Another newbie with some questions!

[Cydlicious]

First I want to say hello to everyone!

Well, since about the age of 10 I have wanted a rat. But, I was always a little unsure too, I worried about biting, and couldn't quite wrap my mind around the idea of making a pet out of something your mom used to call the exterminator for. So I didn't take the plunge because I didn't want to get one, and then not be able to love it and give it attention.

I have done research on them for years, and 30 years later, I finally felt ready. I looked around and found a lot of cute ones (I am blown away by how cute they can be!) but none of them felt right until today!

Yes, I was at a pet store, not intending to get a rat there, but couldn't resist checking in on them. And, there he was. His former owner was moving to Florida and he was left behind to be adopted out. As soon as I walked toward him he stood up his cage door and seemed to want to come out to meet me-- it was love at first sight for me!

He's a year old, calm, yet active and curious and seems very gentle! I adore him!

So, finally onto my questions. I see that people let their pet rats roam around their living rooms and such, and I want Henry (yeah, I named him Henry) to have the exercise, but I worry too. Are they fast? Will he become hopelessly lost? And, in terms of handling him, is there such a thing as too much handling?

From the research I have done, biting doesn't seem to be much of an issue, but is there anything I should know? The girl at the store claims he's quite a "shoulder rat", but I admit it makes me a little nervous.

Essentially, I want to do right by Henry! I want to make sure that we bond and he feels safe. I've been handling him for a few minutes at a time, and he actually seems to not want to go back to his cage. I'm afraid of doing too much too soon...

Okay, this is already three times longer than I meant it to be, but I would appreciate any words of wisdom!

[Schrute]

My first phrase of wisdom is to get him a friend. Rats are social, and just because you are going to give him lots of one on one attention, he will still need a friend of his own species to keep him company. This is probably one of the more important things to consider.

About your concern of him being fast during free play, just make sure that his free range area is "rat proofed". In my experience, since he's an older boy, he shouldn't be too terribly fast... but also, it does depend on the individual rat. I don't believe that there's such thing as too much handling. Rats are so social that they really need that bonding time with humans and other rats alike.

Some questions I have for you, as long as you are looking for nuggets of wisdom to come your way --- what kind of cage is he in, and what do you feed him? Also, do you have pics of him? We'd all love to see him.

[Cydlicious]

Hello Schrute, nice to meet you! And you actually brought me to what was going to be my next set of questions. I would love to get him a companion, but I am worried about another male, and will need to take him to the vet to have him checked out and "fixed" before I'd consider a female...but yes, a friend is on my list!

He is in a wire cage with a flat bottom base, so he isn't on wire. I will get him a better house too, something he can climb around in, but this is clean and about 2 feet wide and maybe 2 and a half feet long, and he's on the small-ish side, so he seems okay in the short term.

I am feeding him something that the pet store had bagged up for me, looks like standard "rat food in a bag" pet store stuff. I gave him a little bit of apple to nibble on too. Do you (or anyone out there) have a favorite food to suggest?

And, I would LOVE to show you a pic ...but how on earth do you get them to stand still long enough? I was looking at some of the pictures that others have posted, and it astounds me!

[scout]

Hello, and welcome to Rats Rule! I imagine in your 30 years of research, some things have changed. It's great you're still doing research for Henry's care. I'd recommend the Rat Guide for pages and pages of information. It's divided up into sections for health care, general care, reproductive care and medications. It's a terrific resource.

Another thing you'll want to do is line up a vet who's familiar with rats. Now is the time to find one you like, not when you've got a rat emergency on your hands. You'll also want to start saving for vet care. He may be healthy now, but eventually he will need vet care as he ages. It's nice not to have to worry about whether you can afford to get him care or medications when you have savings built up just for him.

And about the biting, rats rarely bite even if they haven't been well socialized. Sounds like your little fellow loves human company. I'd be really, really surprised if he ever tried to bite you. That said, rats will gently nibble other rats and humans they're bonded to. It's a grooming behavior and is almost always gentle. Occasionally, young rats will get overly enthusiastic and the grooming may hurt a little. A quick squeak from you is usually enough to tell them they're grooming too hard. But if he's older, he's probably already learned what's good and what's too much.

Hope you enjoy your visits here!

[Claymore]

