Hi there! My name is Kara, I'm 17, and animals are my life! I'm getting two young sibling female rats in just a few days. I've been researching rats for a long time and feel ready to get my own. I plan on getting them a two story critter nation cage with plenty of room, toys, hammocks, and hidey places. I'm going to get the oxbow regal rats food, as it seems the best available in my area, hoping they'll like it! What do you usually give your rats as daily treats? As for bedding I'm deciding between aspen and carefresh. When they join my family I'll update with photos and what I've named them. :joy: I'm so excited!
Hello!
- Thread starter Kara
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temblabamomo
Senior Member
Howdy & welcome!
A double CN would be HUGE for 2 girls, but boy oh boy, would they love it.
A lot of folks with those cages (or the Ferret Nation cages) choose to use fleece to cover the pans/shelves...unless you order deeper pans, bedding will get pushed out through the bars and be all over the place.
Do you know yet where you are going to adopt your girls from?
A double CN would be HUGE for 2 girls, but boy oh boy, would they love it.
A lot of folks with those cages (or the Ferret Nation cages) choose to use fleece to cover the pans/shelves...unless you order deeper pans, bedding will get pushed out through the bars and be all over the place.
Do you know yet where you are going to adopt your girls from?
Roo
Well-Known Member
Hello, welcome!
The only treats I give my ratties daily are veggies. Though that isn't really treats... more a part of their diet.
For treats mine really like uncooked noodles and fruit. Though fruit, at least with girls, makes them really really insanely hyper and requires a lot of extra play and out-time afterwards. :lol:
They'll absolutely love a double CN, I bet. I have a single and use carefresh bedding with the regular tray. Both my rats will walk around the edge and pull the bedding inwards, but it still manages to get all over the floor. Fleece is a nice option if you're concerned about that. And it looks great too! :thumbup:
As far as Carefresh vs aspen, I prefer carefresh. They really enjoy digging around and it looks more comfy to lay/stand on. Some people find it to be a bit dusty, but I haven't had any problems. Don't get the scented kind though. I heard bad things aboot that stuff.
The only treats I give my ratties daily are veggies. Though that isn't really treats... more a part of their diet.
For treats mine really like uncooked noodles and fruit. Though fruit, at least with girls, makes them really really insanely hyper and requires a lot of extra play and out-time afterwards. :lol:
They'll absolutely love a double CN, I bet. I have a single and use carefresh bedding with the regular tray. Both my rats will walk around the edge and pull the bedding inwards, but it still manages to get all over the floor. Fleece is a nice option if you're concerned about that. And it looks great too! :thumbup:
As far as Carefresh vs aspen, I prefer carefresh. They really enjoy digging around and it looks more comfy to lay/stand on. Some people find it to be a bit dusty, but I haven't had any problems. Don't get the scented kind though. I heard bad things aboot that stuff.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
Welcome and congrats on your new little girls.
I'm one of those who doesn't give treats (junk) but they do get and LOVE bananas, peas, broccoli, carrots... anything healthy.
I don't like aspen or carefresh, I find them both very dusty and it affects my allergies so I can just imagine what it could do to the rats.
I'm one of those who doesn't give treats (junk) but they do get and LOVE bananas, peas, broccoli, carrots... anything healthy.
I don't like aspen or carefresh, I find them both very dusty and it affects my allergies so I can just imagine what it could do to the rats.
PitLuvs
Well-Known Member
Welcomes!! We have a double FN, like the CN and we use all fleece in ours Our boys love it much more than when we used Boxo and Aspen. I really don't think I'd ever go back! Can't wait to meet your girls
Our boys love it much more than when we used Boxo and Aspen. I really don't think I'd ever go back! Can't wait to meet your girls 
Godmother
Well-Known Member
:welcome4: to the Shack!
evantide
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the Rat Shack! I can't wait to see pictures of your girls! Have you decided on names yet? I agree that a double CN is going to be HUGE for just two rats. I actually just got the single CN a week ago and it's SO big for my two males! They love it, though. You can see some pictures on my blog to compare the size. A double isn't totally necessary for only a few rats, but I'm sure they would love all that space! The CN is really an amazing cage, though. I was using a Super Pet Deluxe Cage for Exotics for the first few months that I had my rats. It was okay, but once the CN arrived I realized how much I had hated reaching into the cage to clean the shelves. With the CN, you can open the doors that make up the front of the cage, and you're practically in the cage yourself! Cleaning is less of a hassle now, and I do it more often which makes both me and the rats happier!
I also have Oxbow Regal Rat diet, but the packaging says "for adult rats only" so right now I am feeding Mazuri to my males until I can get a big bag of Harlan Teklad ordered. I also give my boys fresh vegetables every day as part of their diet, and as for treats I give them fresh fruits, cereal (usually whole grain flakes), yogurt, Nature's Animal all natural dog biscuits (comes in chicken flavor, lamb and rice flavor, peanut butter, etc.), Wellness Wellbars: Yogurt, Apples, & Bananas flavor, Zukes Mini Naturals dog treats, etc. I don't give treats very often because I don't want my boys to become overweight, but those are the different types of treats I feed them. I never thought of giving them dog treats before, but the dog trainer at my work (a family-owned pet supply store) gave Eli a Zukes treat and he went nuts for it! The Nature's Animal dog biscuits are all natural and great for them to gnaw on. A lot of people feed baby food as a treat, too, but I've never done that. Peas are excellent treats, too, and can also be fun to fish out of a bowl of water!
I also have Oxbow Regal Rat diet, but the packaging says "for adult rats only" so right now I am feeding Mazuri to my males until I can get a big bag of Harlan Teklad ordered. I also give my boys fresh vegetables every day as part of their diet, and as for treats I give them fresh fruits, cereal (usually whole grain flakes), yogurt, Nature's Animal all natural dog biscuits (comes in chicken flavor, lamb and rice flavor, peanut butter, etc.), Wellness Wellbars: Yogurt, Apples, & Bananas flavor, Zukes Mini Naturals dog treats, etc. I don't give treats very often because I don't want my boys to become overweight, but those are the different types of treats I feed them. I never thought of giving them dog treats before, but the dog trainer at my work (a family-owned pet supply store) gave Eli a Zukes treat and he went nuts for it! The Nature's Animal dog biscuits are all natural and great for them to gnaw on. A lot of people feed baby food as a treat, too, but I've never done that. Peas are excellent treats, too, and can also be fun to fish out of a bowl of water!
mamarat
Well-Known Member
Welcome!!
eagle
Well-Known Member
Welcome
*Rebel_Angel*
Well-Known Member
Yo!
