RAT info please

[Mystics Mom]

Ok..got a call from my God Daughter last night..some one gave their child a hairless rat for easter in a box they wouldnt let them keep it so they stuck in a baby wipe container and put in garage..so Jacky called me crying of course i told her to bring it over(it was soooo thirsty)it is a 6wk old hairless rat??? I know nothing about rodents except i dont want them in my garage so i bought some timothy hay complete diet pellets for guinnie pigs? also gave him some of the birdy bread and a lil pieace of cheese dont have a proper enclosure for him so i guess this will work for now??? Any suggestions

 

[Emmilyy]

Rats really can make excellent pets! hmm.. where to start.. I would take the cheese away, I'm pretty sure its bad for them. Are you planning on keeping the little guy? If so, a bigger cage would be needed. They love climbing so different levels would be great too, but not wire as it can be hard on their feet They LOVE toys, too.

I'd also suggest getting him a friend while he's still young. Rats are VERY social animals.

Oh, and i just want to mention, that if you do get him a new cage - don't put him in an aquarium. I know alot of people do, but its really not ideal at all, and not good for the health of the rat.

Edit : just have to say Wow, its pretty irresponsible for someone to give a kid a pet for a gift without asking the parents!

 

[Emmilyy]

Pet Rat Information Sheet - all you need for happy healthy pet rats

Pet Rat Care Information

 

[allison]

He needs a good lab block. I recomend Teklad and a small amount of grain mix. They also love to climb so tall cages are good for them. And I agree, he needs a friend. Rats are very social! If you have any extra bird cages with 1/2 bar spacing that are at least 20x20x20" that would make a good house temporarilly. You can add some perches and hammocks for him to climb and sleep on and any platform perches you might have. Fresh food is good in moderation a couple times a week. Stay away from pine bedding. I like Eco bedding the best. A lot of people use fleece on the bottom of their cages and just have a litter box for them.
You can get the starter set from teh rat shop.
Nesom Distributing
In the meantime I would go to a pet store and get Mazuri lab blocks for rats and feed him some bird seed from a small mix. The first order of business should be to set him up in a new cage with plenty of ventilation and climbing space. Rats are known for having a lot of respitory problems so the cage needs to be cleaned frequently and have plenty of ventilation.
Here are some good cages. Just get powder coated, not galvanized. I would recommend the Rat Tower or larger.
http://martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/
Or ferret nation cages are very good as well if you want to spend the money.
http://www.ferret.com/item/ferret-nation-habitat-model-142/630503/

 

[Mystics Mom]

Rats really can make excellent pets! hmm.. where to start.. I would take the cheese away, I'm pretty sure its bad for them. Are you planning on keeping the little guy? If so, a bigger cage would be needed. They love climbing so different levels would be great too, but not wire as it can be hard on their feet They LOVE toys, too.

I'd also suggest getting him a friend while he's still young. Rats are VERY social animals.

Oh, and i just want to mention, that if you do get him a new cage - don't put him in an aquarium. I know alot of people do, but its really not ideal at all, and not good for the health of the rat.

Edit : just have to say Wow, its pretty irresponsible for someone to give a kid a pet for a gift without asking the parents!

i dont know if i will keep him but i will get him a different enclosore today is holiday and hubby has another surjery tomorrow so will get one on tues..i will look for one with levels and try to stay away from wires i was thinking along the lines of a ferret type cage

 

[Emmilyy]

yes ferret cages are great, as long as he can't get through the bars!

It would be a good idea to keep him in something smaller, just until he's big enough to get a bigger cage

They LOVE fresh foods, too

 

[birdlady]

OMG how terrible...the poor little thing. I am so glad you took this guy...who put him in the baby wipe container?

 

[Mystics Mom]

OMG how terrible...the poor little thing. I am so glad you took this guy...who put him in the baby wipe container?

the parents of the child who got him..i guess so it wouldnt chew out till yhey found someone to take it no water or food(would like to lock them in a container)

 

[Mystics Mom]

He needs a good lab block. I recomend Teklad and a small amount of grain mix. They also love to climb so tall cages are good for them. And I agree, he needs a friend. Rats are very social! If you have any extra bird cages with 1/2 bar spacing that are at least 20x20x20" that would make a good house temporarilly. You can add some perches and hammocks for him to climb and sleep on and any platform perches you might have. Fresh food is good in moderation a couple times a week. Stay away from pine bedding. I like Eco bedding the best. A lot of people use fleece on the bottom of their cages and just have a litter box for them.
You can get the starter set from teh rat shop.
Nesom Distributing
In the meantime I would go to a pet store and get Mazuri lab blocks for rats and feed him some bird seed from a small mix. The first order of business should be to set him up in a new cage with plenty of ventilation and climbing space. Rats are known for having a lot of respitory problems so the cage needs to be cleaned frequently and have plenty of ventilation.
Here are some good cages. Just get powder coated, not galvanized. I would recommend the Rat Tower or larger.
Martin's Cages Inc. - The source for all your pet cage needs.
Or ferret nation cages are very good as well if you want to spend the money.
Ferret Nation Habitat Model 142 - Ferret.com

ordered a super starter set for him...LOVE the ferret nation set up i will check into cages i will put him in a bird cage for the next couple days

 

[allison]

You are so awesome Tanya! If you end up keeping him, he'll be a lucky rat.

