After reading your site and watching lots of videos i dissuaded to get two rats and today i went to my local pet store and brought 2 grey and white female rats. I had a three layer glass tank which i plan to put on ebay. I brought a 4 layer wire frame cage for just £50! i plan to post some pictures after they have had time to relax and settle down. If there is any toys or things you would recommend buying please tell me and all tips are much appreciated!

Thanks pete

Congrats on your new ratties! Do post pictures! I saw your other thread, glad you opted for a wire cage. Tanks don't have good ventilation and rats can have sensitive lungs.

As for toys and such, my rats love hammocks/tunnel hammocks (which you can make or buy,) their wheel, and wooden chew toys. I see you're in the UK, so I'm not sure what brands you have there. Cardboard boxes are great (and cheap) toys as well.

does anyone know how many babies a rat has at one time

Well, I'm not a breeder but-

Rats can have 20 or more pups in a single litter. Females can become pregnant again immediately following birth (though it is NOT recommended.) Pups should be weaned and males and females separated by 5 weeks, as they are capable of breeding at this time (again, not recommended.)  

--Last edited by sonoma on 2007-11-21 12:32:55 --

hey can someone help me?

i just got 2 rats yesterday 1 4 me 1 4 my sis but the nails r really long and it wont let me trim them
wat should i do?

Hi Peanut, sorry I didn't get a chance to answer your question sooner, my internet has been down.

About nail trimming: If your rats wont let you trim their nails you can try three things-

1. Have your vet trim them. If the nails are very overgrown this may be your best bet.

2. Put a couple bricks in the cage near their water bottle or food dish. In theroy, the rats' nails will wear down if they walk on the brick regulary.

3. There is a sand paper wheel insert for small animals that you can buy if your rats like to use a wheel. It is supposed to wear the nails down as they run on the wheel. I'm not sure how well this product works as I've never tried it, but you may want to look into it.

Your rats are new, they will probably settle down and allow you to trim their nails eventually. It helps to wrap them in a towel and have someone else hold them while you trim the nails. If you have to, trim one foot at a time, give the rat a break and then try another foot.

Good luck!  

--Last edited by sonoma on 2008-02-10 13:17:59 --

A rat can have between 1-22 babies at once.