sure you don’t mistake a male’s belly button for a nipple.

Female rats do not have periods, so if your rat is bleeding from that area, consult your vet immediately.

So, as you can see, it is very easy to tell a buck from a doe rat, even at a young age.

Behavioral Differences

Male rats are generally quieter than females. They are more likely to enjoy a cuddle.

Females enjoy investigating and causing mischief, even more than males. I can never keep Ginger on my lap for long, until she’s off exploring again.

Male rats can, occasionally be aggressive. This can pass with age (after the teenage months are over). Some people resort to castration to fix the problem.

All rats mark with small droplets of urine, but males tend to do it more. They are keen to mark out their territory. Wombat and Little Cloud have stopped marking as much, now that they are comfortable with their surroundings.

Females are easier to keep together than males, but if males are bought at the same time they will be great friends. Even at a later age, if introduced carefully, males can get along with each other.

Whatever you do, don’t keep male and female rats together, or you will end up with lots of babies.

Both male and female ratties make wonderful pets. Both are intelligent, mischievous and fun. It is entirely your preference as to which you prefer. I love them both equally.

What Sex is Your Pet Rat? via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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The best thing to do, of course, is to get the rats from the same place at the same time, but sometimes this isn’t possible, as in the case of a rescue centre, so here is how to introduce rats to each other at a later stage.

Oh by the way, please only keep rats of the same sex together, otherwise you will have a lot of little fuzzies to rehome and that is easier said than done. Mr T and Ginger are an exception, as Ginger can’t have babies.

The easiest thing is to introduce a female to another female and the younger the better, but you should still have a towel and a plant mister of water nearby, in case of squabbling.

Male rats will be harder to introduce after about 10 weeks of age, as they want to protect their territory, but it is still possible.

You should dedicate a fair chunk of time to the introduction. But the time it takes will vary from rat to rat.

Before you introduce your new rat to the original, dab some vanilla essence on the top of their tails, to eliminate their natural odor. This will make them more accepting of each other.

You should have two cages to start with. The new rat can settle in and adjust to it’s new home, before the introduction. If you place the cages near to each other the rats can become accustomed to each others’ smells.

Put the rats in each others rat cage (not at the same time) so they can wander around and fully take in the new smells.

The next step is to find a neutral ground where the rats can meet, without worrying about protecting their territory. In the case of two young rats this could simply be your lap. This would show that you are OK with the new baby and will make your original rat feel better.

With older rats, or when you are introducing babies to old rats it is better to introduce them in another area where if they squabble you can step in with the towel and separate them without getting hurt. You can make an introduction area with a few new toys and various other things, they can explore together, in a section of a room they haven’t been in before.

Some people find it useful to rub a bit of peanut butter or something else yummy on their rats so that the rats lick the food off each other. This starts off the grooming process rats use to get to know each other. Others have taken their original rat and the new rat on a car trip in a neutral carry cage. Because this is a new environment the rats can bond as they go through the experience together.

Your rats will sniff each other and will soon decide whether to get along instantly (as often happens in babies and female rats) or to have a bit of rough and tumble. Do not worry if your rats squeak and fight a little bit. This is normal as it is how they establish who’s the boss and how their relationship will work from now on.

With some rats, particularly two adult males, they may fight quite a bit, so it is a good idea to keep the meetings short and then put the rats back in their separate cages and the next day try again. It may take quite a few meetings before they get along.

If your rats are getting along famously make sure you still keep an eye on them during their first meetings. Let them play and explore together or have a bit of a wrestle, but watch out for any aggression.

If the rats fight and it is getting a bit out of hand simply throw a towel over them to stop the fight, or spray them with the plant mister. This should break it up. If the rats go straight back to fighting you may want to try another day. Have some thick gardening style gloves at the ready to separate two aggressive rats without getting bitten.

If you want to get a companion for an old and lonely rat, you are better off introducing a few younger rats, rather than just one. This will make the introduction much easier. The young ones can play together and the older one will be less likely to pick on one bub.

When is it Time to Call it a Day?

Good question. Sometimes, just like people, two rats just don’t get along and even if you do the introduction right down to the tee you aren’t getting anywhere. If you have given it time and it’s not working, it’s time to give up.

It is easy to keep your rats separate. Simply keep them in separate cages and let them out at different times, or in different rooms. You may find as time goes on and they meet through the bars of the cage they get used to each other.

Perhaps they will get on with another rat? It is different every time.

It can be a lovely thing to see your old rat and your new one snuggle up together. Old and young rats can get along well together too. It can even perk up your old boy to have a young ‘un around.

It could be a good idea to get two younger rats, then at least they can play together, whilst the old man gets some kip.

Introducing Rats via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Rats can get along well with other pets if introduced properly. It is best to monitor the situation very carefully and also to take into account your pet’s personality. For example I have a little softy of a dog called Charlie. He is a Maltese cross Shitzhu and wouldn’t hurt a fly. I know this is his nature. He loves birds. He doesn’t chase them, he simply watches them. If he was a more aggressive personality I would keep him well away from my rats. As it is I can let them be together under supervision.

When I first introduced them I just let Charlie sniff the rats through the cage and to my surprise the rats were rather confident and came up to sniff him too. After a while I let the rats out and held Charlie so that he could watch them. I then let him sniff where they had been. Animals learn so much from smell that this is an excellent way for them to feel more comfortable with each other.