I agree that he needs a friend, it is essential because they spend time grooming, cuddling, and just enjoying each other's company.  They will get lonely and bored by themselves, and actually can get sick more easily.  A friend will actually bring out the true personality of both rats.  If you go back to the same store you got him from and get him a companion from there you shouldn't have to worry about him not getting along with his new friend, especially if they were in the same cage.  If you get a rat from a different place you'll need to quaranteen him in a different room for 2-3 weeks.  After that put the two cages next to each other ( a good cage for 2 rats is a Rat Manor from Petco) and let them get to know each other through the cage bars.  After that let them meet in a neutral area, such as the bath tub or the bed.  Next, put them in each others cage for about a week.  If everything goes well you should be able to put both of them together in the larger cage, but be sure to clean everything and rearrange the hammocks and other toys so that it's all new.  Watch them for any scuffles, but the general rule with scuffles is no blood, no foul.  I can guarantee there will be some tussles to figure out who's the alpha male, unless one is happy being the follower.  Make sure you have leather gloves to separate any serious problems.  You can also use a spray bottle of water.  I've found that pushing them apart if they seem to be getting too aggressive toward each other tends to stop the problem before it starts.  To separate them in the middle of a tussle, use the water first then separate them by hand.  If they absolutely cannot get along, don't give up, it may be more a hormone problem, in which neutering the more aggressive one, or both, will normally take care of the problem.  Of the boys I've had, at one point we had 5 or 6 out of 8 neutered, and had no problem.  Right now we have 1 out of 8 neutered, and they've all known each other for quite a while, including the 4 brothers who were born in May who have been next to the other 4 since they were born.  That's where having the cages next to each other after quaranteen helps out.  

Make sure that when you go between one rat and the other during the first 3 weeks you either wait 3 hours, or change your shirt and wash up really good.  Any disease that the new friend might bring in will only live outside the body for about 3 hours.  

Right now, starting Monday, you want to call around to find a small animal vet, or another vet that treats small animals on a regular basis, and is comfortable treating rats/has a history of treating rats.  Find out how much it is for office visits, medication, and neutering/tumor removal.  Also find out if there is an emergency plan that they have, either paging the doc, or the local emergency vet.  Call the e-vet and ask if they treat small animals such as rats and how much a visit is for them.  There will possibly be a time when you have to call on them.

Here are two websites that you will want to put in your favorites

http://www.rmca.org/Articles/dchart.htm  this is a list of antibiotics, it tells dosages, what they work for, and how they work.

http://ratguide.com/health/  this one gives you a wealth of information.

http://www.ratfanclub.org/  there is a lot of information here too.

[Schrute]

I just wanted to add that if ideally, if possible, you quarantine in a completely different air space. The same house is the same air space, whether or not it is another room. However, not all people can and do quarantine in a different air space.

If you are able, rather than purchasing your rat's new buddy from a pet store, I'd definitely recommend trying to adopt. There are tons of homeless ratties out there who are looking for forever homes. You can check this board to see if there are any ratties in your area, or even Petfinder. And not all shelters post their rats, so you could also call around locally and see if there are any available. Not to mention, there seem to always be rats available from people who just don't want them anymore on Craigslist, Freecycle, and even Kijiji. These would all be preferred over purchasing from a pet store, IMO (no arguments please... I did add IMO. )

Also, slightly O/T I suppose, but I've never heard of the three rule hour... where did you find that? I'm not trying to be rude or anything, I'm just curious because I've honestly never heard of it is all.

OH! And about taking pictures... you just have to have a camera with a super-fast shutter speed. No exaggeration, I usually take about 100 pictures at a time and get between five and ten I can post. 

[hairless_love]

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of rats! 

As others have already said, a friend is a must. Since he's a year old, getting a younger rat would be best, because he wont feel as threatened for his territory, and they will be more likely to get along right off the bat. Usually two intact males will get along just fine. Another thing you're going to want to consider is quarantine for the new rat. You'll want to keep him in a separate cage, as far as possible from Henry for two to three weeks. In a different house is actually the best option. This is so you can make sure you don't bring a sick rat home, and also make Henry sick, and then you'll have you treat TWO rats instead of one.  This isn't a must, but if I were you I would even consider getting two more rats. That way, the new rat has a buddy during quarantine, and also three is a nice number because when one passes, you don't have to rush out and get another right away. This is something you'll want to consider if you plan on having rats for awhile.

As for free roaming, you may want to try letting your rat run lose somewhere like on a table, a bed, or bathtub, so he's confined to a certain area, but still has lots of room to play. That way, you can be a bit more comfortable about him sticking around and not having to chase him. As you get more comfortable with each other, you can move on to a small room thats easy to rat proof, such as a bathroom, and move on to bigger rooms if you'd like. Once he trusts you, you'll find that rats don't usually run away and hide forever like a hamster might. They're usually pretty easy to catch.

Rats also very rarely bite, so try not to be so afraid of that. Just be careful to wash your hand before you handle him, because if you have something tastey smelling on your fingers he may try and taste it.  Also, NEVER give him treats thru the bars. This can get rats into a bat habit of nipping at fingers near the cage.

To help him trust you, try hand feeding him lots of yummy treats. Its a really good idea to put something like oatmeal or baby food in a spoon, because then he has to stick around and eat it. Can't just snatch it and run off. Also, on the topic of food, the stuff the pet store gave you probably isn't going to be something that's very healthy for him. A rat diet needs to consist mostly of a "lab block" or HIGH QUALITY dog food. I also feed my rats Suebee's Mix http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html. Fresh fruits and veggies are also good for rats. Here's a list of what NOT to feed Henry: http://www.petratscanada.com/forbidden_foods.htm

As for pictures, the trick is to either catch them while they're sleeping, or if you have a digital camera, just click click click away. I wil seriously take 300 pictures sometimes just to be able to get a couple good ones.   

