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RAT'S NEST
My girls are lucky to have their own room. We have a spare
bedroom and no kids (well, besides our furkids) so why not
turn it into a rat retreat?
I know that not everybody can provide their rats a whole room.
However, here are some ideas for inside the cage and outside
during free roaming time.
First of all, I made the whole room rat proof so there is
no danger of them getting hurt. I plugged all outlets, put
tons of pillows and blankets everywhere and there is only
one cable (from the lamp) that I unplug everyday (my girls
aren’t chewers, though). If you have chewers make sure
your rats can’t get to the cables.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN7678.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN7676.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6460.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN5893.jpg
My girls have a “Martin’s” cage R-695 (which
is open 24/7). It suits up to 5 rats.
Here is a link to the Martin’s cages: www.martinscages.com
Other people like ferret cages however the bar spacing is
bigger. That might be a problem if you have small rats or
babies. Of course the bigger the cage, the better. Here is
a link to a cage calculator: http://www.ratsrule.com/cagecalc.html
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/cageandplayroom.jpg
My girls have a “Midwest” cage now. It’s
huge. I had fun decorating it!
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN6779.jpg
As for bedding, great choices are: Yesterday’s News,
Eco-Bedding, Cell-sorb Plus, CareFresh, Aspen or just towels.
NEVER EVER use pine or cedar bedding as it contains phenols
and therefore is toxic for rats (http://www.ratsrule.com/cedar.html).
You can get most of them from pet stores but also online at
http://www.theratshop.com/shop.php?cat=10
On the levels and ramps I put plastic needle point canvas
and on top of that, fleece pieces. It’s easier on their
feet than bare cage wires. Another option is linoleum or carpet
pieces.
Just recently, I bought a set of shelf liners. They come with
hooks to attach them to the cage wires. It’s great because
the liners stay in place.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN7964.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN7965.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN7966.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN7972.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN7970-1.jpg
I bought them from Kat’s Rat Mats:
http://www.javakittie.com/
I laid out the whole room with foam mats that link together.
You can get them at any home improvement store. On top of
that I throw old sheets, blankets and towels.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6230.jpg
Here are two playpens I made. Originally, I wanted to divide
the room with the playpen but my girls learned how to jump
over and they took over the whole room. If your rats are good
jumpers you can still use the playpen when you play and supervise
them or you can cover it with wire mesh or even a window screen.
First playpen:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6342.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6344.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6341.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6343.jpg
Second playpen (with hinges, takes a little bit longer but
you can add as many boards as you want). The more you add,
the heavier it gets, of course.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6340.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/cageandplayroom3.jpg
My husband and I made a climbing post for our girls:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN4336.jpg
Rats like to have places where they can retreat. There are
a lot of different kinds of hide-out houses and hammocks available:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6937.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN7560.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN7214.jpg
Wonderrodent cubes and other products of course:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN5120.jpg
Wonderrodent “snakes”:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6636.jpg
Dearpie hammocks (excellent quality) http://www.dearpiehammocks.com/
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN7212.jpg
A plastic hidey house
Or Wonderrodent hidey house
Igloo
During free roaming time other ideas are:
Cat tents
An "octoplay"
Or Wonderrodent Cubicus
When it comes to toys we rat owners have to be creative since
there is not much out there for rats. I look in the cat/dog/bird
aisles of the pet stores. Another good place is the Dollar
Store.
This is a rubber dog ball. I put cheerios inside the grooves
and the girls pick them:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN5270.jpg
A few simple and inexpensive solutions are Kleenex boxes,
empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN4556.jpg
Baskets that you can stack on top of each other are also
a great climbing possibility. I put toys in each basket:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6457.jpg
Rats usually love to run through tunnels. To make your ratties
happy, get them some PVC pipes and joints or dryer hoses from
a home improvement store or ferret tubes from pet stores.
You can also cut them to a much smaller size and attach them
in their cage. Make sure the ends are safe and not sharp.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6460.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN5249.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN4553.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN7215.jpg
Some rats like to climb ropes. Mine are not really fond of
it. In the picture you can see my girl approaching a clean
plastic yoghurt cup. You can fill it with treats, put the
lid on, and the rats have a good time chewing until they can
get to the treats.
