A few rat questions

[XxMontanaxX]

Everyone says they stink, but if you would keep their cage clean and everything, will they?

Can you litterbox train them?

Will they use the bathroom on you while you have them out?

How expensive are they? Like with everything, food, cage, rat, toys, and all...

How do they "play"? Do they roam around or will they play with toys?

That's all I can think of right now...thanks!

 

[trailsend]

Montana - I know there are A LOT more knowledgeable rattie people here - Amy will have lots of info for you for one.

I had several ratties years ago that came from a shelter - this is going to sound crazy but they were bonded to a pot belly pig that I pulled from the shelter before she was pts. Every night Miss Maudie would break the ratties out of their cage so they could run loose with her lol. My guys came to the shelter from someone who had them for food and they were all males and had fought a lot because there was 7 of them in a tiny cage. Once they had proper housing they did so much better. I can't answer all your questions, but they do play with their toys and are very active and inquisitive, smart, and loving. They all knew their names, came over to see me, kiss me, climb on me... They were very sociable and loving little critters. and they didn't smell!

 

[EileenH]

-Everyone says they stink, but if you would keep their cage clean and everything, will they?
Boys smell more than girls; neutering can help, but they just have more of an odor. My girls didn't smell (if I smelled them up close they reminded me of grapes :> ). Keeping the cage clean will surely help, but I kept girls for over 5 years, and had no problems with smell.


-Can you litterbox train them? Yes, and no. It depends on the rat; some will learn better than others. They do tend to use certain areas of the cage, and it can help to put different bedding in (ie: litter where you want them to go and fleece where you want them to sleep.

-Will they use the bathroom on you while you have them out? Sometimes...but, let me tell you it is a LOT easier than when a rabbit goes outside the cage. The urine is really just a little trail, not a whole lot. And they do not poop anywhere near the amount a rabbit does. And again, depends on the rat. I've had some that were sloppy with that, and some that were immaculate until they were just old and incontinent.

-How expensive are they? Like with everything, food, cage, rat, toys, and all...
If you adopt one that needs a home, you can often get one with a cage for not that much. ;>|
To start from scratch, probably $100? Food and toys are not that expensive. Just like bunnies, rat people would rather see rats be sold for higher amounts. This will lessen the likelihood of ending up snake food. (no diss toward snake people, just answering the question!)

-How do they "play"? Do they roam around or will they play with toys?
Some like to hand wrestle with you, some are licky, some we call "rodentists" (don't ask - you have to really be a rat person to allow that). They don't really play with toys (at least mine didn't), but you can do LOTS of fun stuff, like have a fishing for peas party, grow a digging box where you plant treats and the rats have to find them... There are lots of fun things you can play with rats.
Rats are like little dogs; they love when you come home, come running to see you, kiss you & want your attention. Boys are more laid back than girls, but I loved having girls because they are so on the go all the time. Rats are very curious, and social. If you are going to get one, make sure you get two. It isn't any more work, and it's better for the rat.

The best rat forum around(IMO) is Goosemoose Pet Portal. A few of us here are also over there. If you really want to get the feel for what rats are like, check it out over there:
http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,118/forum,rat
You will find that rattie owners love their rats with as much passion and ingenuity as the rabbit people here love their bunnies.
Rats are wonderful; the biggest drawback is they have a short lifespan (2-3 years). Other than that, I miss having them, though I live vicariously through undergunfire, SnowyShiloh. katt.... One day, I'll have them again.

I hope that I answered some of your questions. Feel free to ask if you any more.


How'd I do, Amy?

 

[undergunfire]

I didn't even see this thread until just now! It got lost "in the shuffle" on me . Montana, ask as many questions as you would like....rattie people loooove answering any rat question, haha!


Eileen, you did GREAT :biggrin2:! I couldn't have explain things better myself.

 

[XxMontanaxX]

Thanks a bunch!

Which would be better to get, a male or a female ratty?

And on that forum you posted, in the cage section, cages have like hanging bird toys. What are those for?

Example: http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h311/bosworth0/rats/cagenewtowels.jpg

 

[EileenH]

Those are just different toys. Plus, lots of ratties chew stuff, so they probably put a bunch of stuff in there to entertain them. Also, many rats like to hang out in hammocks, which are hanging in those pictures.

Whether to get a boy or a girl is really a personal choice. Basically, girls are more active. They are not looking to sit down & cuddle with you (generally - some will, especially when they are older) where the boys tend to like to be couch potatoes. Also, people are sometimes turned off by rats..ahem... "goolies" ie: testicles. They are rather pronounced in male rats, and some people are put off by them.
Those are the big differences, and it really is just a personal choice.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

I will answer as well! I did have four ratties, but am down to two

Everyone says they stink, but if you would keep their cage clean and everything, will they?
It depends on the number of rats you have and how often you clean the cage. In the summer, even my girls' cage started stinking within a day of being cleaned because it was so warm. When I got my girls, they ALL had terrible diarrhea which continued for about 3 weeks when the 2nd vet I took them to got them the correct antibiotic. The diarrhea was horribly stinky and could make my whole room smell like poop within 10 minutes of cleaning the cage... For me, cleaning their cage is pretty unpleasant. A lot worse than cleaning the bunny cage. They also tend to fling poo and boys often spray pee out the side of the cage because they're holding onto the cage bars. Putting a plastic mat under the cage and even a shower curtain on the wall is a good idea!

Can you litterbox train them?
Like others have said, it is quite possible, and some take to it better than others! My four are not litter trained for the most part, and I'd imagine it would be a lot nicer if they were.

Will they use the bathroom on you while you have them out?
My girls don't usually poop or pee on me, and Colby doesn't usually poop, but he does dribble urine even though he's been neutered. Be forewarned, most unneutered boys dribble urine almost all the time as a way to mark things. Also, I prefer cleaning up bunny accidents than rat accidents, rat turds are soft and squishy before they dry up.

How expensive are they? Like with everything, food, cage, rat, toys, and all...
This is probably because I live in Alaska where everything is more expensive, but my ratties have cost me over $1,000 in the time I've had them (a year and a couple months). $250 for the cage, $150 for food, $50 for toys, about $250 for assorted awesome handmade hammocks, hangy houses, pouches and other things and $450 for vet bills (3 vet visits and 1 neuter). My ratties are spoiled and I'm sure you could get by on less! The ratties themselves cost $6 a piece and Colby was free, unless you account for the gas we had to buy to drive 8 hours to pick him up.

How do they "play"? Do they roam around or will they play with toys?
They do play with toys! It's really cute. They also like to run around and be petted.

As for gender, I chose girls. Colby is a boy, but we got him because there was a young girl who's rats had babies and all the babies found new homes except him. Her mother was threatening to take him to the pet store where he'd be blinded by a bright light and then fed to a snake. No way would we let that happen! All ratties have their own personalities, but like others have said, girls tend to be more active. Boys seem to have a tendency to get fatter once they're not babies anymore, so you need to make sure they don't get obese since it's unhealthy. All my girls enjoyed being petted and would hunker down in my hands and close their eyes and brux while I petted their ears. Boys tend to be stinkier, more aggressive with other rats, dribble urine (some dominant girls do this too) and have big balls (don't know if it bothers you or not, it kind of freaked me out at first but now I think they're sorta cute!). Boys also generally are supposed to be friendlier with their owners, but I think that's more of a personality thing.

I hope my point of view helped some! We love our ratties and are so sad to have lost two. They are very entertaining to watch and play with.