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Almost anyone who crosses this site is already aware of how terrific
rats are as pets but you might not know everything it takes to give them a good home. So here on this FAQ page you will find
some of the finer points to keeping your rats healthy and happy.
**First thing's
first though, I am not a vet, my information comes from almost 10 years of rat ownership and as many years of research.**
Q . How long do rats live?
A . A rat's life span is between 2-3 years.
How well you take care of your rat can play a role in it's life span. Poor care and nutrition can shorten the rats life as
well as not getting proper vet care for you rat when it's sick. There are many good treatments for rats that can help prevent
different alignments so it's always worth seeing your vet.
Q. What kind of vet should I
take my rat to?
A. You should find an exotic pet vet and make sure they know plenty about rats otherwise
your fur ball will not get the correct kind of treatment.
Q. Which is
better, male rats or female rats?
A. This is all dependent on the owner. Females often are more hyper
while males are often lazier, making them more cuddly. They each have great personalities and both make great pets so it depends
on which characteristics you like better.
Q. What should I feed my rat?
A.
You should buy food especially made for rats rather than other types of rodents. The best food to buy at a pet store is Lab
Block. The seed mixes aren't as good because rats tend to pick out only the things they like which keeps them from getting
all the nutrition they need. A home made diet http://www.ratfanclub.org/diet.htmlof fresh foods is even better for your rat and I have found that rats enjoy the fresh stuff MUCH better than the store bought
stuff. Fruits and vegetables are also a very important part of a rat's diet so they should be getting some sort of fruits
and veggies every day. It's important to make sure that the water stays fresh and I highly recommend using bottled water for
you ratties. This helps protect them from any bad things that might be in your tap. And make sure the water bottle gets a
good cleaning either in your dishwasher or by using a bottle brush that can be found in the baby section of stores.
Q . What kind of housing should I use?
A. I recommend a multi-leveled wire cage for your
rats. Aquariums can trap in ammonia and have very poor air flow. But with a wire cage you have to make sure that each level's,
floor is covered with something solid. If the floors are left with just wire your rat can easily hurt a foot or ankle and
can possibly develop Bumble Foot( While Bumble Foot is not usually painful for your rat it does need to be treated by a vet.)
I use linoleum cut to the exact measurements of each level for my own rats.
Q . What kind
of bedding should I use and is there anything special my cage should have for my rats?
A . Never use
Pine or Cedar shavings for your rat or any rodent. Both of these bedding's are toxic to small animals and can cause major
respiratory problems. I suggest Aspen shavings, Yesterday's News, or CareFresh. Although some rats have been know to be allergic
to CareFresh. It's also nice to add hammocks, igloos, or nesting boxes for your rat to hide in and even a few toys are good
so your rats don't get bored. For toys you can buy things that are normally for bird cages, or toilet paper rolls and even
PVC pipe.
Q. Is it OK to have only one rat?
A. Yes but rats do so
much better if they have at least on cage mate if not more. They are very social animals and live in packs in the wild. Most
people don't have enough time to give the attention their single rat needs so a cage mate will guarantee that they have someone
to socialize with at all times. You will also find that watching a pair of ratties together brings a joy not found with just
one rat.
Q. Is it OK to house males and females together?
A. If
you're not wanting babies I recommend getting one or both of the rats fixed. Either one can have this procedure done and actually
there are health benefits to having it done for both.
Q . Can I add a new rat with the
ones I already have? And if so how do I go about introducing them?
A. Yes adding a new rat to the group
is fine but you should quarantine it for at least 2 weeks before introducing it to the rest of the clan. This means a separate
cage and even a separate room. You should also always wash your hands before and after handling any of the rats. If after
the two weeks everyone seems healthy you can then start the introductions. These should always be done in a neutral territory
such as the bath tub or the couch. Scared rats tend to poop a lot so make sure you lay a sheet down if you do this introduction
on the couch. Offer food to the ratties to distract them from any alpha behavior. Give the rats a couple days with several
meetings and if all goes well you can start housing them together. Just make sure that all the bedding is new and the cage
is clean so no one gets territorial.
Q . My rat has been sneezing a lot do you think it's
sick?
A . Rats are very prone to respiratory infections so if you're rat is sneezing, wheezing or making
in any other type of noise with it's nose you should have it checked out by a vet. Healthy rats do not usually sneeze and
or make loud sounds when breathing. They also don't make the silly sounds heard in movies when ever a rat is present :P
Q. What is Mycoplasma pulmonis?
A. It's a bacteria that causes most of the respiratory
diseases in rats. It is highly contagious to other rats so you should always quarantine new ones to make sure they don't have
this infection, otherwise they will spread it to your other rats. Myco is also spread through pregnant mothers to their babies
so you should never breed a rat that is showing signs of infection. Some rats will be carrying myco but it won't show up till
they are under stress, such as an illness, changes in environment and so on.
Q . What is
this red stuff around my rat's nose? Is it blood?
A. No, this stuff is called porphyrin and is present
in their tears and helps protect the eyes. Irritation caused by outside factors can cause the porphyrin to build up in the
corners of the eyes creating gunk or it can run down the nasal passages and make it appear as if the rat has a bloody nose.
However blood is much more red than the reddish-brown porphyrin. Visible porphyrin often indicates a health problem.