Also, you might want to try a wheel. However, not all rats
like to run on a wheel. Since my two girls have their own
room they don’t use it. My new girls however, that are
in a cage right now absolutely love their wheel. Probably
the best wheel out there is the “WodentWheel:. You can
get it at www.kimsarkrescue.org
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN4557.jpg
Another way to keep your furkids occupied is a cardboard
maze. Link several boxes together and make a few holes. I
put rags, shredded paper, toys inside and sometimes I add
a few treats.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN4559.jpg
I bought a piñata (from the bird aisle) that has a
few treats inside. If the treats are gone I leave it in the
cage as a chew toy and add more treats once in a while. You
can also make them yourself!
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/rat%20toys/DSCN6808.jpg
My new girls love little cat rubber balls and apple sticks
(you can also order the apple sticks from “Kim’s
Ark Rescue”).
Another way to entertain your rats if pea fishing. Get a
shallow pan, add water, add frozen peas and add your furry
friends. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcFVlL0S-Ic
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h238/wonderrodent/my%20rats/DSCN7388.jpg
For more toy ideas check out this website: www.dapper.com.au
FOOD:
A rat’s main diet should be rodent blocks (lab blocks).
The best ones out there right now are Harlan-Teklad. They
come with different levels of protein depending on your rat’s
needs and are available e.g. at www.kimsarkrescue.org or Rattie
Ratz Rescue http://www.theratshop.com/shop.php?cat=3
). Mazuri lab blocks or Oxbow Regal Rat are also good choices.
Personally, I would not feed Kaytee lab blocks or the lab
blocks you can buy in bulk in pet stores. Kaytee contains
Ethoxyquin, which can cause cancer. The quality of the others
is far better. I also feed my girls “Debbie Ducommun’s
Molasses mix”: http://www.ratfanclub.org/diet.html
A lot of people feed the “Suebee Mix” together
with high quality dog food: http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html
Do not feed rats seed mixes (hamster, bird, guinea pig or
rabbit food)! They are high in fat and rats would just pick
out the stuff they like. Rats can’t digest alfalfa.
This is not a balanced diet.
In addition to the lab blocks my girls get small pieces of
fruit and veggies daily.
Fruit ideas: watermelon, cantaloupe, berries, banana, peach,
nectarine, apricot, plum, apple, mango, pine apple, grapes,
cherries, tomato.
Veggie ideas: peas (a favorite of most rats), broccoli, cooked
potato, cooked sweet potato or yam, carrots, lettuce (do not
feed iceberg lettuce), kale, bock choy, radicchio, parsley,
fresh corn (only once in a while), collard green, zucchini,
cooked pumpkin, cooked beans.
You can also feed your furkids small amounts of baby food
(should not be their main diet!). This can be very helpful
when you have to give your rats medicine or for geriatric
rats.
As for treats, try the following (in moderation!): Total
cereal, Cheerios, puffed rice, puffed corn, puffed kamut,
puffed millet, rolled oats (high in fat), “Gerber’s
Baby Finger Food Veggie and Fruit Puffs,” dried fruit
(high in sugar).
You can get a lot of good ideas if you walk through the aisles
of a health food store. Look for the stuff that has the least
sugar, fat and sodium. Go for the healthy food!
Here is another link to food suggestions: http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html
http://www.ratsrule.com/recipes.html
As a supplement you can add “Green Mush powder”
or “Missing Link powder”: http://www.theratshop.com/shop.php?cat=4
, http://www.kimsarkrescue.org/content/view/35
I don’t feed my rats junk food. Well, I’ve tried
a piece of pizza once and they didn’t even like it.
I figure what they don’t know they don’t miss.
They are perfectly happy with their healthy food. I just keep
it interesting by giving them a lot of variety. As a treat
however, they get chicken, spaghetti or just plain cooked
noodles, rice or couscous.
Here is a link to forbidden food: http://www.ratfanclub.org/diet.html
or www.petratscanada.com
HEALTH:
Rats are prone to certain illnesses which include mycoplasmosis,
Upper Respiratory Illness, tumors, cancer, strokes, abscesses,
cysts, paraplegia, etc.
Watch your rat for any signs of illness or different behavior
(sneezing, wheezing, seizures, lumps, skin conditions, lice,
mites, flees, head tilt, lethargy, running around in circles,
limping, not eating, porphyrin, etc.) and seek a vet. Not
every vet is knowledgeable about rats. Make sure you have
a vet that treats exotics before your rat gets sick!
There is a great booklet you can get “Rat Health Care”
by Debbie Ducommun “The Rat Lady” www.ratfanclub.org
Here are some other great websites about health:
http://www.ratguide.com/
http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatHealthNotes.htm
http://www.rathealth.co.uk/articles.html
http://www.petrats.org/infoforvetsetc.html
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