Report Blog Entry
Hi guys!! I graduated so now I have time to write again. Wow..
I've
kept pet rats for about 5 years now, and I've learned a lot since I
first started. I want to share what I know, what I've learned, and what I
wish I knew when I first got my boys. Believe it or not, people lie on
the internet, and I want to help clear some common misconceptions I've
seen online. I don't want to scare people away from rats, but I want
people to know it isn't all sunshine and rainbows like I've seen online.
And before you ask, "Do people really not understand that
living, breathing creatures that are completely dependent on you aren't
just like toys?" Yes. I had a "friend" who didn't take care of her
rats.. at all.
Pictures of my boys!
Saliva (2021-2022) Spencer (2021-2023) Monkey (2023-2025) Bigfoot Chayote Concha Duende
Common Misconceptions
1. "Rats are cheap pets!"
NO THE FUCK THEY AREN'T LOL. The rats themselves may be cheap, but the
cage, husbandry, vet bills & other expenses are expensive as fuck!
Vet bills in particular are really expensive. My
oldest boy has racked up at least 1k in vet bills due to common health
issues, and due to genetics (*He is a rescue; I'm not sure of his
origins but he has some issues related to poor breeding), and vet bills
are not cheap because small animals require vets who are specialized
with small animals in particular. (*In my 'The Basics' section, I share
where you can find reputable vets near you!)
2. "Rats are easy pets/low maintenance!" Rats need a lot of space, care, and maintenance. You need to clean a lot. A whole lot.. If
you struggle to clean routinely, rats aren't for you. Pets don't
deserve to live in filth because you feel entitled to own pets you
cannot care for properly. You need to deep-clean a cage at
minimum once a week and spot clean regularly. This is only mentioning a
cage; Your play pen situation may be different than mine but it also
needs to be cleaned just as regularly as the cage.
3. "They're just as clean or cleaner than other pets!" While
yes, they do groom themselves and each other, they are animals with
wild urges. They pee & poop, and some rats are more sanitary than
others. You can litter-box train rats, however they pee to scent mark,
and some rats like to lay in their own pee. I say this from experience..
Think about it like any pet; They can be trained to go potty where you
train them to, but they will have accidents & territorial behavior.
They will pee on things so it smells like them.
4. "Rats are good for children!" This ties back to my last 3 points. You wouldn't expect a child to care for a toddler alone, would you? Rats need a lot of care and are frankly too much work for a child alone to care for. Some rats are good with children, and it's okay to let your children meet your pets! However, it is ridiculously irresponsible to expect a child to care for rats. I got my rats when I was 13-14?, and I was old enough to understand to take care of their needs, and I had support from my parents (even if they weren't thrilled, lol).
5. "Small animals don't need a lot of space!" Small animals need a lot of space to move. Hamsters don't spawn in nature in the tiny ass plastic cages, all animals need open space! These are animals that exist in nature in the real world.
The Basics
Adopting/Rescuing- I DO NOT RECOMMEND ADOPTING FROM LARGE SCALE PET STORES LIKE PETSMART/PETCO. Their pets tend to be poorly bred and have many health issues & poor temperament due to poor breeding and living conditions. To find rats, I recommend searching Facebook for rat groups & breeders near you, or find rescues that take rats. You cannot ensure the quality of your rats background if you get one from a rescue, but rescues are just as good as any other pet. WHEN ADOPTING RATS, YOU NEED TO ADOPT 2 OR MORE!! Rats are social creatures and NEED to have at least one companion at all times. 2 is good, but 3 or more is even better. Rats should only be alone in situations where they are hostile and cannot handle cage-mates, or if they need to be quarantined due to health issues. I have 4 rats currently, and my eldest boy is in a separate 'hospital' cage due to Bumble Foot & an abscess and he cannot handle being around other rats right now. Rats of all ages make great pets, and I love seniors!! However, a reputable breeder will not let you adopt rats younger than 5 weeks old.
