Okay. Give me a min and i will shred some advie on you. I am a mega rat freak. This is somthing i spent 5 months studing before i even got my first rat.
Okay. I am pretty much going to say what i do for my rats, what people have told me to do and advised for me. My first 2 boys were and still are as tiny as hell. They are seriously runted rats. Compared to my massive siamese boys that is.
The first thing i noticed is the fact you will be keeping them in a aquarium. I would highly recommend to buy a cage. Yes, heck they are expensive, one if mine is £300 (okay, it is from floor to celing, but that's not the point)
I say this because alot of aquarium contain smell, females generally don't smell as bad as bucks, but it will make it worse.
Some aquariums have bad vent and may cause rats with bad breathing problems. Even if you keep your rats on suitable bedding, aquariums can effect your rat if you aren't to careful.
If you wish to use the aquarium, regular cleaning of the glass, use pet safe spray and seriously clean it out.
Bedding wise. If you dare get wood shavings i will eat you. Alot of them are HORRIBLY bad for rats, i can't remember the exact reason why. But i know it is a major no go.
I use small carboard squares. I buy a massive bale for £9, i think you can order it somwhere, but i get my dad to pay and pick it up so i would never know.
Carefresh is okay, alot of people recommend it, heck i even tried it as my first bedding! It is perfectly fine for your rats, but does smell a heck of alot worse, along with the problem of the often messy and sticky patches
If you feel up to it, litter training i possible, i tried and failed. Proably because my rats wait until i get them out xD
Rat food. There is only one food i would EVER recommend, 75% people i meet either use it or have heard of it. Problem is you have to make it up yourself, which i know alot of people can't..
www.shunamiterats.co.uk/diet.htmlI think that is the site to look at.
Treats. Somone shoot me down, but i live of my dad's GF Julie's stock. She is know for ratty treats, hammocks, ect. (She invented the rat hammock xD Or atleast last time i checked she did)
Here are a few makes snf products i have found really good
- Rotastak Yoghurt (a must have for trick training, you must give these barly and you will have a mad yoggie drop rat)
- Rosewood's Naturals range (where to get started on this make of treats. Anything and everything they sell is amazing and extreamly healthy for your rats and they love the stuff!)
- Vitapol Sticks (A nice thing to hang up everytime you clean your cage out, put a fresh one in and remove last week's leftovers
)
- Dried insect food (I am personally to scared to feed mine this, but when i worked on the stool the other week, we sold nearly all of this out. So alot f people seem to use it)
- Hemp seed, Pin Head Oats, Safflower seed, Linseed mixed together (when you put fresh bedding in, sprinkle a small amount in the beding, rats are scavangers and they enjoy hunting down these yummy seeds)
- Cat food, be carful, just choose the healthiest option. Wet food only, flavoured fish or meat. Max treat of once a week, which you must clean up straight after they have finished and don't leave in to long.
Haha, ink, kill me now cause i am gonna post it
mwhahahah
Julie's site:
acrorats.co.uk/Just look around, honest advise, amazing products and proably my house adress, embarising photos and phone number on there if you look hard enough xD
And there is one thing i
MUST STRESS. I don't want you looking at my pictures and getting a rat because they look cute, anyone can bung a rat in a cage and call it happy. But it TAKES RESEARCH and alot of time and money.
You MUST buy rat's in two's minimal, i will fume and rant if you have a rat alone. If you do, you must give it a hell of alot of attention as human love is not the same as a ratty friendship. No one can replace the bond between 2 ras (okay, maybe abit of popcorn can, but shh. DOn't tell them that)
Finally, don't buy from petstores, i have been there and done that. I know have a anti-social rat who has bitten through a young rat's tail, is often moody, eats no stop so he is un-healthly fat. Please don't go there, find a respectable breeder.
And you must be prepared to give alot to your pets, as i cannot stress enough that rats should not be brought in the spare of the moment. I spent 5 months researching before i even got my first boys. So think before you act and make one rat's life less than somone else could have given him/her.
