Rats (again)

[muggglewump]

I've had some great advice on here about pet rats and so DD is getting a pair of females for Christmas.

Now before I order, is this cage big enough?

Which toys would be recommended and what else do I need?

I was about to buy everything at the local pet shop today, with their help, but the woman was weird and rude, refusing to get the rats out so I could see them, and as I'm too short to see in the cage, she eventually, reluctantly offered me a stool to stand on so I could look.

I left and will buy elsewhere.

Anyway, that's where you come in, I need to know what to buy.

TIA

The RSPCA recommended cage size for 2 rats is 60cm x 60cm x 60cm.

If the girls you get are anything like ours then the more climbing stuff the better, so ladders and hammocks.

Ours currently have a hammock made out of a rolled up tea towel, we used to have one of these, they've also got some plastic tubing, another hammock made out of the leg off a pair of jeans, some hanging wooden blocks (actually meant for bird cages, but the girls like gnawing and climbing on them). We also used strips of muslin plaited and hung across the cage or them to climb onto. There is a ladder in their cage which they've decided to detach from the cage walls and drop into the bottom, probably while sat on it.

They're pretty easy to amuse to be honest. We sometimes give them treats (they especially like pasta) wrapped up in either kitchen roll and suspended from the side or top of their cage, or stuffed into a loo roll that's folded at the ends, and they'll have great fun ripping it to shreds to get at the food.

I'm contemplating getting them one of those hamster ball things and letting them run round the flat a bit more.

Get them a fairly heavy food dish, they do seem to like flipping food bowls over. Also we've found that recycled paper litter to line their cage is better, rats are prone to respiratory infections so you don't want something with is too dusty.

Treats for os are mainly cooked cold pasta, blueberries, carrots, boiled egg, and banana chips. Though, be warned, if yours are as sneaky as ours, they'll stash the food and pretend that they have one to get more. Ours tend to try and cover up the food bowl with litter so you can't see how much food they have left.

Thanks, some great advice.

I'll be getting all the bits in the next week or two, and the rats on Christmas Eve ready for the big day.

Excellent, I'm sure your DD will love them, They are really sweet pets!