Finding a Reputable Breeder- If you are going to search for a breeder, there's several things you want to look out for. Do they have a lot of information on their page? Will the breeder let you meet the rats, see their living conditions, tell you what they feed the rats? Red flags to watch out for is if they refuse to answer the aforementioned questions, if they have litters available constantly, allow you to adopt only one rat at a time, let you adopt rats younger than 5-6 weeks, or prioritize appearances over health. The American Fancy Rat & Mouse Association (AFRMA) has a lot of information about standards for breeding, and is a good resource to check.
Bedding- Bedding
refers to the material you use as substrate in the cage. Rats love to
dig & build nests because it is a natural instinct. Common options
include shredded paper or cardboard, fleece and paper cat litter. Wood
shavings aren't uncommon, however I generally don't advise using wood
shavings as it tends to be dusty, and certain types contain oils that
are extremely harmful for rats. Shredded paper is a cheap bedding
that I personally use because of how cheap it is & easy to clean.
Blank newsprint can be bought in bulk for cheap & paper shredders
are cheap and can be found secondhand. Paper pellet cat litter is also
very cheap & I use it for litter boxes. DO NOT USE CLUMPING CLAY LITTER FOR RAT ENCLOSURES BECAUSE IT WILL CAUSE INTERNAL BLOCKAGES!!
Rats explore with their mouths, and ingesting clumping clay litter is
extremely dangerous. Fleece is not particularly the best in cages
because of the aforementioned nesting & digging instinct, and
because it isn't absorbent. However, I use fleece in the playpen because
it keeps the carpet underneath clean, and is easy to wash.
Cages- Rats need a lot of space to move. You need at least 2.5-3 cubic meters of space per rat. The most common rat cages are made by Critter Nation, who makes multiple types of cages with plenty of space, but it doesn't need to be brand name. You can get cages firsthand from Critter Nation or Amazon, or secondhand on Facebook, Ebay, etc. I got my cage secondhand because it is cheaper, and some people include their supplies when selling their cages. I'm not sure the brand of my cage, but my cage measurements are: 38x19x45 inches, and about 18.8 cubic ft. (For anyone else who's mathematically challenged, that's length x width x height lol) You want the spacing between bars to be 13mm at most because young rats can get through small ass gaps!
Hospital Cages- Older rats or sickly rats may benefit from being moved into smaller cages separate from cage-mates if they are injured, sick or elderly. A rat with a minor URI does not need to be moved, but a rat recovering from surgery, healing Bumble Foot, or with severe HLD (Just a handful of examples) may benefit from being alone. My eldest boy (2 years & 8 months old) has Bumble Foot & abscess, and isn't handling being with my younger boys well currently. The hospital cage allows him to have a quiet space alone to heal, and it's significantly easier to sanitize and clean his smaller enclosure compared to the main cage. (I hope to be able to move him back to the main cage some day, but I'm not sure if he'll ever be able to. ☹️)
Diet- Proper diets are very important for rats. Fortified food is the best because rats will just pick out what they want from feed mixes, but feed mixes can be used as a treat alongside fortified foods. There's many reputable brands that make fortified foods, my personal favorite is Mazuri & Oxbow. I use Oxbow's Adult Essentials alongside their Garden Mix (*The Garden Mix can be hit or miss with rats, my oldest boy will eat it but my younger boys won't touch it. A lot of people online report similar results with their rats.) Other than fortified food, rats need a varied diet of proteins, veggies & fruits. This Chart is *chefs kiss*. I tend to cut veggies/fruits into small bits because my boys won't eat as much if I give them the full thing..??? An enriching treat includes chicken bones! Cooked chicken bones are safe for rats because they grind instead of chewing. They love the bone marrow inside, and it helps wear down their teeth!
