Rattus Norvegicus Domestica (Fancy Rat)
Pet rats are domesticated animals and as different from wild rats as dogs are from wolves. They are very clean and rarely bite. Like other rodents, rats are easy to care for, but they offer so much more. Rats are smart enough to learn their names and come when you call them. They are social, affectionate animals who form strong bonds with their owners. They beg to come out of their cage to play or be petted. They are smart enough to play interactive games with people like tug-o-war, hide-n-seek, and wrestling, and they can learn tricks. Many rats show affection by licking their owner like a dog. A well-socialized rat will climb eagerly on your hand and maybe perch on your shoulder. Both females and males make good pets. Female rats tend to be smaller and more active than males, running around and stealing paper to build nests. Males tend to make better lap pets.
Rats are more than just cage pets. They need time out of their cage every day to explore, play, and interact with their owners. And because rats are so social, it’s best to get at least two of the same sex to live together. A single rat will be an unhappy, lonely, insecure rat, that in the long term will become depressed and potentially aggressive. Studies have shown that rats housed alone were less active and appeared to groom themselves less. Rats of the same sex (or altered) will live together fine if they grow up together or are properly introduced. However, a small percentage of males develop too much testosterone and become aggressive. Having them neutered will reduce the aggression within 8 weeks of the surgery.
Housing
A rat cage should be at least 18" X 30" X 12" and even bigger is better to allow room for scampering and toys with rats floor space is more important than height for climbing though both are appreciated when feasible. Bar spacing on cage should be no more than 1/2" as rats are expert escape artist due to the fact that they can collapse their ribcage’s to fit through spaces as small as the size of a quarter or smaller depending on the size of the rat, a good general rule is if the head fits the body will also. Wire floors are not recommended because they can give rats sores on their heels called bumble foot, and rats can get their feet caught in some wire and break a leg, especially in 1" X ½" mesh. The best cages on the market for rats are single and double critter nations but other similar cages also work well if you fallow the above caging guidelines in order to keep your ratty friend as happy as possible! Rats must also be kept at room temperatures below 90° F and they require complete darkness at night. Some gene’s that cause hairlessness in rat’s tend to have issue’s with dry skin so it is also a good idea to have a small room humidifier for the room where you keep your rats if you have dry skin issue’s with your rats or have sneezing issue’s and coughs during the dry season’s.
It’s important to NEVER use glass aquariums to house your rat and to keep the cage clean since the ammonia formed from urine aggravates respiratory disease, the leading cause of death in rats. Never use cedar shavings as they contain acids that damage the respiratory tract and toxins that damage the liver. Also avoid anything that could snag your rat’s toe’s like towels, old jeans, or t-shirts. Other bedding’s to avoid all together are paper bedding, newspaper, and fleece as they are not acceptable beddings due to lack of absorbency which can cause a upper respiratory infection, that if not treated by a vet quickly can result in severe breathing complications or death of your rat. The best options are kiln-dried aspen or pine shavings, but please make sure the aspen and pine bedding you use is in fact kiln-dried non kiln-dried pine and aspen is not properly dried removing the aromatic oils from the wood and this could cause respiratory issues for your rat’s. If you are unsure if the bedding is kiln-dried call the suppling store or the manufacturer to confirm before use. If using aspen or pine shavings, it is also recommended to either freeze, bake on low in the oven for 45 seconds or lightly sprinkle and mix food grade diatomaceous earth into the bedding in order to kill any mites, fleas, or other microorganisms that could be hiding in the bedding. If you decide that you want to litter-box train your rat’s you will want to use a different type of bedding in the box’s as litter or else your rat’s may get confused and be less likely to use the litter-box. Good litter beddings are recycled newspaper pellets (like yesterday’s news etc.), hemp bedding, or even small pebble’s (though this is extremely hard to clean, and you will likely have to buy new pebbles frequently). Rats can be realistically about 75-80% potty trained, it’s unlikely that they will always pee and poop in the box’s as rat’s communicate territory by scent marking with urine and feces but with a little time and picking up poops and putting them into the box (with gloves of course) and finding that one corner they tend to pee in most they can be pretty reasonably litter-box trained.
You may give your rat’s scraps of anti-pill or blizzard fleece as comfort bedding to build a nest out of, or for use as ramp covers for cage’s, but it is recommended to wash all fleece every other day as well as throw it out every 2 weeks or monthly depending on wear.
