minuke99
Well-Known Member
Oh yes...I should add that I have 4 rats. And they are totally worth any cost!
The average cost of owning a rat
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sausage4ever
Well-Known Member
Owning rats is pretty cheap but the money comes when vets are involved. When Eli was 5months old he needed $400 surgery so if one of your rats had one major surgery a year then you'd be looking at at least $900/year easy and that assuming only one gets sick. I'm not wishing bad on your babes this is soley hypothetical for anyone reading who wants to believe keeping rats is cheap, and doesn't involve vet bills ever.
minuke99
Well-Known Member
Oh for sure. I know I'm been very blessed so far.
Well, seeing as I'm still new to the game (only had 2 of my guys for 3 months and Chester for a few days), I'm all for listing startup costs so far.
Item Cost Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snickers and Titan at time of purchase
Initial Purchase cost of pets - $10 - I got each of them for $5 as the store had a larger than expected litter from one of their females, there were only 5 males in the large cage when I got them (est. age - approx. 4-5 mths at time of purchase). Rats were separated by gender.
Cage/Starter Kit - $150 - Seeing as it's my first time owning rats, my girlfriend and I opted for a starter kit to help get us rolling and save some money. We got the Living world Rat resort kit and the cage had a few shelves in it so that the boys have some room to move around and they sorta outgrew it a few months later... Still use the cage though for now until I afford a new one or build one (which I'm looking at doing).
Extra Food and Aspen Bedding - $25 - Come on, we all know that starter kits only include enough food for a week or two, and pine bedding doesn't fly with me and my pets (birds get irritated by the smell and aren't afraid to vocalize it).
Current Upkeep for food/treats - $30/mth - Seeing as they're growing, they eat pretty good and I have to get a new feed bag every 2 weeks.
*Toys were easy to take care of as I have extra wooden bird toys that my two don't like, so it was easy to give to the rats whom destroyed them a week later...
Chester
Initial purchase of pet - $10 - Got him from the same store/breeder, he's an older male probably about 8-10mths old. Seems to be well socialized, will sit there and be happy to be pet, loves sleeping in my lap.
Cage - $20 - Found a used cage online from Used Ottawa, pretty decent size: 20" wide x 36" long x 14-18" tall, sorta ended up using that for Titan and Snickers as they were fighting in the other cage often enough due to space issues (Snickers ended up with a shallow nip mark). So far they're getting along, even with Chester now (still in a separate 'cage') and the fighting has seemed to have stopped for now.
Planned expenses for the next 2-3 months:
Vet checkup for all three: $80 (well I hope, still have to phone the vet that callie recommended, mine who deals with my birds charges more for rats (he specializes in exotics) and neuterings would run me almost $200 each... :gaah: but the vet she recommended is closer as well and easier to reach by bus.
Neutering for Titan (instigator of most fights): ~120 w/tax, meds, etc.
Neutering for Snickers (preventative measure): ~120 w/tax, meds, etc.
Just a few comments about my rats as well:
Titan and Snickers went after Chester right off the bat for a full out brawl in separate events as my girlfriend and I tried to intro them separately to avoid a 3 way fight. Chester kept trying to run away, but either would chase him. I know that he was a retired breeder and maybe the smell of a female was still on him, I gave all 3 a bath yesterday and it seems to have calmed everyone down (thank god for my large kitchen sink as it could hold all 3) and they seem to be getting along a little better if not quieter. Other than that Chester doesn't seem to mind the other 2, he'll just sit there and watch them scurry around during free roam time.
Item Cost Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snickers and Titan at time of purchase
Initial Purchase cost of pets - $10 - I got each of them for $5 as the store had a larger than expected litter from one of their females, there were only 5 males in the large cage when I got them (est. age - approx. 4-5 mths at time of purchase). Rats were separated by gender.
Cage/Starter Kit - $150 - Seeing as it's my first time owning rats, my girlfriend and I opted for a starter kit to help get us rolling and save some money. We got the Living world Rat resort kit and the cage had a few shelves in it so that the boys have some room to move around and they sorta outgrew it a few months later... Still use the cage though for now until I afford a new one or build one (which I'm looking at doing).
Extra Food and Aspen Bedding - $25 - Come on, we all know that starter kits only include enough food for a week or two, and pine bedding doesn't fly with me and my pets (birds get irritated by the smell and aren't afraid to vocalize it).
Current Upkeep for food/treats - $30/mth - Seeing as they're growing, they eat pretty good and I have to get a new feed bag every 2 weeks.
*Toys were easy to take care of as I have extra wooden bird toys that my two don't like, so it was easy to give to the rats whom destroyed them a week later...
Chester
Initial purchase of pet - $10 - Got him from the same store/breeder, he's an older male probably about 8-10mths old. Seems to be well socialized, will sit there and be happy to be pet, loves sleeping in my lap.
Cage - $20 - Found a used cage online from Used Ottawa, pretty decent size: 20" wide x 36" long x 14-18" tall, sorta ended up using that for Titan and Snickers as they were fighting in the other cage often enough due to space issues (Snickers ended up with a shallow nip mark). So far they're getting along, even with Chester now (still in a separate 'cage') and the fighting has seemed to have stopped for now.
Planned expenses for the next 2-3 months:
Vet checkup for all three: $80 (well I hope, still have to phone the vet that callie recommended, mine who deals with my birds charges more for rats (he specializes in exotics) and neuterings would run me almost $200 each... :gaah: but the vet she recommended is closer as well and easier to reach by bus.
Neutering for Titan (instigator of most fights): ~120 w/tax, meds, etc.
Neutering for Snickers (preventative measure): ~120 w/tax, meds, etc.
Just a few comments about my rats as well:
Titan and Snickers went after Chester right off the bat for a full out brawl in separate events as my girlfriend and I tried to intro them separately to avoid a 3 way fight. Chester kept trying to run away, but either would chase him. I know that he was a retired breeder and maybe the smell of a female was still on him, I gave all 3 a bath yesterday and it seems to have calmed everyone down (thank god for my large kitchen sink as it could hold all 3) and they seem to be getting along a little better if not quieter. Other than that Chester doesn't seem to mind the other 2, he'll just sit there and watch them scurry around during free roam time.
lilangel
Well-Known Member
For check ups it might be a cheaper place Liston animal hospital he now owns a scale(yay lol) and all he might just charge for only 1 or two if you ask. For a check up there is $29+tax for small animals(pocket pets) but he is in Kanata and if you do not have a car that kind of sucks >.<
Neuters Like Callie said Hull Veterinary Clinic does them for $90+tax with all tax and meds its $116 (but the meds he only gives is chlor palm250 no pain meds after but i think you can ask(would cost a bit more) I got my Monkey done there and everything went really well the vet (Dr Jeff Kader is the one who does pocket pets there) even gave me his pager number in case anything went wrong. And if something did go wrong to get him checked for it would not cost if its only regarding the neuter.