Eventually we held the rats and let Charlie sniff them and then when all seemed to be going well we let them in the room together and watched them carefully.

Charlie is fascinated by the rats. He will sit and watch them, like we sit and watch the TV. His favorite rat is our old man Mr T and Charlie follows him around everywhere. Charlie’s first response was to try and lick the rats, but now he just watches them.

The rats seem to think Charlie is very funny and will creep up on him and then pounce. Charlie is relaxed about this, but if he were a different dog we would have to be more careful.

Make Sure You Use Common Sense and Judgment.

Some animals just do not get along with rats. Cats are an obvious example. It is in their nature to hunt rats, so it is best not to chance it. Mice are also not suitable to be kept with rats. Rats are omnivorous and can kill mice easily, so don’t do it. Mice are lovely creatures but they get very nervous when kept near rats. It is simply nature, so choose one or the other, or if you have both pets keep them in separate rooms at all times. That is what I do with my little rescue mouse Edward.

Bigger dogs could squash your rat and a terriers instinct is to catch a rat. If you already have a cat think whether a rat the right pet for you? The rats will smell the cat and this may cause undue stress, even if you have the most laid back cat in the world.

Always monitor the meetings and don’t leave them even for a minute. A minute is all it takes for tragedy to happen.

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Does your rat often start fights with your other rats? Does he bite, or scratch you, or the other rats? If he does, I may just be able to help you. Whether he is aggressive towards you or other ratties, it is important to take action to stop anyone getting hurt.

Why is your rat aggressive?

There are a number of reasons as to why your rat may be aggressive. It could be down to hormones All rats go through a “teenage” stage at around 6 months to a year old. At this stage your rats hormones, can literally be overwhelming him and this may lead to aggression.

It can also be down to stress, perhaps he has lost a friend, or he has experienced a change in environment. Is there a chance your rat could be ill? If your rat is in pain, or unwell he may become aggressive.

It could be caused by your rat’s past experiences. If he has been abused by people before, or perhaps not handled enough to know we won’t hurt him, he may bite as a defense mechanism. Some rats are genetically more susceptible to aggression.

All rats release pheromones in their urine and these pheromones, mark out their territory and can provoke aggression in other rats. Both male and female rats can suffer from aggression, but males tend to more often.

What can you do about it?

Luckily there are several things you can try, to treat your rats aggression.

My Secret Weapon

Something I love to use and have had some success with is vanilla essence. If your rats are fighting, or you are having trouble introducing them, this is the way to go. You can buy vanilla essence online or at the local supermarket.

Simply rub a few drops at the base of both rats’ tails and along their backs. It will not hurt them if they lick it off, in fact they will probably like the taste.

The smell of the vanilla essence (which is very pleasant) will cover up their own natural smell, which may be offensive to the other rat (as rats use smell as a way to communicate). The taste may encourage the rats to lick each other and grooming will start the natural bonding process. In mild cases this could be enough to curb any aggression in rats.

If your rat is being aggressive towards you, rub the vanilla essence on your rat and some on your wrist. This way you will both smell the same and you will be less scary and offensive to your rat.

My Secret Weapon 2

I was having a great deal of trouble with Wombat and Little Cloud. They were brothers and often great friends, but they would regularly have big fights with Wombat usually being the bully. I tried the vanilla essence which did help temporarily. However, I needed a long term solution. I noticed a little pushing and shoving was going down at meal time, so I bought another bowl and gave them one food bowl each with the same food inside.

I placed each food bowl at opposite ends of the rat cage and put Wombat and Little Cloud in front of their respective bowls, so they knew whose was whose. There was no fighting that meal time, which made sense.

To my amazement now that the boys each had their own food bowl all fighting stopped. Not just at meal time, but all the time. They used to fight randomly and for no apparent reason, even when there was no food around, so it was a real surprise to me. Suddenly they loved each other more than ever and I never had an issue with their aggression again. It could be worth a try, before you explore other methods to deal with rat aggression.

Patience

When dealing with aggression, or any other negative behavior in your pet, you must exercise a great deal of patience and understanding. Changing behaviors takes time and whilst the vanilla essence will help, you must deal with the problem at the source.

If your rat is biting out of fear, your main job will be to build up a trusting relationship. Sit by the open cage relaxing or reading a book and let your rat come to you and sniff you. Offer him a treat when he comes onto your lap. Building a trusting relationship can take time, but is worth it in the end. To deal with fights between your rats have a plant mister of water at hand. Spray your rats if they fight and if this doesn’t work throw a towel over them.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a wonderful tool when dealing with behavioral and health problems in your rats. It is entirely natural, so there are no side effects, but it really does work.

PetAlive’s aggression formula is the best to use for rats. It comes in granule form, so you can dissolve it in soy milk, yogurt or your rat’s favorite drink and they will lap it up. The product is marketed at cats and dogs, but worked wonders for rats.

The granules have an immediate calming effect and will generally help curb the aggression within a few days. The formula will not change your pet’s personality, but could change their life, if it means time out of the cage, enjoying the company of other rats and people.

Stopping Stress

Is your rat stressed or ill? Please check your rat over for signs of ill health. Your rat could be aggressive because he feels ill. Take your rat to the vet if he exhibits any symptoms.

If your rat has had a change of environment, or has lost a companion this could be the cause of aggression. Monitor his environment, check he is not too hot or too cold.

