New Rats

Pet rats are clean, intelligent, enjoy human company and make wonderful family pets.

It is always better to get rats from a breeder than from a pet store.

  Introduce yourself to the breeder and ask a lot of questions.

  Most breeders have application forms, do a contract and have a waiting list.

Before getting rats

• Do your research before you finally decide.
• We don't recommend buying pets for special occasions (Xmas, Easter etc.) for someone as/or a surprise. You must discuss it with that person.
• Why? The most time the child/person is not interested in pets or that specific species/breed or/and they lose quick interest when they discover they have to spend a lot of time with it, care for it (feed, play, clean up the poo, clean the cage etc.), vet visit and that it cost money.
• Are these rats for you or your child/children? Are you prepared to take care of the rats if your child loses interest?
• It is a big commitment to get a pet. So please have in mind that you have to pay money for them, provide a suitable cage with an active set-up, bedding, litter; you have to feed them, wash them if necessary, care for them when they are ill (vet visit and medications cost money), clean the cage and toilets, clean up their poo when they have free range; play, cuddle, snuggle with them and give them a lot of love etc..
• If you are interested in a specific variety like naked, rex or siamese for example, do your research about them is well.
• Get an application form from the breeder you choose.
• It is easier to use a PC, Mac or Laptop to fill out. Alternative: Print it, fill it out, scan it or take a picture and send it off.
• If you get a form from us, do not fill it out on your mobile phone. - Thank YouOur form is in the PDF format that can be opened with Adobe Reader.
• The rats should not be younger than 6 weeks old. If a breeder homes them younger, you should avoid them.
• Also, rats kittens have to go in a group of the same sex and age. If you are don't have any rats then it's best to get a group of minimum of 3 rats. If you have a kitten/s at the same age already and like to have only one rat kitten, please discuss it with the breeder.
• The breeder will contact you if he/she/they have further questions and let you know if you are accepted or not.
• Get the cage and the setup, food, bedding, treats etc.
• Information can be found under: 'What do rats eat?' and 'How could I set up my rats cage?'When you buy a cage, have in mind that the space between the bars shouldn't be that big - when the head fits through, the whole body fits though and your rat can escape. The link that calculates how many rats you should max. put into your cage http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml

When you pick up the rats

• When you pick up the new rats, take a carer with you, put something in to keep them warm and also some food and water or fresh vegetables to keep them hydrated.
• The most breeder will ask you to sign a contract. We will give you a Birth Certificate as well.
• Let the rats settle down at their new home.
• Give them a lot of attention (playing, free roaming, cuddling and snuggling) and love and care for them (feeding, cleaning etc.)
• Good breeders will ask you for regular updates on the pets.
• Rats should not be looked after or handled by unsupervised children.
• If you need some help or advice, please contact the breeder.

   Before you extend your mischief

• Is your current cage suitable for the number of rats you will have?
• If not, get a bigger one.
• The link that calculates how many rats you should max. put into your cage http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml
• Do you have enough for an active cage layout for your bigger cage?
• If not, get more.
• Get an applications form from the breeder you choose.
• It is easier to use a PC, Mac or Laptop to fill out. Alternative: Print it, fill it out, scan it or take a picture and send it off.
• If you get a form from us, do not fill it out on your mobile phone. - Thank You
• Our form is in the PDF format that can be opened with Adobe Reader.
• The rats should not be younger than 6 weeks old. If a breeder homes them younger, you should avoid them.
• Also, rats kittens have to go in a group of 2 or more of the same sex and age. If you have a kitten at the same age already and like to have only one rat kitten, please discuss it with the breeder.
• The breeder will contact you if he/she/they have further questions and let you know if you are accepted or not.
• When you pick up your new rats, take a carer with you, put something in to keep them warm and also some food and water or fresh vegetables to keep them hydrated.
• Let the rats settle down for 24h and then introduce them to your existing mischief. Some people introduce them straight away. There are different methods.
• Good breeders will ask you for regular updates on the pets.

What happens when you introduce new rats to your existing mischief?

It is easier to introduce females to each other than males.

The best is and it is easier if the new rats are still kittens and/or if they had a lower rank in their former mischief.

Before the induction

• If your new rats are adult rats (you have rescued them for example), we recommend keeping them separate for ~2 weeks until you can be sure that they are healthy and don't carrier anything that could be passed on to your existing mischief.
• If your new rats are kittens and from a good breeder, you can let them settle down in a smaller cage in the same room where your existing mischief is, so they get used to each other's smell.
• Or you introduce them straight away.
• You have different instruction methods you can choose from.
• Some people put the kittens into the big cage straight away, some give them all free-roaming together and others do a formal induction.
• Doesn’t matter which method you use, clean the area before.
• You could spray/rub all rats with Grooming Spray before they get introduced to each other to make them smell all the same.

