What Should I do for my Two New Rats?

I just got two new rats. They are 3 months old, and I'm just curious what I should do for them. I got them rat food and a small cage (my ten gallon tank is in storage). I didn't buy them toys yet. Any suggestions?What Should I do for my Two New Rats?
you should get them a bar cage.... with levels in it. i tank is okay but not really the greatest because it has no air circulation. and no way for them to climb around. ... get them treats. rats loveLOVElove yoggies. also just play with them. hold them... let them get used to you and being handled. they will probably be pretty active at first, especially if they are girlies.


ummm there are plenty of sites out there to help with rat care... here was one of my favorites when i got my first rattie 8 years ago!


http://www.slaphog.com/sarah/rats.htm


it is pretty simple but it helps! :) What Should I do for my Two New Rats?
Well you shouldn't use a 10 gallon tank because you don't get proper air flow through it and they could have respiratory problems. You also don't want to use any kind of wood product in the cage, or something that will cause a lot of dust. Use a soft bedding for them, and play with them as much as possible. As for toys they love hammocks, tubes, rattle balls and much more. They also love yogurt drops for treats.
I hope your ';small'; cage is bigger than a 10 gal tank! Rats need at least 2.5 cubic feet of space each. Check out a Rat Manor from PetCo, that will give you an idea of the size cage two rats should ideally live in.





The basics- avoid pine or cedar bedding, as it can cause respiratory troubles. Carefresh, Yesterday's News, and fleece are all appropriate bedding choices.


Avoid pet shop food mixes, too. Google Suebees for a good home-made mix, and/or you can feed lab blocks. Harlan Teklad is a good brand.





Of course your rats should have fresh water, always.





You'll want to give them plenty of ';free range'; time out of their cage. Suitable toys include cat-balls- the heavy type, with a bell in the middle, small paper bags, cereal/tissue/any small boxes turned on their side for exploring, pieces of PVC pipe to explore. Another option is take a piece of paper, and wad a treat up in the middle. The rats will have a wonderful time tearing up the paper to get to the treat.





Best of luck with your rats!





Rejoicing in the day,


-Mary
First , a ten gallon tank is not large enough for 2 rats. 2 cubic feet per rat is best. There is not enough ventilation either. A good wire cage is better. I love my Martin's cages. Great cages at a decent price. http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/


BTW Hopefully they are same sex or you will be have LOTS more! LOL


What type of food is it? If it is a mix then most likely they won't get the nutrition they need do to the fact that they will only eat what they like! They are like little kids. :)


A good lab block such as , Harlan, Mazuri, even Kay-tee.


Trouble with buying any of that in pet stores is the protein % is way too high for adult ratties. 3 month old should be on approx. 18% with adults,6 months up, 14%.


Give them lots of free time out of the cage when you can. They love all kinds of toys %26amp; they have to be store bought. They love toilet %26amp; paper towel rolls, anything plastic that they can chew , %26amp; wood toys. (NO PINE OR CEDAR)


If you can get cheap tissues ,unscented , they love to pull them out %26amp; also love wiggling into the box!


One more thing, look for a good exotic vet before you need them. Sometimes they are hard to find. Put away a little at a time for vet fund, that way it will be easier to come up with the $ for them.





I can't think of a better pet!! You have made a wise choice



spend a lot of time with them but also give them some time to adjust come up with fun games and put some rags in their cage to play hide and seek under and you could get a hammock for them and put in some toilet paper tubes