Fancy Pet Rat Care

Cage- I live in a two story apartment with my sister. The first story is a 10 gallon tank and the second story is an addition that Mommy got us. Many silly pet papers Mommy read before she bought me stated that a 10 gallon tank would be all I would need. Those silly people. Mommy quickly learned that was not enough room for an active rat, let alone two of us. Our second story is jst right though.

It's not so big that I get tired when jumping around and it's not so small that my sister gets rambunctious from too little activity. It's just the right size to fit into Mommy's dorm room too. But shhh, you don't know about that. Dorm staff think we're guppies.

House- All pet rats need a home to hide in. Some won't use it (I like to sleep in the open) but you never know when we might change our fickle little minds. Mommy uses boxes from cereal, rice, granola bars and more. If it's a box, we love it. It makes a good chew toy as well as a good hiding place. Be aware of glues and inks on boxes though, as they may be harmful to your fancy rat.

If you don't have enough boxes or don't want to use boxes then you can buy a plastic or wooden house at a pet store. Wooden houses are not recommended as they absorb urine and can cause ammonia build up. Soak and clean it regularly if you get a wooden one.

Bedding- When Mommy cleans my apartment she gives me a fresh stock of bedding. It's made out of recycled homework assignments (only soy based inks), newspapers (I like the Business section) and some bits of fluffy toilet paper or napkins.

When I was just a little baby Mommy used to buy this recycled stuff made especially for pet rats. It was pretty expensive though and the dye in it made my white fur start tinting blue. After the first two bags were gone Mommy started using the stuff she uses now. I really like it. It's great for nesting with and I can chomp on it and tear it up every now and then. My sister really likes tearing it up. She likes the crinkling sounds.

Food dish- I have two food dishes. Mommy had to buy really sturdy ones, because my sister likes chewing on them. She hasn't managed to chew through either one yet. Thankfully, even heavy duty food dishes are cheap for just a couple bucks.

Water bottle- Water bottles that hang outside of the cage are the best, but if you have a two story house like me and my sister then you can get one that hangs inside of the first story. The cap on the bottle will have to be really solid though, because lots of rats like chewing on them.

Food- Avoid mixes that are based mostly on seeds and nuts. These are bad for rats because nuts have a lot of fat and protein in them. Too much protein can give me itchy skin and I once scratched myself until I was bleeding because of the itchies.

Specially formulated lab blocks are the best for rats, but you still need to read the ingredients and nutrition values. Just because it says it's for rats doesn't mean it really is; this is especially true if it says it's formulated for rats and mice as we have very different food needs.

We also like to eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whatever else Mommy will give us. Fruits and vegetables are the best for us, but corn should be avoided. It's an empty vegetable that can make pet rats really fat and sick if they don't eat anything else.

If you buy a mixture food instead of a lab block, you'll need to leave it in the cage until all the food is gone. Sometimes my sister and I like to eat out the good stuff, like the dried apples, sunflower seeds, corn, etc. and leave behind the stuff that's more healthy for us. We're learning though that Mommy isn't going to give us more until we clean our bowls.

Treats- Did someone say "Yogie"? I could have sworn I heard someone say 'yogie'. Yogurt treats are delicious. They are one of my favorites and Mommy uses them to train my sister to do tricks.

I also like dark chocolate. Just a tiny bit of dark chocolate (one chocolate chip) every month or so is not bad for a pet rat. Chocolate can also be used for sick rats to make them feel better.

Brick or smooth rock- This is optional and Mommy doesn't use one very often, but if your little rat has a problem with sharp nails you may want to consider it. You can place a chunk of brick or a smooth rock that is large enough for your pet rat to stand on underneath the water bottle. When your rat goes to get a drink, he'll stand on the rock and it will help file those sharp nails down naturally.

Coloration and marking- This is usually the first thing someone looks at when they decide they want a pet rat. Color isn't everything though. The prettiest colored rats, like me, can sometimes be sick. If you want the best chance of getting a healthy rat and are looking for a specific coloration, contact a pet rat breeder in your area.

