# Omg ratssssss!!



## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

I am so well behaved.. 

I was in the pet shop yesterday and he had two lovely rats in.. they were a blue grey hooded and one with a blaze down its face.. I said Phil can i have a hold...(I have a hold of all the rodents when i go in haha)
lol so he opens up and say he dont know how much handling they have had.. haha so I pops my hand in and the full hooded gallops off but my fave was tolerant of my hand.. I didn't get them out in the end but the one with a blaze came onto my hand.. 

I wanted to bloody buy them.. But I have no cage and wouldn't want males due to the reports of smells..

Grrrrrr

Anyways I would have called them Blaze and Glory I was thinking, as my mind was running marathons... gggggrrrrrrr

So now after saying hello to these chaps I am seriously thinking of getting some..

And by the way Mimi has now gone to a new home, near me that wil give her undivided attention, and I can keep an eye on her so only have four hamsters... 

So what size cage would I need.. LOL Phil was trying to get me to have the full set up yesterday.. LOL But not enough pennies to fork out this week...lol Gawd I hope they aren't there when I go for my dog food... Irl end up keeping them in a cupboard with a mesh door on.. haha


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

This is a pretty good cage calculator http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml but I would be tempted to go for whatever size it says minus one rat. I have males and females and I have to say they dont really smell, not like male mice anyway. I clean the litter trays out daily and change the hammocks every 2-3 days and they dont really have any strong odours. You can get loads of bargain rat cages on ebay and i make hammocks so they are cheap, the rest of the cage furniture is from bargain shops and is things like wine racks and childrens stools and is actually more fun for them than the expensive pet stuff. BEWARE though they are very very addictive.


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

For two rats, good cages would be a Savic Freddy, Ferplast Furet Plus (not the Furet XL - they have awful access), a Critter 2 or 3 (all metal - great for chewers, access can be a pain), something like that.

For a list of breeders, email [email protected] - they will send you one out. You can also try the rehoming section on the Fancy Rats forum, or Findafurry:

Fancy Rats | Home
Findafurry - finding new homes for small animals across the UK

There are lots of rescues all over the country too.


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## myzoo (Jan 13, 2010)

for a tempory cage you could use a guinea pig indoor cage if they fully grown adults. i have one here that i was thinking of selling but if you want to borrow it till you get a better one your welcome to .iam in wigan just pm me and ill give you my details from gemma

ps its one of the savac ones but without the built in house but i also have a hammock and water bottle you can have if needed


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

myzoo said:


> for a tempory cage you could use a guinea pig indoor cage if they fully grown adults. i have one here that i was thinking of selling but if you want to borrow it till you get a better one your welcome to .iam in wigan just pm me and ill give you my details from gemma
> 
> ps its one of the savac ones but without the built in house but i also have a hammock and water bottle you can have if needed


Oh My goodness don't let me borrow anything or Irl end up at the pet shop..lol 
I don't want to rush into this...:lol:
If I do get Rats I will get three... I have read all about loosing one and one being left... But if I got boys is it easy to neuteur then or do vets not like to do this?
Can you tell me what is there life span and do they have any common allergies.....

Also would they be bothered by my hamsters..

Would they be quiet for our Ryan (7 next week) to handle. He carries poor Fred everywhere.. Would a rat mind this??

He wanted a dog for his birthday next week.. I keep telling him no and that we are going to mind the zigster soon so no room..

And yes the male mice pong.. LOL Peter and Paul stink our Ryans room out... haha..


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

My daughter adores our rats and they all have fun with her, the boys seem less lively and more cuddly than the girls but I dont know if thats just my gang. I wouldnt neuter them unless you have serious problems with therm behaviourally it is a risky operation even with a good vet. I will have to go to Leeds to have Bitsy done as there isnt a competent vet in huddersfield and that vet was reccomeded to me by another rat owner. My rats and mice and hamsters dont seem to notice each other at all so I dont think there would be a problem, I would reccomend washing hands between touching the two though in case the ratty smell scares the hammy.


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

thedogsmother said:


> My daughter adores our rats and they all have fun with her, the boys seem less lively and more cuddly than the girls but I dont know if thats just my gang. I wouldnt neuter them unless you have serious problems with therm behaviourally it is a risky operation even with a good vet. I will have to go to Leeds to have Bitsy done as there isnt a competent vet in huddersfield and that vet was reccomeded to me by another rat owner. My rats and mice and hamsters dont seem to notice each other at all so I dont think there would be a problem, I would reccomend washing hands between touching the two though in case the ratty smell scares the hammy.


