Month: September 2015

Prevue Hendryx 485 Pet Products Feisty Ferret Rat Cage

Prevue Hendryx 485 Pet Products Feisty Ferret Rat Cage

To see more photos of this cage, please click on the image to view its Amazon listing.

A lot of rat owners have been talking about this large, beautiful cage. Originally called the Feisty Ferret mansion, it was first sold to ferret owners who want to supply their ferrets with an adequate sized cage. Now, rat owners are all over it! The Prevue Hendryx 485 Pet Products Feisty Ferret Rat Cage is very similar to the double critter nation, with two major exceptions. Read more

Wild Rats Cause Leptospirosis Outbreak: Pollsmoor Prison

Wild Rats Cause Leptospirosis Outbreak: Pollsmoor Prison

In South Africa, in a city called Cape Town, there rests Pollsmoor Prison. This prison is one of the worst in the country, and now its infestation of wild rats has gained national attention. Why? Because the rats have infected the prison population with Leptospirosis, and it is becoming an epidemic. Check out the YouTube video below for the news story. Read more

10 Ways to Find a Good Local Rat Breeder or Rescue

10 Ways to Find a Good Local Rat Breeder or Rescue

Finding a good breeder is the best way to find healthy, happy animals. Rats should not be obtained from poor sources, such as feeder breeders, commercial farms, or pet stores. These sources don’t put health or disposition as main priorities; they are only looking for profits. Pet rats make wonderful pets, but the wrong animals can become a complete nightmare if they turn out to be highly aggressive! Read more

How Many Babies Can a Rat Have?

7 day week old rat pups babies

How Many Babies Can a Rat Have?

Having a litter of rats can be a very exciting experience; but very nerve wrecking for the first time ratty grandparent who doesn’t know what size litter to expect. Raising baby rats can be rather taxing on the humans, just as it is with mom. We are responsible for socializing them as they grow, while also feeding them, cleaning up after them, and finding them new homes. The bigger the litter is, the more babies there are to take care of. Can you handle it? Read more

Pet Rat Eye Infection

Eye infections are no fun to deal with. At all. Rats are much more susceptible to eye infections than we are, as they live in close quarters with their own waste. They don’t have quite as clean of environments as humans do. While a dirty environment can have a lot to do with any infection, an eye infection for a rat does not necessarily mean that the human owner is at fault. They do just happen sometimes, and all we can do is treat them properly! Read more

Are Rats Blind? Is My Pet Possibly Blind?

can rats see better at night in the dark

Rats cannot see quite as well as many animals, but they are not blind. Of course, there is always the possibility that they might go blind for various reasons throughout their lives. There are various ways to test for blindness in rats, but it is important to know that rats do not have perfectly clear vision as it is. On occasion owners might become worried that their rats are blind.  If a rat is taken care of properly, it is unlikely that the rat will go blind. However there are several factors at play in this particular situation.

Read more

How to Give a Rat a Bath: Can You Give a Rat a Bath?

Rats who don’t seem to get baths often just don’t really enjoy the idea; much like a dog or a cat who does not get a bath very frequently at all. Just because the animal refuses a bath, does not mean that he or she does not need to be cleaned. Rats, like other animals, can get funky build ups and parasites on them. Bathing is the best way to remove all of the funk that accumulates over time. Read more

Are Rats Dangerous? How to Trap Wild Rats with Humane Rat Traps

humanely removing rats from the home

Are Rats Dangerous? How to Trap Wild Rats with Humane Rat Traps

Wild rats will sometimes get into the houses of humans. It’s just something that happens, just like with spiders, ants, and mice. Getting these little rats out of the house is important from a disease standpoint; we never know what a wild animal might be carrying. Generally, the animal is healthy and happy and just wants a bite to eat or a warm place to stay. FOR those who own abused rescues or skittish pet rats, I advise having a humane trap for them too!  It makes life SO much easier when they get out! Read more