If your rat is kept on his own, get him a companion. Rats are very social animals and love to have another rat to snuggle up to, groom and play with. Human companionship is not enough. Female rats are easy to introduce, but males may be a little harder.

A Final Resort

If you have tried everything and nothing has worked it may be time to consider neutering your pet. In males the aggression may simply be caused by hormones and neutering will stop the surplus of hormones raging around your rat’s little body.

There have been many reports that neutering has completely stopped aggression in pets and made their lives a lot happier.

Of course anesthetic is more serious for rats than say, cats and dogs, so it is something you must consider carefully. You must find a vet who is caring for rats and respects you and your rat. Simply calling the surgery and asking a few questions will usually help you determine whether they are the right vet for you.

After the surgery your rat will need you to nurse him for a few days and then you can begin building up a trusting relationship minus the aggression.

I hope these tips have helped you on the road to a wonderful relationship with your rat. If you need some vanilla essence of other supplies check out our Rat Store.

Pet Rat Aggression via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Young rats love to play with toys and older rats like to lounge on them and investigate them. Even if your rat doesn’t play all that much, toys are a great way to add excitement to his environment.

Remember not to clutter up your rat’s cage too much. Just give them a couple of toys to try out and then they can play with some more in their free range time. Of course if you have a large rat cage, you may be able to fit quite a few toys in, before it becomes cluttered.

There are not too many toys that you can buy especially for rats, but you can often use ones designed for birds, rabbits or ferrets. You can also make toys for your rats. They are very appreciative of anything you give them from an expensive new toy to a toilet roll.

Here are some ideas for home made toys.

Tubes and Tunnels

Rats love to crawl through tunnels and sometimes just to hide away in them. You can use an old piece of pipe for a very hardy tube.

You can also use old clothes to make squishy, comfy tunnels. Cut off the sleeves or trouser legs of a comfy old garment and use a paper clip to hang up each corner, now your rats can use it as a tunnel, or a comfy retreat.

You can try asking at your local carpet shop, whether they have any old carpet tubes. These will make very sturdy tunnels for your pets.

To get your rat to explore the tunnel (if they need encouragement) simply pop a tasty treat inside.

Comfy, Squishy Things

You can buy hammocks for rats. They may be marketed at ferrets’, but they do the job. However, it is just as easy (and much cheaper) to make one at home. As long as it’s comfy your ratty won’t care how it looks.

Just use a piece of comfy material, like polar fleece from an old jumper, or buy some from your local material shop. Cut out a nice piece big enough to accommodate your rats, for a snooze and use paper clips to attach each corner to a corner of the cage, or to make it a bit more sturdy you can cut a little hole in each corner and thread some string through.

Your rat will love to sleep in such a comfy place, especially when it’s cold.

You can also use an old woolly hat or comfy pair of socks as a hammock, anything cuddly really.

Another snuggly place for your rat to hide in and explore is a flower pot filled with hay. They will love to make a little nest in there, when life gets a bit too stressful.

A simple way to keep your rats entertained is to hide pieces of tissue around the cage. Your rats will love to spend time finding and arranging the comfy pieces of tissue into their bed. It all helps to keep them warm in winter too.

Things to Keep Rats Amused

When you’re not around your rats may get a bit bored, so why not try out some of these ideas to keep them entertained.

Toilet Rolls

Pop your old toilet rolls and cut up cereal boxes in the cage for your rats to play with. They will enjoy gnawing them up and moving them around.

Branches

Put some branches in the cage for your rats to climb on. Make sure they are suitable branches for your rats to chew.

You can also put in some untreated hard wood, something they can really sink their teeth into.

Empty Boxes and Treats

Some empty boxes will be great fun for your rats to explore. They will be interested in the change of environment and will have lots of places to hide in.

Hide treats around the cage, in unexpected nooks and crannies, for your rats to seek out during the day. They use this technique in zoos, to add interest to the animals’ day.

Sealed up Boxes of Treats

Get a small cereal box and put some irresistible treats inside. Seal the box up tight. Your rat will smell the treats inside and will have fun gnawing at the box and working out how to get to them. Of course, he will then have fun eating them.

Digging

Rats love to dig. Try giving them a box of mud to play in and they will enjoy digging in it. They will probably dig in the corners and get nice and muddy.

Playing With Your Rat

Toys are even more fun for your rats, if you play too! Here are some toys you can use to make play time more fun.

Paper and String

Some rats love to chase a ball of paper on a string. Drag the paper around for your ratty and watch the fun ensue.

Feather Duster

My rats love to be tickled with a feather duster. They will pounce on it and run away and then run back. They get very excited indeed. It is also a good snuggly toy to leave in the cage (if your cage is big enough, so that it doesn’t get cluttered)

Fishing For Peas

My rats love water. Sometimes I just give them a shallow bowl of water to splash in. It is a great way to cool down on a hot day and they love to splash each other.

To make things more interesting for them pop some frozen peas into the water and watch your rats fish for them. It’s a good way to keep them entertained and cool them down at the same time.

Don’t make the water too deep, because your rat will probably dive in and they are not meant to get water in their ears.

Mazes

Why not make a fun maze for your ratty to explore? You can make a simple maze out of books, bricks or anything else you may have. Put your rats favorite treat at the end and watch him find it. After a couple of tries, you will see your little fuzzy gets much faster at reaching the treat.

Home Made Rat Toys via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Rats love to play and since you can’t be there all the time to play with them, it’s a good idea to provide them with some toys, to help to keep them entertained.

