getting him used to home

Question
QUESTION: I recently bought a male rat from a petstore. He is very friendly and doesnt seem scared but poops and pees when I pick him up. I also keep him in his cage in the basement b/c my mother hates the thought of having a rat around. I play with him all the time and he seems content but Im wondering what to do to stop the peeing and pooping and if keeping him in the basement is unhealthy for him.

ANSWER: HI Stephanie

First let me say I am sorry this just got to me.  Sometimes these end up in the SPAM mail.  That is where this was till I found it today.

I wanted to tell you that its important to be super patient and even though he seems like he isnt scared, pooping when you hold him is a sign of fear.

Also, the basement is too damp and cold for a rat. They need to be in a temp of at least 74 degrees and away from dampness and drafts. If not, he will end up with a variety of problems, starting with respiratory infections since they dont catch colds, they end up deveolping mycoplasmosis.

Also, you should have a vet lined up for him just in case he gets sick. Everyone that owns rats should have a vets name handy just in case. Please let me know where your city is and I can give you names of good exotic vets in your area.

Also, check out my website on trust training him to get him used to you. Start by  NOT picking him up and let him come to you instead. You can learn all this by checking out my site, going to the pages GETTING STARTED and TRAINING SHY OR BITING RATS.

Here is the URL:

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


Also, be sure to let mom know that keeping the rat in the basement is unhealthy for him and will only end up being a vet bill instead.
Also its a really bad idea to keep rats alone. They are very social animals and should always be kept in pairs.  Keeping them alone is like having a human live on earth all alone for his entire life. Solo rats are very stressed and also sometimes even a bit neurotic. Most breeders will only sell in pairs and a good pet store usually suggests buying same sex pairs as well.

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

QUESTION: Thank you for your help. My mom has allowed me to keep him upstairs now. He doesnt pee when I hold him but he does still poop. What I usually do is let him stay in his chube hideout and take the whole thing out of his cage, set it on the floor and let him walk out on his own. I let him run around the living room floor for a while and he usually always ends up coming to me and snuggling down inside my sweatshirt or hoodie after a while. But he doesnt want to come to me when he is in his cage. The only time he comes to me in his cage is after I've had him out for a while, then put him back....the hes ready to come out. He is also sneezing and its kind of worrying  me..I am a pet lover and I believe that if you have an animal then you need to do everything you can to take care of them. Also the girl at the pet store that I bought him from told me that since he was a male he wouldnt do well with another male rat b/c they are territorial, but my research tells me otherwise. Any information you can give me to help my rat have a better life would be much appreciated. I want him to be content.

Thank you so much,
Stephanie
P.S. He also grinds his teeth alot when he is sitting on my shoulder or snuggled up with me. Is that a bad thing or a nervous habit or what?

Answer
Check out my website, Critter city for all the info you need on proper rat care.

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

Also, your rats teeth grinding?  It is called "Bruxing" and they do this when they are happy and content.  Its like a cat purring. Yes, its a good thing!

Good luck!