Welcoming Your Rats
First week home
You must be SOO excited to have your babies home! Everything can be so new and exciting,you just want to have them out all of the time!!
It is best if you have the cage set up prior to bringing them home so they are not having to wait in a carrier for a long period of time.They may be very nervous from the car ride and new environment...Give them a few hours to a day to settle down and get well adjusted before trying to handle them so they are not taking on a ton of stress all at once.You may want to leave a shirt or piece of fleece or cloth that smells like you in the cage so they are able to get familiar with your scent.Make sure they are not being bombarded with visitors straight away as they are still young babies and you want to make them feel as safe as possible.Try opening the cage door in a safe secure room (it is best if you are able to have the cage in a room that is safe for them to have free roam time in as well).Have everyone sit on the floor and allow the rats to come to you. They may want to explore the room and new people.You can also have a few healthy treats such as a few yoggies,veggies,etc, try to hold it out in your hand and have babies bond with you by sharing treats and earning your trust.Make sure everyone who will be around the rats knows how to properly hold the rats and if you have young children they are always supervised while handling the rats as young children may accidentally cause harm or injuries.Make sure if you are going to be moving around the room as rats are free roaming you are being most cautious as to where you are stepping or even slide your feet across the floor instead of picking them up to make sure no one is at risk of being stepped on
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Choosing a good bedding
There are a few good bedding chooses to choose from.Rather you are more interested in fleece liners or shavings.Fleece liners may save money in the long run but this requires daily spot cleanings,meaning you will need to sweep out all of the poos or else they may end up making a mess of there droppings.Fleece liners should be washed every few days to keep up with the ammonia smell which if not maintained can make rats sick with upper respiratory infections,Rats immune systems are very sensitive which is why a lot of bedding's can be harmful or even toxic to rats such as pine or ceder which has a strong smell.Make sure any bedding you pick is kilm dried making it safe for small animals.I would recommend a soft wood shaving such as aspen.I find I have had the best results with this bedding,It has had the best odor control and absorbency of any other paper bedding which you may find is a good option for you if you have a smaller number of rats.A brand you may see often is Care fresh which is a option many rat owners consider,many say it does not have the best odor control and you may find yourself having to change your rats bedding more often.Some rats can be allergic to certain bedding's. They may show signs of irritation to the skin,sneezing etc.In this cage a cloth or liner may be the best option for you. Do not use any fabric softeners as rats are very sensitive to strong smells, you will want to use a hypoallergenic laundry detergent while using warm to hot water.Make sure if you choose to use fleece blankets,cloth etc as bedding that you are not using anything that can be unraveled easily as a rat could get a nail or limb hung up and cause harm or a broken bone.
Common illnesses
It is not uncommon to see a bit of sneezing coming from rats in new environments as they have very sensitive respiratory systems as there is a lot of new smells the rats are getting used to .
Due to how sensitive rats respiratory systems are Upper repository infections are one of the most common illness you will see in rats,usually brought on by strong smells,the cage not being cleaned as frequent as it should be,things being sprayed in the air such as air fresheners or any sort of strong scents that the rats are exposed to.The signs of a respiratory infection is bloody nose,eyes,discharge from eyes or nose,acting sickly or lethargic,breathing heavy or having labored breathing,weight loss etc.Rats CAN pass away from this and they should be seen by a good vet at first sign so you are able to get it under control before it becomes to bad.
Ear infections are also something to look out for.Signs of ear infections include..lack of balance,your rat leaning more towards one side,lethargy,and your rats head tilting to one side.This can be treated with a steroid injection and antibiotics but should be given by your vet.
Bumblefoot...another common issue in rats,Most of the time this can be caused by having a already existing cut or scrape getting infected.This is something that is very visible and start off with redness to the feet turning into red bumps on the feet,these can become large and cause your rat a lot of pain and discomfort...its not uncommon for them to scab over and bleed.Bumble foot can lead to chronic inflammation and abscesses, Treatment is usually a round of antibiotics and a proper disinfect to the wound.It is best to clean any wound your rats may get in a play fight or otherwise to avoid things like this from occurring.I will eventually make a entire page for illness because there are so many that should be known.If your rat is acting strange please try to set up a appointment with your vet as soon as possible.
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Cage set up
It is best if you are able to set up the cage prior to bringing home your rats.By now you should have chosen a good cage,food,water bottle,bedding etc.Make sure your cage is clean and disinfected.No rusted or broken bars,Make sure the cage has not been painted as many paints are unsafe to use on pet cages.Always make sure you have at least 2 water bottles on the cage in the event one stops working which can and does happen,if your cage is multi level for example critter nation cages,you will want food and water on both the top and bottom unit.Provide your rats a warm soft and clean place to sleep. Sputniks are a favorite among rats as well as different styles of hammocks.I handmade a bunch of different hammocks if you are needing any...they are handmade and high quality.Message me and I can make your ideal set with your preferred prints and colors.