Another thing that I always suggest to new comers is to read atleast every thread on the first page of both Rat Care Corner and Home Squeak Home. You will learn A LOT that way! This site is full of friendly and helpful people. 

[Claymore]

I've found the 3 hour rule on several threads here and on the Rat and Mouse Club of America forum.

[Schrute]

Ohhh... I searched through the posts on here (via the search engine), and the only thing I could find about the three hour rule would be that SDA is only a danger for three hours. I'm not sure if this rule is something with which I would necessarily agree or recommend. I also looked on RMCA (and yes, I'm aware that you stated that this was stated on their forum and not on their actual website, but I am going to post this anyhow for the benefit of the OP), and took this directly from their site:

Q: I want to buy some new rats, but how can I be sure I don’t bring home a deadly virus to my existing pet rats.
A:
Any new rat should be quarantined from two weeks to a month. The rat should be housed in a separate cage in a separate room, although air-borne viruses can be transmitted from room to room. Unless you can quarantine your new rats from your old rats in a separate building, there are no guarantees. To ensure that you are doing all you can, be sure to wash and disinfect your hands after handling the new rat and handle the new rat last. Change your clothes if you happen to put the new rat on your clothing while handling it prior to handling your old rats. Watch the new rat closely for any signs of illness, and also watch your old rats for signs of illness. If any symptoms appear, be sure to treat immediately.

To the OP: If I were you, I would go ahead and completely change your clothes and wash your hands every time, regardless of the amount of time that has passed, because there are other dangers aside from SDA that warrant quarantining.

[moonstream]

my first rat was also an older male, he was great and I miss him quite a bit.  I too was a bit worried about bting, but it is a needless fear.  the only time that either of my rats put their teeth on me is when Coda is trying to clean my teeth for me (he likes to use his claws too, OW) or when Rue is grooming my face (he especially likes the tip of my nose and my lips).  Rue is very gentle and would never dream of biting, Coda is a bit more manly, but is still a mammas boy (always has to be on me when he is out).
just a funny coincedence, Henry is my jerk twin brother's name!  LOL, better hope he doesnt turn out like him. haha.

[Cydlicious]

You all have been so friendly and wonderful! Henry has sat here on my shoulder for about an hour as I have read through posts. I LOVE this rat so much it's almost stupid!  He's amazing!

I'm floored by what some of you have done with cages! They're nicer than most of the apartments I have lived in! I'm anxious to get Henry some nicer digs.

I guess my only question in terms of a companion would be ...since he is so old and according to the information we have, he was raised alone and has be alone (in terms of other rodent contact) from the time he was a youngster. Would bringing someone else around potentially cause any psychological problems for him if he is used to being the only rat in town? Will sharing human contact (especially after being separated from his original owner) be even more traumatising?

[Schrute]

It's lovely that you all are getting along so well. Rats sure are addicting.

To be honest, I think it could really go either way. In general, a majority of the time, rats love company, and tend to show their personalities even moreso when in the company of others. On the flip side of that, there are circumstances where a rat can be "rat-aggressive", meaning that they do not get along with other rats and must be kept solitary. Unfortunately, there is really no way to know either way until you're in the "heat of battle".

Another thing I want to ask, even though you can't be sure how old he is, how old are you thinking that he may be? You mention a previous owner... was he not from pet store stock? Was he a surrender to the pet store from a previous family? Were they able to provide you with any additional information about his background?

[Cydlicious]

We know that his previous owner bought a ferret at the same time he got Henry, which was about a year ago (according to the paper work the guy filled out). That's the only thing we have to go on. Assuming he was a few months old at the time of purchase, we estimate him at around a year old.

I gather that he was a pet store purchase, surrendered to the pet store because his owner was moving. I am not sure if he was purchased at the same place he was left, but this chain of stores has an adoption program.

This is another reason I am wanting to find a vet quickly. Aside from some very minor sneezing, he seems healthy and happy, but since I have so little to go on, I really want him checked out.

[moonstream]

I had the same problem with Chester.  He was about 18 months, and the only companion he ever had was a female (who the pet store claimed was his mother).

when I wanted to get him a friend, I was unsure.  eventually I settled on a small baby blue hoodie, who liked me better then other rats.  if I had to do it again, I would have gone to a breeder, gotten a pair of baby boys, done a 2 week QT and then into'd ASAP.

the benefits of having a friend out way the posibility that they wont get along, IMO.

[scout]

I've introduced a couple of lone intact older males to other rats (ages 10 months and 18 months). They were alone because their previous owners didn't have them with other rats. Both boys were understandably very cautious and nervous at first, but once they relaxed, they really blossomed with rat friends 24/7. If you decide to get him some friends, i'd see if you can find a pair of young males (1 to 3 months old). Take your time introducing him since he'll probably be nervous. And if it doesn't work out, at least the pair will have each other. But I would expect Henry will enjoy having rat friends as much as he enjoys having human friends.