Ohana Rattery

Housing and Caging:

 

Rats need a lot of space, more than it seems like small creatures would need. There is a huge debate on how rats should be housed and in what. I used to have a cage that I made from galvanized wire mesh and another that is a converted parrot cage.

Rats are great climbers but they should not be forced to climb. A cage with levels is much appropriate than a parrot cage. There are a couple of store bought cages out there but most of them are probably easier to order online. Critter nations are well loved in the rat community. They are easy to clean, big, and sturdy. The only issue is they are heavy. Amazon has some great rat cages as well. Martin’s cages are wonderful and can be custom built. Tanks are not really adequate but can used if needed. They require more work to clean in order to maintain low ammonia levels, and will need lots of modifications to utilize the space properly. Plus they are clunky and heavy. I use modified bin cages for nearly all my rats. These cages are not only more sanitary and clean but they allow rats to burrow, nest and run and play without needing to climb up cage walls. 

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Bedding. Here at Ohana Rattery we use kiln dried pine. My rats are healthy and happy with no respiratory issues. We suggest kiln dried pine, aspen, western hemlock or Douglas fir shavings, equine pine pellets or corn cob bedding. Bedding should be absorbent, always remain dry, and should encourage nesting in rats even if you are not breeding. For this reason, we do not suggest paper bedding as the bedding in the whole cage, it is fine for litter boxes. If you use a paper bedding, we do not suggest care fresh. Carefresh has been kicked out of many clinical studies for having horrible ammonia absorption meaning that using it makes your rats have to sit around smelling and breathing in their own urine all day long. Fleece is also not used here. I find it gross and it does not absorb the ammonia smell. If you only spot clean, you cannot clean up the urine in the fleece. You can use absorbent liners in your fleece bedding to help minimize this. Fleece alone is a not a good idea unless you are cleaning every other day to daily depending on how many rats you have. 

 

Rats also benefit from outside cage time but this needs to be done safely. The best way is to rat proof a room. Make sure there is no escape or electric cords to chew on and let your rats have at it. Fun for all but not everyone has the space to do so. Homemade playpens with boxes or small animal playpens allow for play time outside the cage. Fill it with toys and let them go wild. This is also a great time to bond with your rats. Always supervise your rats in the play area. They are great escape artists.

 

Diet:

 

There are many different diets out there and not all of them are considered equal. I feed Mazuri  6f to all my rats. I supplement them with wild bird seed, pasta, fruit, veggies, meat scraps and boiled eggs. I suggest Oxbow Regal Rat Food, Harlen Teklad aka Native Earth and Mazuri. I suggest using a block style of food instead of a mix. With more than one rat, it is impossible to tell which rat is eating which pieces of the mix and can cause deficiencies. You can supplement with your own mixes of grains, pasta, seed, nuts, dried fruits and veggies.

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Fresh water should be available daily.

 

Enrichment:

 

It’s no secret that rats like to chew a lot. Hanging toys that can be chewed on and natural wood chews will help your rat wear down their teeth. Rats love to dig, a dig box with sterilized top soil can be awesome fun times. Take out your rats and play with them, they want to be loved and played with. They are smart and can learn tricks. They are eager to please especially for a bite of a chocolate chip cookie. The biggest thing to get your rat to play with is another rat. This cannot be stressed enough. Rats are incredibly social creatures and while they love their humans, they need the companion of another rat. Someone to cuddle in a hammock with and tumble around with, someone to groom and get groomed back. We can be a lot of for our rats but we cannot be rats. 

 

Introductions:

 

Introducing your new rat(s) to your current rats should only be done after the three week quarantine period is over. Start off with placing your new rats in a neutral area (a bathtub is great place) and let them get comfortable and used to the area. Then bring in your current rats. If you have a lot of rats, start with one or two at first and then continue, you will want to monitor their behavior around each other. There may be some squabbles which is okay. It may be hard to watch your new baby squeak a little but a little fighting will help your new rats create a new order and a new family. Try not to interfere to much. Give treats to reward good behavior. When you feel comfortable you can place your new rats in a freshly cleaned cage first and let them get acquainted with the new surroundings. Then introduce your old rats and again watch them carefully but at this point everyone should be settling into a new happy rat family.

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

Should I get a male or a female?
There are some small differences. Males will get noticeably bigger and will also have large noticeable testes, which may be an issue for some. Males tend to be more cuddly. Females are smaller and more active. They love to explore and don’t like to be cuddled as much. Of course, each rat is unique. Both females and males need companions.

Should I neuter or spay?
This is very personal decision. The decision to neuter or spay depends on the rat. If a male rat is going to be with females or vice versa, they need to be fixed. I do not believe that neutering to fix male aggression is the right path. A male rat should be able to be handled and cohabitate with other males in all his glory. Spaying and neutering can be used to prevent cancer but you must weigh the risks of surgery which is greater for smaller animals against the risk of cancer.

Do rats bite?
All animals with a mouth have the ability to bite. Rats have sharp teeth. It hurts when you get bit. A rat may accidentally get you when grabbing a treat out of your hand. A well bred rat should not bite you out of fear or aggression. Babies are mouthy little creatures like any other baby they put everything in their mouth including fingers, nails, rings etc. Babies may explore a little too hard. I find that a high squeak and pulling your finger back teaches them that if they are too rough they don't get to play. They grow out of this stage around 8-10 weeks old.