Getting started!

- Critter City

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CRITTER CITY
BY SANDRA CONTI- TODD OF ALLEXPERTS.COM

Home * sweet * home!

Part of a healthy rat is proper housing and bedding. Rats are natural climbers and are much happier when they have room to roam. When they are not loose and hanging around with you in a rat proofed room, they should have a pretty roomy cage to live in. The bigger the better. Powder coated wire cages are best compared to enclosed aquariums since ammonia from rat urine can build up fast, which is a big factor in causing myco flare ups. Studies have shown that wire cages are better when it comes to preventing chronic respiratory illnesses. Rats that live in wire cages have less of a chance of developing lung problems. They are also easier to clean and there are many options to chose from when buying a wire cage. As for the wire floors, many of us worry about their feet or legs getting stuck in between the bars which has happened alot to many rats. I used to cover

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mine using self stick on floor tiles but have also found that if you buy the plastic needlepoint canvas from any craft supply store or hobby store, that makes a great floor cover and this way any wetness like dripping water bottles or urine *but we plan to litter train our rats, remember? LOL!) can drip down and wont puddle on the solid floor like I have found can be very messy after a while. I also cover the floors with newspaper (soy ink only!) in some cages where my older less active rats do not disturb it and tear and shred it up. It works wonders and absorbs any urine. I change it out every day or as needed. I also give my rats white bounty paper towels and pad their houses and igloos. They end up shredding it to their own needs and enjoy building new nests when they get the old stuff changed out, which again is as needed depending on how polite our rats are as to not potty in their sleeping quarters. Most of my rats are polite enough to go out and do it in their litter pan but a few just simply go out, do it outside the igloo or hammock and return back ready to assume their comfortable sleeping position again! Must be nice huh?!

Safe cages! A Critter City thumbs up!

I am currently using a Ferret nation for two boys, originally had four boys but one passed away and the other rat went blind and had to move inot a single story cage so these two boys have this huge cage all to

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themselves!

Click the link below to determine how big of a cage you will need depending on the number of rats per cage! Cage Calculator (http://www.fancyrats.co.uk/information/habitat/cagecalculator/)

Beware of dangerous cages!! The bigger the better. You can never have too much room for your rat. Rats love to climb and run around so the more room to roam, the happier the rat will be. However, avoid cages that are not rat friendly and what I mean by that is...if the cage bars are more than say, 1/2 an inch apart, a young ratlet can squeeze through. I suggest starter cages for ratlets and when they reach about 4 months of age they can move up to the adult cage. Also with adult cages, beware of ramps that the rat can easily fall off of. Rats CAN get hurt despite the fact they are good climbers and great jumpers. They can break their legs, backs and yes, even their neck. I suggest suspending hammocks UNDER the drop offs of balconies and ramps to act as a safety net, regardless of how old the rat is. All rats are possible victims with these unfortunate but too common accidents so buy beware. Here is a perfect example of what cages to avoid due to the high ramps that are very dangerous for our rats. They are well suited for ferrets and in fact are sold for ferrets but some places sell to use for both ferrets and rats which is very dangerous to do. DANGEROUS CAGES! Just say NO!!

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Note how high the shelves are. Even though the first cage is geared for a ferret, a rat is shown next to the cage assuming the cage is safe for rats. The last cage in the first row is terribly dangerous. Note the high drop off. This cage is at least 4 to 4.5 feet tall. If the rat falls, it will hit into the ladders on the way down the entire 4 foot drop. I wouldnt even feel safe using hammocks as safety nets in these cages!!

Safe cages! A Critter City thumbs up!

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Temp, owned by Chelsea. The rat in the photo is NOT drinking pepsi, so please do not feed your rats soda.

Below are two examples of really nice wire cages for our fur kids!

I am currently using a Ferret nation for two boys, originally had four boys but one passed away and the other rat went blind and had to move inot a single story cage so these two boys have this huge cage all to themselves!

