Love and attention can sometimes play a big role in how long your rat will live. A neglected animal will be depressed and sometimes just wither away, while an animal given lots of attention and love will live months beyond its life expectancy because it is happy and has a much stronger will to live!

A breeder of rats is usually the safest place to obtain a rat as most are concerned about their breeding animals being healthy. They also handle the babies from birth so the rat is very socialized when you get him. You may also be able to obtain the lineage of your rat if you get him from a breeder. To find a breeder in your area, contact your local rat and mouse club.

Pet store rats can make wonderful pets, but you should examine them closely for any health problems. Many pet store rats (especially if from the feeder section) have not been handled so can possibly take weeks to become accustomed to being handled. Be sure you examine the rat to verify if it is male or female as many pet store employees are unable to do this accurately. (The large testicles of a male rat should be apparent by the age of three weeks.) Whichever sex, consider getting pairs or trios since rats are very social animals and do not do as well if kept singly.

We also strongly recommend visiting your local humane society or animal shelter when looking for pets. Homeless pet rats and mice are euthanized daily simply because people don't think to go there to adopt small friends.

Both sexes make wonderful pets. Females are smaller and considerably more active than males and their fur is softer. On the other hand, males are normally happier sitting on your lap and having you scratch their head.

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.

Both wire cages and aquariums are suitable for rats and each has advantages and disadvantages. However, any type of cage must be large enough for the number of rats to be housed in it. When purchasing a cage for a baby rat, be sure to allow plenty of room for the rat to grow. Most cages manufactured for hamsters do not allow this necessary room and are therefore unsuitable for rats.

An aquarium will protect the rat from drafts, but has poor air circulation which makes it warmer and more humid than a wire cage. An aquarium is also more difficult than a wire cage to decorate and to provide levels for climbing. A 20-gallon tank will house one or two females or males and would need to be cleaned twice a week since the rats are living in their litter, unlike in a wire cage where they can climb up onto shelves. Tanks make it difficult for the owner to interact with their pets. Rats housed in aquariums need daily out time to provide necessary exercise unless the rat happens to be a wheel runner.

Wire cages should be powder coated, not galvanized, as galvanized wire will corrode in time as rat urine burns it away. The cage floor should be solid, not wire, and shelves should be solid. The often-seen wire on shelves or ramps that is 1/2 x 1 is frequently the cause of a rats foot or leg getting caught and breaking or being seriously sprained. Rat & Mouse Gazette recommends FernCage by Sierra cages (562/696-5969 or write 11830 Wakeman Street, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670).

Cages made with wood are totally unacceptable for rats as their urine will soak into the wood, causing ammonia buildup, which can lead to or exacerbate respiratory disease. They may also chew through the wood allowing them to escape. The wood may also splinter making it unsafe to tender rat flesh.

Cages can be disinfected with Parvosol, a germicidal, virucidal, veterinary cleaner-disinfectant. (Other brands available are Spectra-Sol and Roccal-D) Bleach is also fine, diluted 1 part bleach to 10 parts hot water. Be sure all residue is thoroughly rinsed off and the cage is well dried.

Yes! Both cedar and pine shavings contain phenols, the oils in the wood that give them their fresh and woodsy smell. Phenols are poisonous, caustic, acidic compounds present in soft woods, and are routinely diluted for use in disinfectants (such as Pine-Sol and Lysol) and cover the smell of animal urine. Because phenols are caustic, they constantly irritate the nasal passages, throat and lungs which gives an easy opening to bacteria. Phenols affect the kidneys and liver, the organs responsible for filtering blood and urine and eliminating toxins from them. Long-term exposure to phenols can cause liver damage and make the animal very sensitive to anesthetics. Exposure to phenols can also depress the immune system, thus causing lowered resistance to diseases such as respiratory infection. Pine and cedar shavings are toxic to small animals and should not ever be used.

