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 #1850756


RepticZ
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 Thinking about getting a rat!

I think i wanna get a rat. They seem pretty smart and all. But are dumbo rats smarter than standard rats? and oh, you know how people cut off dogs tails when they are babies? Well, what would happen if a rat wouldnt have a tail?



09/03/08  07:23pm

 #1850766


MissSkyTheGecko
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   Message To: RepticZ   In reference to Message Id: 1850756


 Thinking about getting a rat!

No, dumbo rats aren’t smarter than standard. Rats are just smart.
If you cut off their tails they’ll probably be very uncomfortable and off balance. It’s really not a nice thing to do...
There are breeders that breed tailless rats however. I forgot what they are called...but if you don’t want a rats with tails, get tailless rats or a hamster.



09/03/08  07:35pm

 #1850831


Stina
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   Message To: MissSkyTheGecko   In reference to Message Id: 1850766


 Thinking about getting a rat!

Rats are GREAT pets. They are smart, affectionate, social. They a great pet if you don’t have a large home. If you pay attention to them they can even learn to come when called and do tricks. They LOVE to be with thier people.
As far as the tails, They use the tail for balance. If you cut it off they will have a hard time standing up which is one of the cutest things they do in my opinion. If you don’t like the tails then I’d suggest a hampster but they aren’t nearly as smart or fun to be around. Personally I like the tails, I like to pet my rats from the top of the head all the way to the tip of the tail and they seem to enjoy it too.
Keep in mind too that the male rats are very....well.....male. As far as personality they are every bit as sweet as the females but it’s VERY OBVIOUS when you have a male.



09/03/08  08:34pm

 #1850863


RepticZ
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   Message To: Stina   In reference to Message Id: 1850831


 Thinking about getting a rat!

Haha, yeah! i can tell which one is a male. lol it doesnt really bother me though. Im looking to get two females. Prob just the standard type. And i do like the tail, i was just wondering what they use them for lol. I never had a pet rat before.. i had mice, and hamsters... than to monitors.... and snapping turtles. basically any big reptile. But rats are so cool! I always liked to handle them, and i try to not hold on to there tail when they sit on my hand, it seems like it bothers them. But im scared of having it run away. I never socialized with them. And when ever i let some out. they usually poop and pee everywhere so its nasty. I never had one as a PET pet. But how do you get them used to you? and litter train them?

I once heard that you can have one substrate and see which corner they use the rest room in. And than the next day change out the substrate but leave that corner, than put new substrate in, like a towel and every time they poop in the corner where the litter box is you give em a treat.
09/03/08  09:03pm

 #1850879


MissSkyTheGecko
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   Message To: RepticZ   In reference to Message Id: 1850863


 Thinking about getting a rat!

Oh you are missing out! Rats are WONDERFUL. Almost like little tiny dogs...a little more agile though lol.
If you get a young pair or trio, they are easier to bond with. If they have regular human contact from the age of 6 weeks you can be sure that they will bond to you. I suggest buying from a breeder or hand raised rats from someone with an accidental litter (of good health) to be nice and ensure the rats have had human contact.
If you want close friends that you can hang out with, I’d go with male. I was going to get females for the boy part reasons but I’m glad I didn’t. Males are more mellow. Females are great too though lol. You could always get a male female pair and get the male neutered too.
Rats should have free time outside of the cage. Mine are allowed out every hour I am home, which is most of the time. Except for at night. They can be litter box trained, and are typically smart enough to not go all over the place. They’re clean animals...well not really CLEAN as much as neat...I frequently find one of mine sleeping in pee soaked beds lol. But he only goes in one spot haha. Males like to pick a spot or two to defecate in and I’m sure the odd female here or there does as well. Neutered males are MUCH easier to litter train. The whole process of training is pretty easy anyway. Once trained, you don’t necessarily need bedding other than the littler box in their cage, which cuts down on bedding you need to buy. If they like a spot in a room to go in, you can just put a little box there as well. I’ve had to put one behind the couch in my "pet room". My rat Patch seems to have decided the couch is his.
Rats are VERY social. They don’t really run away. They’ll tend to stick by you. If you have a certain room for them that they are allowed free time in, like I do, they tend to want to stay in that room. There are bold rats out there that may try and venture to other parts of the house. But unless your rat hates you, which I don’t see why it would, running away isn’t a problem at all. =)
In fact, in my case, I don’t even have to block off the pet room anymore. I can leave it open and my rats have learned to stay put. I’m sure when they get older they might be curious enough to venture out, but I’m not terribly worried. If your house isn’t the safest place for them to be, always have them secured somewhere, even during free time.
I got a little carried away lol I’m just excited about rats. They are, in all honesty, the best animals I have ever owned. Very addictive too...I plan to get a couple more in the near future lol.