Enrichment- Play and toys are very important for rats, and there's many options available. Play keeps your rats active & mentally stimulated, and many enrichment options help mirror natural instincts. My favorites include Dig Boxes, Dog snuffle mats, Fishing, and there's many easy DIY toys you can make with scraps. Cardboard boxes, clean egg cartons (Foam is okay, but I find cardboard easier to clean because they will chew it up), paper towel & TP rolls, and other recyclables are perfect for toys. I like Shadow The Rat's Youtube tutorials for toys & training ideas. I use a cat water fountain on occasion for the play pen. MONITOR YOUR RATS WHEN USING ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE PLUGGED IN!! They will chew on the cords and hurt themselves.
Nails- Rat's nails should wear down naturally as they play and move, but there's several toys that can assist in keeping them trimmed. A personal favorite is pumice ledges. They can help keep nails & teeth short, as they tend to chew on everything. However, older rats who become sedimentary need assistance keeping their nails trimmed. Trimming nails can be a little scary because of how small they are & the quick of their nail, but tutorials online can be helpful. I use my phone's flashlight under the nail to find the quick to avoid nicking it, and a fleece square (*avoid using materials like terrycloth or a towel which has little loops in the fabric as nails can snag and cause injury!) to keep the rat wrapped & held in place when trimming nails. My boys don't like getting their nails trimmed, and it requires that I have someone help hold the rat still to avoid injury.
Play Areas/Play Pens- Rats need to be allowed out of their cage for at minimum an hour. I have a dedicated playpen for my rats as I have other animals & it's easier to keep clean and safe. I use clear panels
(*Not the exact one I use, but you get the idea) as a border, and
fleece flooring to protect the floor underneath. You can get fleece
blankets at thrift stores for very cheap, which is where I got mine. I
use recycled boxes, cat hides (holiday clearance sales!), enrichment
toys (see enrichment segment), a glass casserole dish for water (I also
use it for pea/corn fishing) and a litter box for litter training &
cleanliness. (Or at least, an attempt at cleanliness..)
Rat-Proofing- Rat proofing is a lot like child-proofing. Keep all cables & cords away from where the rats can reach or access because they will chew on them, keep fabrics away from cage or play areas because they will tear it up or try to climb out, and no water deeper than your first knuckle. I only keep their water dish in a play pen because they make a mess with it, but I still keep it shallow to avoid injury or drowning.
Teeth- Rats, like most rodents, have four constantly growing incisors that need to be worn down to avoid injury. Their top incisors should be about 4 mm, and lower incisors 7 mm. They should be aligned straight, and curvature to the left, right or outwards can create issues with eating. (*Incisors are slightly curved inwards naturally and is not a concern). Treats like uncooked pasta & cooked chicken bones, cage furniture like pumice ledges, and SAFE wood chews are tools that can aid in keeping their teeth healthy. Rats will brux, or grind/chatter their teeth, naturally and regularly which will help keep their teeth a proper length, but sometimes your rats will need some help. In the instance that a rats teeth are getting too long, SEE A VET FOR ASSISTANCE IN CUTTING THEIR TEETH DOWN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRIM THEIR TEETH AT HOME IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!!
Veterinary Care- Rats can be prone to many issues, and older rats in particular need more care. Common issues include:
URI: All domesticated rats are extremely prone to Upper Respiratory Illnesses, or URI's. Maintaining cleanliness in cages & common areas helps prevent the development of a URI, however stress & other factors may trigger one. Common symptoms are sneezing, an audible whistling, wheezing, or 'rattling' sounds when the rat breathes, and the development of Porphyria (red booger like substance, looks like blood but isn't). Later stages can include weight loss, lethargy, and gasping for breath. URI'S CAN BECOME DEADLY IF UNTREATED. Your vet will prescribe an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, Bronchodilator or Mucolytic depending on the cause & severity of the issue. Your vet may also have you make a nebulizer if necessary. (The video has you put a towel over a small cage; However, I use a small plastic bin with a lid & a cut out to put the nozzle inside & cut outs for air. It is up to personal preference how you set up the nebulizer)
ABSCESSES, TUMORS & CYSTS: Rats are genetically predisposed to growths & tumors, especially because they mature so young. These growths can occur anywhere on their body; I've had instances of abscesses & cysts forming on the side of the stomach, on the penis (gnarly and really fucking scary, Bigfoot is currently dealing with this), and on the hip of some of my boys over the years. As soon as you feel or identify any unusual growth, it is best to see a vet ASAP. Sometimes these growths are easier to identify than others, but they can also grow very rapidly. Once a vet identifies what the growth is, your options for treatment may vary. Abscesses & Cysts can be drained and treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, but tumors are a different story. Tumors can be either benign or malignant, and your options vary depending on the type. One option for tumor removal is surgery. All surgery becomes risky after 6 months of age, where rats reach social & sexual maturity. Discuss your case with your vet to decide what your course of action shall be. (*I don't have personal experience with tumors, sorry.)
