# Rat pups :)



## Maltey

You may know I had a litter born here, see this thread for more details:

http://www.petforums.co.uk/rodents/247636-my-numbers-about-double.html

They're only 4 days old at the time of writing but I'm advertising them now so I have plenty of time to find good homes for them.
I'm 99% sure we have 3 boys and 8 girls. I will be keeping one of the girls so that means we have up for adoption:

1 trio boys
1 trio girls
1 pair girls
1 pair girls

Or a 4 if somebody would like that, I don't mind.

The babies have been handled every day since they were just a few hours old so will be very tame and handleable. 
The babies will all look like mum:










Despite everything she's been through mum is wonderfully tame and has a very sweet nature so I'm sure these bubs will be the same.

Here's some baby pics to spark your interest 

















I will not rehome these babies before 6 weeks old. A rehoming fee will apply to ward off snake owners and there will be a short questionnaire to answer. I want to make sure these go to fab pet homes and would rather keep them all than let them go somewhere I'm not 100% about.

If you're interested then PM me or email me at [email protected]


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## RattyCake

Omg I want one!!! Why do you do this to me Maltey? Whyyyy??? ;_;


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## thedogsmother

I would sooo love to be replying to this thread asking for ratties but Im still getting to know my recent girls so it wouldnt be fair to take anyone else on, Im sure these beautys will find homes though hun


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## chrisd

I wish! Can't wait to see what colours come out in them


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## Maltey

Chris- they all look like mum, their fur is really starting to come through now.

Also, the 3 boys have found a home


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## chrisd

Well get some pics up then!


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## Maltey

I will I will!
Tonight, to celebrate their 7 day old birthdays


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## sully

They are beautiful! Sightly off subject..... Ive read people say rats mustnt be kept on their own ( like hamsters do) but what happens when you have a pair of rats and one dies, do you just get another for them for company or _can_ they be kept alone if they have people company?


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## Maltey

They shouldn't really be left alone unless they just won't get on with other rats. No amount of human company can really make up for a furry buddy to snuggle with 

Your point is one of the reasons I really recommend trios. If however you are left with just one I would either find it a friend or if you're not planning to carry on keeping rats to rehome it to someone with other rats.
Of course if they're really on their last legs and you suspect they only have a few weeks left its really not worth the stress on them of intros and they can just have some extra cuddles with their owner


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## SpringerLex

OMG they are gorgeous. My latest rat baby was born yesterday. Getting a female to put with the girly I got from Pets At Home who was being kept in a tank on her own. She was nibbly so they couldn't sell her so I took her on. She's a little sweety but heeds a rat friend for company.


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## sully

Thankyou, another bit of info for me to digest.


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## Maltey

No problem. If you have any other questions feel free to ask, on here or PM 

I should say on that note aswell that I have no problem homing them to a new or inexperienced owner providing they've done their research


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## sully

Maltey said:


> No problem. If you have any other questions feel free to ask, on here or PM
> 
> I should say on that note aswell that I have no problem homing them to a new or inexperienced owner providing they've done their research


Might be a dozy question BUT is there much difference to learn about rats compared to hamsters?


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## thedogsmother

sully said:


> Might be a dozy question BUT is there much difference to learn about rats compared to hamsters?


Ive kept both and they are very different in their care requirements, my rats have been much more human orientated, whereas the hammies seemed fine with their own company and a lot more independant most of the time. My rats have been more prone to respiratory problems and obviously need company of their own species whereas hamsters dont. rats like cages where they can climb and explore and obviously need bigger cages than the hamsters would. Also there is the smell aspect, my hamsters wer virtually smell free with a once a week cage clean, the rats (especially the boys) do have a smell to them and although I dont think its a horrible smell, it is still something to be considered. Im sure theres a ton of other things too but I cant remember them right now.

When I first got rats I had no experience of them, I started off looking after one for someone and fell in love with them straight away, I had no experience with rats but I had owned mice who are more similar than hamsters, with the help of people on the forums I got through it all. Anyone doing their research (as I should have) before they got the rats would have no trouble at all.


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## sully

Thanks, yes i know about bigger climbing cages ( have looked for my hammies but too tall) and smells of boys  i like the thought of girls more, but have read about girls and mammary tumours etc. I was in [email protected] a few days ago and was 'talking' to a baby rat who came to me and was listening, then its pal came out of its bed where it had been asleep to me aswell, then one sneezed, i had heard about that too so that was worrying to me even though it wasnt my rat.


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## Maltey

I've only ever had girls and I don't think they smell at all. I'm rat-sitting some boys and they really have a distinctive smell. I think I'll always have girls! Honestly? I've only had one girl with a tumour and boys can get them too just even less often. 
I find the girls more interesting to watch too.
Their day-to-day care isn't too different from a hamster really. You need different things (ie cage,bedding etc) but you still have to feed both, water both and spot-clean both. The only real difference is that the rats need more out-time. 
They have their own requirements like any animal but really they're not a difficult pet to look after, especially what with them being so cute, you just want to do things for them!!


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## Shadowrat

I've got 46 rats, and if they're kept clean and in a nicely ventilated area, they don't smell at all really. They're certainly nothing like the smell of mice! One male mouse could out-stink all 46 of my rats!


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## Maltey

Two girls have a home 

So I have 5 girls left that can either go as a group of 5 or a trio and a pair.
Please see the original thread (linked in the first post) for up-to-date pictures. We got eyes this morning!


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## Maltey

All ratties are reserved


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## Laura123

Great they are reserved.
Any more pics?
Laura


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## RattyCake

Maltey said:


> All ratties are reserved


And one has been rat-napped! :O It's okay, I found it in my cage :3


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## Maltey

4 girls are back up for adoption.


They're really getting into everything now, climbing, playing in hammocks,running in their wheel- they're like miniature rats! 
Will post some more pics soon


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## Laura123

Oh good more pics
Can't wait.
Laura


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## Maltey

We now have 6 girls looking for homes 

So that's basically all of the girls except for the ones I said I would keep, which is now all of them by the looks of it!

So, I've taken some more photos to try and bribe you with cutery 


















































































They are 4 weeks old this Friday, so only 2.5 weeks until they are ready to go to new homes- they just need to find some!


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