SQ
Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
Are you are looking for pet rats?
(You should always get at least 2 of the same sex, especially if they are babies
as babies need another baby to play with even if you already have other rats at home)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDy3bMRuobE&feature=related
There are a few things you may want to consider, especially if you look at ads on kijiji or craigslist.
1. Check into local shelters and rescues to see if any rescue rats are in need of good homes.
If not, they may be able to refer you to someone or tell you whom to watch out for.
When adopting from a shelter or rescue you can expect that they will:
* have an application process that includes asking for and checking references, including a vet reference.
* have a nonbreeding contract for you to sign which specifies good care and contains a return clause
* make home visits
* only adopt a single rat if the rat is living alone and you will be introducing the rat to at least one other rat. (Some say it is ok to adopt a single rat if you have rats at home to intro the new rat in with, but rats who live with other rats should be rehomed with at least one of their friends)
* ask them if they have a return policy
** I have found that information I am given by people rehoming their pet rats is often incorrect because the person is unknowledgeable, mistaken or lying
2. Screen very carefully as this will give you important information.
* Ask questions about care the rats are receiving, ie cage, bedding, food
* Does the rat live with other rats?
* Is there more then one sex of rat in the home? If so is one sex neutered or spayed? (the answer is likely no)
If there is more then one intact sex in the home, there is a chance that any girls are pregnant.
* Have the rats ever been around a rat of the opposite sex, even if for only a minute? When?
* If the rats are babies, at what age were the baby boys separated from mom and sisters. (5 weeks is considered safe)
* Find out why the rats are being rehomed
* Find out if the rats have ever been ill, when and how they were treated
* See the rats' living conditions before you take the rats home
* Are any of the rats in the house ill or have any died recently? If so what is wrong and what is/was the medical treatment?
*Has the person been in contact with other rats or been to a store that sells animals? (because the person may have brought home air born diseases to the rats)
3. Check out the person on google, facebook and any other place you can think of in order to discover if there are problems or if they are a backyard breeder or a feeder breeder.
* ask friends, rescues, shelters, etc if they have ever heard of this person
4. Follow your intuition. If something doesn't feel right, it is a huge red flag,
5. Know that if the rats you are getting have not had a full quarantine in a separate airspace for six weeks, you will be taking a risk with the health of any rats you already may have.
Many of us involved in rescue take calculated risks but we are aware of the risks we are taking.
*If you already have other rats, you should do a full quarantine in a separate air space/household for 4 to 6 weeks taking all precautions not to bring in any airborn diseases on your clothing,
living in your nose or under your finger nails etc.
Quarantine --it's important!
SDA - Here In Ontario (What you need to know)
* Shelters and rescues should have done a full quarantine with their animals so you should not need to worry about this (but ask about their quarantine procedures anyway)
* The risk is usually considered to be low if the person has had the rats for at least a couple of months and has not been around other rats or visited stores that sell rats.
6. Know that if you are getting rats and you already have rats at home, you will need to do gradual intros unless all rats are 12 weeks of age or less.
There are established gradual intro steps to follow to help ensure that no one is hurt.
====================================================
Other things to take into consideration, especially if you are new to pet rats
7. Have you researched rats and do you have a basic understanding of their needs, signs of illness, and what you are getting into?
Rats are great pets but require quite a bit of care.
8. Do you have access to a good vet, hopefully knowledgeable and experienced in treating rats? (and hopefully also willing to learn because there is always something new)
This is essential because rats become ill and die fast without medical care
Each rat needs to be handled daily, so that you can recognize any changes in behaviour that may indicate illness, and provide prompt medical care
9. Do you have the resources to care for the rats?
This includes:
A. Money as rats are expensive pets.
- In addition to the cost of your initial set up, money for vet visits, prescription medications, unexpected medical emergencies, and for humane euthanasia if your rats are suffering and nothing more can be done to help them
- It is suggested that you have and maintain a bank account containing at least $300 for your first rat and $200 for each additional rat. (Vet and medication costs may be higher or lower depending on where you live and your vet.)
Many of us have credit cards we use for rat medical expenses.
B. A huge cage that is at least 4 cubic feet in size (with at least an additional 2 cubic feet for each rat more then 2 rats) and a base that is at least 30 inches by 18 inches with height for large levels (not thin shelves). But more horizontal space and a larger cage is better.
