Pet Bed Large
Pet Rat, expectations and advice?
I'm planning to get a pet rat within the next month or so. I've had plenty of other pets, but never a rodent.
I have a fairly large, three-level rat cage. It's used, but has been washed and is in very good condition. I also have cedar for bedding.
I have two cats; one is 16 years old and very laid-back, the other is just under a year old, very curious and playful. She's been playing in the cage since I brought it home; very curious about the scents on it -- I can't smell it, but she obviously can!
I intend to get a young male rat. What can I expect, and what do I need to know? It's my understanding that rats are highly intelligent; are they trainable? Can they be taught to use a litter box, or anything similar? Do they need to be bathed, and how often? Should they be kept in the cage most of the time, or can they safely be allowed out for extended periods? (how do I rat-proof the room?)
Any advice from experienced owners would be great 
You've heard this before, but cedar bedding is not healthy for rats or other small animals & neither is pine. Aspen, Carefresh, Softsorbent & many other types of bedding are available. Also, please consider adopting 2 rats of the same sex. Boys don't necessarilly fight, especially if they are littermates or know each other as babies. We have 2 brothers who are about 20 months old & they wrestle playfully sometimes but never really fight. Since you expressed interest in getting a male (hopefully 2 males), you probably know that they tend to be more relaxed & cuddly than females, who are usually more curious & active. Of course, rats are individuals like everyone else.
Rats are quite intelligent & learn their names easilly. It does help if you don't give them names that rhyme or sound too much alike. Our rats behave like our cats do with regard to names-- if I call one, the one I call shows up quickly but the others follow more slowly, to make sure they don't miss out on a treat or some other fun thing.
Many rats can be trained to use a litter box, but results vary & sometimes this takes quite awhile (though I've known rats who have taken to this idea right away). They make litter pans for small animals but you can use any shallow container just as easilly. Fill the box with newspaper-based cat litter or anything else that's different from their normal bedding & add some of their droppings so they'll get the message.
Rats don't need baths unless they get dirty. I bath our boys every few weeks during the summer. There are shampoos made for small animals, or use something for kittens or babies (we use cruelty-free organic baby shampoo).
When you let your rats out, have your cats in another room unless you'll be holding the rats. If you let them run around in the room, make sure they can't squeeze under the door, keep all electric cords out of reach & watch where you step or sit down. Some houseplants are poisonous, so keep them out of reach if you're in doubt. They love to gnaw on things, so keep anything potentially harmful away from them. Often, the bathroom is a good place to let them run around, as long as they won't wriggle under the door. We used to have one room dedicated to our females for several months, they simply had the run of the room & returned to their cages when they felt like it.
Because rats are so smart & playful, they enjoy toys like plastic cat balls with bells inside, hammocks, boxes to climb in & many other things. They also love interacting with their humans. Our hairless girl would *love* to 'interact' with our kitten, but not in a good way-- she tries to chase him & once she bit his paw & wouldn't let go til I intervened when the kitten put his paw on the girls' cage.
If you live near a small animal rescue or a breeder, these are good places to adopt your new friends as they are better socialized & often in better health than petstore rats. Our boys are from a rescue, the hairless is from a breeder & our hooded girl from Petsmart & they're all very sweet & healthy.
When you get your rat/s, you're in for a delightful experience!
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