Is My Rat Depressed? Alone After Friend and Cage Mate Died

January 5, 2016 Administrator

If you have a pair of rats and one suddenly dies, you as the owner will not be the only one mourning. Rats are very intelligent, social creatures who build strong lifelong bonds with their cage mates. Once the cage mate dies (especially one of only a pair), the remaining rat or rats will grieve. They might even be seen staying near the sickly rat as death approaches. Depression and grief is a very real thing for pet rats, despite the criticism they face from many humans who lack any knowledge regarding these animals.

Can My Pet Rat and My Dog Play Together?

December 20, 2015 Administrator

For the most part, many rat owners have additional pets in the home other than their rats. Once rats become accustomed to roaming the house the owner may find that they are trapping their other pets behind closed doors to ensure the rat’s safety. This may cause a bit of trouble in the home among the other pets, leading rat owners to wonder whether or not their different pet species are compatible playmates. Read more

Hematuria: Is My Rat Peeing Blood?

October 22, 2015 Administrator

Seeing blood in a rat’s urine is definitely scary. Blood means that there is something going wrong somewhere along the urinary tract, with dozens of causes possible. Hematuria is not a condition than an owner can overlook; it must be treated immediately. Each and every potential cause of this scary symptom could potentially cause death if left untreated. Not every condition will cause the rat to meet its untimely demise, but it is quite possible when the rat’s health is neglected. Read more

Rat Pee: How Often Do Rats Urinate & What Is Normal?

October 1, 2015 Administrator

Rats absolutely love to pee, I’m telling you! Rat pee doesn’t exactly have the friendliest odor, making it important to keep the cage cleaned often. Unlike dogs and cats, rats pee quite often. Their little bodies move through food and water quickly, so frequent urination is to be expected. Read more

How Many Babies Can a Rat Have?

September 14, 2015 Administrator

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

September 12, 2015 Administrator

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?

September 5, 2015 Administrator

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.

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

September 2, 2015 Administrator

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

Rat Behavior

Is My Pet Rat Sneezing, Coughing, Rattling, Hiccuping, or Wheezing?

August 11, 2015 Administrator

Pet rats sometimes make weird noises. Knowing the differences in particular noises can help you to figure out just how serious the issue at hand is. Just like humans, rats do sneeze on occasion. However, rattling and wheezing is a very serious issue that could become life threatening quickly. Read more

Why Doesn’t My Rat Eat Alfalfa Pellets in Rat & Hamster Seed Food Mix?

August 10, 2015 Administrator

Why Doesn’t My Rat Eat Alfalfa Pellets in Rat & Hamster Seed food Mix?

Alfalfa pellets are commonly found in poorly made rat foods in many chain pet stores. These pellets are not very delicious for rats, and they simply don’t like this rabbit food.

For beginner rat owners, the easily accessible, cheap, brightly colored hamster and rat food seed mix looks like a great choice. It’s got a massive amount of variety in it, and to be fair, it does smell good. Very fruity. They then notice that the rats leave those little green pellets of hay either laying in the food dish, or stashed in a “I’ll never eat it, but I still want to keep it just in case” corner within their huts. Rats just don’t seem to eat them, and for good reason: they just don’t like alfalfa pellets. Read more

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