I'm a hooded rat. See how it looks like I'm wearing a hood. My spine stripe is broken though so I'm not a show rat.

My sister is a Himalayan. Her nose is gray, as are her feet and her tail. Her white color is not clean though, as she has staining along her spine and the color on her tail extends past the base of her tail onto her rump.

There are a lot more colors than I can talk about here though. And I haven't met many other rats so I haven't seen all the colors. To see more possible colors and marking types, check here. This is mostly for an Australian rat owner and not any of the show standards, but I think it covers a good deal of the basic colors you will see at pet stores and from breeders.

Fur type- Did you know there are different types of fur on rats?! I didn't until Mommy told me about it.

My sister and I are both standard, with short, soft fur that lays along the body. Our whiskers are straight.

There are hairless rats, to start with. I think they're ugly but some people like them. They are really cuddly and like being held, because it helps keep them warm.

There are satin rats too. The guard hairs of a satin rat are long, like the standard bucks, except that the hairs are soft instead of coarse. This makes them look shiny, like satin. Their whiskers are wavy.

Then there's the rex rat. The rex looks like a little sheep with puffy, curly fur. Their whiskers are also curly.

Other looks-

Some rats have funny looking ears. They are called 'dumbo' rats, because their ears sit lower on their head and are big enough that they could fly with them.

Have you ever seen a rat without a tail? They are called manx rats. They are really rare, but they are great for owners who don't like rat tails (though I can't imagine why you wouldn't like seeing us hang onto things with our tails).

Temperment- It's hard to guess the temperment of a baby rat, but you can get small clues. For example, my little sister, Honey, was always a hyperactive baby. It drove me crazy. And now that she's big (and I mean BIG, she eats too much) she's still hyper and annoying.

The best way to pick a non-tempermental rat is to put your hand right into the rat cage. All the babies will scurry away and rat pile on one another (like dog piling but much cuter because it's baby rats). Eventually though, some will get brave and want to investigate. As long as you are not at a big box pet store (Petco, PetSmart, etc) then you shouldn't have any fears about being bitten.

Choose two of the rats that come to your hand. Thes will be very brave and friendly playmates.

Sex- Sex can determine temperment in a way. If you want a rat to cuddle and snuggle with you may initially think a boy rat is a bad idea, because little boy rats are VERY active and must investigate, sniff and touch every inch of the world around them. Oddly enough, when those boys get bigger most of them will calm down, gain some weight and just want to lounge around and be petted.

Females, on the other hand, often start out laid back, like me (my sister is an exception to this rule) and will grow up to be inquisitive and curious. We girl rats have only short amounts of time for petting and snuggling before we must be off to explore new crevices of the couch!

Of course, both boys and girls make good fancy pet rats, but keep in mind what it is YOU want out of your relationship.

Bonding- Bonding time is the most important thing you can give to your fancy pet rat. The love and care you provide won't mean anything if a pet rat doesn't love you. How do you bond effectively with a rat like me? Well you have to give a new, baby rat a little time when they first get home, because while it's a good home to you, we're not entirely sure about it. Everything looks, smells and sounds different than what we're used to. After 24 hours you can start the bonding process by holding a rat, petting it and providing treats. Lots of treats. Did I mention treats? Because they really help.

If you want a more detailed guide about bonding with a rat, read this How to Bond with a Fancy Pet Rat tutorial Mommy wrote just for new rat owners.

Play time- I don't need a lot of play time, but my little sister does. I enjoy hanging out and cuddling with Mommy, but Honey wants to run and jump and climb and chew on everything she can get her little hands on. Lots of rats are like her, and even rats that are mellow like me need some time out of the cage to explore all the corners of your room... and your toes.

Want to know some fun games we like to play?

Tickle time. Did you know rats like being tickled? We do. It's lots of fun and some scientists have even shown that rats actually laugh while being tickled. We love it.

