Husbandry
is the biggest obstacle rat owners face. Although we love our furry
friends, at times they can be stinky and very messy. I have my nursery
cages sitting in my dining room, and most don't even notice them until
they hear their water bottle jiggle. The rest of the house smells
delightful! (Okay, maybe not delightful... but not like rats!)
The only time your house should smell like a rat bed is if you're not performing proper husbandry!
Do use an appropriate sized cage. For girls and boys alike, the bare minimum floor space should be 24" (twenty-four inches) long by 12" (twelve inches) wide for a single rat This is bare minimum. Rats will use as much room as you give them and I always recommend giving them more room. The more room, the happier the rat, the happier the owner!
Do not cram too many bodies in one small cage. This leads to sanitation issues and aggression, both of which result in death. If you love your pets, don't overcrowd them.
Do use a safe, proper bedding such as Aspen, Hemp, recycled newspaper (pulp), newspaper pellet or corncob. Pine and Cedar are NOT acceptable beddings. These beddings cause severe respiratory problems which eventually result in chronic pulomonary issues which result in....... death.
Do not spray anything in the air around your rats, including but not limited to potpourri, febreeze, oust sprays, air sanitizers, or other stinky smelly stuff that us humans find nice. Although it smells good, a rats respiratory system is a few dozen times more sensitive then ours. Again, this can cause severe respiratory problems.
Do clean their cage as often as needed to maintain clean, dry, sanitary conditions. For most people, this is about once a week. If your cage smells - clean it. If you clean it and it still smells - you're doing something wrong.
Do not house your rats in glass-sided or plexiglass sided cages. Some custom cages use plexiglass on the back, bottom, top and two sides -- these are acceptable provided you have a large wire front and plenty of air flow. The importance of ventilation is that decomposing droppings and urine give off ammonia -- which then stays in the cage and therefore in your ratties lungs. What does this lead to? You got it! Respiratory problems, which leads to chronic pulmonary issues, which leads to...... death.
Do give your rats safe toys and lots of play time. They'll love you for it! Be smart and check for loose threads or things for them to chew up that may possibly hurt them before letting them out of their cage(s). Tuck all appliance cords out of their reach and expect something to get peed on. It happens.
Do not punish your rat for peeing, chewing, nibbling, pooping or otherwise acting like a rat. They're doing what rats do. They do not and will not ever understand the concept of punishment.
Do feed a healthy, well-rounded food such as the diet sold on RatNutrition.com coupled with a 'pet block' diet that you can buy online or in any store. Pet store diets contain fillers that are nutritionally unsound (namely Alfalfa, which a rat can't digest, and things like dried corn -- which often contain fungus).
Do not share your carbonated drinks (soda, etc.) with your rats. Rats can't burp. Although we like to share, we've got to keep it to a minimum!
Do offer your ratties other choice morsels from your kitchen! Most fruits, veggies, pastas and some meats are readily accepted. Feeding your rattie meat is not going to make them aggressive, a little bit of protein is actually good for them and should be included in their diet in pelleted/block form. Stay away from nutritionally 'empty' foods such as iceburg lettuce and celery, and limit the naturally, highly sweet fruits. Too much water and sweets in a diet can lead to diarrhea. Oranges can be fed but should be peeled -- the peel itself as a carcinogenic. Never give them orange juice!
Do not give your rats too many sweets, and never give them licorice, blue cheese, raw dry beans (including peanuts), rat sweet potato, raw brussel sprouts, raw artichokes, green bananas, green potato skin and eyes, wild insects, rhubarb, raw bulk tofu (packaged is fine), orange juice, or raw onion. Be very very very careful feeding avocado and beets -- most parts of these are toxic and should be fed very very very carefully.
Do offer fresh water every day. Water should be changed daily, and the bottle should be scrubbed out once a week. If you're using a plastic bottle, it is a good idea to thoroughly clean or replace it every few months, to prevent excessive bacteria and algae building up.
Do not bath your rats in human shampoo -- use a rattie approved or mild kitten/puppy shampoo only. Be very delicate when washing your pet. Most rats enjoy water but only when its their idea. :)
Do give your pets tons of love and affection -- just like plants, ratties thrive and grow on attention as well as food and water! Furthermore, do ask for help any time you need it, whether its online, calling me up, or asking your vet or vet tech. If in doubt, ask someone who knows! I'm always happy to help.
