My new pet rat. Meet Earl...

[Fishkeeper]

Good start, but make sure to aim a fan or something like it into his pen to make sure it's properly ventilated, and get him a male friend or two ASAP. Rats are extremely social and their health can suffer if they're kept alone.

 

[Kiki]

Congrats on your new rattie! He looks like a doll. I would really suggest getting him a (male!) rat friend. Rats are incredibly social creatures, even more so than chickens, and will get depressed without companionship. They can actually die of loneliness!
On that note, you mentioned buying an aquarium for him. I would also suggest getting your money back and buying a cage; not only is the ventilation very important for their delicate respiratory systems, the multiple levels and climbing bars are very stimulating for their active brains.

The best rat food on the market is Harlan Teklad lab blocks
https://www.amazon.com/Nesom-Distributing-Envigo-Formerly-Harlan/dp/B00N0DEDT8
and Mazuri kibble.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...57&sr=8-11&keywords=mazuri+rat+and+mouse+diet
Dog food isn’t very healthy long term unfortunately, and the seed mixes you find at pet stores are the equivalent to feeding chickens only scratch (it’s junk food). In my years of owning rats, Harlan teklad was their favorite and produced very low-odor poops.

Sorry to harp on you, just some important pointers for basic health. He looks like a keeper haha, makes me miss owning the little rascals. Best of luck!

 

[mountainbunny]

.. so just curious, what are some good toys for a rat?

 

[Ginmary]

I miss our rats. We had our boys neutered so they wouldn't dribble on us (equivalent to animals spraying) and also so they could live with their mom and sisters. It has been a couple of years but I remember that there is an ingredient in many commercial rat foods that is not healthy. I believe it starts with an E. I will try to find the name the next time I am in a pet store or see if I could Google it.

Also, just like we have this site for our chickens, there's groups for rats. Try "Petratenthusiats" That was my favorite go to forum.

 

[Kiki]

I miss our rats. We had our boys neutered so they wouldn't dribble on us (equivalent to animals spraying) and also so they could live with their mom and sisters. It has been a couple of years but I remember that there is an ingredient in many commercial rat foods that is not healthy. I believe it starts with an E. I will try to find the name the next time I am in a pet store or see if I could Google it.

Also, just like we have this site for our chickens, there's groups for rats. Try "Petratenthusiats" That was my favorite go to forum.

I almost lost it at the word dribble.

 

[Ginmary]

Toys: take toilet paper rolls. put some treats in them and close the ends. If you go to the babyfood section at a Walmart or a Target, they have baby finger food, like Puffs or such. They love them as treats. They come in different fruit flavors. They also love hammocks to climb on and nap.

 

[Kiki]

I bet you could cut up and tie an old t-shirt to make a hammock.

 

[Ginmary]

Pet rat enthusiast I spelled enthusiast wrong in my first post....

 

[Kiki]

Pet rat enthusiast I spelled enthusiast wrong in my first post....

I didn't notice.

 

[Ginmary]

Don't laugh, I use to buy child's shorts in the dollar store to hang up as hammocks or pass through tunnels. Their knit hats also make good nap caves