 

[Jadie]

Awe he's soo cute!! Tanks for saving him! Rats make amazing pets, they are very smart. You've gotten great info already, I just wanted to add a couple things. Just make sure again that the bar spacing on the cage you get is very small as they can fit through very small places(plus this ones just a youngin lol). They need a good rat block Harlan tecklad is a very good block or the Oxbow brand even Mazuri would do, they can also have some seed and dried fruit and fresh fruit and veg of course. Sunflower seeds can be fatty like with birdies!They also like Cheerios and baby food, yogurt and all kinds of goodies. Male rats should not be given citrus fruit. Hairless rats have a higher metabolism(to regulate their body temp) so they eat and drink more than regular rats. And I think you have to moisturize their skin if it gets dry but I'll have to look it up to be sure lol. Oh and no wood shavings as bedding for hairless rats(or any rat for that matter) so paper towel is great or cloth towel or recycled newspaper bedding like Carefresh ! They also love cozy places to sleep and they love to chew(bird toys work well!). They are very social, so getting them a friend(I would get another hairless) is a good idea...of course you have to be careful when introducing them.
wow ok, I wrote more than needed sowwy lol!

 

[rabernet]

My only concern about what you have him in now, is that he will chew his way out before you can get him a new enclosure. With the open plastic slots, it's inviting chewing.

If you keep him, definitely get him a same sexed buddy. They also love human leftovers - even cooked chicken bones are ok for them. When I cut up broccoli, I give them the parts I normally throw away. Cooked spaghetti noodles are always a favorite.

Day before cleaning day, you can even give him a hard boiled egg, cracked shell and all (it will make a mess, so do it before you get ready to clean) - he'll love it!

 

[Greycloud]

Rats are awsome!! We had two hairless rats. They were real sweeties. Definitely get them climbing tubes, ours loved them. They do sell a rodent/rat mix and timothy hay is good. Bedding was pine shavings and they love a box or cave to sleep in. No cheese please. Give apple and carrot and broccoli. No lettuce. They can be litterboxed trained easily.

 

[Lobby]

He is so cute! I'd call him Rufus, because I'm a fan of Kim Possible and I loved the naked mole rat Rufus on that cartoon.

 

[Sadieladie1994]

Rats teeth grow continuously so they must have items to chew such as pellets and chew toys.

They are clean animals...always wanting to take a bath.

Clever little things and learn tricks and different commands. They can be quite the snuggler as well.

Peggy

 

[Oknuma]

oh what a sweetie!

you already have great advice regarding cage.
we used to also set up heaps of boxes and tunnels out of plastic wrap /toilet tubes, tissue boxes/cereal boxes etc.

they are super smart little creatures adn make fabulous pets

 

[Quest]

Tanya,
You are just one sweet lady. I am glad you rescued this cute little guy. Look at that little
baby face!

 

[CarmieJo]

You've been given good advice. They are very smart! I used to care for the rat colony in one of the labs at OSU. Those guys all had hair though.

 

[Emmilyy]

I used to have a stainless steal skewer that i loaded up for my ratte - just like with the birdies

 

[1parakeet]

Hey, I saw that you already got a lot of replies, so I don't know if someone already posted this but. . .

Hairless rats do require different care then regular rats. . . Not that different, but still different. Just so you know and give the little guy the right conditions for his naked little body.

Also, this is why easter is. . . well just bad when it comes to pets. People think "oh, you know what would be adorable???? If I got little sarah a pet rabbit for easter! Where's the nearest petco???" or "Hey! We should get timmy a pet duck for easter! he would simply love it!" when they gift giver or gift recipetant (butchered that word. . .) has no idea how to properly care for whatever pet they do get and it either ends up abandoned or dead. :headshake: it really is sad. I'm not saying that in every circumstance you can't give a person a pet as a gift or suprise. For example, Lily was actually a surprise for me, but my mother knows that I am responsible enough to care for a bird and that my aunt has owned budgies before. . .

Anywho, I'm rambling. Sorry bout that. Hopefully the little guy finds a nice home (if you're not going to keep him, I mean. I'm sure your home would be lovely for him. )