It depends on the individual rat as to what they love most. There are not too many toys especially for rats, so try bird, rabbit and even cat toys.

You can get fruit flavored wooden rings for them to gnaw and swing on. How about balls that they can push around? Ginger likes tennis balls and looks so funny as she tries to hop along and carry the tennis ball in her mouth. You can get a Kong toy for ferrets, where you hide the food inside a rubber ball or tube and the rat (or ferret) has to try and get it out. You can also get ladders and wooden toys for birds, such as swings, hoops and mirrors with bells. There are all sorts of things you can try, but remember it can be overwhelming for your pet if the cage is cluttered.

Rats also love soft fabrics and enjoy lounging around in hammocks and sleeping bags. You can easily make these yourself from some fleecy material, or you can buy them in pet stores or online.

No toy measures up to real playtime with you and the other rats however. Make sure you set aside time every day to play with your rat and let your rats run around and play together in more space. They will run around investigating everything and are a lot of fun to watch. Make sure you rat proof your house first though.

There are lots of games you can play with your rat. You can train them to do tricks. You can play tickling where you tickle them on the belly. I love to give my rats little kisses (but I don’t know how much they like it). Blow raspberries on them and use your hand like a little rat, running up to your rat and playing chase. You can play peek a boo and give them a nice scratch behind the ear. You will find more games the more time you spend with your rat.

Some rats just love cuddles. They will sit on your lap watching TV with you or curl up in your jumper and go to sleep.  Others prefer to be constantly on the move. Don’t take it personally, it is just their personality. As rats get older they tend to enjoy cuddles more and get a bit quieter.

If you want to buy some fun ratty toys check out our Rat Store.

Rat Toys via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Rats are very clean animals. They spend a lot of time grooming themselves and each other. Grooming helps the rats to forge bonds with each other. It is rarely necessary to give your rat a bath and it can be a bit stressful for them.

Don’t bathe your rat in winter. He will get too cold and could become ill.

If you do need to bathe your rat, use gently running, warm water. You can get special pet shampoo, but use it very sparingly and make sure you don’t get it, or any water, on the rat’s head, eyes or ears. You will do more damage than good.

Make sure you rinse your rat’s fur thoroughly. After your rat has finished his bath, gently towel dry him and make sure you keep him warm, until he is dry.

As long as you clean out the rat cage regularly your rat shouldn’t smell at all.

Rat Bathing via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Here is an easy way to make sure you are doing everything you can to keep your ratty happy.

Before you get your rat

• Are you allowed to keep a rat? Do you need to check with your parents, partner or landlord? Get permission
• Have you got a large rat cage ready for your new friends? Make sure it is big enough to let your rat run, climb and hide away when you aren’t there to let him out.
• Buy the bedding and put it in the cage. Use old newspaper to line the floor of the cage and then put the bedding on top.
• Have you rat proofed your house?

Daily

• Clean out the droppings from your ratties cage
• Remove any uneaten food from the last meal, also check for any food your rat has hoarded away and remove it before it goes mouldy.
• Check whether your rat has enough water, top it up.
• Feed you rats.
• Spend time playing with your rats. Play games with them, tickle them, train them and love them.
• Health Checks

Weekly

• Clean out the rat cage thoroughly and disinfect.
• Replace your ratties bedding, make it cosy.
• Wash the water bottle and give your rat fresh water.
• Check if your rats have gnawed through any parts of their cage and fix it up.
• Replace any toys or branches that your rat has chewed up
• Put in some new and interesting toys.

Occasionally

• Check your rat’s teeth and claws to see whether they have grown too long.
• Also regularily check your rat all over for any health problems.

Rat Care Checklist via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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A small rat cage is not good enough. You can get great multi-level cages, so that your rats can climb ladders and relax on fleecy hammocks. You can also use something similar to a large rabbit’s hutch with an inside and outside compartment. It is best to have a wire cage with a plastic base, to ensure proper ventilation.

It is important that your rats have somewhere to hide when they want a bit of peace and quiet. They should have a sleeping area where they have lots of bedding to snuggle in, as well as places to play hide and seek. It is easy to make an igloo out of an old shoe box. You will see your rats little faces peeping out as they snuggle up in their secret hideaway.

For bedding you can use a base of a few sheets of newspaper and then strips of newspaper or fabric (if you want to make it really snuggly). You can also use the cat litter that is made of recycled paper, as this is quite comfy for the rats and also stops any smell.

If you find your rat’s cage is a bit smelly, make sure you are cleaning it out enough. Some rats need cleaning out more than others, but once a week or twice a week should do it. It is a good idea to drip a few drops of vanilla essence around the cage and on the newspaper before you put the bedding in, as this will neutralize the smell.

Give your rats an old towel or piece of fleecy fabric to snuggle in, especially on colder days.

You may find some interesting things in your rats’ bedding when you clean it out. Rats are great hoarders and will collect things they like. This can include pens, food, tissue, pretty paper, pegs and even our remote control! If you lose something, check your rats cage. It could be there!

We sell some great cages in our rat store plus igloos and fleecy hammocks. Why not treat your rats today?

Choosing the Best Rat Cage via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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What do Rats Eat?

Rats are omnivores, which means they will basically eat anything. You can buy rat and mouse food from the supermarket or a pet shop, but to keep your rat super happy you should supplement their basic cereal food with something a bit more exciting. Improved nutrition can lengthen your rats lifespan to 5 years.

