| Rattie Healthcare |
| · Rats have poor vision. To compensate for this, a red or pink eyed rat will often weave its head side to side to add "motion" to see better. They also don't see in color. |
| · Rats normally prefer to have cage mates. It is possible to group female or male rats together, though care should be taken when introducing a new rat. |
| · While it's great to have both female and male rats, be wary of letting them play together; rats can complete the courting ritual and the whole romantic relationship in about two seconds. |
| · Generally speaking, male rats make better "lap" pets, preferring to sit and have their ears scratched by an attentive human friend. Female rats are very curious, and love to explore and play games. Both genders make great companions |
| · Rats can eat chocolate |
| · Rats can also eat smaller pets. Rats are omnivores, and have enough predatory instinct left in them to consider birds, fish and even some smaller rodents as "snacks." |
| · Rats don't have canine teeth. |
| · Rats don't have thumbs. |
| · The oils in cedar and pine are toxic to rats, and should not be used in their bedding materials we recommend Carefresh pet bedding. |
| · A rat's temperature is regulated though its tail (assuming it has one). A really hot rat will lay on its back so that it can "sweat" through the soles of its feet. |
| · A group of rats is called a mischief. |
| · Red discharge from a rat's nose or eyes is usually porphyrin, not blood. Unlike blood, porphyrin is flourescent under UV light. It is produced in glands behind the rat's eyes. Overproduction of this discharge can be caused by stress or illness. |
| · A happy rat will chatter or grind its teeth. Often, chattering teeth results in "vibrating" eyes, caused by the lower jawbone pressing the backs of the eyes. This is a good sign, regardless of how silly it looks. |
| · A rat's jawbone isn't fused in the middle like ours, so it can make it looks as though the lower incisors have wiggled apart a bit. |
| · Rats can't vomit. A rat can, however, gag on something if it eats too quickly. The plus side of this is that rats can usually eat and drink before surgery. |
| · You can't catch rabies from a rat. (Rats have a "dry" bite and rabies is passed through saliva.) |
| · Soda does not make rats explode. |
| · Rats bathe themselves, usually six times a day or more. A rat's saliva has some pink pigmentation, which can cause a light-colored rat to look discolored. A warm washcloth with baby shampoo is great for those trouble spots. |
| · PEW stands for "Pink Eyed White" the fancy rat terminology for "albino" or any all-white rat with pink eyes. Conversely, BEW stands for "Black Eyed White" (which is not an albino). |
| · Rats have bellybuttons |
| · Rats don't have gallbladders. |
| · Rats don't have tonsils. |
| · A rat's fur smells like grape soda. |
| · Rats can be trained to do simple tricks. |
| · Rats can train humans to do simple tricks. |
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| RAT HOUSING Rats can be housed in wire cages or aquariums which have been fitted with a wire or mesh top screen. Rats are active rodents, so it's most important that you provide adequate space for your new pet. The larger living area you give your animal, the happier he will be. Also, since rats are clean animals, they are happiest when their living environment is cleaned on a regular basis. Cages should be cleaned every 3 days and waste matter should be removed daily. |
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| BEDDING Bedding is the material you'll use to line the cage for your rat. Bedding will be used as a comfort measure for your pet and also, a litter. Appropriate rat beddings include shredded papers and clothing. Never use wood shavings for rats. While wood shavings are an effective bedding material for other rodents, they tend to irritate a rat's sensitive lungs and can cause serious heart problems. |
| HEALTH CONCERNS Rats are prone to some conditions and diseases including bacterial lung infections, bloody noses, ear infections, brain tumors, bronchitis, pneumonia, and bacterial skin infections. NEVER pick a rat up by the tail. You may see this done in pet stores, but it's never advised for rat owners. Always lift your rat under its chest with one hand, and use your other hand to support the hind leg area. NEVER allow your rat outdoors to play. NEVER leave your rat unattended for long periods of time. NEVER use wood shavings as rat bedding. The average lifespan of the rat is 2-4 years. |
| Contrary to popular belief, rats thrive on cleanliness. Most rats do not smell with the exception of male urine. If you do notice an unpleasant smell it is time to change the cage bedding. In fact, it is recommended that you do this every couple of days. You should clean the food and water dishes every day so they don’t grow bacteria. The rat will usually take care of its own personal hygiene. They are extremely efficient groomers; in fact, you will probably see them groom themselves several times a day. Another concern is fleas. A rat can get fleas and other external parasites. This can be remedied by purchasing a product made especially for rats that will help them get rid of the fleas. You can combat this by keeping the cage and dishes neat, and not letting your pet rat outside. It is not too complicated to care for a pet rat. They make wonderful and humorous pets. The most difficult part to overcome is getting past their reputation, but once you own one, you will become addicted. |
| If You have any Questions, Drop us a line and we'll try our best to find you an answer or point you to someone who can get the answer. |
| Rats have a high metabolism and must have food at all times. They must eat every few hours. We are taught that rats will eat anything. Avoid unhealthy teats for them such as junk food or leftovers. The best thing to feed your pet rat is a diet especially formulated for them. Rat chow can be purchased at the pet store. You can also supplement your pet’s diet by giving clean fruits and vegetables. A varied diet will keep these animals entertained. You will want to feed your rat in a dish that is easy to clean and one that is not easily tipped. A water bottle is best for these animals and should be changed daily. Rats can be left alone for the weekend if they have an ample amount of food and water. Rats will become dehydrated quickly so if you do plan to go away for a weekend you may want to buy an extra water bottle to hang in the cage. |
| General Care Tips For New Owners |
| Here are some very helpful articles written by pet rat owners around the world. Alot of the titles are duplicates, but the people who wrote them are different. When you have a question about a topic, it is best to have several peoples' opinions so here's your chance! |
| Cages and Bedding |
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| Proper Diet Foods For Healthy Rattie |
| Fun Toys |
| Health Care And Tips |
| Respiratory Problems: |