interested in adopting pet rat(s)

Question
QUESTION: To begin, I do not own any rats yet, but am interested in adopting and in doing research on the subject, have many mixed answers to my questions.  I have searched the web, bought a few how to books and asked questions at 3 area pet stores- all with different advice.  I have many pets- cats, birds, mice, frogs and fish- and am very interested in rats.  I'd like to adopt 1 hairless female, but am told 2 are better and this is not a problem.  Can I get a hairless and a regular haired rat and put them in the same cage- if I get them both as youngsters?  I have a large climate controlled room for my fish, frogs and mice- so cats do not have access to them unsupervised.  But, can I have rats in the same room as my mice?  I have been told that this should not be done as it is stressful for the mice.  Can mice and rats exchange diseases?  I plan to purchase all needed supplies- cage, exercise wheel, hut, toys over the next few weeks. I have bedding, food and treats- seem to use same as mice.  After everything is set up, I'll purchase the rats.  Any other advice you have to offer to a first time rat owner?  Thanks in advance for your time and advise.

ANSWER: Hi Debbie


First of all, welcome to the world of rats.  You will find them to be one of the best pets you have ever had.  
For starters, two rats are better than one. However, if you plan on having females, you must consider spaying them between 3 and 5 months of age to avoid mammary tumors that develop after they go through menopause, usually between 14 and 18 months of age.  The chance that they will develop mammary tumors if they are not spayed are as great as 75% or more.  Pituitary tumors are also common with intact females and are always fatal. Chances are 60% that the intact female will develop pituitary tumor as she ages.  Males can develop both mammary tumors and pituitary tumors but it is not common.  Also, if the male does develop a mammary tumor, it is easily removed and they usually dont develop more, while the female can produce tumors every few months once she starts developing them.  They are produced by high levels of estrogen associated with menopause.  Please read up on this on my Critter city site. It is best to arm yourself with accurate information prior to becoming a rat owner rather than learning from your mistakes as the rat will be the one that has to suffer for them.  I see your already doing this, though, simply by writing to me and asking questions and also by asking pet stores for advice etc.... so I applaud you for wanting to learn all you can learn before getting them.  Many people get them and have no idea what is going on and thats bad.
Anyhow, I love all rats, but have seen too many mammary tumors in my rats and other rats too that I am not strictly an all male owner now, when I do end up with more girls some day I will spay right away so I dont have to watch my girls go through tumor growth again.

As for diet....no, rats do not benefit from the same diet mice have.  Rats should not be fed commercial seed mixes sold at pet stores.  The mixes contain seeds and hard dried corn that carries known carcinogens and even toxins from mold particles. The seeds are loaded with fat and its all too high in protein, which rats need to avoid. Rats should have a low protein, low fat diet and protein should not exceed 15% or this can contribute to kidney disease.  Please read my webpage on proper diet.  You can make your own rat mix and also feed them fresh veggies and fruits and even white chicken meats etc....it  saves money and you dont have to worry about if they are eating enough.  Not side by side, although I did keep my mice on top of my rat cage and there were no problems. The rats never went near the mice etc....

Rats and mice do not share the same disease. Everything is  usually species specific.

Also, watch where you get your information from.  Many petstores are NOT accurate with their advice and will sell you seed mixes and may even sell you females that are pregant. Some think rats cant become pregnant till they are 4 months old but the truth is, males are sexually reproductive around 5 WEEKS and females can get pregnant at 6 weeks, which is all very bad.  

I have had clients tell me that the pet store sold them three females only to later find one of the females was really a MALE because they could not identify the males testicles due to inexperience and also the fat that males have an open inguinal canal which allows the male rat to draw his testicles up inside his body. Someone that lacks experience with rats may not realize this and therefore they assume the rat is female.  SURPRISE SURPRISE!  And the worst part is, they end up with not one, but two pregnant rats because the pet store sold them two females and a male, by mistake, of course, but a mistake that should NOT have happened.

