I need your help..

[Anti-Mindvirus]

I am going to be getting a young white rat in about a week and a half..
I have had hamsters and mice before, but never a rat, so I have some questions;

What should I buy for her?
What type/size cage is best? (she will not spend much time in it)
What is the best rat food?
Does she need a bed?
A ball? (the one you put the rat in to roam around)
Are rats ok travailing?
Are they trainable?
Are females any different than males?
What is the best way to handle a young rat?
What are some common household stuff that would be bad for them?
Are different types of rats nicer than others?


Thank you for your help!

[Stormtrooper of Death]

I own a dog so I cannot help you. Sorry. Good luck with it though, sounds fun.

[Johnny Gnar Gnar]

I have absolutely no idea.

[Jaye Jang]

Okay. This is not in order. Flying low. In between work shifts.
1) Same size cage as you would use for a hamster, only larger because rats can get to be pretty good sized.
2) A white rat is a good choice, although the black and white ones seem to be more docile for some reason. (If she's an albino they can be very temperamental and testy sometimes).
3) Male rats are actually more mellow than females.
4) Yes, they are trainable. In fact, rats are actually quite intelligent.
5) Yes, they do travel well. Just take the cage or a small pet carrier.
6) Yes, a bed is a good idea. (You can get disposable fluff bedding. This is best as you will need to keep the cage clean).
7) Bedding. Only use the plain undyed pine chips (you can get them in large blocks at Wal-Mart, etc.). That's because rodents (i.e. rats, hamsters, mice, etc.) have very sensitive respiratory tracts.
8) Household stuff, anything you would not want to eat or feed a child. Feed them the same thing you would hamsters, including the chew toys.
9) A large rolly ball is great, as they will need to exercise and they are very curious.
10) Handle them the same way you would a cat. (A good friend of mine who raises cats -- blue Himalayans -- once told me cats are like children. Let them come to you). Handle her gently, but let her get to know and trust you. Contrary to popular believe, rats can be very affectionate.

Got to go. Work calls.

[KontanKarite]

I almost want a pet rat.

[Anti-Mindvirus]

Originally Posted by Jaye Jang

Okay. This is not in order. Flying low. In between work shifts.
1) Same size cage as you would use for a hamster, only larger because rats can get to be pretty good sized.
2) A white rat is a good choice, although the black and white ones seem to be more docile for some reason. (If she's an albino they can be very temperamental and testy sometimes).
3) Male rats are actually more mellow than females.
4) Yes, they are trainable. In fact, rats are actually quite intelligent.
5) Yes, they do travel well. Just take the cage or a small pet carrier.
6) Yes, a bed is a good idea. (You can get disposable fluff bedding. This is best as you will need to keep the cage clean).
7) Bedding. Only use the plain undyed pine chips (you can get them in large blocks at Wal-Mart, etc.). That's because rodents (i.e. rats, hamsters, mice, etc.) have very sensitive respiratory tracts.
8) Household stuff, anything you would not want to eat or feed a child. Feed them the same thing you would hamsters, including the chew toys.
9) A large rolly ball is great, as they will need to exercise and they are very curious.
10) Handle them the same way you would a cat. (A good friend of mine who raises cats -- blue Himalayans -- once told me cats are like children. Let them come to you). Handle her gently, but let her get to know and trust you. Contrary to popular believe, rats can be very affectionate.

Got to go. Work calls.

Ah, a reply that helps me! Thank you soo much! This is a huge help..

I was asking about traveling, because I am home little, and I would love to train her to be on a leash.. like my ferret did. I would take him everywhere with me, and I would love to do this with my rat..

[DeathToLems]

I'm gonna give you links

What type/size cage is best? http://www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk/a...Rat_Cages.html
What is the best rat food? http://www.80stoysale.com/ratfood.html
Does she need a bed? http://www.ratz.co.uk/ratbedding.html
A ball? (the one you put the rat in to roam around) I heard they dont like them
Are rats ok travailing? Yea put them on a lead, or stay close to them always
Are they trainable?
Are females any different than males? http://wererat.net/rathelp/choosing.htm
What is the best way to handle a young rat? http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/#Handling%20rats
What are some common household stuff that would be bad for them? read link above
Are different types of rats nicer than others? The only species of rat that has been domesticated and commonly kept as pets is Rattus norvegicus (Norway Rat) and they are as friendly as they come. (taken from yahoo)

hope it helps.