Small bar spacing is important to keep rats confined for their safety, and also to keep other animals out …. such as mice or predators that can get into homes (such as the ermine).
C. Chew toys, a 12 inch diameter solid wheel, hammocks, house, tubes, a space pod, etc
D. a food dish and at least 2 sources of water, one of which should be a dish that can not be spilled (particularly essential for baby rats as babies are unable to get water out of water bottles although it may look like they can). Rats need water that does not contain fluoride (causes brain tumours) and does not contain chlorine (filters are sold that can be used to remove this from tap water)
E. Ability to provide a good nutritious diet
- The recommended diet:
67% to 80% is good block (no higher then 14% or 15% protein) available at all times
(Oxbow blocks, Harlan 2014, Science Select, and Living World hamster extrusion blocks are recommended)
20% to 33% is a variety of daily vegs and occasional healthy treats such as berries, a piece of fruit, organic pumpkin seeds, cooked whole grains, etc
nutrition information in this thread: REFERENCE Thread - Read Only
Forbidden Foods
All About Water
F. Do you have the Time ?
- time to keep the cage clean,
- time to take your rats out to run, climb, explore and play with you for at least 1 to 2 hours/day
- time to get to know your ratties well so you will recognize when their behaviour is
different and they need to see a vet
- time to care for your rats when they become ill
- time to take your rats to the vet when they become ill
- time to educate yourself because rat owners need to advocate on behalf of their pets when ratties become ill to ensure their pets receive the care they need
10. Can you make a rat safe environment for your pets?
This involves many factors including:
- a scent free environment as strong scents can cause stress and respiratory issues in rats
- a draft free area for their cage
- a safe area away from predators, including dogs, cats, ferrets, and birds - It is normal for rats to be terrified by the scent of predators
- a safe free-range-area for out times
- ability to darken the room they are in at night (12 out of 24 hours as rats require complete darkness to be healthy
Exposure to light-at-night increases mammary tumors
Others may have more suggestions to add to this
**** Note: Ratguide.com contains important medical information as well as information about medications. Ratguide.com site is vet approved.
**** Note: joinrats.com contains good information regarding behavioural issues, introducing rats etc
(You should always get at least 2 of the same sex, especially if they are babies
as babies need another baby to play with even if you already have other rats at home)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDy3bMRuobE&feature=related
There are a few things you may want to consider, especially if you look at ads on kijiji or craigslist.
1. Check into local shelters and rescues to see if any rescue rats are in need of good homes.
If not, they may be able to refer you to someone or tell you whom to watch out for.
When adopting from a shelter or rescue you can expect that they will:
* have an application process that includes asking for and checking references, including a vet reference.
* have a nonbreeding contract for you to sign which specifies good care and contains a return clause
* make home visits
* only adopt a single rat if the rat is living alone and you will be introducing the rat to at least one other rat. (Some say it is ok to adopt a single rat if you have rats at home to intro the new rat in with, but rats who live with other rats should be rehomed with at least one of their friends)
* ask them if they have a return policy
** I have found that information I am given by people rehoming their pet rats is often incorrect because the person is unknowledgeable, mistaken or lying
2. Screen very carefully as this will give you important information.
* Ask questions about care the rats are receiving, ie cage, bedding, food
* Does the rat live with other rats?
* Is there more then one sex of rat in the home? If so is one sex neutered or spayed? (the answer is likely no)
If there is more then one intact sex in the home, there is a chance that any girls are pregnant.
* Have the rats ever been around a rat of the opposite sex, even if for only a minute? When?
* If the rats are babies, at what age were the baby boys separated from mom and sisters. (5 weeks is considered safe)
* Find out why the rats are being rehomed
* Find out if the rats have ever been ill, when and how they were treated
* See the rats' living conditions before you take the rats home
* Are any of the rats in the house ill or have any died recently? If so what is wrong and what is/was the medical treatment?
*Has the person been in contact with other rats or been to a store that sells animals? (because the person may have brought home air born diseases to the rats)
3. Check out the person on google, facebook and any other place you can think of in order to discover if there are problems or if they are a backyard breeder or a feeder breeder.
* ask friends, rescues, shelters, etc if they have ever heard of this person
4. Follow your intuition. If something doesn't feel right, it is a huge red flag,
5. Know that if the rats you are getting have not had a full quarantine in a separate airspace for six weeks, you will be taking a risk with the health of any rats you already may have.