Food & Water
A bulk grain mix does not meet the nutritional needs of rats and frankly anything that is a seed mix should be avoided. Lab blocks specifically Oxbow Essentials Adult Rat Food, Kalmbach 23% rodent, Kent 23% rodent diet, Teklad rodent diets (Envigo) are the best option’s they are formulated to adhere to the nutritional percentage’s rats need to remain healthy. It should also be noted that we do not recommend feeding your rat a staple of “Oxbow young rat and mouse food” or “Oxbow garden selects” as these formulas also do not have the adequate nutrition needed for a rats staple diet, however these are okay as treats. About 20% of their diet should be a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cooked sweet potato, and cooked beans. NEVER give your rats anything containing timothy hay, alfalfa hay, or any other grass or hay. Hay can cause fatal blockages of the intestines in rats, if a blockage isn’t noticed they can quickly become fatal by rupturing the intestines leading to sepsis. If you live in an area where water is unsafe for drinking or extra hard, we recommend purchasing bottled spring water for your ratties.
Can My Rat Eat That?
Essentially, if it is ok for you to eat, then it is generally ok for the rats to eat. To make a comprehensive list of everything a rat could eat would take forever. So here is a list of particularly healthy things for your rat: Fruits Apples Apricots Bananas - but not green bananas Blueberries - All around good for rats (Just be careful they don't stain anything you don't want stained with juice) Grapes - purple grapes are believed to help prevent cancer Raspberries Blackberries Boysenberries Peaches - without the pit Cranberries (and cranberry juice) Plums - excluding the stone Pomegranates Pears Kiwi Papaya Vegetables Broccoli Carrots Cucumbers Peas - Especially frozen for those hot summer days
Romaine lettuce - It is recommended to avoid iceberg lettuce as it has little nutritional value Kale Green beans - cooked Corn (on the cob, frozen, or from a can) Green, red, or yellow peppers (not spicy!) Pumpkin - and the seeds (in moderation) Cauliflower Butternut Squash - cooked cooked mushrooms - in moderation Miscellaneous/Treats Chicken bones - Make sure these aren't too greasy or fatty Crickets - Good for protein (dried or live) Dog biscuits Hard-boiled eggs - I've heard these are good for pregnant rats who need the extra protein/fat. However, these should not become a regular part of the diet but rather just a treat for regular rats. Popcorn - Unsalted and unbuttered Yogurt drops - Rats love these. At least, mine do. Yogurt - a small amount of probiotic yogurt is good for gut flora Cheese - small amount in moderation, preferably soy based What your rats should never eat Fruit Apple seeds - Apple seeds contain a small amount of cyanide which could be harmful to your rat. Green bananas - Inhibit starch digestion Mango - Contains d-limonene which can cause kidney cancer in male rats Oranges - The white part on the peelings and outer layer of a peeled orange is harmful to male rats. It seems to be ok for females, but I just stay away from citrus fruits in general. Orange juice - Contains d-limonene which can cause kidney cancer in male rats Vegetables Raw Brussel sprouts - Fine after cooking, though Green potato skin and eyes - I will not eat them and I will not eat green potato skin and eyes Raw artichokes - Inhibit protein digestion Raw onion - Can lead to anemia and an upset stomach Raw red cabbage - Fine after cooking Raw sweet potato - Once again, fine after cooking Rhubarb - High levels of oxalates which bind up calcium Miscellaneous Blue cheese - Contains a toxic mold Cuddle Bones (for Birds) - The general consensus was that these have far too much calcium to be healthy for your rat, steer clear. Licorice - Contains a suspected neurotoxin Poppyseeds – Have read accounts rats that got into these and then began to act very lethargic. The rat seemed better for a while, but unfortunately the situation deteriorated, and the rats had to be put to sleep. Rat poison - Believe it or not, this is just not good for rats Raw bulk tofu - Packaged tofu is ok for eating *Raw* dry beans or peanuts - Peanuts you buy in a store are almost always roasted so they are fine for rats. Beans will need to be cooked first before giving to rats. If you're growing your own peanuts then I would not serve those to your rats. Raw hide - Difficult to digest Sweet feed (For horses) - There's just too much corn and molasses in this. Wild insects What your rats should eat in moderation or with caution All of the following should be given in moderation. Some can be very dangerous to your rat if given too much. Personally, I would recommend just not giving your rat any of these (With the exception of chocolate, which is fine in small amounts). Avocados - Very fatty. Also, the pit, rind, skin, and leaves of the avocado are toxic. Avoid any part of the avocado that even touches those parts. Good for sick rats needing to gain weight though Bread - Bread can expand in a rat's throat, causing them to choke. If giving your rat bread, toast it first or give them very small amounts at a time. Carbonated drinks - Though I doubt your rat will explode, it could give them