More ratty advice needed please

[joelallie]

DS#1 is having a pair of rats as a christmas present. Having asked for advice here (and other places) and had a good look around I bought a big wire cage with 2 levels - it was sold as suitable for all small animals, the gaps are small enough to keep the rats in and according to a ratty cage calculator I found online will happily hold 4 rats so I?m confident that it?s OK in most ways. But I was wondering if I needed to cover the bottom of the cage with a layer of something solid ? I?m worried that the wire might hurt their feet.

Any advice gratefully received.

My 3 rats i got from a pet shop had been in a tank with just sawdust and they had never seen ladders, or hammocks or wooden platforms or anything. They are pros at climbing now but it was sad, but nice to see them to begin with.

i recently got dd1 2 rats. she had been going on for ages about getting a pet of her own and at 9yrs i thought she would be old enough now for the responsibility. we got 2 and this cage . she has called them milly and molly and is always handling them and cleaning up after they poo lol

i then fell in love with them and decided i wanted 2 of my own . dp found the same cage second hand for £20 !!! so we went and got 2 more (all sisters)

i am petrified of them biting me now and have been forcing myself to hold them every day .

i will get there lol . just shows how brave children are (or stupid ) that they have no fear do they . !!!!!

will post pictures , i am very proud of the hammock i made dd1's rats . out of dd3 old pj's and dp old trainer laces !!!

take the wire out as it will hurt their feet and their feet may get stuck. i have had rats for years and i always take out the bottom wire. it will make it more comfy for them to walk on bedding or sawdust or whatever materials you use than wire.

muma3, didnt see your message last month, how are your rats getting on now?

DS#1 got the cage, a wheel, a nesting box, food, bedding etc for CHristmas. And some money to buy the rats. He's very excited (so am I!!) and we're going to buy them after I finish work today. DH cut some pieces of lino to cover the cage floor - there are 2 floors and a sleeping platform so taking the floor out isn't an option really.

DD got a huuuge fish tank to replace the tiny starter kit she got last year. Also some pretty coral to put in it. She's getting another 2 fish as soon as we've filled the new tank, let it settle and transferred the 2 old fish. So she's a bit hyper too.

They've arrived. 2 females. One brown hooded and 1 black hooded and they are utterly adorable - looking at them I don't know how anyone could be afraid of them. One was running about the cage, sniffing at us through the bars and generally being an extrovert - DS calls her 'Nosy' and the other one is quite quiet and reserved except last night when she gave the wheel a good workout - she's called 'Shy'. I fully expect the names to change several times over the next few weeks though.

I didn't let the children take them out for cuddles last night - thought it was only fair to let them settle in first.

Hi NOELallie We've got 2 rats 2 and they are brill!!

I haven't read the whole thread but saw about the wire floors and that someone told you about bumblefoot. We were given a rat from a friend who had no time for him and he was in a big 2 tiered cage with wire floors. He had bumblefoot as a result and his poor feet were so sore and it took a long time for them to stop bleeding, they never quite healed. We ended up cutting out cardboard in the shape of his cage and changing it weekly, he liked to tear bits off for bedding as well but it was a pain so lino sounds good

You will love them - they are so much fun and fab with kids!