I am going to adopt a rat from the shelter!!!

[Maureen Las]

We got in a stray male rat several weeks ago whose skin looked really bad. We just got him to the vet yesterday and he is being treated for lice that are not contagious to anything other than other rats.

he is very sweet and endured the vet visit and the bath back at the shelter without a whimper or any attempts to bite.

I feel that he is mine for some strange reason??? and plan to adopt him .
I have had rats before but this time I want to make sure I have the best type of cage for him as some of them ( untreated wire)can cut their little feet apart.
Can anyone here (where is Amy?) give me advice on the best kind of cage to buy for him. The vet named him Merlin ..

Even though the lice are not contagious Jim won't let me bring him home until he has been throughly treated.

Also is it safe to give a rat a large wheel to run in if it is solid????
what is the best website for rat info ???

Thanks
Maureen

 

[Boz]

Congrats on your new rattie!

I've seen some amazing cages for rats! Here is a link to a few.
http://www.geocities.com/ratsonthehill/cagecrafts.html

Also here are other helpful links:
http://www.nfrs.org/index.html
http://www.afrma.org/
http://www.glfra.com/ (haven't fully looked through)


Oh, and from what I heard, they LOVE hammocks!

 

[Maureen Las]

Oh thank you ; I'm going to read it now!!!!

 

[hartleybun]

i wish you and this rat well. hubby drew the line at another rat when my beloved whiskers passed on:X just because the cage took up half the kitchen:biggrin2: my 'cage' had a plastic base and a plastic mezzanine floor. i also had a hammock and a tunnel, which whiskers and his predecessor, rizzo, luved. they also had a large igloo in which i put the bedding. i gave them toys suitable for a parrot - these seemed to be the only thing that could cope with a rat!

not that they were in the cage much - both of them loved to ride on my shoulder or apron pouch. am now waiting for eldest child to leave home so's i can turn his bedroom into a sewing room cum rattery

i know they are not to everyone's taste but i've found rats to be intelligent and great companions who keep their cages very clean and do not smell

 

[undergunfire]

YES! Another rattie slave !

Congrats on getting a rattie! Does the shelter know approximately how old he is? I'd look into that and getting him neutered, so he can have a rattie friend. Very rarely will you find rats that like to live alone, but most rats thrive on rat-to-rat companionship. If he was neutered, he might settle down better with a female. The only reason why I say to neuter is because neutered male rats are just so "squishy" and mellow and it is better for their health. I also say to neuter so that intro's (bonding) rats would probably go easier for you that way. My neutered boys took right to the girls...they just swoon over them!

Solid wheels are totally fine. Many of us go with Silent Spinners or Wodent Wheels.

As for a cage...you should look into the Super Pet My First Home for Exotics. If you really want to go spacey and use comfy fleece/towels as bedding (less waste and smell!) then you could go with a Critter Nation made by Midwest or Martin's cages. If you go with a Martin's, I can help you chose which one to get.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753352
http://www.allpetfurniture.com/Midwest-Homes-For-Pets-161-MDW1243.html
http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/


As for food....Oxbow makes rattie food, but many rats won't eat it for some reason, even though it is a high quality food for rats. As far as I know, Oxbow is trying to change their rat food to make it more appealing to rats. You could also get Harlan Teklad blocks offline (pretty cheap!). I use a high quality dog food and make my own grain mixture...this is pretty popular diet among rat people. If you'd like....I could go more indepth about that and show you pictures of my mix. I like to feed the grain mixture because it has a lot of variety....I even change up the mix each time I make a new batch every month. Rats LOVE variety and it keeps "life" interesting.

www.theratshop.com



I have to get off now to get ready for work, even though I have more information to share with you. I will leave you with a rat forum to check out. It's the most popular and has lots of information and fun things to read about. Sometimes the members there can be a bit harsh, but the mods have really cracked down lately it seems.

http://www.goosemoose.com


Oh....and if you'd accept it, let me send you some hammocks in the mail. I make and sell them, but I'd like to send some gifts to you're new rattie friend :biggrin2:.

 

[Maureen Las]

OMG thank you Amy !!