I only asked if it would bother them as you know I free range the hammies... Now Princess Neeco is a witch, but has taken to climbing on Zoro's cage, and there have been no worries. But Fred did this the other day and when Zoro came to say hello Fred nearly drag him through the bars... I put Zoro in the ball then and Fred continued to chase the ball.. was great exercise for Fred as he is a right lazy git..lol:thumbup:

Just was worrying here think could the hammies get through the rat cage bars..

So would I have to change my free ranging..lol


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

I wouldnt let them have access to each others cage tbh, I think if the hamsters heard or smelt the rats hanging roung outside the bars they would go into either full on attack mode or terrified mode depending on the hamster. The rats on the other hand would find it hillarious to bait the hamster at every opportunity, so I think you would have to find some other place to free range.


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

thedogsmother said:


> I wouldnt let them have access to each others cage tbh, I think if the hamsters heard or smelt the rats hanging roung outside the bars they would go into either full on attack mode or terrified mode depending on the hamster. The rats on the other hand would find it hillarious to bait the hamster at every opportunity, so I think you would have to find some other place to free range.


Ok thanks hun..:thumbup: I don't want the hammies to turn into monsters... lol 
They are all very friendly.... All the cages are on shelves apart from Zoro's lol I just haven't found anywhere to put it.... Must get it sorted .....


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

Average lifespan for rats used to be about 22 months, but now many will live past that. I've had one live til 43 months, which was surprising considering he was a pet shop rat (which tend to be more prone to illness). The average is 2-3 years.

Rats - if got from a good breeder or rescue who have handled them well - are lovely pets, much less likely to bite than a hamster. Having said this - there is a lot to be said about choosing wisely - pet shop and feeder rats bred privately are usually kept in poor conditions and handled very little if at all - so you will find most pet shop rats or BYB rats will be very skittish. Some may come round, but speaking from experience, a rat from a good breeder is a much different creature - in that you generally dont have to spend weeks taming him/her. Again, it depends very much on the breeder though - there are very good show breeders who handle less, ask around, see who's had rats from where, maybe visit some shows and meet their rats etc.

Guinea pig cages (eg the tank style cages) are not suitable for rats other than birthing mums, and the barred ones often have 1" bar spacing - so wont be suitable for the average doe or kitten. Either type are great as a hospital cage though, depending on the size of your rat as to whether he/she can get through the bars.

Neutering is generally only done for behavioural reasons. And even then some people tend to jump in too quickly. Some bucks will go through a hormonal patch as their hormones kick in, most will come out of the other side lovely boys - however, if they're causing other rats serious harm then neutering can be beneficial - if not to reduce the hormones, so that they can go in with some girls where he doesn't need to assert himself as much. Any operation for rats should be thought about very carefully, I know some people have been very lucky with good vets, but the majority of vets are not as experienced as we'd hope them to be. Neutering a buck isnt that big an op, so should go smoothly, but spaying a doe is a much bigger op - one that I've only ever put two does through, and both have died. I would only do this in life/death situations, or if they were young and having a lump removal.

Bucks:

Pros:
Cuddly, larger, lazy
Cons: 
Harder to intro as adults, can sometimes get hormonal.

Does:

Pros:
Active, nosey, fun, love to explore
Cons:
Prone to mammary lumps (chances raised if overweight or fed certain brands of rat food), neutering more serious op.

I think it's funny that you keep hamsters and are worried about rat temperament, believe me, hamsters are much more likely to bite than a well raised rat. I've got many rats, and had many over the years, and none of them give me the fear that hamsters do :lol:


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Cheers for all the info...

LOL And you aint met my Hammies... They are like rag dolls when you get them out...