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Click the link below to determine how big of a cage you will need depending on the number of rats per cage! Cage Calculator (http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/habitat/cagecalculator/)

Beware of dangerous cages!! The bigger the better. You can never have too much room for your rat. Rats love to climb and run around so the more room to roam, the happier the rat will be. However, avoid cages that are not rat friendly and what I mean by that is...if the cage bars are more than say, 1/2 an inch apart, a young ratlet can squeeze through. I suggest starter cages for ratlets and when they reach about 4 months of age they can move up to the adult cage. Also with adult cages, beware of ramps that the rat can easily fall off of. Rats CAN get hurt despite the fact they are good climbers and great jumpers. They can break their legs, backs and yes, even their neck. I suggest suspending hammocks UNDER the drop offs of balconies and ramps to act as a safety net, regardless of how old the rat is. All rats are possible victims with these unfortunate but too common accidents so buy beware. Here is a perfect example of what cages to avoid due to the high ramps that are very dangerous for our rats. They are well suited for ferrets and in fact are sold for ferrets but some places sell to use for both ferrets and rats which is very dangerous to do. DANGEROUS CAGES! Just say NO!!

Note how high the shelves are. Even though the first cage is geared for a ferret, a rat is shown next to the cage assuming the cage is safe for rats. The last cage in the first row is terribly dangerous. Note the high drop off. This cage is at least 4 to 4.5 feet tall. If the rat falls, it will hit into the ladders on the way down the entire 4 foot drop. I wouldnt even feel safe using hammocks as safety nets in these cages!!

Safe cages! A Critter City thumbs up!

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Note how the levels are from one end of the cage to the other, creating shelf shelving for the rats. If the rat falls, it will land on the landing below it, and there is no drop off area that allows the rat to fall all the way to the bottom of the cage!

Here is my cage, the ferret nation: This cage is good for large adults only. Small petite rats or young rats can squeeze through the bars. However, many people have used hardware cloth to cover the entire cage and it looks great and keeps smaller rats inside safely where they belong. They also came out with the "Critter nation" after I bought the Ferret nation and the bars and much closer together, which is ideal for rats and other small fur babies.

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You can actually block off access to the top level and use it as two cages, it is that roomy!! It is easy to clean since the shelves come right out and the doors all open wide. Best cage I have ever had. I have just two lucky males rooming the entire cage right now but I did have four males that fit happily in it!

Here is a ferret nation cage like mine except the owner has used hardward cloth over the entire cage, cutting to size. This helps keep young rats or petite rats from escaping from the cage since the bars are far apart. The hardware cloth can be removed but it looks nice enough it can also stay if you chose to keep it on once the rats get bigger. You can purchase hardware cloth at any home improvement store or hardware store and its not expensive and fairly easy to use, but I would have some gloves handy just in case. It comes in a roll (as shown below)

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Below is a photo of aas a homemade cage made of hardware cloth. I do not endorse the design of this cage but wanted to use it as an example of how pliable hardware cloth is.

Chloe and Samantha scaling the sides of the cage. Both girls proudly loved by Gina S. of NJ.

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Rats should not be kept in aquariums. Not only do they have poor circulation that contributes to respiratory disease, but they limit the rat on what they like to do, from interacting with us through the cage bars to climbing the bars for exercise or just for the sheer pleasure of it. A rat has a strong natural instinct to scale a wall and what better way to do it than to climb around the cage bars like a monkey-rat.

A happy rat is a comfy, cozy rat!

Bella, owned by Gina S. of NJ, is one rat that believes in her comfort!

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Speaking of comfy.......ask Bambi what she thinks of her Slumber sack!