King of the Mountain. You get to be the mountain and I will climb all over you, okay? I might even jump to other things in reach. Just make sure I don't overestimate my jumping skills and fall.

Thrown into a Pile. Pick up your pet rat and toss them into a pile of pillows and blankets. Not all rats like this game. It's easy to tell. If your fancy pet rat clings to your hand when you try to toss him, he doesn't want to play that game. But some will run right out of the pillows back to you and wait for it to happen again. It's like being on a rollercoaster once you find out the landing is safe.

Sickness- In sickness and in health, right? No, you didn't get married, but when you buy a cute, little pet rat you are basically promising to care for us through everything; sickness, health, good, bad. If you can't do that, don't buy a pet rat!

Though rats may be cheap to buy, our vet bills can get very expensive. If you aren't ready to say you have the money to afford the doctor, then you aren't ready to have a pet rat.

Repiratory- Most fancy pet rats, like me, will have a respiratory infection if they are sick. We rats are very prone to them. Respiratory illnesses can vary. It may be a viral infection, it could be mycoplasma or it could even be pneumonia. All of these are very dangerous to rats like me.

All rats, outside of lab rats, have a bacteria called mycoplasma in their body. This can cause very bad infections and many pet rats will need constant or repeated care for it after a flare up. I have constant flare ups and so Mommy is always ready to give me medicine, which I hate, or to take me to the vet who will give me more medicine, which I still hate.

Baytril is the most common treatment for all these problems and you will need a prescription for it. It's super cheap though since pet rats are so small and don't need much.

Viral infections will need treated with a secondary medication and are recommended by some vets even when just a normal bacteria is the suspect. Mommy thinks it's better safe than sorry and wouldn't want to lose me or my sister to a secondary viral infection.

Do NOT treat breathing problems at home! Your precious pet rat will die if you attempt that! Take rats to vets as soon as possible if you notice any changes in breathing, excessive sneezing, wheezing or an excess of porphryn around the eyes and nose.

If you cannot get to a vet really fast because it's late or the weekend then you can use these soothing respiratory treatements to make your pet rat feel better.

Fleas and lice- Ewwww. Mommy brought home two boy fancy rats once. They belonged to a friend of hers and they were kept very far away from me and my sister, but Mommy told us they had lice. They had a rat louse that is not transferable to humans. But doesn't it just make you itch to think about?

Don't worry. You can treat fancy pet rat lice from home and fast! And Mommy gave me and Honey a dose too, just to be on the safe side. It tasted good.

Wry neck - Wry neck is a weird turn for this fancy pet rats issue. It really isn't a problem with the neck, but a rat will turn his head to one side. This can be a brain tumor which Mommy says are super yucky. Or it can be an ear infection. Ear infections are more likely, especially if wry neck starts showing after bath time or after a fight.

There are treatments for both. Baytril is the cure all for just about everything and it can be used to treat ear infections.

Brain tumors have to be treated with steroids. Any other type of tumor needs treated with surgery.

How do you know the difference? When Honey had an ear infection she tilted her head really far to the right side and had trouble walking straight. She fell over a lot when she tried to jump too. I kept telling Mommy it's just because she's stupid and clumsy, but Mommy took her to the vet anyway. The vet said because she was still eating normally and had no problems with using her front paws that it was unlikely it was a tumor. So if your fancy pet rats ever lose control of their front paws and have wry neck, he has a tumor and needs steroids fast to feel better.

Beyond my top five favorite rat toys there are these fun, homemade rat toys that me and Honey love playing with.

toilet paper and paper towel tubes

boxes

hanging chew toy

chew toy

rocks

dirt

potted plant that is nontoxic to rats. Grasses or bamboos are generally safe. Pots of dirt are equally good.

newspaper

leash

If you want to know what toys, cages and other fun things fancy pet rats really want, check out this fancy pet rat guide to gifts written by my little brother, Jackrat. This is the ultimate fancy pet rat wishlist.