a stomach ache as they have a hard time getting rid of the carbonation. Chocolate - Supposed to help with minor respiratory distress. Too much can be problematic. Avoid milk chocolate but rather go for dark or bittersweet chocolate as milk chocolate contains too much fat and some rats are lactose intolerant. Dried corn - Contains fungal contaminates which could lead to liver cancer (Fresh corn is ok) Oranges - The white part on the peelings and outer layer of a peeled orange is harmful to male rats. It seems to be ok for females, but I just stay away from citrus fruits in general. Peanut butter - Could cause your rat to choke The following is just a list of some of the strange items people have asked about and whether or not they are ok to eat. Fine to eat Canned oysters - Canned oysters should be fine and nutritious for your rats (As a treat), but I would recommend steering clear of any other form of oysters. Celery - Fine, but not much nutritional value Mealworms - Perfectly fine for your rat and good source of protein. Fine alive or dead Meat - Chicken is always best, but they can eat any kind of cooked meat. Try to keep the fat down. Pineapple - Should be fine, in moderation of course. Popsicles - These are ok for rats but watch out for high sugar content. A better idea is to freeze your own ice cubes or low-sugar concoctions to keep your rats cool on hot days.
Spaghetti - Seems to be ok cooked and uncooked. Undecided (Best to avoid for now) Mint/Menthol/Candy Canes - It is currently unknown as to whether or not this may be harmful to your rat. Best to avoid for now. Peppers - Though the non-spicy portion of the pepper is fine, you may want to avoid these as you'll never know if some of the spiciness got on the non-spicy portion, which could be very upsetting to a ratty.
Accessories
Rats need a water bottle a water bowl is not recommended as they will dirty it very fast, a food dish for fresh foods, and I recommend a hanging dispenser or side mounted bowl for dry foods you want the bowl elevated and fixed to the side securely or they tend to spill it and make a mess. Many rats will use a litter box if it is placed in the corner they choose for a toilet, I start litter training my rats before they go home by supplying multiple litterboxes filled with care fresh bedding in my mischief cages I usually pick up all the stray poops and put them in the litter boxes until they are avidly using the litterbox themselves it takes a while but usually by adulthood they are using the box the majority of the time. You can find small organizer tubs at the dollar store that I find work great as litter boxes! A concrete block, bird pedicure perch, a bowl full of stones or similar toys in the cage will help keep their toenails short. Rats also need sleeping quarters and enjoy boxes, igloos, the Super Pet Giant Roll-a-nest, and hammocks. While most rats will chew on a hammock and eventually destroy it, this rarely causes them any harm I often use dollar store binder clips to secure cage furnishings to the cage I also will use small hand towels or bandanas from the dollar store as hammocks.
Toys
Because rats are intelligent active animals, toys are not optional, they are necessities! Rats enjoy exercise wheels, tubes, ladders, branches, and other climbing toys. Wheels must be at least 10" across and made of solid plastic or metal or ¼" wire mesh, not wire bars. Rats also enjoy food toys, and many bird toys work well for rats. Rats are heavy chewers and they will benefit from lots of chew toys such as wood blocks, I find it best to drill small holes into the wood sticks and suspend them from a all-natural twine to limit urine from getting on them and ruining them. NEVER USE BLEACH TO CLEAN ANY WOOD TOYS OR ANY TOY THAT CAN ABSORB THE BLEACH, this can potentially harm or result in death of your precious ratties! Other toys I highly recommend are large bells attached to twine with the wood sticks you can also add pieces of plastic straws too for chewing. I also give my rats dollar store cat toys such as the small plastic balls with bells in them they love carrying these around the cage and you can even teach them to play fetch with a few treats and some time!
Handling
Never pick a rat up by the tail. A rat’s tail is delicate and the skin on the end can actually come off, picking up a rat by the tail can also lead to spinal injury and other spinal problems in the future so it is best not to risk it. The best way to pick up a rat is to scoop him up with both hands. Or you can grasp him around the shoulders and middle. Then put your other hand beneath the rat’s hindquarters and bring him close to your body so he’ll feel more secure and less likely to squirm or try to jump out of your hands. Many rats will enjoy riding on your shoulder if you have long hair they will often times hide in your hair, wearing a scarf around your neck can encourage a rat to stay on your shoulder if it is more unsure about it, the scarf provides them with more area to grasp onto as well as more to hide in until they become used to it! Handling your rat in general on a daily basis and giving them tasty treats when you do will help them become used to it so they are less likely to defecate, squirm, and try to jump or get away.
