My First Rat

Question
Hello there,
I'm a college student and I was looking to get a rat because I heard they're low maintenance but love attention and are very intelligent. The only problem is, like most college students, I'm short on money. My friend gave me a cage but it has no levels, and I'm a little worried that my rat wont be as happy. I've heard that getting just one is a bad idea but I was wondering if its ok to have one for a little while until I can save up some more money to maybe get a bigger cage so I can fit two comfortably. I'm extremely excited and can't my rat. Do you think it will be ok for awhile in a smaller cage and by itself until I can earn some more money?? Thanks in advance!
Lauren

Answer


Hi


Rats are great pets, but I do need to also warn you that although they are inexpensive to buy at the store, they do not come without their share of health problems that require medical attention by a qualified exotic vet that are not real easy to come by, either!
For starters, female rats, if not spayed, have an 70% or greater chance of developing mammary tumors after 18 months of age. Read about them here on my website:

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

Rats are also born with an organism called mycoplasmosis. This is an organism that is transferred from the mother rat to the newborn ratlet and it is not able to be completely eradicated  once the rat becomes afflicted with the illness,and instead, it requires intervention by a vet in order to prescribe proper antibiotics to control the infection, usually respiratory infection but not limited to urinary tract infection, inner ear infection, uterine infection in males and in older rats, arthritis.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           


Also, their diet is not as easy as you think. Buying rat seed mix from the store is not a good diet and will cause health problems over time, from skin problems to kidney and heart problems due to the high protein levels and high fats found in the seeds.  Again, the best thing to do is follow a recipe to make your own rat food or find out what other foods are good for rats on my site here:

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

As for small cage and lone rats, lets start with the cage size.
The best way to go is about 2 cubic feet per rat which would 15"x15" per rat. That means a cage about 30" (height) X 30" (tall)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       would be ideal for two rats.  Here is a neat way to find out if a cage                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
is   the right size for at least 2 rats.

http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


At first, a small cage may be ok if the rat is tiny, but he or she will grow up pretty fast and will need a cage big enough to climb around in, at least two stories. Also, a lone rat is usually not as happy as a rat with a cage mate, and they tend to be more withdrawn and neurotic. Waiting to introduce a new rat to a lone rat can sometimes make it harder for the lone rat to accept a cage mate, esp a male, so its best to do it while they are still young. Two rats do not cost more than one because you should still provide a cage large enough for two rats even if you have just one.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but have to be honest here. Too many people make the mistake of buying a rat when they really dont have the extra money and when the rat becomes ill, the rat is the one that has to suffer without medical treatment and the owner feels terrible not being able to afford proper care for it. If you can, I would apply for a credit card and set it aside for rat bills ONLY. It may be a year or more before your rat gets sick, or longer...but I cant promise that. I have had rats that were 3 years old before they needed a vet and I have had rats need a vet as young as 3 months old and without the care they needed, the rat would have died so it is really something to think about. This of course applies to any pet that you may think of getting.  The only animal I know of that probably doesn't need a vet and only because few vets see them would be hermit crabs but they are not real cuddly!  LOL!  They live to be 30 years old too.  I have two that are 5 and one that is close to 8 years old.  However, they are not cheap to get them started and they are a pain to maintain since you have to keep the humidity up as well as the temp in the tank and you need special salt water and special water that has no chlorine in it plus organic food (I get from the net) with no preservatives in it, again, avoiding pet store garbage. All in all it would be cheaper to keep a hermit crab though, and you only need one!  LOL  

I hope this helps. I am not telling you NOT to get a rat, of course, but just letting you know a few things that I am sure you have not really thought of since you never had a rat and were not aware of the many things that could go wrong.  Most rodents do have their own quirky ailments, from gerbils to hamsters, and most of them do need medical attention eventually, which is why someone that has limited funds should weigh the pros and cons carefully rather than diving in head first.

Please let me know if there is anything else you need to know.