You will discover what your pets favorite food are with a bit of experimentation (don’t mention that word in front of the rats). Try out lots of healthy, fresh foods like carrot sticks dipped in hommus, juicy apples and pears and you will soon see what they eat straight away, what they hide for later and what they just can’t be bothered with at all.

My rat loves grapes. He holds them so delicately, takes off the top and the licks out the inside.

Rat Treats

It’s OK to give your rats treats too. They like the fruity treats you can buy in the pet shop for rabbits and guinea pigs and carob drops that you get for dogs. My rats like a bit of my dog’s dried biscuits too.

Try out raisins and bread and peanut butter, spread thinly, to avoid choking (on a carrot or celery stick) and you will see what they like best. Just like us, they like variation in their diet. Ginger and Mr T just love chocolate soy milk and a lot of rats like yogurt too. Regular soy in our rats’ diet is proven to reduce their chance of getting mammary tumors. Hard boiled eggs and bacon rind are other things your rats might enjoy.

Ginger in particular is rather greedy and will actually try and grab things from my mouth, as I am eating! What a cheek!

Try hiding special treats around their cage in secret places and your rats will love spending time searching for their favorite food, just like they would in the wild.

Remember not to overfeed your rats. If they get fat they can be more susceptible to tumors and other nasty things, so everything in moderation and try and feed lots of healthy living foods as well as the odd treat.

Provide Fresh Water at All Times

Of course you must always provide plenty of fresh water, ideally from a dripfeed bottle, fixed to the cage, that you can get from the pet shop (or our rat store). Try to clean the bottle and the food bowl out regularly to help keep your rats nice and healthy. Also make sure you change the food every day.

What Not to Feed Your Pet Rat

Don’t feed male rats oranges. They have a component called D-limonene that builds up in the male rats kidneys and can cause cancer. Avoid all citrus flavors, oils and fruits. D-limonene is not shown to have any effect on female rats, but perhaps it is best to avoid these fruits anyway and stick to other foods your rat likes. Rats don’t need to eat as much vitamin C as humans, as they are able to make their own.

You should also avoid feeding very watery foods such as lettuce, as they can cause diarrhea, which can be rather serious for our rat friends.

When you find out what your rat’s favorite food is, you can use it to train him. Rats are very intelligent and will do anything for their favorite food. They also like to please their favorite person too. My rats love to do tricks for a piece of Nesquik chocolate cereal or a spoon of chocolate soy milk (note the chocolate theme).

If you want to buy some rat food and treats why not check out our Rat Store.

Rat Food via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Wow their tails are amazing. Let’s have a look:

Rats’ tails are the things that turn a lot of people off our furry little friends, but I love them.

Rats use their tails to balance. Watch your pets as they walk around the house, carrying out their mischievous business. See how your rat uses his tail to balance himself as he conquers the book case or the curtain rail.

Rats also use their tails to control their body temperature. They do this by dilating or constricting the blood vessels in their tail.

Tailless rats are very cute too, but they cannot lose body heat as effectively as other rats. Their balance also leaves something to be desired. This is one of the downsides of breeding a type of animal that we think looks cute – it can really mess with their health.  I love them both, but I think it is time we celebrated the beautiful rat’s tail.

Rat’s Tail via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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No matter how nice the rat cage is, your ratty will need to spend time with you, outside the cage every day. Here are some ways to rat proof your house, so that your little friend is safe and your house is too!

• Remove any unnecessary wires and cords from around the house.
• You can use a split garden hose, or buy wire coverings to protect the wires (and your ratty from getting an electric shock.)
• Another alternative if you have an area where there are lots of wires is to block it off.
• Use an electricity cut out switch (available from most hardware stores) in case an accident does happen.
• Use bricks to block small spaces you don’t want your ratty exploring. These may be holes in your house where they may escape, or places they can get to, that you can’t. Did you know an adult rat can fit through a half inch gap – amazing!
• Make sure you don’t have any poisonous houseplants around that your rats may eat.
• Provide your rats with lots of toys to chew and untreated hard wood to gnaw, so that they are less likely to chew on your furniture.
• Always make sure you keep an eye on your rats as they are very inventive in finding ways to get into trouble.
• Of course, they are rats, so expect a bit of damage (hopefully small) and laugh at how mischievous they can be.

Free Range Rats via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Rat Eyesight

Rats have poor eyesight compared to humans. They are not colorblind, but they do see a more limited palette of colors and their vision is often quite blurry. Pink eyed rats especially, have very poor eyesight and rely heavily on their other senses, which are much more sensitive than ours. In fact they use their other senses to create a picture of their world, as we do with eyesight. They see the world differently to us. They will see hiding places, things to climb and things to chew, which is probably not what we see when we enter a room.

Rat Hearing

Rats have super sensitive hearing. They can hear sounds that we cannot. The upper limit of human hearing is 20Khz, which means that we cannot hear the ultrasonic vocalizations of our ratty friends. Rats use these sounds to communicate long distance stress calls, infant distress calls as well as short, positive, happy chirps, which they use in the same way as laughing.

Even though our ears can’t hear these sounds they can be recorded and replayed at our level of hearing on a bat detector. You may also find that if you listen really closely you can hear some very quiet sounds from your rats.

Rats also use sounds that are audible to us, to communicate with each other. You will often hear little peeps and squeaks from your little friends. They will use them whilst grooming, playing as well as squabbling and fighting.

