First Timer

Shop with us on Ebay
Advertise with us
Fins us on Amazon
The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
R

Rory

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2008
Messages
8
Location
British Columbia, Canada
So I've been doing my research and getting anxious from watching your vids for getting my baby rat but i need to know what sort of outline to fallow for the care of my rat over the first little while, i know what supplies to get him (i work at petsmart and have asked many pet specialists) but i want to know how to sort of treat him/her so i can make him/her the happiest they can be. I was also wondering about the nocturnal issue.. i need to know what to do when its sleeping during the day when i should hold it, or will it automatically just wake up and be fine or will it start sleeping at night regularly to match my sleep paterns? please help.
 
First thing, you need to get two same sex or more. Rats are super social and really do need a buddy for a happy and healthy life.
Second, rats are crepuscular, active at dawn and dusk. But... they can easily adapt to your schedule.
Most rats love human interaction. Lots of talking, petting, cuddling and just being together. They also need mental stimulation, they are super smart so give them things to do, like exploring, climbing, finding healthy treats, moving balls or boxes around for them, giving them paper towels so they can build a nest. etc...

btw Welcome to the Shack! :joy:
 
:welcome2:

If you browse through the different sections of this forum you will find a lots of different ideas for housing, toys, etc.
But as jorats said, the most important thing is having at least two rats of the same sex to live together. That is essential.
 
Is it really that preferred to have 2? Like i said on one of your YouTube videos that I'm sort of on a budget and i want them to be really happy but i don't know if i can get the really big cage or not.. I am really stressing the amount of space they have because i want them to have that comfort. I know i can offer my rat a lot of time, love and care, but yeah, is it really needed to have two?
 
You can't be with your rat 24 hours a day and even if you could, you couldn't do the same things another rat can.
Rats groom each other, sleep together, play in ways we can't, etc. Rats are much happier if they have at least one friend to live with - they are social animals and need at least one other rat friend.
A single rat gets extremely lonely, may become depressed, withdrawn, unfriendly, afraid and even develop physical health problems. It is like putting a person in solitary confinement.

If you can't get two rats, it would be better not to get any rats.
 
So even if i hold it as much as possible after school which i have a half day as well (get home at 12) and before school for short periods i still wouldn't be able to take care of its attention needs?
 
Rory said:
So even if i hold it as much as possible after school which i have a half day as well (get home at 12) and before school for short periods i still wouldn't be able to take care of its attention needs?
Click to expand...

Even if you were able to hold and play with it all day, it would not be sufficient. You need at least two. Keep in mind that there are vet bills involved which can get costly -- a single rat will have more physical problems due to stress and anxiety caused by living alone, which could be just as expensive if not more so than having two rats.
 
Space wise, you won't need that much space for two rats, than you would with two.
I wouldn't consider economic factors when thinking about getting the second rat, as you allready need to spend quite some money for the first one.
In simple words, the extra money that you are going to spend for extra space, food and games for rat #2 are not double the money you need to spend on rat #1... ;-)

But still... make sure you have enough money to be able to take both rats to the vet if needed, pay for their food, and keep them happy...
 
A rat truly enjoys being groomed by another rat, they communicate together in ways we never could. We can't run after the rat like a buddy would, we can't pounce on them like a buddy would... they connect socially and mentaly, we could never do that with a rat, no matter how much time you spend with them.
And like Firben said, if your cage is too small for two rats, chances are, your cage is too small for one rat. All hamster cages are not big enough for one rat.
I would suggest to you to save up some more money, keep an eye on classifieds for those selling decent cages at a lower cost. Taking the time, saving your money, making sure you have everything right for your rats is really important and you'll be so happy and proud that you did. :thumbup:
 
A rat cage needs to have a base of at least 30 inches by 18 inches. It also needs some hieght for other levels and climbing. A rat cage for two rats needs a min of 4 cubic feet of cage space but bigger is better. Make sure it is powder coated (paint is baked onto the wire), galvanized cages will absorb dirt and stink in a very short time.
 
Its ok, I was told by all the pet specialists that this cage im getting is plenty of room for 1 rat, thats all I'm going to get though, two just seems like it woud be too much for me.
 
Please get a different pet then.
Rats are social and need to be with at least one other rat.
Hamsters are not very social, and do fine by themselves. Perhaps a hamster would be a better pet for you. (Gerbils, mice & degus are all social and can not be kept alone either.)

It sounds like the pet specialist you were speaking with does not know very much about rats.
I hope you will continue to read about rats and their care on this site.
It is great that you are looking into things before getting a pet.
 
Whoever you are talking too are not pet specialists. Please please please don't get a rat!!! They need a buddy.
And a cage big enough for just one rat is not big enough at all. I wish people would be more informed. This is truly sad. :sad3:
 
If your cage is 20 inches by 20 inches and 24 inches height, then according to the cage calculator, it's volume is large enough for 2 rats if you use the space wisely.

In actual fact, however, the base is too small for even one rat because rats do need horizontal room and 20 inches is way too short.
 
Rat's really need company. When Calvin's brothers died, Calvin was really depressed and hid in his tube all day. Then we got him some friends, and he suddenly perked up and was back to his old cheerful self.

A rat can not be nearly as happy alone as it would be with a friend. I'm sure a rat would much rather be with a friend, no matter what size the cage. If you are financially unable to care for 2 rats, your not going to be much better off with one. Please, please, please get 2 rats or no rats. and if there are 3 rats togerther, either get none or 3, don't leave one behind.

If you are worried about costs, get a hamster.
 
Rats can be qite expensive pets to hae because of medical bills.
If you can't afford a proper cage for two, you are not going to be able to afford the medical care that even one rat requires.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top