I only have experience of rats down the farm.. My horse was frightened to death of them..lol


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## Tapir (Mar 20, 2010)

LisaLQ said:


> Prone to mammary lumps (chances raised if overweight or fed certain brands of rat food), neutering more serious op.


oh god this has got me worried. which rat food is it? (or you can pm me if you would prefer


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## myzoo (Jan 13, 2010)

thedogsmother said:


> My daughter adores our rats and they all have fun with her, the boys seem less lively and more cuddly than the girls but I dont know if thats just my gang. I wouldnt neuter them unless you have serious problems with therm behaviourally it is a risky operation even with a good vet. I will have to go to Leeds to have Bitsy done as there isnt a competent vet in huddersfield and that vet was reccomeded to me by another rat owner. My rats and mice and hamsters dont seem to notice each other at all so I dont think there would be a problem, I would reccomend washing hands between touching the two though in case the ratty smell scares the hammy.


ha!ha! lol thats strange my girls are more cuddly and relaxed than the boys well one is anyway she is a mummys girl will only come to me and my oh gets very jealous he gose to get her out and she just looks at him like get lost i want my mom but as soon as go over and make the clickety sound she comes running wereas one of the boys is closer to daddy so i suppose it depends on who feeds them talks to them the most that they go to

to the question about are they ok with kids yes they are if you have them tame or from a young age my 4yr old step daughter absolutly loves mine and she has helped a lot as most kids dont think what if they have the confidence just to pick em up and rats thrive of a confident owner if your scared the rat will sense it thats why i think they are great for kids they usually very sociable clever anmals and you can do loads with a few ratties but BEWARE they are very addictive i started with 2 now i have 11 the offer of borrowing a cage still stands if you still need one :thumbup:


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## myzoo (Jan 13, 2010)

LisaLQ said:


> Average lifespan for rats used to be about 22 months, but now many will live past that. I've had one live til 43 months, which was surprising considering he was a pet shop rat (which tend to be more prone to illness). The average is 2-3 years.
> 
> Rats - if got from a good breeder or rescue who have handled them well - are lovely pets, much less likely to bite than a hamster. Having said this - there is a lot to be said about choosing wisely - pet shop and feeder rats bred privately are usually kept in poor conditions and handled very little if at all - so you will find most pet shop rats or BYB rats will be very skittish. Some may come round, but speaking from experience, a rat from a good breeder is a much different creature - in that you generally dont have to spend weeks taming him/her. Again, it depends very much on the breeder though - there are very good show breeders who handle less, ask around, see who's had rats from where, maybe visit some shows and meet their rats etc.
> 
> ...


lol i wrote that a bit wrong was ment to say like the guinea pig cages i have one that is identical high base and wire top with bars but its for rats or at least was advertised for rats but now you have got me thinking is it or isnt is i had my lone boy in there for a week or two whilst introing him to the others and he loved it i added shelves hammocks ect i know its not ideal but would be ok for 2 larger rats for a short time plenty of floor space but not much space for hanging things and climbing high great if they like to shimmie along the bars lol:lol:


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

Tapir said:


> oh god this has got me worried. which rat food is it? (or you can pm me if you would prefer


It is thought _by some_ that a big name brand beginning with B (or E if you are reading the product name rather than maker) raises the risks of cancers - however, this is just going on experience of several breeders, but I must admit we've seen a big drop in how many lumps we have from making our own mix. We were lump free for years up until the last couple of days - sadly diet isnt the only factor, but it certainly plays a big part. The most important thing is not to let your rats get very overweight.

There are only two ready made mixes I'd feed mine (if stuck - not had to yet), and that'd be Rupert Rat (NOT Reggie Rat - that is the McDonalds of the rat food world) or Xtra Vital. I think Rupert Rat only comes in whopping big sacks now though.

Much better to make your own mix from a good quality rabbit food (plus some dried dog food, and low sugar cereals/crackers such as shredded wheat, 100% puffed wheat, unsalted rice cakes, ryvita), cheaper too 

There's more details about what I feed mine on my website (linky below).


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## niki87 (Nov 18, 2009)

Hi we actually have one...it's 4.5' tall and 3' wide and 3' deep. Good quality...wooden frame with wire mesh and wooden shelves. We are only in Manchester so not too far from Warrington. If you'd like it you could have it for £35.

Then you could get these boys who you have already named  and who are sat in their petshop thinking I can't wait till that lovely lady comes back to take us home! :thumbup:

xx


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

We had a wooden framed cage for our first rats, it didnt last long, not only did they eat much of it, the pee soaked in badly and it reeked even when cleaned out.

I also wouldn't recommend pet shop rats.

http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/community/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=85838


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Well if i do get Rats they most prob be from my mates Pet shop.... Because thats where I go and they are friends of mine....

And at the end of the day they need homes too...

