Information
I use Rice Hull Bedding and highly recommend it! It is oil and aroma free, it has low dust, it is fun for the rats and mice to play with... they love to dig in it! It is safe for them to eat, however it does not taste good so they dont eat much, it is super absorbent and drys fast! Best of all, it is cheap! It is a horse bedding and can be bought at any feed store. The only down side is that it being organic with no additives, it has not odor control so it needs to be cleaned more often. But I will take one down fall for many positive attributes! =]
Rat
While most people will cringe at the thought of having a rat for a pet, believe it or not, domestic rats make great pets! They are not aggressive, diseased and dirty animals, but in fact are clean, fun loving, sensitive, very social and affectionate. They genuinely enjoy interacting with people and should be handled daily. Rats are very intelligent and can be taught simple tricks, such as stay and sit and will often learn their name. They can also be litter box trained. Rats will often develop a connection with their owner, wanting daily attention. They will enjoy playing and snuggling with their owners. Contrary to their reputation, rats are clean animals; they lick themselves clean even more frequently than cats. They communicate with each other through scent, sound, touch and visual signals. A professor at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, has shown in a recent study that rats, when playing, emit ultrasounds whose meaning is comparable to human laughter. Rats do not require much from their owners. A big, clean cage, fresh food and water and an hour of playtime out of the cage every day meet their needs well. They are sociable animals and should be kept in pairs or groups of the same sex - a mixed-sex group would produce a great number of offspring in a very short time. Males are bigger and more laid-back than females who tend to stay active and playful throughout their lives.
Life Span
The average life span of a pet rat is anywhere from 2-3 years. Some may live shorter lives, while some have been known to live 4 years and longer.
Habits
Rats are nocturnal. They are more active at night but will wake up for you during the day if you want to handle them. They are very social. They thrive in groups, however if you have a single rat, they might bond stronger with their owners but single rats require more out of cage time(an hour more a day at least). If you put male and females together you WILL get babies. And they multiply very rapidly so if you are not an experienced rat breeder/handler, mixed sex pair are not recommended. Rats are also very clean. They spend a lot of time cleaning themselves. Often times, more than your average house cat. They are normally sweet by nature and do not usually bite unless the are not used to being handled or if they are hurt. They make great pets for a person of any age.
Diet
Nutrition is the basis for maintaining good health in your rat, and a good base diet that contains essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals, along with a variety of fruits, nuts, and vegetables will do just that. Rats are omnivorous requiring both plant and animal food sources in their diets (much like humans), and specially formulated diets help to meet those nutritional requirements. Lab blocks are considered to be one of the most nutritious sources of staple or base diet to feed your rat, along with veggies, fruits, some nuts, and a few choice table scraps. Harlan Teklad Lab Blocks are the most adequate scientifically blended form of nutrition for rats and is highly recommended over any other food. The second is Mazurai Lab Blocks. The best way to make sure your rat gets the best diet is to mix foods. The bulk rat/mice mixes that pet stores sell are good but do not have everything they need. I use Lab blocks as their main diet but supplement in various sprouts, grains and oats as well as parrot food(to help grind their teeth), and fruits and veggies, mainly broccoli and cauliflower to help prevent cancer. I treat them with Rattatoui Croissants and yogurt bites as well as baby food, yogurt and other rat treats. I give pregnant or nursing moms as well as youngsters some cheese to supply extra calcium to build their bones. This supplies all the nutrients the rats and mice need.
Cage Requirements
Both wire cages and aquariums are suitable for rats, but there are several terms that may sway you in either direction. First of all, let’s talk about wire cages. These cages offer more ventilation than aquariums. Cages with a solid bottom are safer for rat feet. Wire bottoms, especially when made from mesh that is 1/2″ by 1″, can cause rat feet to fall in between the bars and get sprained or broken. This is the main problem of wire cages. Another thing to consider is the corroding of the metal used to make the cage. It is best to have a litter pan that is made of plastic for easy cleaning, and the wire works best when coated with nontoxic plastic. As for aquariums, ventilation is important. Because rat urine turns to ammonia quickly, you must change the litter in an aquarium more often than you would in a wire cage to prevent poisoning from air pollution. The aquarium should be cleaned twice a week at least. Make sure the cage is always clean. Remember: A clean rat is a happy rat.The cage should be at least 20 gallons(bigger length/width wise than height), but buy the largest cage you can.
Bathing Your Rat
Yes thats right, you give rats baths just like you would any other pet! A clean rat is a healthy rat! For the most part rats clean themselves and often their cage mates! But on occasion, even the cleanest rats need some hygiene assistance. First and foremost, if a rats environment is not clean, they cannot possibly keep themselves clean. Sometimes a full bath is necessary, other times a sponge bath or a tail cleaning is better suited.