The cage should be roomy and free from drafts.  Check out my webpage about GETTING STARTED and you can also find out how to make a fun play area for the rats.  I do not suggest keeping the rats on the bed, couch or table for play time.  Too many bad things can happen, like falls from the table, or getting stuck in between the springs inside the sofa etc...  its best to let the roam on the floor, but in an enclosed area, like a pen.  Having a fence for a pen is not good because they will spend half their time climbing the fence to get out.  I prefer  using a cardboard wall at least 3 feet high so they cant jump.  I use one for my new babies and I sit in it and they run all over and play with the toys I provide for them etc... check out what the cardboard wall looks like. It was thought up by a lady named Robin from the UK who has a terrific website called THE DAPPER RAT and she created the cardboard wall and the idea just took off and now I suggest all rat owners make one.  You can fold it up when its not in use, but mine wraps around most of the room so I keep most of it up since the room is a rat room, rabbit room and hermit crab room too.  LOL

Last but not least, yes you can have a hairless rat with a furred rat, no problem.  Keep in mind hairless rats are not without problems of their own.  Since they do not have eyelashes, they are prone to eye infection due to debris getting stuck in the eye. Also, they lack a thymus gland which means they have a weaker immune system than furred rats.  last but not least, they require a bit more protein, around 18%, so you can increase it by adding a scrambled egg a few times a week to her diet or cooked beef livers.  A great source of animal protein.        


Anyhow here is the link to my site:

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/index.htm

Start with GETTING STARTED and read up on proper diet too. Its best to go over as much as you can so you are loaded with accurate info on proper rat care.  The knowledge you will gain can even aid a vet that may be a bit inexperienced and you can even help by sharing what you know about rat care.  I do suggest finding a vet NOW before you need one.   I can help find one, just let me know your location.


Also, have you looked for a breeder in your area? Or a shelter, or the dog pound?  I have rescued rats from the dog pound too, when they were ready to be put to sleep.   


Please let me know once you have gone over the critter city site.  Be sure to see the ABOUT ME page to meet me and my past and previous rats.  I have a page that is all about my new baby rats that is titled  WATCH MY RATS GROW.  I think you will enjoy that.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sandra:

Thank you so much for all the valuable information!  I have read your entire web site- critter city site- from top to bottom- several times in fact.  While many of my questions have been answered, I now feel that I am no where near ready for this adoption.  The cage itself is a bigger expense than I anticipated- advertised rat cages are really all inappropriate.  Looks like ferret cages are a better choice.  Not a huge factor, just want to shop a bit more and make the best selection.  My biggest set back is local vets.  Have not really found one that knows that much about rodents.  I bring my mice to one, but for eye infections and respiratory problems- definitely not for surgery!  All area pet stores sell only females rodents (not sure why) and I have yet to locate a breeder close enough by to look into males.  So I will have to find a vet that can spay rats and be able to treat possible tumors later on.  Want this all in place before I adopt.  I was surprised about the food differences between mice and rats-all the bags say mouse/ rat food.  I'm now re-researching mouse food.  I've had 2 mice die of "asthma" related problems, but now think it may have been food related- most mouse food mixes contain corn and lots of sunflower seeds!  I feel sad that I may have contributed to their premature deaths.  One of my my remaining mice has a rather large lump on her neck- my vet says it is a fatty tumor and not to worry- she seems fine otherwise.  Guess a new vet will be first priority.  I live in upstate NY- Lake George area- if you have any vet info for that area.  Any way, just wanted to thank you for all your info and help.  I have your website in my favorites list for easy referral.  I still want to adopt a couple rats, but just need to be better prepared.  I may write again when every thing comes together.  Thanks again!

Answer
I am glad you learned alot from my site. That makes me feel good!

About the cage, ferret cages are good but as I said, watch the steep high ramps and the wide bars where small or young rats can slip through.

I made my cage for my young rats by buying two or three 12 X 24 cages, cutting holes in the top of the cage and stacking them, securing them with zip ties and using ladders from the ferret nation cage that they are to small to be in right now.   It works out great, but when they outgrow it they should fit in the ferret nation. They have a critter nation now which is great for rats. I wish they had that when I bought the ferret nation.  

As for the asthma in rats, its probably mycoplasmosis that has caused them to have these symptoms.   A good exotic vet could help them too. I love little mice, have had many in the past. They are so tiny I was scared I would inhale one of them !!  LOL!


As for vets, what cities are you nearest?