Question about free ranging time--How much time?

[hprats]

Do rats need a certain minimum time outside the cage? I'd heard they do best with at least an hour out, and so I make sure to open the cage for at least an hour a day, usually around the same time so they're all ready to come out and play.

One problem though is my oldest boy, Neville, who rarely wants to come out. At first I'd always pull him out and then put him on the side of the room opposite their cage and he'd make his way slowly back, so he was getting some exercise. Now he's more comfortable though, and he will run around and have fun with all the boys, but only about once or twice a week. The rest of the time, if I take him out he bee-lines straight back to bed, so he's really only getting about an hour out per week, not per day.

I've never closed the cage door while they're out because I want them to know they can go back in there if they want, for safety, water, or the litter box, but maybe I should to force Neville to stay out longer?

The other concern I have is for one of my rats who wants to be out with me all the time. He usually gets two hours out a day just because I find it hard to say no to his cute nose at the door. But if he had his way, it'd be more like 5 hours. My other rats aren't like this, and it makes me worry that he *needs* more time out for whatever reason and if I don't let him spend more time out, he'll be unhappy and/or unhealthy.

 

[victoria]

The more out time the better but an hour a day is great! Sometimes older rats don't have the energy to run around the entire hour and will go back to the cage on their own. If Neville is coming out on his own and then going back on his own, I wouldn't worry.

The boy that's being clingy with you may be just that. As long as he's not wanting out of the cage because he's being picked on or ostracized and he's not showing signs of illness, I would say you have a cuddler on your hands.

 

[jorats]

Yep, exactly what Victoria said.

 

[hprats]

Yay, I really hope he turns into a cuddler...he's still pretty young so he likes me, but he likes running around a bit more haha. He does come to me and demand attention sometimes, which is cute...and really funny if I pretend to ignore him!

I don't know about Neville though...He decided to come out and I had him on my shoulder for the first time in a few days, and he sounded all stuffy. I hadn't noticed him sneezing , but not a lot and he just finished with his course of antibiotics.
I was planning on taking Albus in, because he's been sneezing, but maybe Neville has been sneezing and I thought it was just Albus.

 

[victoria]

If he's stuffy after finishing antibiotics, it's a good idea to call the vet and let them know. They may give you another few weeks of antibiotics (without a check up) to help get rid of all the symptoms.

 

[hprats]

It's been just over a week since he's been off them. Maybe I'll just bring Albus in and mention Neville's sounding stuffy...I still haven't really noticed him sneezing, and it was just when he was sitting next to my ear, his breathing sounded congested. Not in the lungs though, just the nose. It was right after I clipped a couple of his nails for the first time though, so stress was definitely a factor.

 

[victoria]

Rats can have respiratory infections without sneezing though. If a rat finished antibiotics as recently as last week, they should not be congested. The last thing you want is for a rat to improve but not fully get well when they are taken off meds - that can lead to antibiotic resistance. Let the vet's office know about Neville before going, that way you know whether they would like to see him beforehand or not.

 

[purinpurin]

*nods* an hour a day was what I heard, too. I leave my cage door open all day though, so my rats spend most of their time out than in their cage. XD My room is rat-proofed and is off-limits to the dogs, so it's like a huge cage that I get the joy and pleasure (*rolls eyes* xD) of cleaning top-to-bottom once a day. One of my rats is just like yours! He's such a big cuddlebug. To be quite honest, before I owned rats, I didn't know that they could be so gosh darned affectionate! <333 *Swoons*