Rats, the full story, please!

[Italiangreyhound]

Hi, one of my kids is very keen to have two pet rats. I am not so keen. We have had a few pets (hamster and cats, not at the same time).

I am quite keen for my child to get experience of handling rats before we actually buy one, teenagers don't always know what they want.

Any advice about where to get contact with rats, be able to handle them etc before we take the plunge?

No friends have rats! Loads of friends with hamsters and none with rats!

Many thanks.

We've had a few and they have great personalities. I like dumbos but husband prefers fancy rats.

Absolutely love rats! I have 2 house rabbits and a hamster, who are great, but I wanted a more interactive animal. We really wanted a dog but can't have one due to working a lot, and someone recommended rats! We went to the RSPCA and saw some very untamed boys (I'm an adopt don't shop person generally), realised that as a first time rat owner then a reputable breeder would be a more sensible option. Got 2 girls a few months ago, went back a few weeks later and got 2 more girls. I am so glad I got 4 and didn't just stick with 2, they are very sociable animals and have such a great bond with each other. The are so easy to handle and love coming out to play and explore and have a cuddle!

@Walney are those Siamese rats, please?

@houseofrabbits can I ask why 4?

@QueenOfCatan is Ashi a dumbo eared rat? What breed is he?

Hi. The white boys (Dino and Festy) were some of our first rats, and they were from Pets at Home before we realised that buying from breeders was better. They were still lovely and affectionate, but unfortunately can't say what type they were. They did have red eyes and match all the characteristics for Siamese marking so would say they most probably were.

They did do the thermo sensitive thing if I recall as the back got darker which was cool.

Make sure your home insurance is good, they chew through everything. My niece lost 2 from electrocution when they escaped their cage and gnawed through cables.
Others chewed through suites, carpets, and urinated and crapped everywhere.

Good luck.

Ours are utterly terrified of cats - though they live on the first floor, a neighbouring cat got into the room (they were safe in their cage). It took weeks for them to regain their confidence. We have a screen on the window now to prevent a recurrence. Not sure if others have had a cat and rats successfully?

Ashi was dumbo and a British blue variety, rat 'breeds' are known as varieties and you can get various varieties in one litter/line, Zhaan the fat black fluffball was his aunt, her sister was an agouti, which are brown rats that look most like wild ones.

what 'thermo sensitive thing'?

Thanks for the warning re insurance.

We do have a cat and the plan is to keep them seperate.

With Siamese markings they get darker colouring where their bodies are colder, so around paws and nose. I remember reading about it when we had them and thought it was really cool.

dd want a Siamese.

Any tips on what to have inside the rat cage, please?

@Italiangreyhound the problem with 2 is that if one dies then 1 is left on their own. Rats are a bit like humans and need rats a similar age to play with, so if 1 was left it would be tricky to bond them with a rat a similar age, plus they'd have to spend some time alone whilst you found another rat! Also, now I've seen my 4 interact together they are just so much more playful and curious compared to when I just had 2 of them. Plus they have options of who to chill out with or wrestle with.

Rat Rations is a fantastic website for rat things. I've bought most of my rat hammocks from there plus I buy their rat food (I would not recommend buying this from a pet shop!)

In their cage they need lots of hammocks at different levels, and different types, and a mixture of ropes and ladders. Mine are litter trained so have 2 litter trays with paper pellets in (don't use wood pellets!). They also have a custom made fleece liner in the base which I change every few days. eBay and Etsy is also full of people who handmade hammocks etc for rats so would recommend looking there too! Also I use carabiner clips to attach everything which makes it really easy.

I can also recommend a breeder in Romsey, she is fantastic and was worth the 4 hour round trip!

Cage wise, I recommend the Savic Freddy 2 Max as you're planning on getting a small group of rats.

Also I would really recommend picking your rats based on their personality. I ended up choosing rats who weren't my 'favourite' sort of colourings because I was really fussy about personality, and they all look quite different, but now I think they are all the most beautiful rats ever because their personalities are all amazing and we have such a strong bond.

As a compromise you could look at gerbils, which are a kind of rat. They're awake in the day and are great to watch and interact with, but as long as you get a pair, they are low maintenance.

DD's had a succession of them since she was 5 (now 17) and she trains them to wink at her to say hello.

Don't put them in the little cages at P@H though. They don't have any that are suitable. Gerbils need a gerbilarium, like a fishtank so they can burrow.

Thanks for all the advice.

Gerbils were considered but Dr fixed on rats!

Thet are growing on me!

Anyone still reading? Can I ask wgich cage looks better?

www.littlepetwarehouse.co.uk/products/the-langham-tall-rat-and-hamster-cage-with-two-floors-grey.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvo_qBRDQARIsAE-bsH_yETrxjMhW_kMJ_MUWREq93kN2jqkzgYTonvCrzghRKI2MMoZ37L4aAoWhEALw_wcB

Or www.littlepetwarehouse.co.uk/products/the-plaza-tall-rat-and-hamster-cage-with-three-floors-grey.html

Gerbils were considered but dd fixed on rats!

The rats are growing on me!

I can only see the grey one...

If anything I would recommend getting a taller cage, they are more pricey but my rats LOVED to climb so I attached all sorts of ropes and hammocks all over the cage. They had so much fun.

Could you afford to say put £10 a month aside so you can get the best one you can afford?

Better ratty peeps than me might have some good cage recommendations (not had them for years unfortunately)

ohhh second one is MUCH higher, think the same height as the one I had for my silly buggers. But the door doesn't look that big.

You do need a decent sized door opening so they can climb out for cuddles and you can get your DD can get her hand in and move/ spot clean/ feed.

Is there any large pet stores or garden centres with pet facilities near you?

I would recommend popping along so you can see what they have so you can get an idea of what is available and try them out (sticking your hand in and checking the height). Plus you can wander around to see all the cool toys and things that your DD will need for the cage.

Make day of it with tempting lunch there or somewhere local afterwards? :D

I had a pet rat when I was in my early 20s. He was really friendly, clever and entertaining. Much better (more rewarding) than a hamster.
He used to sit on my dog's back whilst he slept, and was always on my shoulder.
They definitely need daily handling though, at least a few hours, but as much as possible really, otherwise they lose their tameness/friendliness.
They can be a bit smelly, but other than that they make lively, and lovely, pets.

@houseofrabbits I know what you mean but I am not keen on rats that look like wild rats!

How can you tell the personality?

houseofrabbits

Do you mean this one.

Is 2 max for only two because we are now thinking three!!!!

www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/savic-freddy-2-max-rat-ferret-cage

Oh this one looks

www.amazon.co.uk/Savic-Knock-Empire-Small-Animal/dp/B01D1CDEOM?tag=mumsnetforu03-21