domestic rats?

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

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thank you I will check it out now!

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

No prob, good luck with your rattie boys!

 

[cutiepieacres]

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just be careful buying feed in bulk. Feed should be used within 3 months of the milling date(some bags say but others don't and its hard to tell how old they were before you even brought it home) and after that a lot of the nutrients and vitamins are gone and the feed isn't really much good as far as nutrition goes. Paying a little more and buying in small bags that are used within the month will ensure you are feeding fresh.

 

[Stina]

Aquariums are not as bad as some make them out to be. I prefer aquariums or other closed side enclosure for most small rodents (though I do prefer cages for ratties b/c they like to climb). There is plenty of ventilation unless the tank isn't cleaned often enough and/or is too small and/or you use a dusty or otherwise innappropriate bedding like cedar. I've been breeding mice for 5 years, never kept them in anything but closed sided enclosures, and have never had any respiratory issues. If you keep it clean and make sure the animals have lots to play with, an aquarium works just fine

Aquariums also avoid drafts....which can lead to respiratory issues just as quickly as inadequate ventilation.

 

[fasbendera]

Great info. We haven't had rat in a while they seemed to last two years and then died. I don't know if it was the cedar bedding (recommended by pet store that is what they use) or the MICO or whatever and we had them in an aquarium. For how much we loved them we did everything wrong but again we got our information from the store. The only good advice they gave us was the food it was the same food our university used and they rebagged it and sold it. Hmm maybe I need to find a rat breeder while my husband is on his fishing trip.

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

We got a small wire cage at Petsmart (its 24 inches long) one level, but we are being given a 3 story metal cage this weekend, its needs a good cleaning and painting so we will use the small cage for a while and fix the bigger one! NOW we just need the rat babies lol

 

[Stina]

You have to be careful of information from a pet store (this coming from someone who works in a petstore...)...I would take anything advised with a grain of salt...even if they have the same pet your are looking at at home. I couldn't tell you how many times I've had people come in with completely inaccurate advice from the store or "breeder" they got their animal from. As I said, I work in a petstore...and I even have a degree in animal sciences...but I don't want people to get ALL their information on an animal from me....I don't know everything...neither does anyone else.

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

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SOOO true, I can not count the times that I have stepped in when at a petstore and overheard an employee giving the wrong advice on pets, especially in the fish dept (selling cichlids with fancy goldfish) lol