Bathing
Rats are typically exceptionally clean animals that groom and preen frequently, if the cage is cleaned frequently bathing is hardly necessary. However, if you would like to bathe your rat occasionally you can do so on a once a month basis. Bathing a rat more than once a month can become a problem because it strips the rat’s skin of natural needed oils much like with human hair and over washing, which can cause dry skin, itching, and discomfort to your rat. It's important to clean your rat more than once a month if your rat has been ill or is elderly. For shampoo it is recommended to use a small animal shampoo that has natural oils in it to bathe your rat especially if you must bathe your rat more than once a month, alternatively you may use tearless unscented baby shampoo. DO NOT use any human shampoo other than tearless unscented baby shampoo on your rat, human shampoos can contain things toxic to your rats. I find it easiest to bathe rats in the bathtub especially if your rat is not yet used to baths. Fill the bath only with about a inch or less of water and I like to add toys and give my rats treats for the first few minutes of the bath just to make it a positive experience so they will not be scared of the bath in the future, don’t be surprised if your rat defecates in the bath this is very common and just a reaction to bathing and also a reaction to being scared. A small pea sized amount of chosen shampoo is all that is needed for one rat, pre-wet your rat using a cup to pour water over back try not to get water on the face and in the ears, they tend to not enjoy that, lather your rat with shampoo and gently rub into fur for about a minute. Then be sure to thoroughly rinse all shampoo off your rat before removing, towel drying and snuggling!
Possible Problems
Being rodents, rats tend to chew. The solution is to “rat-proof” the area where they are allowed to play, removing valuables and electrical wires. Some rats also tend to urine mark, leaving small drops of urine as they walk. Males are more prone to this, although neutering will reduce this behavior. Furnishings can be protected with a throw cover.
Rats can breed as early as 5 weeks of age, and any female rat older than this who has been living with a male will probably be pregnant. A rat can also get pregnant again immediately after giving birth, so when breeding, the father should be removed before the birth.
First Aid
It did not take us long to realize that there are some things that are just good to have on hand in the rat's medicine cabinet. These things are much akin to keeping band-aids and tissues around your house for unexpected human emergencies. These things include:
· Hydrogen Peroxide: Because a rat's skin is different than our skin, there are some things that are simply not safe to use with rats. You cannot, for example, effectively use rubbing alcohol on a rat to clean out a wound because the skin will dry out and die. You can, however, religiously use Hydrogen Peroxide and this is actually a good thing, because once it stops fizzing, you know it's clean! Just a warning though, rats are very confused by the sensations they feel when Hydrogen Peroxide is applied, and they will get very fidgety!
· Styptic Powder: When I had first read that someone recommended keeping this on hand, I thought they were crazy. When I encountered the first rat-bite-rat hole, I thought they were even crazier. What I learned the hard way is that little holes can lead to the biggest problems, and there is no good way to stop a little rat paw, toe, or foot from bleeding. For those mishaps where a rat rips his toenail out, catches his tail on something, or has a sore on his foot break open, styptic powder is the answer, that is, after cleaning the wound out, of course.
· Children's Chewable Bayer: Rats get sick and feverish every once in a while, and if you think they have a fever, it is a good idea to give him a 4th of a Bayer Chewable aspirin to help break the fever. It is also a good idea in such cases to make a quick follow-up visit to your regular to see if your rat should be taking any antibiotics.
· Veterinary Ophthalmic Ointment: If you ask nicely, I'm sure your regular would be willing to sell you a tube of ophthalmic ointment for those unexpected occasions when a rat nail accidentally (or otherwise) swipes a rat eyeball, or a rat sleeps with his eyeball open on a floor or on wood chips and an infection starts. The sooner you use the ophthalmic ointment the sooner the infection goes away and the less chance your rat has of getting a scar on his or her eyeball. These small tubes usually do not expire for 4 years which exceeds the life of your rat. It's worth the $12 investment and will save you $100s of dollars in veterinary bills.
