David and Patricia Armentrout
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Armentrout, David, 1962€The facts on rats / David and Patricia Armentrout. € € € p. cm. -- €(Let’s talk about pets) €Includes bibliographical references and index. €ISBN 978-1-61590-247-7 (hard cover) (alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-61590-487-7 (soft cover) €1. €Rats as pets--Juvenile literature. €I. Armentrout, Patricia, 1960- II. Title. €SF459.R3A76 2011 €636.935’2--dc22 € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € € €2010012384 Rourke Publishing Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota 033010 033010LP
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table of contents Fancy Rats Know Your Rats The Perfect Cage Chew, Gnaw, and Shred Pet Rat Diet Health Concerns Beyond the Basics Glossary Index
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Fancy rats Are you looking for a pet that is gentle and playful? You probably want a smart animal that can learn a few tricks. Maybe a small, indoor pet appeals to you. Pet rats have these qualities!
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Rat Chat Pet rats, raised for their unique coat colors and superb personality traits, are also known as fancy rats—named by people who fancy them as pets.
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know your rats
Pet rats are the same species as wild brown rats. However, wild and domestic rats are very different. Wild rats can carry germs that spread to other animals and humans. Pet rats are not a health risk to people. Wild rats are aggressive. Pet rats are bred to be playful and affectionate companions.
Wild rats are usually a dark brown color, but fancy rats come in many colors.
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Consider raising two same-sex rats. You can care for two rats as easily as one, and they’ll be twice as entertaining. More importantly, rats that have playmates are happier than rats that live alone.
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When choosing your pet rats, go to a reputable breeder. Breeders handle their rats when the rats are first born to make certain they are raising well-socialized pets. Breeders also keep male and female rats apart. That way new owners don’t bring home a female that will deliver a surprise litter.
Pink-eyed white rats are among the most popular pet rat colors.
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Pick a Pair Look for rats that are curious about you when you approach them. Pick a pair of littermates; they are less likely to fight.
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THE PERFECT CAGE A pair of rats can live comfortably in a cage. The perfect cage has horizontal bars and a solid floor. Two rats need at least two square feet (.19 square meters) of floor space. But rats need room to run around and play. A tall cage with a few platforms is a great way to give your rats space.
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Never leave your rats outside their cage without your guidance, especially if there are other pets in the house. Always make sure the cage is securely closed.
Bedding Tips Chemicals in pine and cedar bedding can cause breathing problems in rats. It is better to cover the cage floor with a layer of absorbent pellets and soft paper material made from safe hardwoods. Remove soiled bedding daily and replace all the bedding about every five days. Clean and disinfect the cage and accessories once a week.
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Ladders, ramps, and rope bridges in the cage help your rats get from one platform to the next. They’ll climb on the sides of the cage, too. Your rats will love to crawl through plastic pipes or tubes, and hide in jars and small wooden boxes. These also make great nesting boxes, where your rats can cuddle and sleep.
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Rats are nocturnal— they will nap while you’re at school and play with you in the evening.
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Chew, gnaw, and shred
Rat teeth never stop growing. Give your rats toys and accessories they can chew, gnaw, and shred to help keep their teeth trim. They like simple things, such as nuts with hard shells, cardboard boxes, and even tree branches (free from chemicals). They’ll keep busy shredding paper towels and old clothing. Do not worry. They won’t swallow the pieces. Rats prefer to eat healthy foods!
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Toy Tips Look for toys in the bird, ferret, and hamster aisle of a pet store. Switch toys out periodically, so your rats do not get bored.
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pet rat diet
A healthy rat diet starts with rat food pellets or blocks packed with nutrients. Then, you can add foods like broccoli, apples, and whole grain pastas. Rats eat about two tablespoons (about 22.5 grams) of food a day. They won’t eat it all at once, though. Rats like to nibble and sometimes hide bits of food for late-night snacks.
A piece of dog biscuit is a nice treat.
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Provide fresh water in a
DO
glass bottle with a sipper
tube and hang it in the
Feed your rat healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables.
cage. Clean and refill the water bottle daily.
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DON’T Feed your rat high-fat and sugary foods.
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HEALTH CONCERNS
Keeping their cage and accessories clean and providing a well-balanced diet is the best way to ensure your rats live healthy lives. If one of your rats does show signs of illness, be sure to take it to a veterinarian who has experience treating pet rats. A healthy rat is active, playful, and has a clean, shiny coat and clear, bright eyes.
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You can avoid a visit to the vet if you make the health of your rats a priority. Signs of ill health, such as labored breathing, sneezing, and scratching, are usually the result of poor diet or dirty housing.
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BEYOND THE BASICS
Give your new friends plenty of attention. They will quickly get used to your touch and the sound of your voice. Before long, they will be showing off their silly antics for you. After playtime, don’t be surprised if one climbs up your arm and settles into your shirt collar for a nap!
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Let your rats play in a rat-proofed area outside the cage about an hour each day. It is a good idea to place a towel down, though. Rats sometimes mark, or drop tiny amounts of urine, as they walk around.
Rats love to play in soft, cozy places where they feel safe.
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Rats are very clean—they like to groom themselves and each other several times a day.
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Ratty Fa cts • Males get sligh tly bigge female r than s • Body l ength: a bout 6 to (15-25 10 inche cm) s • Tail len gth: abo ut 7 to 9 (18-23 inches cm) • Weigh t: about 7 to 20 oun (200-5 ces 70 gram s) • Avera ge life sp an—2 to 3 years
Glossary absorbent (ab-ZOR-buhnt): able to soak up liquid aggressive (uh-GRESS-iv): likely to attack bred (BRED): mated to produce certain characteristics domestic (duh-MESS-tik): no longer wild litter (LIT-ur): a group of young animals born to an animal at one time nocturnal (nok-TUR-nuhl): active at night nutrients (NOO-tree-uhnts): things needed to stay strong and healthy pellets (PEL-ets): small, hard balls or tubes reputable (REP-yuh-tuh-buhl): reliable and trustworthy species (SPEE-sheez): one certain kind of animal veterinarian (vet-ur-uh-NAIR-ee-un): a person trained to treat injured or sick animals
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Index accessories 11, 14, 18 bedding 11 breeder(s) 8 brown rats 6
cage 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 21 diet 16, 18, 19 fancy rats 4, 5, 6
food pellets 16 health 6, 18, 19 teeth 14 toy(s) 14, 15
Websites www.petrats.org/ www.nfrs.org/ www.afrma.org/kidskorner.htm www.fancypetrats.com/ www.humanesociety.org/animals/rats/ About the Authors David and Patricia Armentrout live near Cincinnati, Ohio, with their two sons and dog, Max. After adopting Max in 2001, it didn’t take long before he won over the hearts of family, friends, and neighbors! The Armentrouts have also had other pets over the years, including cats, birds, guinea pigs, snakes, fish, turtles, frogs, and hermit crabs.
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