Rats love toys and comfy things to sleep on, in or under. You can add PVC pipes to their cages, thick climbing ropes among many other things, even cardboard shoeboxes etc....with various holes cut out. My rats love me for the empty oatmeal containers with holes cut out of each end. Safety is key so be sure they have more than one hole to get in and out of to avoid being trapped. Also check for anything a rat can snag his foot on or get his nails stuck in. I once had a mouse hanging upside down while her toenail was stuck on a wire I had used suspending a hanging toy horrible after that. SHe may have been hanging there for a good hour before I came home from work and found her that way. I check on my animals the minute I get in the door every single day! Next up....rattie comfort! Hammocks are very popular with rats but there are a few that decide they are more fun to chew up than sleep in so dont be discouraged if you have one of those ratties. When I had a large mischief of 36 rats, only 10 of them really liked their hammocks. Now I am down to just 5 rats and out of those 5, only none of the boys like them love them and prefer to sleep in plastic igloos or plastic houses with clean paper towels used for nesting changed out twice daily.

Fleece lined hidey hut

Hanging hidey hut

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Cuddle cup bed Plastic waffle house

Igloo houses

Fooferdomes, huh? Just what in the world is that? Well Its something that I just read about on The Dapper rat
(http://www.dapper.com.au/index.htm)

and loved them so much I had to put an ad here to share with the rest of the

rattie world. I think every rat should have one! One per every two rats even! Hey, why not, one per rat? LOL! Whatever the case, this UK based site offers them and you must check them out! There is even a story behind them and how they got their name. Click HERE (http://www.dapper.com.au/ramblings.htm#foofferdome) and scroll down to Fooferdome story in ratty ramblings! Its a typical funny rattie story we can all relate too!

Uk Ratties, Itsy and Bitsy Owned by Miss Denise

Foofferdomes (http://www.ratlymanor.com.au/Rattie%20Accessories.htm)

Here are some examples of hammocks that rats love to cuddle and cozy in along with a few other popular rat hide-a-ways.

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A perfect example of a pocket hammock that can be hung from the cage! Check out more like this here: Rattie world O' comfort (http://home.earthlink.net/%7Emdjkarr4/data/pocketful.html) More rattie hammocks and toy ideas can be found at the following links: The Dapper rat (http://www.dapper.com.au/hammocks.htm#pocket) This site has great ideas for rattie toys too. Be sure to check out the entire site that is UK based! Rattie hammocks and snuggle bags (http://www.geocities.com/housemouserat/sewing.html) Rat toy ideas from the RMCA (http://www.rmca.org/Articles/toys.htm) DIY rat toys (http://www.rmca.org/Articles/toys.htm) Hanging hidey huts/fleece lined round hidey house (http://www.equinecaninefeline.com/catalog/small-animals_rats_rathammocks.html)

(http://www.rmca.org/Articles/toys.htm)

Finally, one more thing that comes up from time to time is this: Do rats like exercise wheels? This is a tough one. Mine never liked them. I have had my rats make fabulous nests within their wheels. However, many other rat owners declare their rats love their wheel and use it faithfully. One thing to keep in mind is that many wheels are dangerous to small animals and can cause injury to their feet and tails. Some small animals can be trapped under a wheel and even fatally injured if another animal gets on the wheel. Its important to use a wheel with caution and to buy proper wheels that are safe and approved for use with small animals. The "only" wheel I can honestly say is made to be safe for small animals is the Wodent Wheel (http://www.transoniq.com/)

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Sweet Wilbur, owned by Erin

Litter and bedding: The dangers of pine, cedar and corn cob bedding

Next up of course is litter. It is a proven fact that pine and cedar is very unhealthy for any small animal. Why it is still being sold in petstores is beyond me. You will not find one website anywhere on the net that says it is safe to be used for any small animal at all. Pine and cedar are very dangerous for rats because of the phenol oils. These oils have been proven to cause serious respiratory problems and also liver problems (elevated liver enzymes) in rats. They are also know carcingogens as well. Corn cob litter is just terrible all the way around, from the fact it is hard and jagged for our rats tender tootsies to the fact if they injest it, it can cause fatal blockage to the intestines and also when allowed to remain damp from urine, even for several hours in warm conditions, fungal spores found in the damp corn cob litter can cause a very toxic mold. Avoid using this litter just the same as you would avoid the cedar and pine. A good way to remember what litter may be bad for the litter: If it smells strong and has a nice aroma to it, it is not good for the rats!! Click link for more information: The Toxicity of Pine and Cedar Shavings (http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html) The best bet is to use aspen, pine pellets, yesterdays news, care fresh or hemp litter. I love the hemp litter the best and have no problems with allergies or sneezing when using it. Below are a few photos to give you a visual of what you will be looking for in the stores or online.

