I'm new here and new to rats

Hi everyone! 4 rats kind of fell into my lap last week. They were being kept on pine which from what I understand is bad. I went and got some comfort care paper substrate and they seem happy enough with it.

They all have URI and one is starting to wheeze. They have a vet appt in a couple of hours.

I've attached our setup below. Obviously, it's too small, but I don't know watT to buy. I was going to buy a 3 level ferret cage, but I think they'll make a mess and I don't want them on wire all the time. What about the cage I attached below? It's 38x22.5x22, which is 2.5 cubic feet per rat.

Anything else I need to know? I'll take any and all advice.

Welcome!
Where are you from? Maybe someone around has a spare they can trade or lend.
The bottom cage is OK just have to build it up with lots of hammocks and homemade platforms.
The set up you have isnt bad just a bit small for the long run

SterlingRats0408 said:

Welcome!
Where are you from? Maybe someone around has a spare they can trade or lend.
The bottom cage is OK just have to build it up with lots of hammocks and homemade platforms.
The set up you have isnt bad just a bit small for the long run

Click to expand...

Hi. I'm from SW Indiana.

Anything specifically you have questions about just ask. Best is to explore the forum as there are lots of basic care information threads.

I guess I just don't know what normal behavior is for a rat. I feel like they sleep a lot (perhaps because of their URIs), but will get up if I feed them something they deem yummy. I have a wheel and I've never seen them use it. Could they be depressed because of the tiny cage they are in?

What kind of cage would you recommend? Like what does an ideal cage look like?

This is a basic All Living Things cage from Petsmart. It comes with a seed mix (not recommended but its ok as a treat) and a saucer wheel and a chew toy. Around $89-99US its just big enough for 4 males. Depending on how you decorate it can work.


Lots of people go for the Double Ferret Nation (DFN) or Double Critter Nation(DCN)
(this is a single which is enough basically for 4-5 males) (I have 6 females in it) I'm not sure how much they are US but craigslist and kijiji you can sometimes find one for a deal!


Boys are generally more lazy and laid back. Usually food is the only reason they get up or for cuddles. They could be being a bit shy in the new home. As for the wheel I only have 1 who uses it and I've never had any others even touch it.
Just give them warm up time with yummy treats. Squash is a favourite of my guys these days. Lightly steamed or boiled in chunks or puree. And its coming into season. They'll start to trust your hands and smell.
The down the shirt method works well for bonding with your scent. Wear two shirts and drop em between and sit and hang out. I watch a movie or an episode of a show and thats a good length of time for some bonding. And then they'll want a break and a snack. I always treat right after makes it that much more positive.

For cages two of the most popular options are the critter/ferret nations. The ferret nation has bigger bar spacing meaning small/baby rats can escape. For that reason I have a critter nation. These can be found on Amazon, possibly on craig's list etc. People who use these either use fleece liners with towels underneath instead of bedding or they buy bass pans to keep the bedding in.

The second most popular option is Martin's cages. http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/. If you go with this type of cage be sure to have it powder coated.

What are you feeding them?

Are your rats male or female? Male rats tend to be more lazy than female rats. Not all rats like or use a wheel. What kind of wheel do you have? Some aren't so good.

How did the vet appointment go?

Hey welcome to the shack!! How'd the vet go, I'm glad you took these guys in ratties are awesome pets.
Yes the most popular is a critter/ferret nation I bought a double ferret nation on craigslist for 180$ which is super cheap. They don't have wire bottoms they have a removable plastic tray and an adjustable/removable shelf also plastic so they're fairly easy to clean. Also the doors open wise which also makes it way easier to clean and they come on wheels!
I have only had male ratties and each one has been different but I've only really had one rat use the wheel. I think because I give them so much run around time maybe they felt they didn't need to work out or maybe they were just lazy.
The boys generally are bigger then females from what I know, all of mine have become really cuddly after about 7 months or so. My boys have started in a routine of being up early and ready for breakfast but then pretty much sleep the rest of the day until about 6 or so. As you said if the URI is in a more aggressive state then the poor guys are probably just tuckered out.
Oxbow is fav around here there is another food but I can't remember what it's called but I believe because you are in the states there's a great website you can order everything on. I think it's called dr&fosters or something. Hope everything went well!

The vet appt went well enough. He gave me Baytril to give them. Luckily, they are so good about taking meds.

I was up late last night and I did see a bit more movement from them. I kind of forgot they are a nocturnal animal. [emoji3]

We are feeding them the Oxbow Regal Rat. They came with a mix, but would just pick and choose what to eat, so they'd waste a lot. They also love frozen corn, so I've been giving them a bit each day.

Sounds like you are doing a great job. I would add daily veggies to their diet but Oxbow is great.

They aren't really nocturnal imo. I'm currently working graveyards and when I switched they switched with me but if I go back to days they will as well.