witch rat and cage should i get for my new rat

Question
hi im 11rld boy who has 50 or maybe 6o bucks to spend should i get a hairless rat i got alergies or are they to ugly?shold my  dad make the cage oh and can i get a ferit cage some or cheep at pets mart im in canada and what type of rat a dumbo rat please tell me by EXPERTS

Answer
Hello Mike...

$50 or $60 isn't going to get you much when adopting pet rats. For starters, rats should never live alone. They should have at least 1 friend to live with that is the same gender (so you should have either 2 boys or 2 girls). A lone rat is a very depressed rat.

The best idea is to get your rat from a breeder if you are looking for a rat that is sweet, easy to handle, and healthy. If you get your rats from a popshop it is likely they could be ill or untrusting of humans, or both. Pet stores generally take very little time caring for the animals they have while a breeder devotes almost all of their time in raising their rats as good pets.

So first off, if you get your rat from a breeder expect to spend at least $20 or more on 2 rats.

But before you get your rats, you will need a cage. Cages (of appropriate size) are going to cost anywhere from $50 to $150 or more. Keep in mind that you can not just purchase the cheapest cage around, rats require a lot of room even though they are small creatures. They need to exercise and play and run and climb. You will need a cage with a solid bottom and several levels to climb on. If you visit this website it will let you put in the measurements of a cage to find out how many rats can fit in it. If you are going to have 2 rats, you need a cage that can hold 2 rats. Here is the site, you could ask your parents to help you: http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/habitat/cagecalculator/

Then you will need a SAFE bedding. Rats have very sensitive respiratory systems. They can get very sick and need to see a vet if they are kept on the wrong type of bedding. NEVER EVER use pine or cedar bedding. The fumes that come from this bedding are toxic to rats for a number of reasons, it's too dangerous. I recommend using Aspen bedding.

You will also need a healthy diet for your rat. Rats can not just eat any bag of food at the pet store that has rats on the bag, they need a specialized diet- if they are not getting the proper diet they can become ill which will also require them to see a vet. I recommend making your own mix but you can also feed them lab blocks (found at pet shops) along with fresh fruits and veggies which they also need...

You will also need toys, hammocks, igloo for hiding, a very large running wheel, and a carrying cage to place your rats in while you are cleaning out the cage- or if you need to take them to a vet.

As far as having allergies. I have not ever heard of someone having an allergy to the dander in a rats fur. The only allergy I have heard of is to their urine, which can give someone allergic to them hives. I'm not even sure how common it is.

A dumbo rat is a rat with large round ears that are set very low on their heads.