Another sound you may hear is a grinding sound, called bruxing. Your rat may grind his incisor teeth when he is being stroked, happy or relaxed. You may even notice his eyes boggle and vibrate at the same time. This means he is a contented little fuzzball.

Your rat may make a similar sound, a faster grinding that sounds more like chattering. This is more likely to happen when your rat is in a stressful social situation. Perhaps you have a shy rat or you are introducing two rats to each other?

Smell

Rats also communicate using smell, in the form of urine and droppings. Rats mark unfamiliar territory, as well as an area where another rat has marked. Both male and female rats will mark with urine, but males tend to do it more often.

You will find that your rats will mark a lot when you first get them home. They are in a new territory where they feel the need to mark everything in sight (or smell). It is a way to make themselves feel more at home.

When we first got Little Cloud and Wombat, our two rescued boys, they were very interested in everything around them and every time they climbed over something new they left a couple of drops of urine. They hardly ever mark now, only a couple of months later. Wombat also used to squeak when I picked him up, but he no longer does, in fact it’s hard to budge him off my lap. Their cage smelt a lot compared to our other rats, but now they don’t smell at all. I think it may just be something rats do when they are somewhere new.

Female rats mark too. It is often to show their availability to males.

Rats also have scent gland on their flanks and this is another way they communicate. They spread their smell around and then the other rats know they’ve been there. It is like when some writes “I woz ere” on a wall, except for less destructive.

Touch

Rats have beautiful long whiskers. You will see them twitch their whiskers around, using them to feel the textures and objects around them. Whiskers allow the rats to create a highly detailed picture of their environment. Rats also use touch to establish relationships with each other. They will groom each other in a number of contexts.

Rats who are good friends will often groom each other. Ginger is always grooming Mr T (Her husband). It is an affectionate grooming that seems to strengthen their relationship. It also serves the purpose of keeping the rats healthy. Ginger can get to hard to reach areas that Mr T may not have groomed properly himself.

Rats will also groom each other during play fighting. My two rats Wombat and Little Cloud will sometimes have a playful wrestle and box each other and the winner will then groom the loser quite powerfully. One rat will lie on his back and enjoy a good grooming.

When I have introduced rats to one another I have seen them groom to establish who is boss. This is power grooming. The rats may have a little squabble and then the boss will pin the other rat down and groom them quite roughly. Let them do this, as they are simply establishing a pecking order and they will soon be grooming each other in a more friendly manner.

It is certainly interesting to try and view the world from a rat’s point of view and it will help you when trying to understand your rat and form a trusting relationship with him/her.

Rat Senses via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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The scientific name for our little Fuzzballs is Rattus Norvegicus.

Rats belong to the rodent family, which means they are gnawing animals. Their rodent teeth will continue to grow throughout their lifetime. This is why it is important to provide your friend with things to gnaw.

Brown and Black Rats hitchhiked on boats that were traveling from Central Asia to Britain in around 1700AD. Black rats are smaller and more slender than brown rats. Brown rats are the stronger of the species, but both are equally intelligent.

Rats breed very fast, having about 5 or 6 litters each year. Each litter has around 5-15 young. It doesn’t take much to work out that that is a lot of little ratties. Nowadays there are thought to be as many wild rats as there are humans. A lot of people don’t like wild rats, especially as they were the carriers of a parasite that cause the plague many years ago, but I think they are very interesting and clean animals.

Wild rats live in burrows. Sometimes they dig them themselves and other times they will steal them off of other animals. They can swim very well and it is a good idea to give your pet rat some water to splash in (especially in hot weather) as they still seem to enjoy this.

A lot of people spend a lot of time trying to get rid of wild rats, but they are rather clever animals. It has been shown that they can tell when food is laced with poison and will avoid any strange object that has been put in a familiar place.

There are also persistent stories of white rats (the type used in labs- poor things) warning each other about dangerous things. For example when a rat becomes ill after eating a certain food the other rats will avoid that food. Once they see another rat eating the food with no problems they will eat it again.

There are about 300 species within the Rattus genus.

People soon began to see that rats are intelligent, amazing animals and before the 1900s people began to keep them as pets. By keeping odd colors and breeding from them we get the varieties that we know today.

Soon scientists began to use rats in labs. These rats are white and at one time all pet rats were white too. Now we have our wonderfully cute and fuzzy pet rats. I just wish people would stop abusing white rats in labs. After all they are as intelligent and have individual personalities just like our pets.

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This rat cage is called Super Pet Deluxe My First Home. It is actually suited to any small animals. It is a great starter home for chinchillas and degus, but hey, we’re here to talk about rats, so how would this cage suit our furry friends?

It is well suited to two rats, but if you have more then a bigger cage would be better. After all our rats love to explore, investigate and run around don’t they? The measurements are 40.5″x18″x32″, so it is not small by any means and if your rats are free range a lot of the time this will be just fine. There is plenty of room to hang a comfy hammock and other toys. There is a deep purple base, which not only looks good (we like purple here), but is also nice and deep to avoid bedding scattering everywhere.

I think for a good sized cage this is good value at around $129.

Now there is something you should be aware of if you are a rat owner (which I guess you are). As you will see from the picture the wire is not as close together as it could be on this cage. Therefore, the cage is not as suited to baby rats. It is amazing the tiny spaces rats can squeeze out of! However for adult rats it will be just fine. It is also really easy to clean out, which is always a good thing, even if you do have your rat litter trained.