09/03/08  09:17pm

 #1850894


RepticZ
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   Message To: MissSkyTheGecko   In reference to Message Id: 1850879


 Thinking about getting a rat!

haha, yeah they are like little dogs. I watched a vid on google and it says that they laugh and everything. haha it was weird. But how come males and females are different in personality? I want a rat thay will sit on my shoulder when i go to the pet store! i saw a man do that once it was neat. And is it the same concept to litter train a male rat and a female rat? Is there a list of steps that work well that someone can create? Also i use to breed mice. but i forgot when they ween.
09/03/08  09:36pm

 #1850901


MissSkyTheGecko
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   Message To: RepticZ   In reference to Message Id: 1850894


 Thinking about getting a rat!

Probably just hormone differences in males and females. Females tend to be on the go more often. A grown male rat would love to sit on your shoulder. In fact, my rat Patch (who’s becoming famous for his antics on a few different websites) constantly crawls up my leg to get in my lap or even climb up on my shoulder when I’m on the computer lol. He’s looking at me right now... O_O
Unfortunately, taking your rats to the pet store isn’t the best idea for viral reasons. I know...it would be so cool...I take my rats out to stores, but I avoid the pet stores. They’re a hit at my local Starbucks...well one of them. You don’t want your rat to get sick =(
I know how tempting it is though...I have taken them to a store that is strictly supply and has no animals, which shouldn’t be a problem. They liked it. There are just so many viruses floating around from bulk breeders who sell their animals to chain stores. Most of the poor things are sick and unsocialized.
For litter training...it isn’t very easy with males because they pick a dominant male and he will want to spread his scent throughout the cage, but it can be done. I’ve gotten my non-dominant male, Andie, to use the litter box every time. Neutered males will use the litter box though. It’s simply a choice. Good thing about their urine though, I’ve noticed it doesn’t stain. They had a few accidents here and there when I first got them and none of the spots stained the carpet.
To train them, figure out where they go in the cage. Once they pick a for sure spot, take out all other bedding (you don’t really HAVE to but it helps with scents) and take a little bit of the dirty bedding and some poop, put it in your litter box of choice, and put the box in the place they went. It’s usually in a corner, which is neat.



09/03/08  09:44pm

 #1850933


RepticZ
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   Message To: MissSkyTheGecko   In reference to Message Id: 1850901


 Thinking about getting a rat!

haha thats cool that the rat is sitting on your shoulder right. Its neat how they just stay there. And yeah. I might go with a male. I want him calm. And also, to train them tricks, it doesnt matter what sex they are huh? there still rats? and yeah litter box training seems easy enough. Do you give em a treat every time you see em use the box? and also, if you have a wire cage, and the male scents it does his pee drip down the wires and on the table?
09/03/08  10:14pm

 #1850940


MissSkyTheGecko
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   Message To: RepticZ   In reference to Message Id: 1850933


 Thinking about getting a rat!

Personally I don’t know about tricks. I’ve taught my rats ’no’ and it was pretty easy. I only rewarded them a few times. I’m pretty sure sex doesn’t matter that much, but a male seems like he might pay attention longer. If you do want rats, it’s strongly recommended you get a pair or trio. They’re very social, and although they’ll be your best friend, most (other than a few odd balls here or there) NEED other rats company. If you get a good cage, no they will not pee out of the cage. I’ve heard of some crazy ones that will pee while hanging onto the side of the cage, but I doubt it happens that much lol. Seems like a silly thing for them to do.
If you litter train them, a treat here or there after they go in the box is a very good idea. But, you can’t do it every time lol cause I doubt you’ll be there. I did it a few times, and Andie caught on. Now I give him kisses and tell him he’s a good boy and it seems to keep him happy with what he does. You want to give treats to all the rats if you do this so 1) they don’t fight over it and 2) the other(s) will realize that going in the box means good things. They’re smart like that ;)
Also, males are calmer, but when they’re littler and teenagers, they’re pretty crazy. Typically they mellow out though lol. You’ll notice an extreme hormone change. But it’s a happy thing lol.
09/03/08  10:23pm

 #1851008


RepticZ
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   Message To: MissSkyTheGecko   In reference to Message Id: 1850940


 Thinking about getting a rat!

ooo cool, and i also heard that brown rats carry a disease called vile’s Weil’s Disease. lol is that true, i dont believe that domestic rats would have this. Idk, i think a friend told me.



