4 Baby rats coming home tomorrow!

[Beginningless]

We are picking up the girls from a lovely breeder tomorrow. Will be asking her all my questions but wanted to hear thoughts of any experienced rat owners.

We have a dog that we are hoping we can help get along well, but want to introduce them slowly to help this. So thinking to have them upstairs at first at least to control that a bit more. Is it unrealistic to have them on the landing outside our bedrooms? Will they be mega noisy at night or will it be ok with closed doors?

And any tips from anyone who’s introduced rats to dogs, v welcome.

[zaxxon]

No advice sorry, but can we have some pictures please once they arrive?

[UpsyDoosie]

Exciting, I've owned rats for years.

Don't mix them with the dog. There's absolutely no need for them to be introduced. Lots of dogs have small animal prey drive that can snap at any moment.

A lady on our local rat group used to post photos with her pug all the time covered in her rats, people told her it wasn't a great idea but she ignored them. One day she left the group and we found out her pug had done exactly what we said it would and killed her favourite rat, a pug!

You can get him used to being int the room with the caged rats but if you take them out to socialise ALWAYS lock your dog in another room.

Not only can your dog kill your rats but rats can have very nasty bites and damage your dog if they get scared.

Sorry for the lecture but it's absolutely something that should not happen.

Like I said I've had rats for over 10 years so happy to answer questions and so excited to see photos!

[Wolfiefan]

Squeeee!! Exciting!
I agree no need to try and mix them with dogs.

[Beginningless]

Yes I can send some pics! Yes I didn’t mean necessarily to have them touch one another but I’d like to be able to have their cage in the lounge, and have them feel relaxed with the dog, and him with them.

Initially thought we’d have them in the playroom downstairs and put a lock on outside to keep dog out, but I think he would be perturbed to hear noises if he didn’t understand what they were.

Im hoping we can have them upstairs til they get used to us, then ideally let them sniff one another and all get familiar downstairs. Dog sleeps downstairs so he’d need to be comfy with them for it to work.

So do folk think cage outside bedrooms is realistic or will they wake us all up? There is a tiny box room upstairs they could go in too but it has no window so I don’t think no daylight at all would be ideal?

[Beginningless]

And no worries about lectures (not that that was, please feel free!) I had hamsters and Guinea pigs as a kid but clueless about rats. Kids have watched videos and think they are going to have them trick trained immediately I think :)

[Shopper727]

My niece used to have her rats in her room and they weren’t too noisy, there were 3 I think then one died. They were amazing rats, they were tv rats - trained etc my sister trains dogs chickens etc they are fab pets enjoy 😁

[Scaffoldingisugly]

Ah as a dc we had 3 rats, 1 cat and I collie cross... All besties..

[WonkyBricks]

I'd love to have pet rats again but DH has vetoed as they are stinky.

I had one that would have free range time, it would disappear for ages and then pop back for food. Worked out it had made itself a nest under the kickboard in the kitchen. Also once forgot to lock it's cage door at night and it made its way up in to my bedroom, I thought I was dreaming as I saw it waddling through the doorway 🤣

I had two and they both died from respiratory illness I couldn't get treated in time (became ill over the weekend and deteriorated quickly). So watch out for that and get anxious as soon as you can

[whydoesitalwayshappentome]

We had two sisters and they used to have play scuffles all night and were really noisy. They had to be shut in the bathroom so we couldn't hear them. Lovely pets though, they used to sit on our shoulders and would stay there for ages.