Rats..... Hmm...

[BethK]

They will need some form of meat, not much but a little, even if it's just meal worms (you can get them dried).

Rotate their food, I give them fruit and veg in the morning and evening they get their dry food. Give them 1 food bowl, keeps it easier to track how much they have eaten, 2 water bottles is a good idea

They also like toilet roll, if you hang it up, they will go to town on it

As well as carefresh, you can use shredded paper. Rats like to dig, girlie rats like to make beds/nests. Aubiose horse bedding (hemp) is good to use, if carefresh costs too much, it's cheaper too as a bulk.

you sound like you have everything covered

 

[zophie]

They will need some form of meat, not much but a little, even if it's just meal worms (you can get them dried).

Rotate their food, I give them fruit and veg in the morning and evening they get their dry food. Give them 1 food bowl, keeps it easier to track how much they have eaten, 2 water bottles is a good idea

They also like toilet roll, if you hang it up, they will go to town on it

As well as carefresh, you can use shredded paper. Rats like to dig, girlie rats like to make beds/nests. Aubiose horse bedding (hemp) is good to use, if carefresh costs too much, it's cheaper too as a bulk.

you sound like you have everything covered

Hey BethK,
Thanks for the advice! I have one more q., though- can you feed a rat dog kibble? I have read varius ansers to this question, and still don't really know the anser. I have a dog, so this would be a easy thing to do. Also, I have varius reptile's( Bearded Dragon, Veiled chamelion)- I feed them different worms and crickets... are meal worms the only good type's of worms for rats?

Once again, thanks for all the help

ZOphie

 

[zophie]

They will need some form of meat, not much but a little, even if it's just meal worms (you can get them dried).

Rotate their food, I give them fruit and veg in the morning and evening they get their dry food. Give them 1 food bowl, keeps it easier to track how much they have eaten, 2 water bottles is a good idea

They also like toilet roll, if you hang it up, they will go to town on it

As well as carefresh, you can use shredded paper. Rats like to dig, girlie rats like to make beds/nests. Aubiose horse bedding (hemp) is good to use, if carefresh costs too much, it's cheaper too as a bulk.

you sound like you have everything covered

Hey BethK,
Thanks for the advice! I have one more q., though- can you feed a rat dog kibble? I have read varius ansers to this question, and still don't really know the anser. I have a dog, so this would be a easy thing to do. Also, I have varius reptile's( Bearded Dragon, Veiled chamelion)- I feed them different worms and crickets... are meal worms the only good type's of worms for rats?

Once again, thanks for all the help

ZOphie

 

[zophie]

They will need some form of meat, not much but a little, even if it's just meal worms (you can get them dried).

Rotate their food, I give them fruit and veg in the morning and evening they get their dry food. Give them 1 food bowl, keeps it easier to track how much they have eaten, 2 water bottles is a good idea

They also like toilet roll, if you hang it up, they will go to town on it

As well as carefresh, you can use shredded paper. Rats like to dig, girlie rats like to make beds/nests. Aubiose horse bedding (hemp) is good to use, if carefresh costs too much, it's cheaper too as a bulk.

you sound like you have everything covered

Hey BethK,
Thanks for the advice! I have one more q., though- can you feed a rat dog kibble? I have read varius ansers to this question, and still don't really know the anser. I have a dog, so this would be a easy thing to do. Also, I have varius reptile's( Bearded Dragon, Veiled chamelion)- I feed them different worms and crickets... are meal worms the only good type's of worms for rats?

Once again, thanks for all the help

ZOphie

 

[zophie]

They will need some form of meat, not much but a little, even if it's just meal worms (you can get them dried).

Rotate their food, I give them fruit and veg in the morning and evening they get their dry food. Give them 1 food bowl, keeps it easier to track how much they have eaten, 2 water bottles is a good idea

They also like toilet roll, if you hang it up, they will go to town on it

As well as carefresh, you can use shredded paper. Rats like to dig, girlie rats like to make beds/nests. Aubiose horse bedding (hemp) is good to use, if carefresh costs too much, it's cheaper too as a bulk.

you sound like you have everything covered

Hey BethK,
Thanks for the advice! I have one more q., though- can you feed a rat dog kibble? I have read varius ansers to this question, and still don't really know the anser. I have a dog, so this would be a easy thing to do. Also, I have varius reptile's( Bearded Dragon, Veiled chamelion)- I feed them different worms and crickets... are meal worms the only good type's of worms for rats?