Unfortunately, cedar and pine are the easiest to find in pet stores. Under no circumstances should they be used. Hardwood shavings are the best, such as aspen. Other acceptable litters are paper products such as Bio-Flush, CareFRESH, and Yesterday_s News. Corncob bedding is okay but when it gets damp it can start growing mold, thus requiring frequent changing. Rabbit food pellets can also be used. It is absorbent and breaks down easily, but is safer than soft woods or corncob.

If possible, put rats in separate cages near each other so they can get used to the smell (and sight) of the others. After about a week, let them out on a neutral area (possibly your bed or a couch). If they fight, separate them and try again in a day or so.

Clean out both cages and disinfect them. Dab some vanilla extract on the bridge of the nose (between the nose and the eyes), on the back, and on the genitals of each rat. Let the rats go in and out of both cages until they are comfortable and there is no fighting. The whole procedure may take a day, days, a week or a month. Be patient. Also be prepared for the fact that some rats may never get along and will need to be housed separately.

Laboratory pellets or lab blocks, as they are referred to, should be considered to be your rats basic diet. These blocks are nutritionally balanced for rats and mice and are used exclusively by many laboratories and breeders as the animals entire diet.

Lab blocks have been formulated to meet a rats nutritional needs and recommended brands are Teklad, Hagen, and Kaytee blocks. Rat and Mouse grain mix is available in most pet stores, but should only be fed as a treat a couple times a week. The best of the grain brands is Universal Supreme, made by Kaytee.

Add fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables to your rats daily diet. Rats do love table scraps, but dont overdo. Chicken bones are fine. Rats gnaw the bones and will not choke on them like a dog will. Treats may be added sparingly.

The Rat Health Care booklet by Debbie Ducommun reports that corn should be fed with caution due to high levels if nitrates and amines which can combine in the stomach to form nitrosamines which are carcinogenic. In theory, this is true, but you would have to feed your rat a diet almost entirely of corn for this to be a problem. You dont want your rat to exist soley on any one type of food, but there really isnt a problem with corn, other than too much in the diet will make your rat fat. A well balanced diet containing corn in moderation is perfectly fine.

Chocolate is also fine in moderation. Its the Theobromine in chocolate that can be dangerous for dogs, but rats do not have a problem with it. Again, moderation is the key or you will end up with a fat rat.

Dont freak out if your rat gets into your soda-pop, either. Although the Rat Health Care booklet reports that carbonated beverages should never be given to rats because rats cant burp and can be fatal, this is simply not true.

Laboratory pellets or lab blocks, as they are referred to, should be considered to be your rats basic diet. These blocks are nutritionally balanced for rats and mice and are used exclusively by many laboratories and breeders as the animals entire diet.

Lab blocks have been formulated to meet a rats nutritional needs and recommended brands are Teklad, Hagen, and Kaytee blocks. Rat and Mouse grain mix is available in most pet stores, but should only be fed as a treat a couple times a week. The best of the grain brands is Universal Supreme, made by Kaytee.

Add fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables to your rats daily diet. Rats do love table scraps, but dont overdo. Chicken bones are fine. Rats gnaw the bones and will not choke on them like a dog will. Treats may be added sparingly.

The Rat Health Care booklet by Debbie Ducommun reports that corn should be fed with caution due to high levels if nitrates and amines which can combine in the stomach to form nitrosamines which are carcinogenic. In theory, this is true, but you would have to feed your rat a diet almost entirely of corn for this to be a problem. You dont want your rat to exist soley on any one type of food, but there really isnt a problem with corn, other than too much in the diet will make your rat fat. A well balanced diet containing corn in moderation is perfectly fine.

Chocolate is also fine in moderation. Its the Theobromine in chocolate that can be dangerous for dogs, but rats do not have a problem with it. Again, moderation is the key or you will end up with a fat rat.

Dont freak out if your rat gets into your soda-pop, either. Although the Rat Health Care booklet reports that carbonated beverages should never be given to rats because rats cant burp and can be fatal, this is simply not true.

