#Dumbo rats full

You can offer yours many of the same toys that are enjoyed by parrots, including swings and ropes for climbing. Rats LOVE to play with toys, and a bored rat is an unhappy rat. This is crucial for keeping their teeth in tip-top condition and preventing dental problems. Provide unpainted, untreated pieces of wood, dog biscuits or safe cardboard or rawhide chew toys for your rats to gnaw on. Like that of all rodents, a rat’s front teeth grow continuously. Remove droppings, uneaten food and soiled areas of bedding from your pets’ cage every day.Ĭlean the cage completely once a week by replacing dirty bedding and scrubbing down the rest of the cage with warm, soapy water. A water bottle with a drinking tube that attaches to the side of the cage is the best way to go. Treats need to be limited to prevent obesity.ĭo not give your rats chocolate, corn, candy, caffeinated beverages, cheese and sticky foods such as taffy and peanut butter.įresh, clean water should be available at all times. Rats love people food, and you can give yours the occasional table scrap, such as cooked pasta or a bit of pizza crust. Peas, broccoli, carrots, apples and bananas are good foods to start with, but it’s fun to try new things and find out your pets’ favorites. You can supplement your rats’ diet with some fresh fruits and vegetables every day. This food should be available at all times. Look for a brand that lists soymeal as its main ingredient. Your pets will do well on rat blocks (sometimes called lab blocks), a high-quality pellet chow formulated for rodents. Intense direct sunlight should also be avoided. Rats can be prone to colds, so be sure to keep the cage out of drafts. Make sure that the wheel has a solid surface without wire rungs, so their tails cannot get caught while running. Some rats enjoy running on an exercise wheel, so you may want to get yours one. You can also add a tree branch for them to climb on. Whatever type of cage you choose, don’t forget the furniture! Provide small boxes or flower pots to hide in, and PVC tubes for your rats to run through. If you opt for the latter, it will require a screen cover to provide ventilation, and will probably need to be cleaned more often than a wire cage to keep odor problems under control. Do not use pine or cedar shavings, which can be harmful to your pets.Ī large, multi-level cage designed for ferrets can also make a great rat home, as can a large aquarium. The floor should be solid, and a beddingbedding of aspen or pelleted recycled paper should be provided. A cage that is 2’ x 2’ x 2’ will generally do for a pair of rats-if you plan to keep more than that, you’ll need a larger cage. Rats do best in wire cages because they enjoy climbing, and there is good ventilation. Care needs to be taken to separate males and females when they are six weeks of age to avoid unwanted litters. The average rat litter is 12 young and can be as high as 20. Do not house males and females together, as they will breed-and breed. Females, on the other hand, are more accepting of new friends when introduced later in life. Males will do well together generally only if introduced when they are young. A pair of females is recommended for first-time rat caretakers. Rats are very social with members of their own kind, and should be kept in pairs at least. These animals are not toys and should be treated gently. Rats can be great pets for kids, but young caretakers should always be supervised by an adult. Adult males, called bucks, generally weigh 400 to 700 grams, and adult females (known as does) are significantly smaller at 200 to 500 grams.

#Dumbo rats full

Rats are full grown at six months of age. They are able to reproduce at this time, so it is recommended that males and females be kept separately. If well cared for, rats typically live two to three years.īaby rats can be removed from their litters at about six weeks of age. These companion rodents come in a variety of coat types and colors, from curly and shiny to black, white and black-and-white. The average rat ranges from 14 to 18 inches long, including tail.

Pet rats are less fearful than their wild cousins, and when handled gently they quickly learn to enjoy riding on their human friends’ shoulders and napping in their laps. The domestic rat is a descendant of the wild brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and has been bred as a pet for about a hundred years. Search Articles: Submit Search Close Search Favorites