But its a way off.. all though i may go in and see those boys tomorrow to see how they are going and to have a play:thumbup:

Thanks for all the advice guys... xxxx


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

For your first rats, I'd recommend a rescue or breeder personally. Pet shop rats are not handled other than to chuck them into a box for delivery to the pet shop, and they are much more prone to illness.

There are lots of good breeders around, and rescues too - if you email [email protected] they will send you out a breeders list. Also try Findafurry, and the rehoming board on the Fancy Rats website:
Findafurry - finding new homes for small animals across the UK

Fancy Rats | Home

There's also lots of breeders around, Cynthia at Manchester Rodent Rescue always has lots of rats needing homes, and many will be well handled, much better handled than a pet shop rat. You could always buy your cage and things from your friend if you wanted to help them out?


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

LisaLQ said:


> For your first rats, I'd recommend a rescue or breeder personally. Pet shop rats are not handled other than to chuck them into a box for delivery to the pet shop, and they are much more prone to illness.
> 
> There are lots of good breeders around, and rescues too - if you email [email protected] they will send you out a breeders list. Also try Findafurry, and the rehoming board on the Fancy Rats website:
> Findafurry - finding new homes for small animals across the UK
> ...


I hear what your saying, But i have no set in stone plans right now.. And if i do see some i have to get it will prob be from me mate... Seen as they are usually family bred and well handled.. these two boys that have come are not his usual supply..

I got our Fred off him and he has been fantastic from the start... A well handled friendly chap....

I also have Peter and Paul from him.. and they are fab guys too although a little stinky.. haha

Re health issues i believe any animal can have them from whoever you get them from... As long as i am willing to give the animal all the tlc food handling and any appropriate vet treatment then it shouldnt really matter..

I have no fear of these animals although was very curious about there tails...


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Plus i have had a better idea :thumbup:re the rodents and i shall wait for a reply to see what happens....


Will let you guys know once i get relevent info..

But i think i could put my time and energy into something more fullfilling for all furry guys..


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

momentofmadness said:


> Plus i have had a better idea :thumbup:re the rodents and i shall wait for a reply to see what happens....
> 
> Will let you guys know once i get relevent info..
> 
> But i think i could put my time and energy into something more fullfilling for all furry guys..


Oooh sounds very secretive, what have you got on your mind?


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

momentofmadness said:


> I hear what your saying, But i have no set in stone plans right now.. And if i do see some i have to get it will prob be from me mate... Seen as they are usually family bred and well handled.. these two boys that have come are not his usual supply..
> 
> I got our Fred off him and he has been fantastic from the start... A well handled friendly chap....
> 
> ...


so many people seem to have an aversion to the tails, I find them lovely & fuzzy & they are amazing in what they do ie temperature regulation, like a little ratty radiator


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

aye my mum hates the tails, she squeels in horror when i 'mouth' them, she also doesn't understand how i can give them belly-raspberries though.

she was quite surprised how 'soft' they were, but still finds them creepy lmao. she thinks their faces are cute tho  daft old bat.


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## thedogsmother (Aug 28, 2008)

owieprone said:


> aye my mum hates the tails, she squeels in horror when i 'mouth' them, she also doesn't understand how i can give them belly-raspberries though.
> 
> she was quite surprised how 'soft' they were, but still finds them creepy lmao. she thinks their faces are cute tho  daft old bat.


I love the tails Im always playing with my lots tails, you need to explain to your mum that belly raspberries are and essential part of rat ownership


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

i just tell her, you did it to me when i was small, hence....*pick up rat and raspberry*

 mine love it, lots of huffing goes on with raspberries.


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

Shoulder rat tails make FAB moustaches *nods*

(is not crazy, honest) :001_cool:


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Well they are still there... oooooh.. well Its killing me not going and getting them....

But we will see what today brings.. xxx


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

LisaLQ said:


> Shoulder rat tails make FAB moustaches *nods*
> 
> (is not crazy, honest) :001_cool:


Mine always seem to 'moustache' me at inappropriate moments (like when I answer the door). I'm not so keen on them popping their tails in my mouth though


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

simplysardonic said:


> Mine always seem to 'moustache' me at inappropriate moments (like when I answer the door). I'm not so keen on them popping their tails in my mouth though


mine usually stick theirs up my nose, they seem to think that it's there as a tail-anchoring point.


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