Rats should always have fresh water available in a demand-type water bottle. Bowls can be tipped over, leaving the rat with no water for long periods of time, depending on how often you check on your pets. They can also be contaminated with all kinds of bacteria due to contact with bedding and feces. The average rat will drink up to two ounces of water per day. Flavoring the water will sometimes make them drink more, and feeding lots of fresh fruits and vegetables containing a lot of moisture will make them drink less.

The authors of this FAQ are Mary Ann Isaksen and Diane Newburg.

A trip to the vet for an injection of an anti-inflammatory drug such as Dexamethasone may speed the healing process, but it is imperative that you get the rat into a cage with a solid bottom. Injuries like thse are very common in wire-bottomed cages which is one reason we do not recommend them at all (not to mention ulcerative pododermatis, also known as Bumblefoot).

If the leg is just swollen and there is no breakage of the skin, the anti- inflammatory drug and rest may be all that are required for a quick recovery, but if an open wound is present, you may need to have it cleaned out and have an antibiotic prescribed by your vet as well.

An abscess will frequently break open and drain on its own. In this case, clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide. You can also apply a topical antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin. If it does not break open and drain on its own and becomes hard and continues to grow, wait for a scab to appear on the surface and gently squeeze it, popping the scab allowing the old pus to be forced out. Clean the wound as described above. In all cases of abscesses, if it appears to be making your rat ill, you will need to get your rat to the vet to have it lanced. In all cases of abscesses, you may need to put your rat on oral antibiotics to fight the infection from within.

Rats have poor eyesight and this movement is often used to detect motion. It is more common with pink-eyed rats.

If your rat cries when it moves or when you touch it or pick it up or winces then it probably is in pain. Rats are very stoic, so if your rat is truly showing signs of pain then the pain must be severe. If this pain is associated with a known injury, you can ask your vet about possible pain medication. If you do not know of any injury, you will need to take it to the vet for an X-ray to determine if there is a hidden injury or tumor somewhere causing it pain.

It has been determined that household drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen have no real effect on rat pain due to their high metabolic rate and, therefore, should not be used. Heavy duty opioid analgesics such as Butorphanol and Morphine administered frequently are considered necessry in cases of severe pain. Less severe pain should not be treated with medication at all as the pain ensures that the rat will stay calm and speed the healing process.

If your rat is in pain, is no longer eating, drinking, and active, it is time to let go. Unless you have an inhalant anethesia available to you at home (such as Halothane, Isoflurane, or even Chloroform), you will need to take your rat to the vet to be euthanized. Inhalant anethesia overdose, or inhalant anesthesia followed by lethal injection are the only humane methods of euthanasia. Lethal injection in rats is either in the peritoneal cavity (belly) or directly in the heart, both of which are extremely painful if the rat is awake, and, therefore, inhumane. Please INSIST on the gas prior to any lethal injection.

It is possible that he has mites, but most often scabs are caused by too much protein in the diet, which causes hot spots that the rats scratch. Try eliminating high-protein items such as sunflower seeds, peanuts and dog food. If the scabs persist, the problem may be mites. The horse-wormer paste products "Zimecterin," "Rotectin 1," "Equalvan," or "Equimectrin" (1.87% Ivermectin) can be used to get rid of mites (or lice, which appear as little red bugs on the skin with tiny eggs on the hair shaft). The dose is a small amount of the paste orally on the end of a toothpick (the size of a uncooked grain of white rice). Repeat dose once a week for three weeks.

Bedding may be dusted lightly with cat flea powder containing carbaryl. Allow the rats to sleep in treated bedding for 1 to 2 weeks to eliminate any hatching eggs.

There are both benefits and risks involved with spaying a female rat and neutering a male rat. The obvious benefit for both sexes is that they no longer have reproductive organs that can sometimes cause health problems later in life.