Fully Bathing your rat: Make sure you bathe your rat in a comfortable, draft free room. Your rat is going to be scared at first. You may want to trim their nails before you bathe them to avoid getting scratched(Be VERY careful when trimming your rats nails). Do not be surprised to see the "scared face" when bating. Before you wash your rat, have a towel and BABY WASH(not shampoo) handy. The water you use should be just above our body temp. Be sure not to get water on the rats head or in its ears. Washing their head should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. When applying the soap, rub in gently all over body except for head. Then submerge them in water(except ears and head) and gently massage the shampoo out. Then place your rat in the absorbent towel and massage them gently with the towel until mostly dry. Keep your rat against your body for warmth until it is fully dry.
Nail Trimming
Rats have sharp little nails, and for your comfort when playing with your rats you may need to trim their nails. Check them every one to two months. Nail trimming is not difficult, escept that your rat will probably object and try to squirm away. You can use a pair of human nail clippers and trim a little off the tip if needed. Just take a tiny bit off the tip and avoid the pink part (quick) that may be visible inside the nail, as this is a blood vessel and nerve. If you do happen to nick the blood vessel, a little cornstarch applied to the nail tip should stop any bleeding (or you can by a product at the pet store called Kwik Stop that is used the same way).
Teeth Health
Rats are rodents so their teeth are consistently growing. It is important to give your rat something hard to chew on. Mixing parrot food into their diet can help with this because parrot food has pieces of hard food that will wear down the rats teeth for you. Providing wooden toys or any other hard toy will also be sufficient in keeping their teeth down. Most pet stores that carry rodent supplies should have rat toys and most will work for this purpose.
Mouse
If you have ever seen a group of pet mice playing, you realize they can be quite entertaining pets. They are a bit harder to handle than some of the lager rodents such as rats, but they can become quite tame and will take food from the hand and allow themselves to be handled if started at a young age. Mice are quite ideal as small pets that are entertaining to watch, are easy to care for and make very few demands on their owners.
Life Span
On average they live for about 1.5-2 years, although they can sometimes live up to 3 years.
Habits
Mice are nocturnal and very social. They will be very active in the evening and night, but don't expect to do much with them during the day. Being social, they are best kept in groups. A pair of females is the easiest, although larger groups are fine if you provide the cage space. Pairs of males should be avoided, unless they are litter mates, never separated, and given a large enough cage that they can have their own space (unfamiliar males are very likely to fight). Keeping males and females together should be avoided unless you want lots of mice in a short amount of time.
Diet
Nutrition is the basis for maintaining good health in your mouse, and a good base diet that contains essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals, along with a variety of fruits, nuts, and vegetables will do just that. Mice are omnivorous requiring both plant and animal food sources in their diets (much like humans), and specially formulated diets help to meet those nutritional requirements. Lab blocks are considered to be one of the most nutritious sources of staple or base diet to feed your mouse, along with veggies, fruits, some nuts, and a few choice table scraps.The best way to make sure your mouse gets the best diet is to mix foods. The bulk rat/mice mixes that pet stores sell are good but do not have everything they need. I mix rat/mice mix, Lab blocks, cat food, dog food, hamster food and parrot food. I treat them with fresh fruits and veggies as well. I give pregnant or nursing moms as well as youngsters some cheese to supply extra calcium to build their bones. This supplies all the nutrients the mouse and mice needs.
Size Of Cage
The size of the cage you will need depends on how many mice you will keep together. For a pair or small group of females, a 2 foot square cage is ample space. Mice will appreciate a big cage with a flat bottom with plenty of toys and things to explore in.
Type of Cage/Accessories
Glass aquariums and/or plastic sided cages are best for mice However, a wire cage is suitable for ADULT MICE ONLY! Young mice can fit through most bars and escape. A cage with smaller gaps between the bars is best even with adults because even they can escape if they can fit their head through the bars. Aquariums will need a tight fitting mesh lid and lots of furnishing supplied for climbing and playing. It is also important to remember that ammonia and other fumes will build up faster in an aquarium or plastic sided cage than in a wire cage. However, as long as the lid is tight fitting they are pretty much escape proof, and have the added advantage of allowing a deep layer of bedding that the mice cannot spread all over your floor. Mice like to explore and chew things up and make nests and tunnels so if you put many nest boxes or igloos or toilet paper/paper towel cardboard centers in their cage they will appreciate it. I also recommend a running wheel. This will keep your mice exercised and entertained. Giving them all these toys and obstacles will make them happier and will also make them more entertaining to watch.
Placement of the Cage The cage should be placed where the mice will have lots of human contact to make taming easier. It should be out of drafts, away from direct sunlight and out of reach of other household pets.
Bedding
A deep layer of aspen shavings or some other suitable substrate should be provided in the cage. Avoid cedar and pine shavings due to the strong volatile oils released form these woods (especially cedar). Aspen or other hardwood shavings appear to be a better choice. Another alternative is paper or wood based cat litter - it is very absorbent and good at controlling odors. It is more expensive but you will likely use less. In addition, nesting material should be provided. Strips of facial tissue or soft paper towel will be happily be shredded by mice and makes nice nesting material. I don't usually recommended the commercial cotton bedding material you can buy because some has strands that can get caught on the mice's feet. Hay can also be used. If you need any other information, Send me an email. =]