Accidental Pets

[55fingers]

Hey, not sure if I put this in the right forum, but I ran into an issue today and need some advice and knowledge.

I feed my snakes f/t rats but I had a friend who had 6 live rats they needed rid of. So I picked them up as well as the stuff to make a small CO2 chamber to euthanize them.

I had a feeling this would happen and I should've prepared for this.. but 2 of the rats are still pretty young, super friendly and I'm considering keeping them as pets and euthanizing the others. Their temperaments just seem too good to use as feeders. I at least want to keep them until I can rehome them as pets.

That being said, I know fairly little about rat care, and everything I try to look up is like.. Petco and Petsmart care guides and I already don't trust them. However I do trust this forum and hobbyists in general.

I'm not looking to spoil them or anything, but what would be the equivalent to a ball python tub set up (essentials without sacrificing care) but for rats? The rat tub setups I see on here seem to be more aimed for maximizing breeder efficiency, which I don't want to do. I just want their requirements to be met, but I don't have too much idea what that entails.

Also looking for what type of bedding will minimize smell the most and maximize efficiency of how often I need to clean them.

Thank you for any help/advice!

[Bogertophis]

Hahahahahahaha! Rats are intelligent & too cute to eat, IMO. I feel your pain.

When I had pet rats, I used good sized glass tanks with sturdy (!) screen tops that I built (very secure), a hanging water bottle (in metal holder- they can chew thru plastic bottles- AND you only want the kind of bottle with ball bearings in the metal tube- trust me on this), & soft pine or aspen type bedding (never cedar). Your nose will tell you when to clean them- at least once a week.

When I bred some as feeders, I preferred the larger lab cages made for rats- especially because the food is up off the floor in a hopper- otherwise they'll foul it on the cage floor, or kick it all out of a bowl for whatever's at the bottom.

To keep them happy, healthy & tame, give them healthy tidbits of whatever you're having- some apple peel, raw carrot, small amounts of greens (kale is super healthy for you too), hard-cooked egg, bread or pizza crust, UN-salted popcorn, etc. (Anything OTHER than "junk food", super-fatty-like chicken skins, spicy-hot stuff, salty stuff, or raw onions/garlic- those are all bad for them.) Even cooked bones from what you cooked for dinner- they need to gnaw, plus the minerals are good for them, plus they taste good- rats don't choke on bones- not even chicken bones. And if you empty a jar of peanut butter, let them lick it clean overnight before you wash & recycle it- there won't be a speck of peanut butter left. Hard nuts are good for them too- both as food & to file their teeth on.

Rats gnaw- even on the silicone seal in the corners of typical aquariums. So that's another plus for lab cages. They learn simple commands if you repeat them- they're also affectionate if you spend time with them. About as smart as dogs & cats, actually. Bear in mind they like to party hearty at night- when you're trying to sleep- so don't house them where they'll keep you awake. Most enjoy running in/on wheels made for them too- great exercise. During the day, they're not grumpy if you want to wake them up to handle or clean (not like Syrian hamsters), but for best results, have some food tidbits & they learn fast that you're their BUDDY!

[plateOfFlan]

Rats need to be in groups so 2 is a minimum group size (I think 3 might be better? I'm not an expert), and make absolutely, 110% sure those 2 are the same sex, or that rat-breeding program you didn't want is going to start up with or without your approval.

[Bogertophis]

Yes, rats are social- but 2 (same sex) is fine. Good point about gender, hahaha!

[55fingers]

Thank you for the info! That really helps.

So I gassed and fed off the 4 others, but unfortunately one of the 2 I kept alive didn't make it through the night. The person I got them from kept them in a tub with the other 5 rats, and between the smelly bedding, being stepped on by its siblings, and lack of ventilation, I think the change in environment/stress was the kicker. Tried to get him healthy again but he was just too worn down

So now I'm left with a single rat who is still pretty young but very sweet. At this point, any other rat she could be introduced to would be older/bigger than her. How long will she be alright without a buddy? Should I be focusing on getting her to another home ASAP or will she be okay for a little while?

[Bogertophis]

Thank you for the info! That really helps.

So I gassed and fed off the 4 others, but unfortunately one of the 2 I kept alive didn't make it through the night. The person I got them from kept them in a tub with the other 5 rats, and between the smelly bedding, being stepped on by its siblings, and lack of ventilation, I think the change in environment/stress was the kicker. Tried to get him healthy again but he was just too worn down

So now I'm left with a single rat who is still pretty young but very sweet. At this point, any other rat she could be introduced to would be older/bigger than her. How long will she be alright without a buddy? Should I be focusing on getting her to another home ASAP or will she be okay for a little while?

Sounds like these were quite young (younger than I assumed when you asked) & not weaned yet- otherwise, they're pretty good at surviving. Sorry for the loss- now for a new partner, try to get as close in age as you can (but weaned!) if you keep her, & get her to another home ASAP (litter) if you don't keep her. Sooner is better but it's not an emergency "this minute". Not seeing her makes it hard to say just how well she's doing-

I just noticed you're referring to them as "him" & "her"- this would have been a reproductive nightmare had he lived- if you want pet rats, get another one the same gender that's close in age.

[55fingers]

I was only saying him and her to kind of differ between them, I have no idea what their sexes were. The reptile store they originated from (terrible practices) have been known to refuse to sex rats due to the fear that someone will try to breed them when they want to be the only rat producers in the city. So I have a hunch that they sold all of the same sex (from what I could tell) but I'm not entirely sure.

That being said, we unfortunately discovered that the remaining rat was infested with rat lice and covered in eggs. On top of that within the past day her respiratory infection I suspected got worse. She had blood around her nose and could only take heavy breaths through her mouth, rendering her unable to eat or drink properly. So we made the difficult decision to euthanize her. I'm genuinely sad as we grew attached and she had such a sweet temperament. Her quality of life was terrible though and I don't imagine she would've lasted that much longer, especially not long enough for treatment. I feel bad but I know it was the best decision. Thank you for your help everyone.

[Bogertophis]

I was only saying him and her to kind of differ between them, I have no idea what their sexes were. The reptile store they originated from (terrible practices) have been known to refuse to sex rats due to the fear that someone will try to breed them when they want to be the only rat producers in the city. So I have a hunch that they sold all of the same sex (from what I could tell) but I'm not entirely sure.

That being said, we unfortunately discovered that the remaining rat was infested with rat lice and covered in eggs. On top of that within the past day her respiratory infection I suspected got worse. She had blood around her nose and could only take heavy breaths through her mouth, rendering her unable to eat or drink properly. So we made the difficult decision to euthanize her. I'm genuinely sad as we grew attached and she had such a sweet temperament. Her quality of life was terrible though and I don't imagine she would've lasted that much longer, especially not long enough for treatment. I feel bad but I know it was the best decision. Thank you for your help everyone.

Rats can become sick from so many things (including what humans spread), that it's best to never buy a rat intended as a pet or a breeder from any questionable sources. So sorry this didn't work out better- but now you know that's not a good place to get a "keeper" rat. From what you've said, these were not quite ready to be weaned anyway, & that made them a much bigger risk (of not surviving).

Sexing rats is pretty easy & there are youtube videos around to show you how, if you ever want to know. Most properly-bred* domestic rats make very good pets- *but those sources breeding only "feeders" are often inbreeding them way too much, & temperaments are usually ignored.