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Aspen supreme pellets, Carefresh, Hemp, Shredded Aspen and Yesterdays news. All are approved to use for small animals. Opinions vary on each product.

Here are a few links for popular vendors that carry quality rat cages:

(http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/)

(http://www.buycages.com/rat.html) (http://www.qualitycage.com/rat.html)

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Rats need exercise & play time!!

Rats need exercise and play time out of the cage and time spent with their owner. These creatures bond with their keeper and once a play time pattern is established, the rat will look forward to coming out of the cage and running around exploring. You should set aside at least an hour a day for your rats to come out and play. They should be kept in a safe area with access to fun toys they get only during playtime, switching them out every few days so they do not get bored with the same toys. I do not believe in letting your rat free range because no matter how rat proofed you think your home is, chances are you missed something and this mistake could be deadly. Please read the article on this page about the dangers of free roaming: All about rat care
(http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/allaboutratcare.htm)

One way to keep your rats safe is to invest in a play yard. You can pick them up at most pet stores and you can make it as big as you want, buying two of them if you want and making a huge circle, keeping the rats cage within the circle so they can come and go as they please during play time. If the rats are still small, they probably will fit through the spacing of the wires and also some rats just spend their time climbing it to get out, so another genius idea comes from The Dapper rat, and it is a really easy to make cardboard pen simply made by using flattened boxes. If they are high enough the rat cannot jump it and they cannot climb it either.

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Card board play area

Critter play pen

Perfect example of what rats can find interesting to do when they are given the chance!!

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Curious Josehpine owned by Miss Robin of Evergreen rattery!

(http://www.evergreenrattery.com/)

TOYS! TOYS! and more TOYS!

The ideas are endless, you just need to be creative!! I love to give my rats old boxes and turn them into big cardboard castles etc.... and it keeps them busy exploring, chasing each other and even giving it a gnaw or two here and there. Here are a few ideas from people that have sent in ideas to me:

Rats LOVE to build nests like this little rat is doing in the photo above!! Giving them a big roll of toilet paper or paper towels will amuse them for hours! (white only, no prints!)

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Plastic PVC pipes found at hard ware stores are inexpensive fun!

What fun it is to play with shredded paper!!

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One of my rats favorites is to play in a paper bag!!

A digging box with clean potting soil and edible cat grass is a hit. A messy hit but at least the rats have fun! Another genius idea from The Dapper rat!!

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Although this is sold for ferrets at Petsmart, my rats LOVE it! Its hollow inside allowing them to climb up into the other levels. Only problem is, you cant toss it in the washing machine should you have an overly excited rattie that leves trails of piddle (urine, respectively:)

Rats love bright colors and will be climbing all over this! Sold at Petsmart in the ferret section.

Yet another ferret toy that rats love, sold in many pet stores including Petco and Petsmart, you can find it on the web as well. Rats will have a blast climbing in the center of the octopus or in the 6 hollowed out "legs"! I think this is adorable!! It can be tossed in the washing machine too which makes it earn an A+ in my book!!!

HEALTHY DIET

Healthy diet is important for a healthy life!

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It would be nice if we could walk into a pet store and purchase nutritious rat food right off the shelf, but unfortunately it is not the case. Most foods at the pet store are GARBAGE! Seed mixes are the worst, being too high in protein and fats and just all around not good for your rats.

Watch that protein!!!!!

Rats should have no more than 15% protein in their diet with pregnant and hairless rats not to exceed 18%. High protein diets are linked to kidney disease later in life. Of course we are all aware of watching fats in the rats diet just like we should our own. A fat rat, although squishy and cuddly, are NOT healthy rats. They die prematurely from heart disease, diabetes or strokes. Please check out the diet page for all the info you need on properly feeding your rat: Rats and a healthy diet: CLICK HERE
(http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/ratsandahealthydiet.htm)

Spays and neuters!

