How to care for a domestic rat?

Despite numerous prejudices, the domestic rat is an agreeable pet, and caring for it is surprisingly enjoyable, easy, and fun. In addition, they are in no way inferior to cats and dogs with their attachment to the owner and intellect, if even sometimes they do not surpass them. Read all about the intricacies of keeping and caring for domestic rats in this article.

One of the reasons why you should buy a pet rat is its intelligence. She is able to recognize the owner and distinguish between family members. Most tame rats know how to make faces and laugh, not to mention the fact that they are not only attached to the owner, but also caress him. Decorative rats are easy to keep in the apartment. It will be enough for them to arrange a cage with everything they need. They tolerate changes in temperature and humidity much better than other pets.

This animal is trainable. Of course, one should not expect high results, but domestic rats can be taught to perform simple commands, and little rats can easily learn to swim on their own. It is noticed that each rat has its own character and temperament. This cannot be called a plus, but it is quite interesting to observe the manifestation of this. Rats can be both active and lazy, with their own quirks or even eating habits.

At home, rats can be kept in pairs, flocks or alone.Rats are polygamous, if you are not going to sell or distribute rat pups afterwards, you should not get a male and a female, and even more so put them in the same cage. Caring for cubs will complicate your life anyway, since rats are not particularly picky when choosing a mate. Male and female can contact only for the sake of reproduction. However, they are pack animals that need companionship.

The dwelling material must be made of metal. Wooden cages for rodents have proven themselves very poorly and are practically not offered for sale. The rodent cage should be spacious. It is not recommended to purchase low cages, as some individuals like to climb the upper rods. The most common and acceptable size for a cage is 60x40x60 cm.

It is necessary to pay attention to the distance between the bars of the gratings. They should be no more than 12 mm. The rods themselves should be completely covered with enamel and not have any chips or peeling of the coating anywhere. The bottom of the cage should be smooth to minimize subsequent trauma to the pet. It is also worth taking care of a pallet with high sides so that waste does not fall on the surface of the floor or table. Collapsible cages with large doors received positive reviews.

It is imperative to equip the cage with a small house. For pets, it will look like a mink in which they will hide and sleep. It is best to make the bottom soft. Another favorite place to relax is a hammock. It can be hung between the cage rods or set separately. Other useful and interesting toys for rats include various colored tunnels, bridges, wheels, swings, balls and even edible figurines.

It is recommended to purchase a nipple drinker. It is most convenient for pets and owners. When choosing between floor and hanging bowls, it is better to give preference to hanging bowls. They can be placed in both dry food and used for liquid food. The best filler is corn... Wood shavings provoke allergies, and napkins require regular cleaning. Do not use ink-filled paper as filler. She can simply poison rodents.

It is a good idea to create own mini-park for rats. To do this, you need to plant wheat in a small tray with soil. After it sprouts, you need to place it in the cage. The pet will be happy to bask in it.

As a rule, the requirements for feeding decorative rats are low. Rats are omnivorous, but to provide them with a healthy and nutritious diet, you still need to adhere to certain recommendations.

• Vegetables should be the basis of the diet. - they are rich in vitamins and also have a positive effect on the intestines. Good for rodents and dried fruits. The main thing is that they are natural.
• Another essential part of the diet is protein. It can be given to rats in the form of boiled eggs or meat (beef, chicken, fish) or liver (heart, kidney). Everything must be boiled in order to avoid subsequent infection with worms.
• Improve rodent health with flax or pumpkin seeds... A good addition would be wheat or oat seedlings.
• Kefir can help restore intestinal microflora, and cottage cheese - a lack of calcium. Rats actively eat watermelon and strawberries.

Prohibited foods for rodents include the following:

• kebab or any other meat with a high spice content;
• chocolate and other sweets;
• potato;
• raw beans.

Especially it is necessary to look after and properly feed the newly-made mother-rat with the food rich in vitamins. Her diet should be rich in protein, fiber, and foods high in calcium. Sometimes it is recommended to feed the rat with ready-made dry food from pet stores. But often you cannot feed your pet with them. The bulk of the diet must remain "alive".

On average, a rodent eats almost 30 grams of food per day. A third of this volume is accounted for by vegetables. The daily water intake for rats is 60 ml.

Bathe rats in warm water. This is best done using shampoo. Sometimes a small brush can be used as a washcloth. Often, before or after bathing, the rat's claws are trimmed.

It is imperative to bathe the rat if it is smeared with something. It's not so scary if it is food, but if it is something inedible, then when cleansing, the rat can simply poison itself. Sometimes it is enough just to wash the rat's legs and tail. Bathing is also recommended if the rat smells bad. Most often this is due to untimely cleaning of the cage.

Domestic rats are quite shy, so bathing can be stressful for them. It is best to lower the rat into a container and pour water there so that it can stand with its paws on the bottom. First you need to moisten the rodent's fur, and then apply shampoo. For bathing, baby shampoo is quite suitable. You need to watch out for so that the product does not get into the eyes and ears.

It is necessary to dry the rodent by wrapping it in several towels. If the pet lives with other rodents, then you need to carefully launch it into the cage, since a different smell can cause rejection of its fellows. If the rat is healthy, then you need to bathe it once a month. (if it is a female), or combine it with wet wipes (if it's a male).

It should be noted right away that the life span of rats is short - about two years. Under good living conditions, they can live up to 4 years. Interesting fact: the maximum age of the rat, which was officially recorded - 7 years. If you keep more than one rat, but several, then quite often there will be fights that will lead to injuries. They need to be treated.

Sphynx and Dumbo rats are quite susceptible to various diseases, because they are the product of gene mutations that later negatively affect their health. As a rule, old age for them occurs at the age of two years.

Healthy rats are moderately active and inquisitive. They sniff their owner or his hands. If the rodent is too lethargic or, on the contrary, too active, then this indicates that he has health problems. When buying a rat, you should pay attention to the following points:

• scratches, wounds or sores on the legs and tail; later they can cause other more serious diseases;
• bald spots;
• suppuration on the body;
• frequent sneezing;
• a wet area around the anus is a clear sign of an intestinal disorder;
• any suspicious discharge from the eyes, ears, or even the nose.

Domestic rats differ from their wild relatives in much weaker health. The former are prone to gaining excess weight and various cancers. As a preventive measure for these diseases, it is necessary to carefully monitor the diet of pets. Separately, it is worth highlighting ticks, lice and other parasites that live on animals covered with wool. To get rid of them, it is necessary to detect the disease in time and treat the animals with special preparations.

Rat training is made easier by being friendly. Individuals can be easily tamed by climbing in and out of the host's long sleeves. Rats love to swarm around in boxes and find something there. By regularly encouraging and stroking them, rats can be taught to bring some small thing or jump over obstacles.... Rodents can also easily learn to climb a rope or a hoop.

Of course, in no case should you beat pets. Such behavior towards him will not give any results in terms of training. One of the simplest tricks that you can teach a rat is to respond to your name and come to the owner, as well as stand up on its hind legs when ordered. Quite often, sunflower seeds or small pieces of fruit are used as rewards.

Moving away from the topic, I would like to talk about the origin of domestic rats. The 16th century, when rats filled all medieval cities, is long gone, but it is from this moment that their domestication begins. The cultivation of rats by humans reached its peak in the 19th century, when individuals were bred specifically for participation in battles. During the same period, albinos began to be used for laboratory research.

Of course, not all rats participated in battles or were experimental; some individuals remained with humans as pets. Since then, they have lived next to people, and their disposition has become more docile than that of wild relatives.

For information on how to care for a rat, see the next video.