Many of us involved in rescue take calculated risks but we are aware of the risks we are taking.
*If you already have other rats, you should do a full quarantine in a separate air space/household for 4 to 6 weeks taking all precautions not to bring in any airborn diseases on your clothing,
living in your nose or under your finger nails etc.
Quarantine --it's important!
SDA - Here In Ontario (What you need to know)
* Shelters and rescues should have done a full quarantine with their animals so you should not need to worry about this (but ask about their quarantine procedures anyway)
* The risk is usually considered to be low if the person has had the rats for at least a couple of months and has not been around other rats or visited stores that sell rats.
6. Know that if you are getting rats and you already have rats at home, you will need to do gradual intros unless all rats are 12 weeks of age or less.
There are established gradual intro steps to follow to help ensure that no one is hurt.
====================================================
Other things to take into consideration, especially if you are new to pet rats
7. Have you researched rats and do you have a basic understanding of their needs, signs of illness, and what you are getting into?
Rats are great pets but require quite a bit of care.
8. Do you have access to a good vet, hopefully knowledgeable and experienced in treating rats? (and hopefully also willing to learn because there is always something new)
This is essential because rats become ill and die fast without medical care
Each rat needs to be handled daily, so that you can recognize any changes in behaviour that may indicate illness, and provide prompt medical care
9. Do you have the resources to care for the rats?
This includes:
A. Money as rats are expensive pets.
- In addition to the cost of your initial set up, money for vet visits, prescription medications, unexpected medical emergencies, and for humane euthanasia if your rats are suffering and nothing more can be done to help them
- It is suggested that you have and maintain a bank account containing at least $300 for your first rat and $200 for each additional rat. (Vet and medication costs may be higher or lower depending on where you live and your vet.)
Many of us have credit cards we use for rat medical expenses.
B. A huge cage that is at least 4 cubic feet in size (with at least an additional 2 cubic feet for each rat more then 2 rats) and a base that is at least 30 inches by 18 inches with height for large levels (not thin shelves). But more horizontal space and a larger cage is better.
Small bar spacing is important to keep rats confined for their safety, and also to keep other animals out …. such as mice or predators that can get into homes (such as the ermine).
C. Chew toys, a 12 inch diameter solid wheel, hammocks, house, tubes, a space pod, etc
D. a food dish and at least 2 sources of water, one of which should be a dish that can not be spilled (particularly essential for baby rats as babies are unable to get water out of water bottles although it may look like they can). Rats need water that does not contain fluoride (causes brain tumours) and does not contain chlorine (filters are sold that can be used to remove this from tap water)
E. Ability to provide a good nutritious diet
- The recommended diet:
67% to 80% is good block (no higher then 14% or 15% protein) available at all times
(Oxbow blocks, Harlan 2014, Science Select, and Living World hamster extrusion blocks are recommended)
20% to 33% is a variety of daily vegs and occasional healthy treats such as berries, a piece of fruit, organic pumpkin seeds, cooked whole grains, etc
nutrition information in this thread: REFERENCE Thread - Read Only
Forbidden Foods
All About Water
F. Do you have the Time ?
- time to keep the cage clean,
- time to take your rats out to run, climb, explore and play with you for at least 1 to 2 hours/day
- time to get to know your ratties well so you will recognize when their behaviour is
different and they need to see a vet
- time to care for your rats when they become ill
- time to take your rats to the vet when they become ill
- time to educate yourself because rat owners need to advocate on behalf of their pets when ratties become ill to ensure their pets receive the care they need
10. Can you make a rat safe environment for your pets?
This involves many factors including:
- a scent free environment as strong scents can cause stress and respiratory issues in rats
- a draft free area for their cage
- a safe area away from predators, including dogs, cats, ferrets, and birds - It is normal for rats to be terrified by the scent of predators
- a safe free-range-area for out times
- ability to darken the room they are in at night (12 out of 24 hours as rats require complete darkness to be healthy
Exposure to light-at-night increases mammary tumors
Others may have more suggestions to add to this
**** Note: Ratguide.com contains important medical information as well as information about medications. Ratguide.com site is vet approved.
**** Note: joinrats.com contains good information regarding behavioural issues, introducing rats etc
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