Inductions

• There are different methods. We have used the neutral ground method (bathtub), the carrier method and the small cage method.
• Make sure the area is clean and safe.
• You could give some food and water in.
• Put first the leader of your mischief in, followed by the rest of the mischief and the new rats.
• Close the cage or carrier if you use this/these method/s.
• Keep an eye on them but don’t interfere as long there are no serious injuries or blood drawn.
• When they all get along with each other, you may put them into the big CLEAN cage and keep an eye on them.
• If the induction is not successful on the first try, give them a rest to calm down and try another time, again.

Following can happen during an induction

- sniffing at each other / - feeling frightened or threatened / - pushing with the butt

- humping / - puffing / - squeaking / - jumping / - standing / - boxing / - grabbing

- climbing or hiding to get away / - staring at each other / - putting down / - running

- giving or getting a clean, grooming / - snuggling and cuddling

- in the worst case: - injuries from biting; death

An induction can take a short time or a long time and sometimes the rats have to be introduced several times to each other. They can get on with each other straight away or it can take some time - it's successful or sometimes it is not. In the last event, you must keep them as 2 separate mischiefs.

Don't interrupt during an induction, only if they get seriously injured (blood). We know, it is hard not to do when you hear them squeaking and running around but if you do, it is possible that the new ones can never integrate into your existing mischief.

The most of our inductions were successful, apart from 2 where we had to keep the 3 Siamese bucks separate from our mischief. These were: two of them 18 months old and the other one ~ 1 year old.

Here you see some pictures that were taken during an induction.

The induction was successful after 1 attempt and all rats could be put together into the big cage on the same day.

New rats: 2 Siamese does ~1 year old

Existing mischief: 3 generations of does, age ~4months old - 2 years old

Method: small cage           .

New to rats?

Before getting rats

• Do your research before you finally decide.
• Find out if you allegic to rats.
• We don't recommend buying pets for special occasions Xmas, Easter etc.) for someone as/or a surprise. You msut discuss it with that person.
• Why? The most time the child/person is not interested in pets or that specific species/breed or/and they lose quick interest when they discover they have to spend a lot of time with it, care for it (feed, play, clean up the poo, clean the cage etc.), vet visit and that it cost money.
• Are these rats for you or your child/children? Are you prepared to take care of the rats if your child loses interest?
• It is a big commitment to get a pet. Pets are living beeings and no items you through away when you get bored of them.
• So please have in mind that you have to pay money for them, provide a suitable cage with an active set-up, bedding, litter; you have to feed them, wash them if necessary, care for them when they are ill (vet visit and medications cost money), clean the cage and toilets, clean up their poo when they have free range; play, cuddle, snuggle with them and give them lot of love etc..
• If you are interested in a specific variety like naked, rex or siamese for example, do your research about them is well. Also, the waiting can be longer.
• Get an applications form from the breeder you choose.
• It is easier to use a PC, Mac or Laptop to fill out the form digital. If you get a form from us (is in the PDF format),  it can be opened with Adobe Reader. Do not fill it out on your mobile phone. - Thank You

Alternative: Print it, fill it out, scan it or take a picture and send it off.

• The rats should not be younger than 6 weeks old. If a breeder homes them younger, you should avoid them.
• Also, rats kittens have to go in a group of the same sex and age. If you don't have any rats then it's best to get a group of a minimum of 3 rats.
• The breeder will contact you if he/she/they have further questions and let you know if you are accepted or not.
• The breeder will contact you when they have kittens available that fit your request.
• Get the cage and the setup, food, bedding, treats etc.
• When you buy a cage, have in mind that the space between the bars shouldn't be that big -  when the head fits through, the whole body fits though and your rat can escape.
• Information can be found under: 'What do rats eat?' and 'How could I set up my rats cage?'When you buy a cage, have in mind that the space between the bars shouldn't be that big - when the head fits through, the whole body fits though and your rat can escape. The link that calculates how many rats you should max. put into your cage http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml

When you pick up the rats

• When you pick up the new rats, take a carer with you, put something in to keep them warm and also some food and water or fresh vegetables to keep them hydrated.
• The most breeder will ask you to sign a contract. We will give you a Birth Certificate as well.
• Let the rats settle down at their new home.
• Give them a lot of attention (playing, free roaming, cuddling and snuggling) and love and care for them (feeding, cleaning etc.)
• Good breeders will ask you for regular updates on the pets.
• Rats should not be looked after or handled by unsupervised children.
• If you need some help or advice, please contact the breeder.