Animal Care - Rat Care


Rat Care
Rats are very social creatures who do best with other rats. One of the first things a rat guardian must do is spay and neuter these fur kids. This is to keep from adding to the very real population issues and for health reasons. Rats are very prone to cancer and female rats will almost always develop tumors at eighteen months of age if she is not spayed. Rat spays and neuters are best performed by veterinarians with experience, as they are very small creatures and the operation is delicate.

Rats are fairly easy to introduce new rat roommates to. It can take some time and patience, however usually bringing a new rat in to the family will work. It is easiest when rats are young. If you are trying to give your rat some company, try doing this as soon as possible. Be sure to have separate lodging available until a friendship is established.

Rats are very intelligent. In fact, they are smarter than dogs. Not only does this make them a lot of fun for their caretakers, it also means that they get bored. Providing a rat with things to do and toys to play with is a kind consideration.

Rats, unlike some small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs, cannot be put with other species. They are omnivores and see small animals or passive animals as prey. Larger animals see them as prey. Though some rats have been known to befriend dogs or cats, and visa versa, this can only be done with strict supervision.
Housing
A rats cage should be at least 14 inches wide, 24 inches deep and 12 inches tall. This is the smallest advisable. If your rat spends a lot of time in the cage, it should be bigger. Rats always appreciate multi floor cages because they like to climb. If a wire floor is used, the mesh should not be 1 inch by ½-inch mesh. Rats can be caught in this type of wire and break their legs.

Cage should be furbished with hide boxes and the all-important wheel. Wheels with wire spokes cause injuries, so the new comfort wheels are recommended. Some rats like hammocks, though some will chew them apart. The same is true for stuffed animals. Some rats will carry stuffed animals around and sleep with them. Some rats play with small balls. If your cage is big enough, you might want to include a litter box with potting soil in it for digging. Branches an rope for climbing is another rat friendly furbishing. Discovering which toys your rat enjoys is one of the joys of caring for rats.

Aquariums are not the best choice of housing. Ammonia buildup happens quickly and air circulation is very poor in aquariums.

Rats are fairly consistent with their bathroom habits. They choose an area to use as their toilet and stick to it. Occasionally a rat who is scared may release waste when being held. This often times goes away once trust is gained.

Rats can be given quite a bit of freedom in a safe environment. They do burrow and chew, so they cannot be left unsupervised in an unprotected environment.

Rat health is enhanced by maintaining sanitary conditions, so weekly cleaning is important. Using a cleaning solution that is effective against viruses is a good idea. Be sure and follow directions carefully and always rinse area very well.

There are many products on the market that are marketed as rat bedding. Most are very dangerous. Cedar shavings are known to cause liver damage, and other shaving material is linked to respiratory disease and cancer. We recommend Carefresh, a wood pulp product, or timothy hay. Timothy hay works very well and is much cheaper than Carefresh, when it is bought by the bale. Some people are having success with using pelleted rabbit food. This is a very inexpensive choice, and works especially well in litter box.
Vet Care
It is difficult to find veterinarians who are qualified to treat rats. Finding a good exotic vet who sees rats frequently and who stays up to date with the latest information is essential to quality health care. Rats are frequently plagued with incurable respiratory illness. Medication can help a rat cope with disease, however some medications are dangerous. Young rats are especially susceptible to improper use of antibiotics. Check with rat rescue groups in your area for referrals to good vets.

Feeding Rats.
Rat diet is a very important and very involved subject. There are no easy answers to the issues presented. Because rats are so prone to cancer, it is very important to give them foods that are not carcinogenic and will act to combat this heart breaking disease.

Debbie Ducommon, founder of the Rat Fan Club, www.ratfanclub.org, has designed a diet that is meant to combat cancer, provide all nutrients necessary for good health and boost the immune system in general. We highly recommend checking out her website and ordering her Rat Health Care booklet. If you do not have internet access, you can write to Debbie at The Rat Fan Club, 857 Lindo Lane Chico, CA 95973. Not only is the diet included in the book, you will also find other important info.

Debbies' diet is expensive and time consuming to prepare. If feeding them using this prescribed method is impossible, the next best choice is rat blocks. The mixes sold in pet stores, of loose items, are of little nutritional value and fattening. Most rat blocks are corn based, and dried corn is a known carcinogenic. The best rat block, which is soy based, is sold by Oxbow Hay. Some veterinarians carry these products. They can be ordered online at www.oxbowhay.com.

Oxbows' blocks should be augmented with fresh vegetables and fruits for important nutrients found only in fresh foods. Studying rat diet information, like Debbies', will give you good information on ways to over all improve a rats diet.
Getting A Rat?
There are usually many rats available for adoption. If you are looking for a new rat, please check your local shelter, there are usually rats of all ages available.

Please contact us for any additional information regarding rats! We're here to help!

Print This Article
You'll Need Adobe's Acrobat Reader To Print

Want To Add An Article? Be Notified Of New Kind Planet Content? Communicate With Us? Contact
Kind Planet is created at The Sanctuary. Lost? Go to the Site Map or Search Our Site