Q . Do I need to help my rat keep it's teeth from over growing?
A. It's a myth that rats
need something hard to chew on to keep their teeth from over growing. Only rats with a genetic problem need outside help and
usually it's help from a vet. Rats actually grind their own teeth down everyday.
Q . Why
does my rat grind it's teeth when it's sitting with me?
A. A very happy and content rat will grind
it's teeth which is called Bruxing. This is a major compliment to you and your rat's way of telling you that you are loved
and he feels safe.
Q . My rats eyes almost seem to vibrate out of the sockets, what is
this?
A . This is called Boggling and usually accompanies bruxing.
This too happens when your rat is happy and content. This is perfectly natural.
Q.
Do I need to trip my rats nails?
A . It's a good idea to trim the nails. They can get very sharp and
cut causing scratches to you or themselve. Uncut nails are also prone to snagging and sometimes ripping. It's best to use
a small child's nail clipper and just remove the sharp tip of the nail. Don't go past the pink part.
Q. Do I need to bathe my rat?
A. Only if he/she really needs one. Some rats will potty
in their bedding or hammock and then sleep in it. This can give them a unpleasant urine smell so then a bath might be in order.
Rats hate baths so you might want to grab a partner to help you out. I suggest you clip the nails first so you don't get too
scratched up. Make sure the water is warm but not too hot. Speak calmly to your rat and let them know they will be OK. You
can use a ferret shampoo or a kitten safe shampoo. It would be best to leave the head alone since it's not a good idea to
get water in the ears. And some rats need their tails cleaned and I find using a very soft toothbrush works the best. And
of course make sure that towel is handy before the bath is started and that you get your rattie completely dry before letting
them down.
Q. My rat seems to be scratching a lot and is even getting scabs, is he/she
allergic to something.
A. Some rats are have to much protein in their diet or are allergic to CareFresh
bedding but scabs usually indicate mites. Most rats are allergic to mites and so they scratch to stop the itching. The more
they scratch the more they upset the sores causing them to spread. The first thing to do is clip the nails to keep the rat
from causing worse scabs. Then you should take them to the vet to confirm if it's mites are not. If it is the rat will need
to be treated with Ivermectin for several weeks as will any other rat they've been near. You don't have to worry about other
pets getting the mites because rat mites can only go to other rats. If the scratching is not from mites you should explore
other reasons such as eczema, dry skin, or even a fungus.
Q. I found a lump on my rat,
is this a tumor?
A. Not all lumps are tumors and not all tumors are cancerous. A lump can be an abscess
or even a cyst. It's best to take your rat to the vet right away and have this lump looked at. Many times the lumps can be
removed and this allows the rat to continue living a productive life.
Q. What kind of signs
of illness should I look for in my rat?
A. If you do daily checks on your rat you can discover problems
sooner which can help keep any signs of illness from getting worse. When looking at the eyes make sure they aren't cloudy,
swollen, or have porpyrin caked in the corners. Make sure the ears are clear and free from any dark substance and that they
don't smell bad. Look at the teeth for any chips or one growing longer than the others, and check for bad breath. Look at
the toenails and make sure they are still pink in color. The fur should be soft and not dull or brittle and should be free
of any scabs. Check for lumps anywhere on the body but especially in the armpits, the groin area and under the chin. Check
the bottom of the feet for any sores that might be caused by hard or wire floors. Also keep an eye on the back feet toenails,
they sometimes can fall off and cause bleeding. And always watch your rat's eating and drinking habits!! If your baby is not
eating or drinking than you should get her to the vet right away because this is a sign of illness!
Q.
My rat seems to be tilting his head and sometimes walks at an angle or in circles. What is wrong with him?
A.
This is most likely a inner ear infection which can be fatal so get your rat to the vet immediately to get antibiotics. If
caught in time your rat can recover but might have a permanent tilt.
Q. Is it OK to breed
my rat?
A. This is fine if you take some things into consideration first. The female should be bred
between 4-5 months of age for her first litter. A first litter after the age of 6-8 months can cause birthing problems because
the rat's pelvic canal fuses into a narrow position leading to possible c-section or death. A female rat should not really
have more than 3 litters in her life time which means you should remove any males from her cage before she gives birth. A
female can get pregnant with in 24 hours of giving birth. Rats also reach sexual maturity at 4 weeks of age. Rats don't discriminate
between their mothers, fathers, and siblings so make sure any male rats are removed from the cage with girls when puberty
starts or deformities can develop in the next litter. The gestation period for a rat is normally 22 days but it can range
from 21-23 days. And a rat litter is usually 10-12 babies so please consider this carefully before jumping head first into
breeding. Do you know what to do with that many babies? Some pet stores will take them but lots sell rats for snake food,
so consider all your options.
Q. My rat seems to clean herself constantly throughout the
day. Is this normal?
A. Yes this is very normal, rats often clean themselves up to 6 times a day if
not more. A male rat even needs to clean the waxy build up around his penis.
Q. What
do I do if I don't want my rat anymore?
A. Please don't think you can let your rat go out into the
wild because they have no idea how to take care of themselves. The best thing to do is find a good no-kill rat shelter who
is willing to find your rat a good home.
If you have other questions that are not listed
here, you can either email the questions, come to our board, or reference the Rat-Lady's site on the links page .
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