If you're reading this, this is a companion post to Is a Rat Right for You? which can be found here. So, now that i've gone through different things you should know before getting a rat, here are some things you need to decide on and be aware of if you decide to get a pet rat.
When choosing your rat there are a few things you'll want to make sure you keep in mind.
Do you want a male or a female?
-A female is much more curious and therefore a lot more active than male rats. She will be hard to contain at first and might be skittish depending on her socialization before you get her. Females are easier to house in larger colonies as long as you take proper procedures in integrating the new female into the existing colony. (However, females ARE more likely to suffer from re-occurring mammary tumors. These are removable but can be costly.)
-A male is much more on the lazier side, they'd rather sit on your belly and sleep than go exploring. They are larger than females and are more likely to 'urine mark'. They tend to work well with being housed with one other male, but it is advised to keep housing to a minimum of two. Keep in mind that this works best if they are introduced at a young age, males can get rather aggressive toward other males if one is much older or if one is introduced into the cage where another has been living.
Where do you want to get your rat?
- While it is extremely advised that you stay away from pet stores, most pet stores house female and male rats together. This means, if you choose a female she will be pregnant without a doubt, and in general it means the staff have no knowledge of rat care and probably have not been handling the rats for proper socialization. Your rat is less likely to want to be picked up and will take much more handling to get it to enjoy your company. It is also possible that they will be more likely to bite, although domestic rats in general typically don't bite. Your rat might also suffer from an illness due to its environment. Pet store rats also tend to have poor genetics and sometimes have a shorter life span than a rat from a breeder.
You'll REALLY need to think about your Pro's and Con's before getting your pet from such an environment. Just about everyone in the rat community hates the idea of buying from a pet store.
Typically you'll want to consider rescued rats or rats from a professional breeder. You'll want to think about what age range you want your rats, how many you want and what markings.
Most beginners should get rats that are under a year, partly because rats live an average 2 years and around three months (some can live up to three years and beyond!), but more so because an older rat takes longer to develop a bond with you (not always, but it isn't uncommon) and is a lot more 'set-in-its-ways' about human contact which can be good or bad depending on its socialization. Younger rats are a lot more adaptable which is easier for a beginner and they also tend to learn to like you a lot faster.
How many you want depends on your cage size and internal dimensions, you can find a good estimation of how many your cage can hold comfortably here. You should always have at least two rats in one cage, rats are highly social animals and thrive off of interaction with other rats.
As for markings, that depends on personal preference, there are numerous ways narrow down your search you just need to know what your looking for.
Things to keep in mind
When choosing a breeder you'll want to make sure they are experienced, go check out the place. Make sure the conditions are sanitary, the smell is low or non existent, no smoking around the rats, the males and females are separated and in appropriate cage groupings (not too many rats for one cage), listen to see if you hear any rasping or wheezing noises coming from the rats. Avoid buying rats from this person if you hear wheezing, respiratory infections are HIGHLY contagious among rats and unless this rat is on medication and quarantined, it is possible it has infected the other rats nearby. Avoid a colony if you hear a lot of sneezing, it is normal for a rat to sneeze due to bedding if it has been nosing around, but if it keeps sneezing in your hand or on you more than once, it is sick. Another way to tell is if it has a wet nose, rats have dry noses normally so if it has a wet nose it is most likely sick. The breeder should be able to tell you which is a male and a female based on which one interests you, they should be able to answer any questions you have about rat care or about the rat itself. They should be very informative and happy to help you.
**DON'T let the breeder weasel you in to purchasing more rats than you know you want or can keep. Sometimes rat breeders or rescue industries will try to 'up-sell', or get you to buy more than you originally came for, sometimes they'll try to cut 'deals' with you or tell you that these two rats HAVE to be sold together [in this circumstance, if you don't want the other, don't get either. Sometimes rats form really strong bonds and must be purchased together. Other times, the seller is lying to you]. Sometimes they'll try to shove a rat onto you by saying how good they are or how much it seems to get along with the other one or two your getting. DON'T let them get to you, some sellers want to get rats 'off their hands' usually older rats so they can make room for more babies. This doesn't make it right.
**DON'T let them try to tell you to buy food from them, or any extra materials that you already have or would rather purchase from somewhere else. Some sellers, especially rescues, are non profit and therefore they get the money to maintain their rattery by making their own food, carriers, hammocks etc. to try to get you to buy more merchandise while your there. Now, depending on your circumstance and the seller, buying food isn't totally a bad thing, sometimes the seller is very well versed on rat care and can provide you with the best food for a healthy rat. Other times, the food isn't even as good as what you can get from Petco and sometimes it's just as bad.
Food to avoid:
Try to avoid buying food that looks appealing to you, it is a marketing ploy.
If it appeals to you, you will buy it, even though it has nothing good to offer your pet in terms of nutrition.
This is what I feed my girls,
I'm considering shifting over to a soy-free diet, which i'll elaborate more on another time.
Not all rats will accept the blocks, but mine love them.
Miss Siouxsie Sioux
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