The rat is an adult male. it is hard for me tell his age (I am not really rat saavy only basic knowledge) I will look at his teeth when I go to the shelter maybe that will help you

I will also post his pic...
I have rats before but I don't think I had a good enough set-up for them.

I will read this and go by everything you suggest as I know that you are our " Rat Randy"
I thought 2 males could be introduced to each other but maybe it is only sibsl I will have problems with Jim allowing a neuter now,

anyway I don't have time to read all this now but I will send you my address later
You are wondeful to help me like this

:hugsquish:
thanks and you will be hearing a lot from me.

I looked at a lot of cages on-line yesterday and get confused when they don'ttell the width of the bars and it could be used for ferret or rats??.I also am concerned about the wirestairs and platforms yet know they chew plastic
I will go with a medium size cage that fits 2 rats well... but haven't looked at the links yet. i will seek out your opinion. first.

Idid look at martin cages, and also extreme cages and one with an italian name marchiori or something

Maureen

 

[Happi Bun]

Usually cages listed for ferrets have 1 inch bar spacing, which smaller ratties can squeeze out of. The great thing about Martins Cages is they are escape proof and all the wire is safe for rattie feet. I still cover my guys levels with fleece liners though.

Two males can absolutely be introduced, I have 4 rattie males and volunteer for a Rat Sanctuary. My three boys had no problems; two are brothers and one is unrelated, none of them are neutered. I originally rescued Zee (around 6 months old) then ended up rescuing the two brothers (Kip and Bear) at 6 weeks old. After quarantine I did slow introductions in neutral territory but they were all totally fine. They've been living together very peacefully. I feel it did help that they were babies when introduced to Zee, he acts like a big brother and keeps them in line.

Here is my boys cage, it's the Martins R-695 with powder-coated wire, which you want to make sure and get, galvanized wire will retain odor.

 

[undergunfire]

angieluv wrote:

The rat is an adult male. it is hard for me tell his age (I am not really rat saavy only basic knowledge) I will look at his teeth when I go to the shelter maybe that will help you

I will also post his pic...

A picture will definitely help more than a tooth picture, you can't tell a rat's age by his teeth. I could probably tell from a picture by his bone structure. I had to do that when I got my old man rat, Spartie.



I thought 2 males could be introduced to each other but maybe it is only sibsl I will have problems with Jim allowing a neuter now,

Two males can most definitely be intro'd together. It really depends on the rat. I just figured it might be easier for you, personally, since you are pretty new to rats and don't know yet how you're new boy will react to rats...I just thought neutering him and getting him a lady friend would be easier and more worry-free for you. You can't exactly take rats on "dates" like you can with bunnies.

I always suggest neutering males now, providing their health/age allows it. My boys are all neutered and I just prefer them that way....they are so much more laid back and "chill", but yet can still be crazy young "studs" when they want to be .

Ultimately, it is you're decision between neuters, male friends or female friends. It is honestly more of a preference. As long as you follow the "bonding" guide lines, you could definitely get you're rattie living with another rat.



anyway I don't have time to read all this now but I will send you my address later
You are wondeful to help me like this

You are very welcome! I'll get started on you're stuff this weekend! Rats just need those comfy hammies and beds .



I looked at a lot of cages on-line yesterday and get confused when they don'ttell the width of the bars and it could be used for ferret or rats??

A lot of sites should tell you the bar spacing. I know the cages I listed for you all have rat appropriate spacing.



I also am concerned about the wirestairs and platforms yet know they chew plastic.

While there are rats who are chewers and will chew anything (even their cage)...there are more rats in my opinion that would rather chew apart their fleece or towel liners or their hammocks before chewing plastic. I just give my rats lots of fleece scraps to shred, dog toys, cat toys, cardboard tubes & rings, etc. Rats like stimulation...so toys will keep them busy. I've never had a rat chew on the SP Exotics cage (had that cage before, but needed a bigger one), but I have seen other people's rats chew right through the base.....it was females more than males .




I will go with a medium size cage that fits 2 rats well... but haven't looked at the links yet. i will seek out your opinion. first.

