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My new cage, waiting for its occupants

onlyroz
onlyroz Posts: 17,661 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
I used to keep rats as a teenager, but then "life" happened (university, marriage, kids etc). Having decided that the kids are now old enough for some family pets we've decided to get some rats - I've been in touch with a local breeder and she has agreed to let me home three females. They're currently about 3.5 weeks old and she'll be ready to give them to me in about a fortnight.

Here's the cage that I bought today:

995313_10151622284401950_1002896443_n.jpg

I next need to source some bedding and food - the breeder recommended a mix of rat and rabbit food, supplemented mainly with vegetables and a small amount of protein.

Can anybody recommend a good online retailer for general pet supplies? We got the cage from the local Pets-At-Home, but I'd like to find a cheaper source of general consumables.
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Comments

  • meritaten
    meritaten Posts: 24,158 Forumite
    I am sorry, but I do HAVE to ask..........is that a rat hammock or a truss hanging in the corner?
    Cant help with the query - but, could you please post a pic when the new occupant is ensconced?
  • onlyroz
    onlyroz Posts: 17,661 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 9 June 2013 at 8:09PM
    Yes, that is a ratty-hammock. Here's one of the rats I'm getting, or at least one of its siblings that looks very similar (Blue Berkshire):

    968874_472993552777050_1728151055_n.jpg

    And also this one (Dove):

    600904_472176896192049_842463695_n.jpg

    And this one (Cinnamon Berkshire):

    931368_472176116192127_1826092827_n.jpg

    I'll post some pics when they're in their new home.
  • meritaten
    meritaten Posts: 24,158 Forumite
    awwwwwwwwwwww how adorable! are they adult rats? they look a lot smaller than the breeds of rat I have known. Wow - the blue one is an incredible colour!
  • Fosterdog
    Fosterdog Posts: 4,948 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    My rats were fed on a similar diet to what this breeder is recommending, you can pick rabbit food up cheaply enough from a local feed store (usually just a lockup on an industrial estate). Alpha herbal used to be one of the most recommended but they changed the recipe and it got very dusty and my rats stopped eating it. Another is Harrison's banana brunch.

    If I were you I would modify the cage door, use pliers to remover the hinges and turn the door upside down, you can add thin chain or string so it only opens to 90 degrees and acts like a drawbridge, much easier for getting ratties in and out.

    One thing though it is illegal for the breeder to let you take the rats at 5-6 weeks, 8 weeks is the youngest an animal can be sold in the UK, I would highly doubt any reputable breeder would let them go so young and most prefer to keep them to 10+ weeks. Is it a registered breeder? Have they earned a stud name? How many litters do they have a year? How often do they breed each doe?
  • kelfen
    kelfen Posts: 281 Forumite
    edited 9 June 2013 at 8:36PM
    My ratties had a hammock in their cage (Pets at Home by any chance) and they'd sleep either curled up, or one on top of the other.

    Thing in the corner is a litter box, and they will use it (mine did, cleaned out every two days, kept the cage very clean). Also had a big plastic box with tubes and newspaper and an old hoodie in and theyd make nests and play in there - in between chomping holes in things, using my boobs as the best hiding/play/place to lay, sitting on my shoulder and bruxing as they licked my ear, cleaning my fingernails for me and getting more strokes than necessary.

    One of them did go for toenails too, she always was a bit loopy.

    ETA: (just read Fosterdog's post) If that's the cage I had, you open it downwards, and I had mine trained to run up my hands and arms and onto my shoulders for playtime. Oh, also, we found that http://www.petsathome.com/shop/lightweight-non-clumping-recycled-paper-based-cat-litter-25ltr-by-bio-catolet-15267 - Bio Catolet litter with a wee bit of newspaper and a dusting of sawdust was the best for them, and brill for the litter tray
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  • onlyroz
    onlyroz Posts: 17,661 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    The rats are currently nearly 4 weeks old - the breeder is registered with the National Fancy Rat Society and so I assume follows all the correct procedures. Do you have a link that says 8 weeks is the youngest a rat can be sold? They would be around 6 weeks when the breeder said I could have them.