[L'Oiseau Noir]

Originally Posted by Anti-Mindvirus

I am going to be getting a young white rat in about a week and a half..
I have had hamsters and mice before, but never a rat, so I have some questions;

What should I buy for her?
What type/size cage is best? (she will not spend much time in it)
What is the best rat food?
Does she need a bed?
A ball? (the one you put the rat in to roam around)
Are rats ok travailing?
Are they trainable?
Are females any different than males?
What is the best way to handle a young rat?
What are some common household stuff that would be bad for them?
Are different types of rats nicer than others?


Thank you for your help!

Something I can actually help with! I have two male rats (my albino female passed away a few months ago), and they're the sweetest things ever.

1) Firstly, food. Things like fruits (such as berries, grapes, and so on) are treats you can buy for you rat, and you can get the rat feed they sell in stores. Then there's bedding (pine chips, or some form of soft wood chips, are good choices. Stay clear of cheap cardboard bedding), maybe some small toys (my rat liked rolling a small ball I bought for her around with her nose), and a water bottle.

2) Like Jaye said, a hamster cage, but make sure it's slightly bigger (you can also use aquariums, but make sure you don't leave it in an area with LOTS of sunlight, because it can heat up real quick to dangerous temperatures).

3) You can feed your rat berries or small fruits like grapes, certain nuts (for protein), and bits of veggies like lettuce or radish shreds. They also have rat feed you can buy for it that already contains the necessary vitamins the rat needs.

4) You don't need to get her a bed. A soft pile of bedding will do just fine.

5) Nah, you don't need a ball. As long as you're supervising the rat, you can allow it to wander around and explore. You can also bring it outdoors during the warmer months to wander through the grass nearby, but as I said make sure you keep your eyes on it (but don't do this until the rat has had time to adjust to you, and it's new home. It'll feel less compelled to wander away from you).


6) Yeah, rats are rather portable. I used to take my albino female on car rides (just short ones like when my mom picked up my brother and sister, or just had to run into the cornerstore), and she'd curl up in my lap or my ponytail.


7) Yes, rats are very trainable. Contrary to popular belief, they're actually intelligent creatures. Use food rewards, though, to help train it.

8) I've actually found the males to be rowdier than the females. My two male rats always fight, and they're rambucious as any toddler. My female was very docile, and would lay in my lap or sit on my shoulders, and she liked being picked up and petted.

9) When you pick it up, be gentle, like you were picking up a fragile, valuable object. Keep it in the palm(s) of your hand(s). Overall though, gentle is the root word here. Give it attention every day, so it doesn't feel neglected (but that doesn't mean smother it), and when it gets older you can even begin to play with it. My female rat and I always rolled a ball to each other, and she liked playing tag.

10) Keep them away frrom wires, electrical appliances, heaters, precariously arranged books, the bottoms of rocking or rolling chairs, and basically anything that would be potentially dangerous to you. You don't want to take unnecessary risks.

11) I found albino rats to be the nicest, at least from my experience.

[Beneath the Shadows]

Originally Posted by Anti-Mindvirus

I am going to be getting a young white rat in about a week and a half..
I have had hamsters and mice before, but never a rat, so I have some questions;

What should I buy for her?

That depends on how much you interact with her. If you have her out of the cage often, playing with her, then just a chew toy and a wheel will be enough. And, of course, the necessities.

What type/size cage is best? (she will not spend much time in it)

Well, the average pet rat will grow to be about a foot long (that include the length of the tail). So you want a cage that will have room for an exercise wheel big enough to allow an animal that size to run.

What is the best rat food?

I wouldn't know that. I always fed my rat the same stuff I fed myself.

Does she need a bed?

If you buy regular cage bedding, she'll make herself a bed. Also, giving her a used-up paper towel roll (and a paper towel or two) will make her happy.

A ball? (the one you put the rat in to roam around)

If she has a wheel, it will be unnecessary, unless you think she might run away.

Are rats ok travailing?

Definitely.

Are they trainable?

Yes, and very quickly, as well. I had my first rat trained within a couple days. Of course, it depends on what you want the rat to do.

Are females any different than males?

Aside from not having giant hairy rat balls, not really.

What is the best way to handle a young rat?

Gently. And that goes for rats of all ages.

What are some common household stuff that would be bad for them?

If it's bad for you, it's bad for them. And processed foods aren't very healthy for rats.

Are different types of rats nicer than others?

As long as they're raised in captivity, I don't think so, but I'm not 100% positive. Most of my rats have been Norwiegan lab rats.

Thank you for your help!

No problem.

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

I want one of those giant rats like the big one in that crappy Willard movie. Unfortunately, I can't find a picture of it... but... It's awesome and large and shiny and generally looks manifestly healthy.

I was talking to someone and she said that her rats peel the skin off their grapes. It sounds really cute.