Personally, I think you should go for a Martin's. I am going to be ordering one very soon, even though I looove my Ferret Nation and my Critter Nation....there comes a time when I need to look at the overall picture and go with the cage that is going to be better for my rats, rather than myself. I say that because the Martin's I am going to order will take up less space in the animal room, but yet will have more levels and height for the rats. I love the FN and CN because of the huuuge double doors (makes cleaning a breeze), but in order to get all my rats living in the same cage, I would need to have a loooong/large because the CN doesn't have an "add-on" unit for the top....


Here is the double CN, what I would have to do if I wanted all my rats to live together instead of buying a Martin's....but mine would just be the bottom sections, not the top levels. This is Colie's cage from goosemoose...

And here is the Martin's I want. This is Marsha's cage on goosemoose....

 

[Maureen Las]

These cages that both of you have created are truly awesome; such lucky rats....

Now here' the story with Merlin. I had him out at the shelter today and his skin really still looks bad although I think this will take time; he stil has dark danfruffy specks in his coat and bald spots . I petted him and played with him and he is starting to show some personality; he has totally been neglected.

I think that he is older because his teeth look darker; but I don't care becauseI want to give him a good last part of his life
I actually saw the petsmart cage today. I liked it a lot but was somewhat concerned about the plastic (but Amy I am less concerned now) I also like that a wheel and hammock was already in it.
I am l willing go with a martin cage that is in that same size and price range as the petsmartcage.
I thought he should have a wheel and wasn't sure about fitting it into a martin cage or even what kind of wheel

Ibought him a big plastic wheel for chinchillas and big rats (for his shelter cage) and he hasn't used it yet but i don't think he hasfelt that great. .

So which Martin cage should I get . I probably would not have more than 2 rats. Merlin is really quite big.

i will download his pic right now

give me a minute....

and thank guys...

 

[pocketsizedrhino]

If I were you I'd get the 680 or the 695. The minimum footprint should be 18x30" so the 690 isn't too great. The 685 is fine too but the space is used strange (in my opinion) and you can only access most of the cage with the front door since that top floor blocks the flip top lid. Make sure you get powder-coated!! The pictures on the website are outdated but the 695 has nice giant doors now.

Use a rat cage calculator to help you decide! Always round down, if it says 3 you should put 2 max. Here is a link to one! http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml Make sure you change it to inches!

I wouldn't go by his teeth to tell his age. Once his skin and fur heal you'll have a better time figuring out his age just by how he looks and moves around.

I'm happy you're taking this poor guy home! I have three boys, two are neutered and they were all introduced to one another between 3 and 18 months of age! This is the cage my boys live in: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753322

 

[Maureen Las]

 

[Maureen Las]

 

[Maureen Las]

pocketsizedrhino wrote:

If I were you I'd get the 680 or the 695. The minimum footprint should be 18x30" so the 690 isn't too great. The 685 is fine too but the space is used strange (in my opinion) and you can only access most of the cage with the front door since that top floor blocks the flip top lid. Make sure you get powder-coated!! The pictures on the website are outdated but the 695 has nice giant doors now.

Use a rat cage calculator to help you decide! Always round down, if it says 3 you should put 2 max. Here is a link to one! http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml Make sure you change it to inches!

I wouldn't go by his teeth to tell his age. Once his skin and fur heal you'll have a better time figuring out his age just by how he looks and moves around.

I'm happy you're taking this poor guy home! I have three boys, two are neutered and they were all introduced to one another between 3 and 18 months of age! This is the cage my boys live in: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753322

Thanks

That is a great cage but aren't the bars too wide because it's a ferret cage???

 

[Maureen Las]

This is the one I saw today


http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753352

 

[undergunfire]

The SP Exotics cage is pretty good, you just need to make sure you wipe down the shelves multiple times a day because they collect pee and poop. Rats can be "somewhat" litter trained. Mine pee and poo in their litter boxes probably 50% of the time. You can totally train them to poo in there....but rats dribble pee, so a lot of them won't litter box train for pee.

I would also go with a R-680 or R-695 as the Martin's cage, as suggested. I think you can fit up to 5 rats in a 695, but I am unsure of a 680....maybe 3? In my opinion....the amount of rats per cage really differs. Example....I am getting a Martin's cage that is said to hold 8 rats. I am putting 9 in it. Why? Because Spartan is 3 years old and won't be around much longer....that will leave the cage at it's maximum of 8 rats. Now should you ever really put the max in a rat cage? Well...not if they don't get lots of out of cage time and you keep the cage really clean. Also...my rats are all pretty lazy (especially the 5 boys)....so it really also depends on their personalities.