    This site says that they recommend 6+ weeks:
    http://www.petrat.info
  • Fosterdog
    Fosterdog Posts: 4,948 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I actually can't find it now, I will have another look though, I was almost certain it came in as part of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, if not I apologise I may be getting confused with the minimum age for a petshop being allowed to sell rather than a hobby breeder.

    Have you checked the NFRS registered breeders list to make sure they are on there? http://www.nfrs.org/NFRS_Breeders_List.pdf
    I know most of the breeders on that list and have either had rats off them or shown alongside them over the last 15 years and I've never know any of them to let kittens go that young. Occasionally if they have to travel across country and they won't have another chance or if they are going to a close friend/someone using the same lines they go earlier but never to an "outsider"
  • krlyr
    krlyr Posts: 5,993 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It's looking good :) I'd fill it up with a few more levels to make use of the horizontal space, and I agree with the poster about flipping the door (saying that, are you sure the panel has gone in the right way up? Maybe they've redesigned the cages since I had rats but I'm sure Ferplast used to put the doors at the bottom, opening downwards).

    I would either buy some spare corner shelves (I think PAH can order them in, or try eBay perhaps) or make your own levels. Large cat litter trays may fit, suspended from the bars, and if you get a deep one you can fill with substrate for a good digging box (my boys were never fed from a bowl, I scatter-fed in a litter tray on the top level so they had to climb up and forage for food, kept their minds busy and their bellies a bit more trim!). Several more hammocks (rats can never have too many hammocks!), some tubes for them to scale, rope toys, etc. - young rats will be pinging all over the place, so give them plenty of objects to climb on, but ensure they can't fall a great distance if they misjudge a jump or loose their footing.
    http://www.fancyratsforum.co.uk/ was a good forum when I was on its predecessor, I imagine it's probably still a good place for advice, cage inspiration, etc. nowadays.

    www.ratrations.com is a good one for food as well as accessories - they sell various mixes, to save buying in a large amount of rabbit food and mixing your own (just bear in mind that not all rabbit food will be suitable - some too high in indigestible alfalfa that won't be eaten, some coated in syrup to make it more edible, etc.). They also stock several suitable substrates (what you put on the base of the cage) and litters (for the litter tray) - shavings should be avoided, as should other dusty substrates like wooden pellets, hay, etc.
  • onlyroz
    onlyroz Posts: 17,661 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It is entirely possible that I put the side panel on the wrong way - because I had to dismantle the cage to get it into my car. I'll flip it over when I get a chance.

    I was wondering about the litter tray - will a rat really use it, rather than doing their business wherever they like?

    I'll also take a look at ratrations - I think that's the one the breeder recommended.

    And yes, my breeder is on that list, in the South-East England section - I'd rather not name the specific one, but PM me if you're interested.
  • Fosterdog
    Fosterdog Posts: 4,948 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I understand you not naming on here, I may sound over cautious but while I did have pet and show rats from breeders as my own pets I also ran a rat rescue for just over five years and most of my residents were from pet shop lines or irresponsible breeders so I always tend to assume the worst when it comes to rats (and a lot of other animals if I'm honest). If it's the breeder I think it is I don't know her personally but have heard of her and know the breeders she started her lines from and I trust their judgement that she is also reputable.

    As for the litter tray, yes they will use it, I've found does tend to use them more than bucks.
    Some rats use them with no training at all but as long as there is different litter to the rest of the cage it doesn't take long to train. Start by working out which corner they prefer to use (they all tend to prefer corners, just hope they all choose the same one) put the litter tray in chosen corner and several times a day scoop any mess from the rest of the cage and put it in the tray. While they are learning even when you clean it out, put a small amount of "dirty" litter back in so they can smell their toilet area. It shouldn't be more than a week or two until they use it all the time.
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