· Ivermectin Paste: This one is a hard one to track down, but well worth the effort we usually find it at farm supply stores and co-ops. You need to find a store that specializes in Equestrian goods and order a tube of Ivermectin paste. You will need to do this because one of three possible aspects of chance will happen (or maybe something even more out-of-the-blue): (1) You will feel compelled to buy a cute little baby rat who, unbeknownst to you is covered in bugs, (2) You will take your rat out to a rat show, touch another rat with bugs, touch your rat, and unbeknownst to you, have an itchy fleasy rat, (3) Your next bedding purchase will have come out of an outside storage area and will have very small particles of red lice life in it. If any of the above happens, you probably will not notice it, after all, the little red louse does not come out to greet you. What will most likely happen is that you won't see the little buggers, you'll have the new rat separated for a month to wash away any potential spreading of illnesses, you will put your new rat, or your pet show rat in with his friends, and a month after that you'll notice that their appetites aren't all that great, there is porphyrin staining around their noses, but they otherwise don't appear very sick. After all, they are breathing simply fine! And you'll give them a scratch and notice that your girls suddenly have dander, or that your boys' dander is suddenly moving, and you'll head out to the kitchen, get a toothpick, dip it in the Ivermectin tube taking out no more than an uncooked grain of rice, and you will feed it to any rats that came in contact with that particular rat and you'll be so happy that you listened to me! What happens if you do not keep it on hand? You feel itchy all over until you find some!
· Skin Glue: While at your vet's asking to purchase Ophthalmic Ointment, ask him if he or she has on hand or can order some Nexaband skin glue. It is a little tube of translucent blue gel that will greatly improve your life and save you a lot of veterinary dollars in the long run. When your rats get in those unexpected fights and put one to two-inch gashes in each other, you can clean out the wound, shave off a little bit of the surrounding fur, clean the wound again, and glue it back together. If you don't think you have aggressive rats, so you think you won't need it, think again. All rats have fingernails and all rats with fingernails have a good chance of getting abscesses and those abscesses, without fail, will open themselves to reveal big gaping holes that can very easily be cleaned out and glued together. Alternatively for minor lacerations of only skin you in a emergency can use a small amount of super glue or super glue gel in place of Skin glue, however I do not recommend this method unless it is a last resort and only a skin laceration or cut if it is deeper into the tissue and muscle it is unsafe to use anything other than veterinary skin glue as super glue can be toxic if it gets into the bloodstream
· Scissors: Scissors should be kept on hand for obvious reasons, like trimming the toenails of an older rat who simply isn't scratching enough to keep them down. It also comes in handy when you need to trim away dead skin, hair that is in the way, etc. Short but sharp scissors tend to be the best by the way, particularly the little pocket kind. You have less changes of accidentally snipping something that moved in the way.
· Cotton Balls and Q-Tips: Cotton Balls are necessary to clean out general areas with Hydrogen Peroxide and are also good for little sponge baths for sick or ill rats. Q-Tips are great for cleaning out abscesses and infections and for getting to those hard-to-reach places. Q-Tips also come in handy when a rat is apparently choking on something because if you are quick enough, you can clear the obstruction out of the rat's mouth easily with a Q-Tip without causing any damage (of course this also requires prying the rat's mouth open which is often easier said than done). Q-Tips are also good for cleaning out ear infections and/or opening the ear enough to see if there is an infection. Be careful not to push the cotton swap too far in though!
· Syringes: It's a good thing to have a couple of little syringes handy "just in case." Do remove the needles though! Syringes make it very easy to feed your sick rat some sugar water or baby food to stimulate his appetite when he is otherwise not so inclined.
Common Health Problems
Rats live only two to three years on average, although proper nutrition, exercise, and veterinary care can maximize their life span. The most common health problems in rats are respiratory and heart disease. Excessive sneezing or making noise when breathing are often symptoms of respiratory problems. If your rat has these symptoms, consult a rat expert for advice or see a vet immediately for professional treatment.
Mammary and pituitary tumors are the next most common health problems in female rats. Having females spayed helps to prevent these tumors. Benign mammary tumors can be removed with minor surgery, and cancerous mammary tumors can be treated in unspayed females with tamoxifen. Tumors are less common in male rats.
Another common health problem in rats is mites, fleas, and ticks. A good safe preventative is necessary to prevent these common pests especially if other pets such as dogs or cats are also present in the home. Usually a vet will recommend a small rat sized dose of Revolution, but you may also use one drop of ivermectin pour on available at most farm supply stores. However, DO NOT apply any topical treatment to rats under 5 weeks of age or pregnant or nursing mothers. Also, if attempting to use anything other than duvet ivermectin pour on or Revolution please consult a licensed vet beforehand as many topicals contain things harmful to rats!
Care sheet provided by Fantastic Beasts Exotic Rescue
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