PetSmart Pet Care Guide for beginners - right/wrong?

[Little_Vixen]

I found the brochure stand for care guide brochures on pets while at PetSmart today as I was oggling the little rats, only I think 2 standard boys left, no dumbos. Here's what the brochure said:

For Ages: 8 & up, with adult supervision
Pet Lifespan: approx. 3-5 years ( :shock: )
Pet Size: 7-10' (18-25cm) body, plus 6-8' (15-20cm) tail

Social: Fancy rats can live together in pairs. It's best to house two females together, as two males may become territorial and aggressive. They also enjoy human interaction.
Intelligent: They are the smartest of all small pets, and can learn their names and simple tricks.
Entertaining: Calm, curious and fun-loving, fancy rats love to play and interact with their Pet Parents.
Clean: You'll notice your fancy rat grooming herself a lot while she's awake.

Lifting & Handling: It's very important to handle your rat gently. Let her become aware of your hand, then hold her gently yet firmly around the chest, and support her back feet with your other hand. Never pick her up by the tail (I give them a little brownie points for the no-tail one)
Senses: Fancy rats have limited vision, and rely on their keen senses of smell and hearing to perceive their world.
Special needs: Fancy rats have front teeth that never stop growing - so they need lots of healthy things to chew on like treat sticks.
Exercise: Your rat will run on a wheel in her habitat. To protect her tail, make sure it's a solid surface wheel.
Safety & cleanliness: Please remember that all pets may bite or scratch, and may transmit disease to humans. Keep your pet's home clean and wash your hands before and after handling your pet or cleaning his home. Infants, young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and the infirm or elderly are at a greater risk of infections and should use caution when in contact with the pet or its habitat. Consult your doctor for more information.

Staple diet: Choose a fortified diet of appropriate for fancy rats. Fill the bowl approximately 3/4 full.
Vegetables: One tablespoon of chopped raw veggies like broccoli, kale, carrots or cooked sweet potatoes may be given daily. Take care not to overfeed these fresh foots. They have a high moisture content and too much can cause an upset stomach.
Fruits: Treat your rat to finely chopped pieces (about one tablespoon) of grapes, apple, banana, or melon twice a week.
Treat sticks & chews: These hard and crunchy treats keep your pet's front teeth trimmed - always keep one in the habitat.
Water: Change and fill your rat's water bottle with clean water every day.
*Remember that fresh food items require their own dish and should be removed from the habitat after four hours to prevent spoilage. Treats should be less than 10% of total food intake.

Housing: Your fancy rat needs a well-ventilated wire home with a solid floor. It should be large enough for a food dish and water bottle, a hiding house and climbing toys. There should be plenty of room for all cage accessories, and for her to move around freely. Minimum cage size is 24"L x 12"W x 12"H (61cm x 30cm x 20cm).
Bedding: Line the cage floor with approximately one inch (2cm) of aspen or other appropriate bedding. Change it once a week or more often if needed.
Cage placement: Place the habitat in a cool, low humidity area, out of direct sunlight.

Signs of a healthy fancy rat:
Clean, bright eyes
Smooth coat with no bare patches
Clean ears with no redness
Eats and drinks normally
Normal, well-formed droppings
Things to watch for:
Cloudy, sunken or swollen eyes
Overgrown front teeth
Bare patches in the fur
Diarrhea or discolored dropping for longer than two days
Hunched posture
Weight loss; not eating or drinking normally
Labored breathing; sneezing; discharge from the eyes, nose or mouth

I'm trying to find what else could be wrong in the brochure. What is wrong is in red. So far, haven't found much, I like that they have the what to look out for section

I swear I have no life x.x

 

[ryelle]

The lifespan is correct, it is just ON AVERAGE that they live till around 2yrs old.

The social part could be re-written. I like what they wrote about the wheel. They could go into more detail about the diet, possibly suggesting a food type (i.e blocks over mix)

It sounds like a pretty good brochure compared to some i have seen in stores over here

 

[Little_Vixen]

That what I thought. They got the cage size totally wrong but I haven't seen much else wrong in it. It's approved by the vets that work for petsmart. What I DON'T like is what's written on the back, but that's just because it's the company talking

PetSmart Cares:

All small pets purchased at PetSmart receive the VET ASSURED promise of health and wellness plus a 14-day satisfaction guarantee. VET ASSURED is our exclusive veterinarian-designed care program that helps to ensure your new pet is healthy. However, if your small pet becomes ill or dies during this initial 14-day period, or if you're not satisfied with your pet for any reason, PetSmart will replace it or refund the purchase price. Keep your sales receipt and return the pet to the store where it was purchased if needed. These programs are examples of the many ways we ensure that you enjoy your experience with your new small pet.

Just so cold.. if we're not satisfied what? Trade it in for something else?

 

[sausage4ever]

Is that cage size so wrong for a single rat? I have four in a 36 X 25 X 24 (or something like that ie. a FN 141)
That cage size doubled is 48 X 24 X 24, which I'd think as very acceptable for two rats.

 

[Little_Vixen]

Put in a cage calculator is says it isn't tall enough for a rat to stretch or play in. Which, being a foot tall and rats growing to some around 7inches, they alone would be half as tall as the cage itself. Maybe for one rat but I don't think there would be any levels in the cage and not a lot of room to give them toys to keep them occupied

 

[simmysyn]

Just so cold.. if we're not satisfied what? Trade it in for something else?

Here the policy is free vet care within the first 14 days, and if the rat is determined to be terminally ill or dies, you can get a replacement or refund.

 

[jorats]

I think the main reason why they make the cage so small is so they can sell them. People might very well walk away when they see how large a cage they need. Also, those dimensions are fine for babies.

 

[MomRat]

The statement that they NEED chewing sticks/items is a plug to sell stuff at the store. Rats grind their own teeth and only chew for pleasure.

Boys together may require a neuter, as aggression CAN happen, but Suggesting a tiny cage which is only big enough for one rat, and then saying boys should live alone, is a recipe for depressed and lonely little boy rats.

My rats won't eat many raw veggies, and lightly steaming doesn't really reduce nutritional value.

It's better than I would have expected. Last time I submitted to going into a PetSmart, they were selling their Dumbos for $2 LESS than their Fancy Rats, as if they were a different breed...

 

[Little_Vixen]

Oh as far as I know they still do a slight price change. There were no dumbos (I was going to ask to see them specifically so I could actually see a real dumbo rl and see if they were healthy) though and I hadn't thought to check their price. The price of the standard fancy rat was 11.99.
I got Isis and Seraphina both for that price >.>

Depends on the veggies I guess. Seraphina and Isis LOVED peas and corn from the can, didn't always care for it cooked. Though that they suggested sweet potato, which has some toxins uncooked (they mention it should be cooked), probably wasn't so smart.

The thing for them chewing and stuff? Oh yea, definitely a ploy to get people to buy their stuff. From what the brochure said, which is all up there, looks to me like they don't suggest males at all. This PetSmart was a males only PetSmart *facepalm*

It's not Overly bad about information, for a new rat person it's not bad. Though it might make them not want males and may get only one as they said they CAN live in pairs, as if more is too many? *shrugs*

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

I am actually quite surprised that the majority of their information is accurate. And the dimesions of the cage are the same as the "My First Home for Pet Rats" (the purple bottom one) so thats why they did that. Overall it isn't horrible.