By the looks of it from the first picture (hard to tell in the others), Merlin looks over 1.5 years, definitely...maybe closer to 2 years. Are his eyes dull or his face looking "scruffy"? Could you get some better shots of him, maybe bigger pictures too?

Here is Spartan at almost 3 years old....

You can tell his eyes are more "tired" and his face is "old man-ish". He is a rex rat, so his face is a bit more scruffy.




Ohhh....also, some rats just will not use wheels. A lot of rats are said to be too smart to use a wheel or most are just plain lazy and prefer to sleep while in their cage. Females are more geared to use wheels over males. Personally, I think a cage should be just for eating, sleeping, and pottying. I think all the real fun and exercise happens when they get to play out of their cage every day. I am definitely getting a wheel for my new Martin's, though, just to offer it to the girls because I know they would probably use it.

 

[pocketsizedrhino]

Boys typically can't wriggle out of 1" spacing. You have to watch out for babies and females. My boys all weigh between 400 and 650 grams which is plenty big for 1" spacing. I got the cage used for a good deal and I have a back up cage so I wasn't worried at them potentially escaping. There are a lot of people who keep boys in 1". I have a friend who has 4 girls in a cage with 1" bar spacing but two of them can squeeze out of they really want to so she keeps them in her bathroom with the door shut. The general rule is that if they can fit their eyes through then the rest of their body can fit. I have a 12" silent spinner wheel that two of them run on and like. One of the boys wasn't introduced to it until he was almost a year and he caught on in about two weeks. The other was at least 6 months when he started using it and it only took him two days or so... he is now absolutely crazy on it and shakes the cage when he sprints!

I agree, he does look at least 1.5 years. Here is my boy almost that age:

He is slower than my two younger boys and much much calmer. He has developed an old lazy way about him.

(by the way, hey Amy! This is Heidi from goosemoose!)

 

[undergunfire]

Hey, Heidi (as in evilhobbitgirl?):biggrin2:! I didn't know you had a bunny (or did I?!) h34r2?


One thing Maureen should consider about getting a cage with 1" bar spacing is the future. If she gets a baby boy to be friends with Merlin, then chances are that baby could squeeze out. Same thing with females.

Maureen....what kind of diet is Merlin on right now? Are you overwhelmed with rattie information?! Haha....just watch out....they will soon rule you're entire world.

 

[Maureen Las]

I might get a baby rat in the future so i do have to be careful about the bars.
if the Martins have powdered wire bottoms can a rat still get sore feet from that or should I cover the bottoms ?


IfI want a wheel can Ifit a wheel into a martin cage like 680 or 695?

Itake it the 695 is better than the 680 because it is larger. I looked at them all last night. I would have them open at the top also and spend the extra $10.00

When I had females they used a wheel

I don't plan to have females because the males are more laid back but I want them to have a chance at a wheel if they want one.

The rat is eating s*** diet of just rat cubes at the shelter

I buy high quality dog food for my dogs ; one dog has an allergy soI buy Blue dry rice and lamb
Could they eat that ?
I am interested in the correct diet for him. not just a junk diet

also I give merlin a little bit of the greens I bring for the guinea pigs and rabbits

Iam not overwhelmed because you are telling me everything and I am not having to look it up

Thanks

Maureen

 

[Maureen Las]

I'll get his face in in a pic; his eyes do not really look old but something about him doesn't look young either LOL
With the skin problems he is really a mess

 

[Happi Bun]

Oh Amy, Spartan is adorable and so very handsome!

A wheel will fit fine in the 695 and in the 680. The doors are wide enough on both cages to not cause a problem. You say he's on a diet of rat cubes, so I'm guessing they are feeding him lab blocks? Which actually aren't the worst thing they could be feeding. Of course quality is an issue I'm sure. Not all Lab Blocks are created equal. I cant help with the dog food question, I will leave that to the others since I have no experience with that. My guys main diet consists of Harlan Teklad blocks and a homemade organic grain mix.