For more info or to buy this rat cage click here

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It is not cheap with the single story option starting from $149 and this super cage above costing up to $340, but it is certainly something to aspire to. When I first adopted my pet rats, I had a fairly large, simple cage and started to save up for a more luxurious one. Watching the rats run around and investigate their new rat cage is worth the money (well almost)

Previously when I was looking for a rat cage of this size and quality I couldn’t find anything suitable and the only thing close was a ferret cage, which although lovely were not quite right for pet rats, as the wires were that bit too far apart. A small rat could fit right through!

This cage, however is perfect for our little buddies. There is a large floor space, as well as plenty of room for climbing, running around and hanging hammocks and toys.

I would reccommend this rat cage for those who seriously want to pamper their rats. Good rat owners should let their pets out every day for a good run around and plenty of handling. My rats like to travel around the house on my shoulder. But when it is time for them to go back into their house, it feels good knowing they will get plenty of exercise and entertainment.

You can get next day delivery, which is a big plus for impatient types like myself.

Click here for more info or to buy this product

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Can you really clicker train a rat?

Of course you can. If you have a trusting and fun relationship with your ratty anything is possible.

How do you clicker train?

First get a clicker from a pet shop or online. Most clicker have adjustable volume. Set your clicker on the quietest volume for your rat, as they have great hearing. Have your rat‘s favorite food at the ready (give yourself a quota of treats for the day so as not to overfeed) Give your rat the irresistible treat and at the exact time he takes the treat click the clicker.

After a while of doing this, wait for ratty to do something. It can be anything from simply moving, raising a leg, turning around, yawning, whatever he may do. When he does it, click the clicker and give a treat at the exact same time. Repeat this. It won’t be long until your rat realizes that he is controlling the game. He can decide when he gets the treat. You will find that he starts to repeat behaviors to get a click and a treat and will really start to enjoy the game.

Why the clicker?

You can train your rat without a clicker and simply use treats on their own, but if you do choose to use a clicker this will give your rat the definite message that “yes that is what I want you to do”. There will be no need to scold, which can be very detrimental to the learning process. The rat will work out what he needs to do after you have clicked the same action a few times.

Treats are a good way to train, but a clicker gives that definite yes that your pet craves. It will definitely make training easier for you.

If your rat is intolerant of the clicking sound (they have sensitive ears) you can use the lid from a jar, which has a security button. You can simply pop this little button in the lid, instead of a clicker.

It is up to you. You should judge how your ratty reacts to the click sound.

Word commands with the clicker

After a while you can add word commands to your clicker training. For example if you have trained your rat to clap, and he has started to clap to get a click and a treat, say “clap” when he is doing it and then say “stop ” when he stops give him a click and a treat. He will eventually associate the word “clap” with the action of clapping and with the click and the treat. You can choose to only reward your rat with a click and a treat when he claps on command, so as to avoid begging behavior.

To teach your rat a new behavior, for example pushing a ball along, you need to click and praise it at every step of the way. When he looks at the ball, click and treat, when he walks towards the ball, click and treat, when he touches the ball, click and treat, when he pushes the ball, click and treat. He will soon get the idea.

After a while you will not need to give a click and a treat every time. You may simply be able to praise. Remember keep it fun. This is playtime after all.

You can teach plenty of things with a clicker. The limit is your imagination. You can teach your rat to come to you, to sit on your shoulder, as well as party tricks, such as rolling over or even dancing.

• It is important to keep it short – Remember your rats have a lot to do. There’s exploring everything in sight for a start. Five minutes is plenty to start with. You may wish to do your first training sessions in a room where there are less distractions.
• Not all rats are as trainable as others - If your rat isn’t into school, enjoy playing other games instead like chasing with your hand, tickling, massaging and just watching them have lots of fun.
• Keep your rats healthy – A healthy, happy ratty is the most trainable and keep them well fed too, or they’ll be in no mood to do anything for you.

Oh by the way, don’t scold your rat during training. If he’s not getting a trick straight away give him time. It will pay off in the end. You don’t want to damage the trust you’ve built up.

Rat Clicker Training via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Once you’ve got a good relationship with your rat why not train him? It will add to his day immensely and it’s fun for you too. Hey, you could even show him off as a bit of a party trick. The more people that love rats the better, right?

Remember when you train your pet, that even though you are spending quality time with him, he will still need a stimulating environment. You’re not there all the time. It is also important to try not to be too demanding and results orientated. Give your rat a break! This is meant to be fun and when it stops being fun your ratty won’t want to do it anymore. It is also important to keep it up. If you neglect a certain trick for a while your ratty may forget it. After all he’s got more important things to think about – like food!

Litter Training

OK,  so this isn’t the most impressive party trick, but it will make things a lot easier for you. You will have to spend less time cleaning out the cage and less money on bedding and the rats can live in a cleaner environment. Everybody wins!

The first step is to make a litter tray out of something such as the bottom of a tissue box or a shoe box. You can also buy a corner litter tray (especially for rats) at our store. Put some bedding in it, so it looks a bit inviting and then place it in your rat’s cage. If there is already one area your rat likes to go to the toilet, put it there.

Place your rat into his new litter tray. Move the poops your rats has done into the box, so that your rat can smell it there. This will encourage them to go there again.

When you find that they have pooped outside the litter tray simply move the poops inside the box again.

