Your all in one source for fancy rat information, news, tips, and help!
Let’s be honest: who doesn’t love a chocolate treat?
Whether it be some form of candy bars, cookies, brownies, or cakes… it’s likely that you enjoy one of them.
I can promise that your rats do, too! If you decide to offer your rats one of the most delicious guilty pleasures on the face of the planet, give yourself a minute to read this post before you drop a treat to your rats!
So you have a litter of baby rats, and you just don’t know what to do with them. Most importantly, you don’t know when to take them from the mother rat, wean them, and take over their care. The female rat will eventually become slightly annoyed by her babies, so be sure that she has a place to “escape” to; a place that the babies cannot get to. A high hammock is a good option. You will see her begin to get antsy when the babies begin running around, between 2 and 3 weeks old. So when exactly can you free the doe from her maternity cage, and let the kits fend without their momma? Read more
Buying rats can be the best experience in the world; however, it’s all based upon the breeder that you obtain the animals from. A proper breeder will offer healthy, happy animals who will bond wonderfully to their new owners, with exceptional personalities that are not prone to aggression. On the flip side, poor quality breeders like feeder breeders could turn your rat owning experience into one of your worst nightmares. Read more
this is a guinea pig, but it is exactly the same as rat bumble foot. Very gross, very painful, and very difficult for a rat to go through.
Rat breeders and rescuers make it possible for owners and prospective owners to find ratties to adopt and love. However, not all breeders are created equal. Some breeders are poor quality “feeder breeders.” These breeders do not take care of their animals as they should, significantly increasing the risk of a sickly animal. If you have purchased a sick or injured rat from a poor quality breeder, there are several steps that you can take. Read more
Between caught toes, disfigured backs, and tail injuries, the exercise wheel can be a very dangerous territory for domesticated rats. If you plan to buy a wheel for your rats to run on, it is necessary to do some serious research and find the right wheel for the health and safety of your rats. Here, we will highlight some do’s and don’ts, as well as link to some appropriate wheels!
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
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
Cedar bedding has long been identified as a deadly bedding source for pet rats. If a breeder or rescue finds out that someone is using cedar, they will quickly run away from them; this includes other breeders and adopters. Once a rat has lived on cedar bedding, it will likely have permanent issues thereafter, even though they might not be serious. One hallmark symptom of cedar sickness is the porphyrin that will be around the eyes and nose. A pink eyed rat will be the most distressed appearing animal, as their porphyrin will appear brighter on their white fur. Read more
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
While this blog focuses on particular pet rodent, rats, it is generally a good idea to avoid these dangerous foods along with many others when it comes to hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, mice, and gerbils. All four of these foods are bad for pet rats, and can cause varying health issues in steady amounts. Read more
