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NB: My own rattie photos will soon be added to the My Gallery section.
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| Ooooooh, Little ratties, so sweet, so fluffy, so
cute. Why do people hate rats? I have no bloody idea! They don't smell they
don't bite (they are more likely to lick you to death)! They grind their
teeth when they are contented, fall asleep on you when they want a cuddle.
They are loving, fun and just BRILLIANT! |
| You may have guessed I like the little Rattus norvegicus! I first had
one called Sandi when I was fifteen, my Mum bought me her for doing well
in my GCSES, awwww, nice. Anyway she was a lovely champagne with pink eyes.
Since then there has been about four or five, my mum got addicted too and
has had about six or seven |
| My last Rat was called Dotti, and she was! she had a little black dot
on her bum and was completely crazy. She lived on her own so I became her
big rat mummy. She followed me everyway, jumping on my bed every morning
and giving me a big lick on my nose. I miss Dotti, no disrespect to the
others all now passed away, she was the most intelligent rattie I had. Like
most ratties she sufferred from ill health and I had to have her put to
sleep, it was horrible. I mourned her for about two years :-( |
Strangely though my mum has a rat with similar ways to Dotti. It's
a well known fact that all ratties go to Rat heaven and eat yogurt drops
all day and never get fat, ill or old. Their little ghosties all play together
happily in my Mums garden, and thats the truth! My Mum is never serious
when she says 'I'm not having anymore' which is what she always says when
they pass away. Shes a complete sucker for those little whiskers, big feet
and naughty ways too.
I guess there is only one bad thing about ratties.....They just don't live
long enough! |
Recently though I got some new babies! Two little Agouti girls, called
Vivi and Lily!
They are sooooo cute, and very tame as my friend who bred them handled them
alot. Vivi is very manic and energetic and Lily is alittle quieter and soppy.
They are getting used to their new home and seem very happy.
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Choosing your first Rats
My personal view now is to think about what you would like before you buy.
Buying straight from a breeder is a good idea as you will be able to check
out the babies' behaviour in a less stressful environment (small children
banging on the glass of tanks in a pet shop is bound to upset young rats).
You may also be able to see the parents and ask the breeder about their
health and behaviour too. Often a parent's behaviour traits are passed to
the offspring. If this is your first the breeder can also answer any of
your questions about keeping Rats, something that you don't always find
with Pet Shops. The breeder can also show you how to handle the rats correctly,
too often I have seen pet shop owners pick up a rat by it's tail, (THIS
SHOULD NEVER BE DONE) which is not only painful for the animal but also
dangerous as it can break it. If you do not know of many breeders near you
there are other options, your local vets may know of someone, you may be
able to put your name on a Kitten register (link) contact a Rat rescue scheme,
or the RSPCA.
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My Advice
Okay, So are you thinking of getting a Rat? What would my advice be? Well,
firstly you must remember that just because Rats are small animals and don't
cost a lot to look after they should not be devalued. As with any other
animal you must seriously think about the time you need to spend with you
Rat. So here is a few pointers from my experience, I cannot say I am an
expert but I am very experienced.
Unfortunatley, like myself in the past, you may have experienced another
scenario: Whilst wandering through your local Pet shop or Garden Centre
you spot six little balls of fur tank, all huddled together in a pile, yawning
and looking like the most beautiful little things in the world. Six pretty
little Rat babies, for a while you coo over them then the thought goes through
your mind "They are going to be bought for snake food". So you
immediately decide to buy some of them in the bid to save them and give
them a new home.
Although you may be able to give them a great home, it's best to think of
these things.
1. If you buy these rats, they will only buy more for snake food.
2. If you buy these rats, their mother may be made to breed again to make
more money.
3. If you buy these rats, you nothing about the parents, how well they have
been kept, or whether these animals are very healthy.
I know this sounds like a cynical view but unfortunately there are many
pet selling establishments out there that are only out to make money. PLEASE
BEWARE AND THINK TWICE!
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| Boys or Girls?
Rats should be kept in single sex groups, unless you are experienced
and wish to have lots of babies. Think carefully about which sex Rats
you want as although both Buck and Doe Rats are equally lovely and affectionate,
but they do have different attitudes and behaviours. Bucks (males) have
a very laid back lazy attitude and like to sleep (just about anywhere).
They mooch about, often just to their owner's laps to snuggle up and watch
T.V. Male rats do get quite big, nearly twice the size of females, and
are easy to distinguish due to their large testicles that poke out by
their tails (er-herm) and they have slightly musky rougher coats. So if
you are after a quiet Rat perhaps a male is a good idea, though you must
remember male rats can get raging hormones during their 'Macho' years,
in which case they can sometimes be castrated. Female Rats are more lively
and 'into everything'. I find they go through periods of happy bouncing
exploration and sleepy snuggle times. One minute they are hiding under
the sofa trying to eat your fave mag and the next minute they are trying
to clean you (my females try to lick you to death). So females are perfect
if you want a more mischievous pet. Around everything five days a female
will come into 'heat', they usually become skittish and 'freeze' when
you touch them, but this doesn't last long
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| How Many?
If you are starting out as a Rat owner it is a good idea to begin
with two or three Rats. Although Rats can be kept alone, it is not really
a good idea, as even if you can give you rat your full attention, they
still need companionship of their own kind. A pair of rats playing and
interacting is a lovely thing to watch. They clean each other, chase each
other, tumble around, sleep together, fall out, make up and generally
have fun. Keeping more than one does not stop them from loving you too,
in fact Rats X 2 means twice the affection. Also Rats tend to do most
of their playing at night when you're in bed, so at least a pair of Rats
have each other. A lot of breeders will sell you siblings, which is nice
as they have already bonded. You can introduce non-related babies to each
(whilst supervised) but this usually has to take place before 10 weeks
old as after this they become territorial.
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| Young un's and Old un's
Ickle Babies. *cute* Rats are born after around 21 to 28 days gestation.
They look like little wriggly pink things as they are born blind and hairless.
Their eyes open after 13 to 16 days old. Rats as a whole do not have very
good eyesight but have very good hearing and smell senses, so can hear
and smell from birth. They need their mother's milk until they are 6 weeks
old. Therefore they should not be separated from their Mum until between
6 and 8 weeks. Rats live between two and three years, though I have heard
of a few older male rats. Unfortunately all the wonderful qualities and
love that a rat can give is balanced out by the fact they do tend to get
things wrong with them. I do not know whether it is a natural trait of
the species or due to many years of breeding the species. Maybe someone
out there can tell me? Males tend to die of old age or organ problems,
strokes or heart failure. Females are prone to cancer, particularly mammary
tumours. Although this is a sad fact, do not let it put you off getting
a Rat, the love you will give and receive from your Rats is a wonderful
thing.
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| Housing
Basically the bigger the better! Even for a single Rat (not recommended)
no cage can be big enough! Rats are clever and get bored when they have
nothing to do or no room to explore.
There are however some rules and recommendations for Rat housing and positioning.
Fancy Rats as a whole should not be kept outside, unlike their wild friends
they are not built for it.
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MORE RATTIE STUFF COMING SOON!!!
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