It may take time, but persevere and they will learn. Rats like to be clean too you know.

Learning Their Name

This is an excellent place to start with your training. It will make your party tricks a lot easier to learn and it is easy to teach.

Every time you say your rats name pick him up and give him a cuddle or even a little treat (his favorite food). After a while you can drum you hand on the floor and call his name and again, when he comes to you give him a little treat. You may have to experiment to find out which is the best food is to train your rat with. I found out just yesterday that my rats will do anything for dried seaweed!

It won’t be long before you can call your rat by name and he will come to you. Continue to reward him with tickles, kisses and of course the occasional treat.

Jumping

Place your rat on your lap and make a little gap between your legs. In one hand hold a delicious treat. Your rat will have to jump the gap to get to the treat. Wave the treat and say “Jump Ratty” (insert your rats name here). When your pet has done it give them the treat and lots of praise. Get them to do it a few times. Soon they will do it even without a treat, but don’t forget plenty of praise.

Clapping

This is a cute one. Hold a delicious treat above your rat’s head (a thin piece of carrot dipped in hommus is ideal). Say “Clap Ratty“ (for example) and he will reach up for the treat, lift it up a little so his hands meet. Each time he “claps” say “Good Ratty” and after say three times give your rat the treat and let them enjoy it, as well as lots of praise from his favorite person (you I hope).

Bad Behavior

If your rat keeps trying to chew the wires or do other naughty rat things, don’t get mad, just spray a little water from the plant mister in his direction and say No. But never be mean to your rat. They can’t help being so inquisitive after all.

Tune in to RatsRatsRats.com soon as we will be covering more tricks and clicker training your rat.

Rat Training via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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I know what you’re thinking…Is a rat the perfect pet for me?

Well if you’re looking for a pet that is playful, sensitive and quite often laugh out loud funny then it just could be.

There are all kinds of rats; chocolate, cinnamon, pearl, champagne, hooded, dumbo and many more.

There are a few questions you should ask yourself before you rush off to the pet shop. Why not go through the list now and see whether you can answer yes to the following questions:

• Do I have the time to play with my new pet for at least an hour every day?
• Will I still be able to take care of the ratty in 2-4 years time?
• Do I have the money to buy a lovely, spacious cage and toys, or the skills to build one?

If you answered yes, then you could be a perfect rat owner. The next step is to read as much as possible about your new favorite animal, so that you can provide it with a really good home.

Because rats are such sociable creatures it is a great idea to get more than one rat. Does (girl rats) get on well with other does and bucks (boy rats) get on well with other bucks, as long as they are introduced at an early age. They can be introduced later on, but it is a bit more tricky. Obviously does and bucks love each other, but unless you’re prepared to look after lots of little ratties it is not a wise idea to keep males and females together. The last thing the rescue centres need is another litter of baby animals at their door.

Talking of rescue centres. Have you thought about rescuing your rats?

Lots of people buy and breed animals without thinking it through and that means the shelters are overrun. Why not do them a favor?

Call in to your local shelter and see whether they have any rats up for adoption. The rescue rats can be real characters and it is extremely rewarding to give them a second chance. If not, it is a good idea to buy from a responsible breeder. If you buy from a pet shop you run the risk of getting a sick animal and you also supporting an industry that thinks of animals as a disposable commodity.

Saying that, not all rescue centres are kind to our little friends.Some are rather ignorant of rats and euthanize them immediately rather then learn about them or re-home them.

Rats love to yawn. They also look very cute when they do it. Rats sleep for about 13-15 hours a day. They tend to be awake in the twilight hours. They are not entirely nocturnal, but you will probably see most of them in the late afternoon and evening.

Pet rats are not as hardy as their wild relatives, so they should always be kept inside, at a temperature of around 20 degrees. Make sure it is not too humid either. A wire cage is best for your new friend to ensure proper ventilation. A hamster cage is not suitable for a rat.

Because rats have quite short life spans it is heartbreaking when you have to have one put down or even if it dies of old age. Do you think you could look after your pet even if it was ill and will you be able to cope when it eventually passes? Your rat must be able to have veterinary attention when he needs it and this can be costly.

On a happier note rats are extraordinary, cute, intelligent, playful, inquisitive, loving, funny and a great little friend, so if they are the right pet for you, you are one lucky animal lover.

Rats as Pets via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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Do you love Rats? Well, you’re in the right place.

Rats are highly intelligent, active and friendly animals that deserve every chance of a full and happy life. Here at RatsRatsRats.com we love our ratties and think that if rat owners put a bit of effort into every day with their pet rat they can enjoy the same bond that others may find with a dog.

Make sure you check out our Rat Stuff Store, where you can get everything you need for your pet rats, along with rat related gifts and products!

Did you know that you can train your rat? If you don’t know how to go about it, we will show you how.

Remember before you buy your new friend that rats are a commitment and can live from 2-4 years. They are also very sociable creatures and love the company of people and other rats (with careful introduction). Think about it carefully, otherwise you will have a very bored fuzzball on your hands and that can lead to bad behavior.

Lots of rescue centres have ratties that are just crying (or squeaking) out for a new home and with a bit of help from RatsRatsRats.com it won’t be hard to find your perfect rat match.

Welcome to RatsRatsRats.com via the Pet Rats blog where you can buy all the supplies you need for your Pet Rat, plus learn everything you ever wanted to know about these fuzzy critters!

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