how to everything

Question
QUESTION: I just got my first rat only to find out I have no clue what I am doing I feel like I have totally screwed up. I don't no how to read her or what to feed her I am desperate for answers I have now  aquirred another one and feel very scared of her because she nips me.

ANSWER: Hi Melissa


First things first:

Proper cage, bars spaced close so she cant squeeze out. Must be big enough for two rats. Make a house for them if you did not buy one like one of those plastic igloos.  You can use a box with holes cut out.
Second, proper litter.  Aspen or carefresh but NEVER pine, cedar or corn cob.
Third, rat mix using seeds is not a good diet.  Lab blocks are, along with vegetables such as peas, carrots etc..NO LETTUCE!
I have a huge list of foods on my wesbite and how to make your own rat food etc...
Also, give the rats some white paper towels and watch them make a nest. Rats love to make nests and cuddle together.

Also, a safe place to play once they are used to you. Again, there is so much to tell I would be here for hours and hours typing so read my website. I wrote it with the new rat owner in mind.

My website was made for you!!!!  

Start here and read all of the pages, from diet to housing. If you need to ask me anything, feel free to ask away!

DO NOT BE SCARED OF HER!!  She is scared of you more, and she will pick up on that.  

Here is the URL

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

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

QUESTION: I bought my second one a week ago do you think she would remember her litter mates so I can get her a friend? The first one I bought was 2 months ago I have learned from her behavior she is almost blind and she does not like to be handeled at all.

ANSWER: Hi Again

All rats are "almost blind" and the poor baby more than likely was not properly socialized.  I have a great way to trust train scared rats and before you know it she will be sitting in your lap loving you to pet her. I trained a wild rat that used to jump up and grab me by my bottom lip, holding it while blood just drizzled down....and after a week she was putty in my hands.
I discuss how to train biting rats or scared rats here:
http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/helpbitingscaredrats.htm

As for her knowing the rats she was born with...I doubt that she will know them so be sure not to just toss them together. You need to get them used to each other but usually little girls get along fine.  Your scared girl needs to learn how to trust you.  Is she white with pink eyes?  Often they have the worst vision than the rats with dark eyes. I have a rat that went totally blind but used to see before he had some kind of illness we never pinpointed.  He adjusted fine since rats cant see good anyhow. I am talking 20/400 vision or worse. That is legally blind if rats were human!  THey rely on their whiskers and their awesome sense of hearing or smell to navigate safely.

Also, how old is the rat you have now? WHat are you currently feeding her and what kind of litter does she use etc...

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

QUESTION: my first rat I got 2 months ago they told me they did not no how old but around 3 months she is hairless and bright red eyes she sways all day long runs into things and she seems sweet just scared the new one is about the same age she is also hairless and seems to see fine she looks at me and does no swaying I was told at the pet store to feed them hampster food so that is what there main diet was among little snacks throgh out the day

Answer
Hamster food is for hamsters..NOT rats....that is so ridiculous they tell you that. Just like dogs should not have people food as it can cause serious problems to their pancreas and stomach....foods are made to meet specific animals nutritional needs.

Stop using that at once if you havent already.

Hamsters have a totally different system and different nutritional needs.  Rats cannot have high protein where is hamsters can.  Feeding them high protein will kill them due to kidney disease later in life.

Anyhow, did you get a chance to read over my website?  It will help you with everything you need to raise happy  rats.  The hairless rats are more fragile. They lack a thymus gland which leaves them with a more compromised immune system. Having them in a cage with good circulation and fresh clean litter daily along with proper diet is a good start to a healthy life. I am glad you are asking me things rather than listening to a pet store that tells you to feed rats food for hamsters.  Thats like giving dogs cat food and we all know that dogs cant have the taurine found in cat food.  It can make them sick.  However cats NEED taurine. See how that works.