HIND LEG DEGENERATION (HLD): Hind
Leg Degeneration is a common issue for older rats, and tends to develop
earlier in males compared to females. The hind legs will become weaker,
and they will start to walk flat-footed in early stages, progressing
until they lose complete mobility in their hind legs & tail. The
back, flank & tail will start to get a little skinnier compared to
the rest of the body. The cause is typically nerve degeneration related
to old age, but arthritis can mimic the symptoms in some cases. The link
is not confirmed, but it is suspected that calcium deficiency related
to kidney failure, which is more common in males, can lead to HLD. Rats
with severe HLD may benefit from being moved into a smaller single-tier
cage, or having necessities moved to the bottom layer of a shared cage
for easy access. All cases are different and your course of action
varies on your rats needs. Rats with HLD can still live fulfilling & happy lives, as HLD alone is not an indicator of a decreasing quality of life.
Vesical Proteinaceous Plug: More commonly referred to as 'penile plugs', VPP's are the accumulation of cellular debris & 'male secretions' in the urethra. (I don't want this to get taken down, OK?) Plugs are gunk that are off-white in color, and primarily develop in older male rats from 1.5-2+ years old. It is important that you remove them upon discovery to avoid blockage of bladder or infection. Sometimes the rat will remove it themselves, but it's best to remove them yourself. With one finger on each side of the sheath, apply gentle pressure to pop out the 'weewee' (Again, I don't want to get in trouble with Spacehey...!!!) and gently remove the plug. If it is stuck to skin, gently apply olive oil with your fingers or a Q-tip to the area to loosen the material. If it is stuck in the fur, you can loosen it with a WARM, NOT HOT damp rag, or carefully cutting it out. (In my experience, I used cuticle trimmers to cut it out of the fur. Scarily close to important organs & more precise). If you see the development of plugs, it is best to check daily, or several times a week depending on how frequently you see them, the rat's age, or if other illnesses are present. For example, I check my eldest boy daily since he already gets daily medications & has Paraphimosis. (*Google at own risk; Rat injuries are gnarly..)
Finding Reputable Vets- All vets are taught how to care for small animals, but they aren't as knowledgeable compared to vets who specialize in small animal care. A resource to help you find a vet near you is the Exotic Vet Locator by the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians. (*Website takes a minute to load) I used it to find the vet I've taken all of my boys to!
Resources
American Fancy Rat & Mouse Association (AFRMA)
R/Rats (*Take advice on Reddit with a grain of salt, but in my experience r/rats tends to be very helpful!)
Rat Guide (*Very helpful medical information in a simple format!)
Thank you for reading this! The point of this post was not to scare anyone away from keeping rats, but to make sure people really know what they're getting into. Rats can be very rewarding pets, but people do not talk about common issues that come along with them.
If you have any other questions or need clarification, I'm happy to help! You can DM me here but I'm more active on my Instagram, @craigbooneyaoi. :-) I believe my DM's are open to everyone on here & IG.
Comments
Displaying 0 of 0 comments ( View all | Add Comment )