With female rats, removing the reproductive organs will lessen their chances for developing mammary and pituitary tumors, and definitely makes it impossible for her to get cancer of the uterus or genital mycoplasmosis. The risks, on the other hand, are great, as this is a major surgical procedure which should be done while the rat is quite young (for the most benefit), and the vet must go into the body cavity to perform the operation. General anesthesia must be used and can be considered a risk in itself, as any animal could die while under its effects (including humans).

Neutering male rats is most often done to allow the male to live with female rats or to stop aggressive behavior, since testicular cancer is not common in rats. While this procedure is not as invasive as spaying a female rat, it should still be considered dangerous, as general anesthesia is required and post operative infection resulting in abscesses is quite common. After any surgical procedure, you should always be sure your vet sends your rat home with a course of antibiotics.

It happens every four to five days, mostly in the evening hours, for twelve hours at a time. You will quite often see the other female(s) in the cage trying to mount the female in season. If you look at her vaginal opening, it will be open, moist, and kind of purplish in color. If you touch her hind quarters, she will stretch out, putting her nose and rear end in the air, arch her back downwards, and vibrate her ears.

Female rats can get pregnant as early as five to six weeks of age, but they really should not be bred until they are three and a half to four months of age. If they are not bred at that time, they should be bred (if you plan to breed them at all) before they are eight months old. If they have a litter between these ages, you can breed them up until about one year, but it is not recommended breeding beyond that.

If they have not been bred by eight months of age, their chances of conceiving go down as well. Being overweight will also reduce their chances of getting pregnant.

21 to 23 days. She will not begin to show her pregnancy until the third week, and will not be interested in nest building until the day before or the day she gives birth.

Pregnancy and nursing require a lot of nutrients. A good quality dry kitten food, such as Iams and Nutro, will give her the extra protein and fat her body needs at this time. Be sure she also has plenty of her normal diet and water available at all times.

The average size litter is 12, but numbers from 1 to 22 are possible. Although the female only has 12 nipples, she can care for many more babies as long as she is getting the proper nutrition. Most females with very large litters will separate the babies into two piles and will alternate feeding each group, therefore, there is no reason to ever consider culling. Finding homes for the highest possible number of babies should be something you consider before you decide to breed.

The female will go into season within 36 hours of giving birth and can become pregnant again right away. It is not healthy for her to be pregnant and nursing a litter at the same time. It is recommended that the female be given a rest period of at least two months between pregnancies and litter rearing to restore her body to full strength.

This is not recommended. Although some females will share the responsibilities of raising their families without any problems, there are other females who will steal all of the babies and try to nurse them herself. These females most often will not let the other mother get near her babies. This may not be a problem with small litters, but is with large litters since the female will not be able to produce enough milk to feed all of the babies and many may die. It has also been reported that a female has gone berserk and killed all of the babies of another female. Why take the chance? It is very easy to set up two tanks for the mothers to raise their babies separately. It is much less stressful for them this way.

The babies should be left with the mother for a minimum of four weeks. Large litters may be left for five weeks. They should not be left beyond this time.

The general rule is to separate the babies from mom by the time they are five weeks old to avoid a male offspring possibly impregnating his mother, and separate the males from the females by six weeks of age.

Some males who have been used for breeding while they are somewhat young will breed almost until the day they die, and some have been known to continue to breed but lose their ability to impregnate the female (become infertile). If a male has not been used for breeding while young, he will sometimes not be interested in breeding at all.

It is recommended to house Hairless rats with furred rats. Their skin is a little thicker, but they probably get colder not having any fur to keep them warm. If you choose to keep a Hairless rat alone, or with other Hairless rats, give them a box of some sort to sleep in, small enough to hold their body heat. It also might be helpful to give them an old T-shirt or something equivalent to help them stay warm. Be sure to launder any fabric frequently.

Yes, this is teeth grinding and they always seem to do this while they are very content. They also grind their teeth to keep them at the proper length (as food really has nothing to do with keeping them short) and this could simply be what they are doing.