Once again, thanks for all the help

ZOphie

 

[BethK]

I wouldn't feed rats live food and would only stick to meal worms. Doggie kibble is fine, go for the smaller chunk type, avoid cat food as it is too rich. My rats get doggy treats every so often (about 3 times a week, meat chews, usually chicken) but kibble is fine as part of a stable diet. I would count out what you have 4 rats, give them 2 pieces of kibble per rat but it may not work out that way when it comes to feeding

Dog treats are great for training/taming your rats, they also go crazy for peanuts too

I tend to hide treats around their cage, as well, rats like to scavenge and it keeps them active.

Normal dog food is good for them too, if you don't want to buy meat for them, mine get half a tub of those 1 portion thingys, if they haven't had meat that week. It might be easier and cheaper for you to do that too or give them a table spoon of wet dog food but not the pup stuff.

 

[BethK]

did you find a cage you liked?

 

[zophie]

Yeah, I got the one you reccomended- on saturday i'm going to get my rats from the shelter- i'll tell you how it go's. By the way, i'm getting four female baby's that were born in the shelter- there mom was abandoned, pregnent. I'm really looking forward to it!

ZOphie

 

[BethK]

OHHHH kittens, so exciting!!

If they are under 8 weeks, give them scrambled eggs, they love it and it's good for them

 

[zophie]

OHHHH kittens, so exciting!!

If they are under 8 weeks, give them scrambled eggs, they love it and it's good for them

Okay, so I have them now- they are such little sweet girls, all hooded. There mom was abandned,pregnant, and they were born in the shelter. They already had names when I got them- here they are:

Lucy (She is a very pretty girl, quite quiet- she likes to play on her own, but she's still very friendly)
ZOphie (Chose this one because she has MY name She is the opposite of Lucy, always running around and buuncing of the wall- she loves watching the fish!
Tannis- Tannis is the leader, she kind of bosses everyone around, and is very confident- she loved your scrambled egg, and wou;dn't let anyone else get there share! I had to hand feed!
Thea- Thea is a cleaning freik- she go's around cleaning everyone, after she's done herselfe- they all don't mind untill it's the fifteenth time, then Tannis tells her to stop! She's a sweet girl, and trys and licks my hair non stop!

They are all very nice, and they seem healthy, I took them to the vet to get checked up, and she was very suprised how healthy they were for shelter rats. Lucy loves dog kibble- when I let her out of the cage she go's and steels as much food as she can from my dog!

Speeking of dogs, my dog (actually puppy) loves the rats- when I let them out, he follows the rats everywhere, even refusing to eat when there playing. Once and a while he'll plop down while all the rats climb around on his belly- so cute!

I wll try and post pics and more info later...


Thanks for all the help,

ZOphie

 

[Flute]

Aww they sound beautiful ^^ We definitely need to see pictures!

 

[BethK]

sounds like they have a fantastic home xx

You can feed them a little tuna too, it's good for them.

Can't wait to see piccies x

 

[M.R Otter]

Good luck with your rats!! Like Beth said they are prone to accidents, I had a rat that I allowed it to roam in the living when it had been attacked by a tarantula that we had kept, we tried to free the rat but that thing's fangs were holding him very tight but accidents vary A LOT!!

 

[zophie]

Good luck with your rats!! Like Beth said they are prone to accidents, I had a rat that I allowed it to roam in the living when it had been attacked by a tarantula that we had kept, we tried to free the rat but that thing's fangs were holding him very tight but accidents vary A LOT!!

OOOhh... that sounds bad! I will try and be extra carefull

The rats are doing great- there almost 3 months old now... what happened today? Lets see... Thea cleaned my shirt , Tannis gulped down some eggs, oh, and two days ago, I gave them there first taste of propor dog treats... not just my dogs food. They went crazy, non-stop grabbing! And Lucy, who is usually quite and timid, grabbed them with as much gusto as Tannis!