09/04/08  12:39am

 #1851136


Rebecca Wright
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   Message To: RepticZ   In reference to Message Id: 1851008


 Thinking about getting a rat!

I dont know anything about that disease but I couldn’t imagine that a disease would be linked to a specific color of rat.. to me that would be like saying only people who have blonde hair can get the flu lol... but I dontk now... if you mean "wild" rats instead of just brown, then yeah wild rats can cary a multitude of things you dont want your pets getting but I think you could potentially find those diseases in any rat you get... I think the biggest problem with domestic rats (that I have seen anyway) is getting one with a respiratory issue... which can be expensive and deadly depending on the issues.. which is why before you take you guys home you should inspect the breeder first... look at how they keep their guys... like look at how clean the cages are, how the other rats are behaving (you want to look at more than just the parents and sibs of yours) make sure no one is sneezing or having other signs of being ill GL!
09/04/08  10:22am

 #1852601


Manderzratz
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   Message To: Rebecca Wright   In reference to Message Id: 1851136


 Thinking about getting a rat!

i have 7 rats and 2 mice at the moment. none know "tricks" but they all know their names or nicknames, the words "food" and "frutas baby?". i have wild mice and have had wild rats. they make good pets too with a little more work. rat tails, if no one mentioned this, are important for another reason then balancing. they help the rattie get rid of excess heat to help prevent heat stroke. though of course temperatures should still be watched carefully.
09/06/08  07:50am

 #1852603


Manderzratz
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   Message To: Manderzratz   In reference to Message Id: 1852601


 Thinking about getting a rat!

oh and i also have a few rats that play games like peekaboo and chase, etc. the main difference i’ve noticed between wild vs. domestic is that wild ones tend to be more streamlined and smarter. like more clever. my wildies have always lived in groups with domesticated ones and they get along fine.
09/06/08  07:53am

 #1855125


RepticZ
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   Message To: Manderzratz   In reference to Message Id: 1852603


 Thinking about getting a rat!

Ah! i dont know what to do. I bought a rat today for my monitor but i didnt feed it lol, i fed the monitor something else in stead. The male rat was going to be my breeder. But i set him in a cage with food and water. And tonight i went outside to see it he;s still there. I didnt see him eat yet. But i picked up a pebble and gave it to him and he grabbed it with his teeth. I tried picking him up but he’s afraid of me. So i set him down and offered him some fruits. He didnt take it. I think im going to bring him inside my room, and sell the monitor. How should i make him feel comfortable. he’s not a dumbo... but just a standard albino rat. I might get him a little grey frind tomorrow that looks cute.... but the only problem is that its a she. Better find a he huh?



09/09/08  01:01am

 #1855131


RepticZ
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   Message To: RepticZ   In reference to Message Id: 1855125


 Thinking about getting a rat!

AH! hes eating!! Cool!!!! haha



09/09/08  01:07am

 #1855238


Manderzratz
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   Message To: RepticZ   In reference to Message Id: 1855131


 Thinking about getting a rat!

get him out of a tank ASAP. tanks make for unhealthy rats. also you can’t throw rats together. you should do a quarantine on the new rat you’re getting. DEFINITELY male. breeding mill rats is a nono. you get sick rats that way. i don’t get breeder rats mind you, i adopt but don’t bring sick ratties into the world if you’ll have up to 15 or more because they are REALLY hard to find homes for. give him a hide box. what did you feed him?
09/09/08  07:42am

 #1855663


RepticZ
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   Message To: Manderzratz   In reference to Message Id: 1855238


 Thinking about getting a rat!

Oh really! Ah ill get him out right now. And yeah. He’s just a rat at petco. Suppose to be my monitors food! But im just seeing if he’s a good pet. Ill get him outta the cage. And i have rat food. And i just tried giving him peanut butter! i think he might be sick because he’s from petco?
09/09/08  08:09pm

 #1855853


Manderzratz
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   Message To: RepticZ   In reference to Message Id: 1855663


 Thinking about getting a rat!

he could. petco sells mill rats. normally they live to 2 at oldest. anyway, make sure the rattie food isn’t a mix. or kaytee forti diet. oxbow regal rat or harlan teklad 2014/2018 are good for food. before getting him a friend, i’d suggest giving him a few days to see how he progresses and work on getting a new cage. the my first home for exotics at petsmart is good for two rats. or at petco the rat manor is good. check out rat fan club and cage calculator. whatever cage you decide on, you can use that to find out how many rats it can hold. if you prefer to make your own cages like i do, check out homemade cages. good luck.
09/10/08  12:09am


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