| Being a dedicated rat owner can be very | | | | environment. If you make play time fun and |
| rewarding. All it takes is a little research | | | | challenging, you will be looking forward to |
| and a lot of preparation. | | | | the bonding time as well! |
| | | | |
| If you're getting ready to adopt a rat as a | | | | 6. Deciding to breed for the wrong reasons. |
| cherished pet, there are some pitfalls that | | | | |
| you should be aware of beforehand. Here are | | | | Breeding responsibly is not a lucrative or |
| 10 of the most common pet rat care mistakes | | | | easy hobby to get into, especially at the |
| that first-time rattie owners make: | | | | beginning. Don't get stuck with a litter of |
| | | | rats that wind up becoming snake-food at a |
| 1. Getting only one rat. | | | | pet store. Instead, try investing some time |
| | | | volunteering for or starting an |
| A person might think that getting two rats is | | | | apprenticeship with a breeder. |
| too much extra work... or that a pet rat will | | | | |
| bond with a human owner more readily if there | | | | 7. Not giving them enough toys. |
| is no other rat around to become friends | | | | |
| with. The truth is that rats are highly | | | | If you bore your rats, they will become |
| social creatures. They need to have other | | | | boring. Rats not only love to play, explore |
| rat-friends to play with and to "talk" to. | | | | and solve problems, but they actually need to |
| Furthermore, taking care of two rats is not | | | | be constantly stimulated by a challenging |
| much more work than caring for one. | | | | learning environment. Provide them with a |
| | | | variety of toys and games and switch things |
| 2. Getting the wrong kind of bedding. | | | | around constantly. They'll love you for it! |
| | | | |
| Sometimes a rat owner will want to cut | | | | 8. Entering them into a fancy rat show before |
| corners and use newspaper or cheap bedding. | | | | researching it. |
| Rats are very sensitive to the chemicals in | | | | |
| the ink and cheap bedding can often have | | | | You may love your rats and think they are |
| dusty particles that will irritate their | | | | just the most perfect rats you have ever |
| lungs. If you see a red discharge coming from | | | | seen, but the American Fancy Rat and Mouse |
| their noses, chances are, there is an | | | | Association (AFRMA) has very strict standards |
| irritant present in the air. Pine wood chips | | | | and those judges have seen hundreds--if not |
| are not safe! | | | | thousands--of rats in their day. Before |
| | | | deciding to enter your rats into a show, |
| 3. Feeding the rats an imbalanced diet. | | | | visit one first. Interview a handful of |
| | | | judges and learn exactly what makes a rat top |
| No, it's not cute how your furry friends can | | | | in its class. Then decide. |
| eat almost as much pizza as you. Caring for | | | | |
| pet rats means feeding them healthy food. | | | | 9. Procrastinating on researching a qualified |
| Look, there's no excuse. Fruits and veggies | | | | vet for small animals. |
| are not expensive items to buy; also, be sure | | | | |
| they get their share of lab blocks, seeds, | | | | The moment one of your rats becomes ill, you |
| and a daily dab of a vitamin supplement. | | | | will want to have the phone number of a good |
| | | | vet handy. Not all vets will treat small |
| 4. Not cleaning the cage often or thoroughly | | | | animals or rats. Do the searching beforehand |
| enough. | | | | and spare yourself the frustration and |
| | | | desperation an emergency situation can |
| Their urine will decompose and produce | | | | sometimes bring about. |
| ammonia. This, along with the decomposing | | | | |
| bedding can irritate their lungs. Yes, it's a | | | | 10. Underestimating the importance of |
| pain to do. But putting up with the | | | | belonging to a rat club or rat society. |
| unpleasant aspects will only help you to | | | | |
| appreciate them more. Clean and disinfect | | | | Belonging to a rat club or rat society such |
| with bleach-water once a week, or up to two | | | | as AFRMA will go a long way in getting your |
| weeks, maximum. | | | | key rat questions answered. Moreover, doing |
| | | | so will connect you with a community of rat |
| 5. Not taking them out to play often enough. | | | | lovers who are likely to want to share what |
| | | | they know for the sake of advancing the hobby |
| Rats will eventually get depressed if they | | | | as a whole. |
| remain cooped up inside their limited cage | | | | |