Ok, so now you have your rat (s) and as I suggested before on the home page, rats need to be with other rats so they should be kept in same sex pairs. Members of the opposite sex can get along just dandy as long as at least one of them has been fixed (spayed or neutered, in other words) If possible I would suggest both. For starters, neutered male rats tend to smell less, be more submissive, dont tend to "mark" with their urine which actually never bothered me like it does some folks because I know its the rats way of accepting us as part of the mischief!!! There is no truth to the myth that neutering male rats will extend their life like it can with female rats, which I will get to that in a second or three. It will prevent testicular tumors, abcesses from developing

SPAYS AND NEUTERS!!

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since, of course, they wont have testicles...thats almost a no brainer. lol! What about female rats? What about spaying my girls? Well, the theory is the same for rats as it is with dogs. Both female rats and female dogs are prone to mammary tumors. Spaying at an early age will help prevent them from developing, which usually begins after menopause, which is around 18 months in female rats. Estrogen is what fuels tumors in mammary tissues. Once the estrogen levels sky rocket, it starts the ball rolling for the mammary tumors to develop, which is why the tumors seem to keep growing back even after they are removed. Its frustrating to say the least!! You must have an experienced vet for your rats no matter what, but especially for surgery. Now dont freak out and get all scared on me when you read this but I am sure you realize that there are risks with surgery, from the anesthesia being a slight risk to possible bleeding both during surgery and post op, as well as problems healing, problems with the rat pulling at the stitches, problems with infection. The good news is that when you have a vet that is experienced and has all of the proper implements needed to provide a safe surgery, these risks decrease immensely. A male rat can be neutered two ways: through the scrotum or through the abdomen. Scrotal neutering is said to be faster to heal yet it can pose a risk of abscessing a few days to even several weeks after surgery. This is why antibiotics are very critical after a neuter as is proper pain relief. The first 48 hours, the males tend to have cramping, esp if they are neutered via the scrotum which many vets tend to like to do. Narcotic pain medication can be dispensed safely for the first 48 hours. Some vets that are less than up to par in studying rat behavior believe that they should be allowed to have some discomfort and withhold the stronger pain medication, giving them only an NSAID like metacam, which is just the same as advil. The vet fears the rat will feel "too good" and will attempt to move around alot or even pick the stitches. The TRUTH is, rats have a super fast metabolic rate, which is one reason the pain medication will not knock them for a loop (they burn through it fast) but also, they feel better and although they will still feel a bit of discomfort, they know their limits and will not be any more mobile than they would if they were on metacam. Also, through my experiences over the many many years of owning rats and working with rats, I have documented rat behavior post op both on narcotic pain relief and metacam or tramadol. Ironically, much to the traditional vets belief, the rats on the NSAIDS were more likely to rip at their stitches than the rats that had more pain relief from narcotics. Why? Its pretty simple really: The rat in pain is pulling the stitches trying to get pain relief thinking if they remove the stitches the pain will subside while the rat with less pain leaves the stitches alone and is comfortable enough to curl up and sleep it off instead. If only people would use their heads a little, its not really hard to figure out how rats think. They think alot like we do...a bit more primitive, perhaps, but they still have more common sense than some people would like

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to give them credit for. As for female rats...I vowed after losing my last female to mammary tumors last July 2007, (2 months shy of her 4th birthday) that I would never own another female and allow her to remain intact. Female rats should be spayed at a young age, I prefer around 3 to 4 months old. Doing it this early will give her more of a chance to live her life tumor free. Next time I own a pair of females, they will be spayed. This I promise. Most female rats I have owned have had at least one mammary tumor in her life, and some have had more than one. Please see my page on tumors and treatments available for more information. All about tumors: Click here (http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/allabouttumors.htm)

Critter City 2004 Webmaster: Sandra Conti-Todd All rights reserved.

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