The first thing you have to do before you bring your little rattie home is decide on what kind of cage you plan to use. There are a lot of choices here. You can use aquariums, wire cages, or a combination. You can buy wonderful wire cages, or you can make your own. Below are links that will help you make that decision HOUSING: I highly recommend Martin's Cages. You won't get more cage for your money anywhere else. Here's a review of the different cages they have available: Martin Cage Reviews. If you get aquariums, again, make sure it's big enough. Some people like to combine the wire cage and the aquarium. Martin's Cages now sells aquarium toppers that are really nice. Personally, I really don't like the idea of aquariums alone as a cage. There's just not adequate air flow and the rats can't climb...rats just love to climb all over the wire cages. Even with a topper, a 10 gallon aquarium is too small for permanent housing. Another option for a cage is the cabinet style cage. Below are some examples: The "Grotto" Andrea's Rat Cage If you opt for this kind of cage, you'll have to be diligent in wiping it down. It's really nice to be able to just wipe and clean instead of having to lug cages around to scrub them. But it has to be done on a regular basis. It's also nice to have a temporary cage for travel, quarantine or a sick cage. It's handy also if you need to put your ratties someplace safe while you clean their cage. You can turn it into a little play pen for them :-)
This cage is made from a clear plastic container. I cut the inside of the lid away and attached wire with zip ties. Use a hanging water bottle and you're all set. Just use your imagination to fix it up inside. In this cage, I've attached a fabric tube to the top with paper clips and I have pvc pipes tubes on the bottom for play. When I use it for travel, it's wonderful because you don't have to worry about getting bedding all over the place. :-) OTHER SUPPLIES: In addition to a cage, you'll also need a water bottle, a food dish, a hammock and a hideout. They'll also need toys. They need stimulation and things to chew on (no rawhide). Anything that a rat can chew or climb on, in, over, under or through is a toy. There's no need to buy fancy pre-made toys, just use your imagination. A cardboard box, a string of Cheerios and Fruit Loops, A lunch sack full of torn up paper towels... etc etc. Robyn's Toy page is just FULL of ideas. There are so many different brands and options out there. You'll just have to try different ones to see what you like best. The only rules are: 1. NO PINE OR CEDAR. The oils that make them smell so good are very harmful to your rat's delicate respiratory system. Also, long term exposure to them can cause liver and kidney damage. 2. NO CLUMPING CAT LITTERS. These can be ingested during grooming and become cement in the rat's intestines. There's really no cat litter that would be appropriate. It's all much too dusty. 3. OPT FOR DUST FREE. Some products to try might be Care Fresh, Aspen (shavings, shredded, pellets), Yesterday's News, Critter Country, Cell-Sorb, Alfalfa pellets (rabbit food), Woody Pet. Some people like to use fabric or shredded paper as bedding in their cages. That's perfectly fine, but you'll have to treat it as a cage 'diaper' and change it out daily...at the least, every other day. It'll get very stinky. If you use a litter box in the corners, use a different substrate that the rest of the cage. I like the heavier pellets because they're heavy and stay in place. Rats need a healthy diet of quality lab blocks, supplemented with fresh fruits and veggies daily. That and fresh water is really all the need, nutritionally. The rest of this stuff is optional. However, here's what your rat from Warm Fuzzies has been eating :-) They get all excited over the bowl of mix in the mornings and gobble it up. After that, they have to eat their lab blocks. In the evenings, they get whatever veggies (etc) that we have for dinner. Above, I said 'fresh', but reality is that we rarely have 'fresh' around here, so they get whatever we get. Frozen or canned. Fresh is better, but I'm an over worked tired woman :-) I like to pass out the nightly treats by hand. Everyone runs up for their 'turn' at a green bean, carrot...etc. They get their veggies and we bond at the same time. Sometimes I don't have time, cuz of the over worked thing :-) I also give them other stuff like chicken bones and naughty things like macaroni and cheese, pizza and spaghetti. They certainly don't need those things, but they sure do LOVE them. And watching them try to eat spaghetti amuses me :-) How you handle your rat is very important. You want him to be safe, but you also want to make sure that he trusts you and welcomes your attention. Remember that rats are prey. Don't make yourself the predator. Never swoop down on them with your hand to grab them. Give them a little tickle on the neck and then you can wrap your hand around them, behind their front legs and lift them up. Scoop your other hand under their bottom as soon as possible and bring them to your body. Don't let them just hang...it's scary. NEVER pick your rat up by his tail. Hanging like that is very stressful and scary. If you do it often, you'll break down the socialization and trust that you've built with them. Worst of all, you run the risk of breaking or degloving the tail. A degloved tail is disgusting, very, very painful and will require expensive vet visits and lots of work to heal them. If, for some reason it's necessary to grab them by the tail, be sure you're at the very base of the tail. Never pull on the tip, it's very fragile. Rats don't see very well. Sometimes you'll notice him swaying back and forth. They are doing this to focus and to judge distance. If he's looking in your direction and doing this, speak to him and let him know it's you. It can also mean that he's contemplating a jump :-) If your rat is a brave little dare-devil, you'll know it and his little dance will give him away. With all that in mind, always monitor young children when they're playing with the rats. I get a lot of email telling me that children have accidentally degloved the tip of a tail. I also get a lot of questions about rats that started out sweet and loving and have turned nervous and skittish. In a lot of the cases, it was children left unmonitored (or simply not taught the proper way to handle them) that broke down the socialization by being too rough, too loud, or moving too quickly. All that can be overwhelming to a rat in a new environment. I've rattled on already forever. I'm working on a seperate page for this topic, but in the mean time, this site has a treasure trove of ideas. Her whole site is great. Robyn's Toy Ideas
Warm Fuzzies Rattery is Located in Mineral Wells, TX (DFW)
"You become responsible forever for what you have tamed."
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