10 Interesting Facts About Pet Rats- A Video!

Why Does My Rat's Eyeballs Bounce? Is My Fancy Rat Injured? Eye Boggling and Bruxing Explained!

Almost all of us have seen this in action; the rat is lounging around in our laps, chilling out on the sofa, or hiding out in the corner of his or her cage.... all of a sudden, the rat's eyeballs begin to bounce! It is always accompanied by a chattering of the teeth, or bruxing, and is most definitely a freaky experience to witness for those who are not experienced with rats. It may even be viewed as aggressive or alarming; but is it really something to worry about when your rat begins to have boggling eyes? Is your pet rat injured, sick, unhealthy, or deformed?

Rats That Need A Home- September 8th

Bowling Green (KY)/Grayson Co area!
4 very loved pet rats.
Albino, Hairless, Black/white, and a Dumbo-Eared.
ALL Boys, come with cage.
http://bgky.craigslist.org/pet/3232076016.html


TriCities/Newport area!
25 Hairless rats need home.
Posted on 8/13.
http://tricities.craigslist.org/pet/3203672854.html

Knoxville/Athens Area!
3 female rats need home.
http://knoxville.craigslist.org/pet/3247934501.html

Louisville TN Area!
Baby Dumbo Rats!
Posted 9-02!
BEAUTIFUL babies!
http://knoxville.craigslist.org/pet/3232731527.html

Rats And Their Food

      You should be very well aware of what your rat food is composed of. Rat nutrition is very important to a rat's health, and without it they can quickly deteriorate. Rats need varied diets just like us. If you are not sure of what to include in your rat diet, visit www.afrma.com for the nutritional standards of pet rats.

 
       You should find a nutritionally complete rat food, usually provided in the form of lab blocks. You can also supplement your rat's diet with fresh fruit, vegetables, meats, breads, and dairy products. Rats have a wide palate, and can safely eat tons of different foods. Is your rat eating proper foods? If you are not sure, stay tuned for our DO NOT FEED list. This will be good to print out and keep near your rat so you always know what not to feed them. Otherwise, your rat could wind up very sick!

        Rats are a pleasure to have, and it isn't too difficult to give them a stable and nutritionally complete food source. You just have to know what they can (or can't) have, and what vitamins and nutrients are vital. Protein is very important in their diets, and so is fat content. They have high metabolisms, and can easily eat 30% of their weight in food EVERY day.

Rat Cage Accessories: What To Put In You Pet Rat's Home

                Rat cage accessories can make the
difference between a happy rat and a very bored and

             

depressed rat. Here, we will tell you what rat cage accessories you will need and the best places to find them. You want to ensure that your rat’s or rats’ health is maintained, that they get plenty of exercise, and lots of mental enrichment; rats are highly intelligence animals and need to be stimulated much like people do. Rat cage accessories can help with this.  

                Of course, of all rat cage accessories, you should always have a house or hideaway for the rat. Rats need “safety zones” where they can run and hide if frightened. This will also be their bed. You should also have a wheel, as this is one of the most favored exercise equipment as far as rats are

Rat Supplies: What Your Pet Rat Needs

                If you are in the market for rat supplies, it is vital that you know which rat supplies that you need. Rat supplies are an obvious need when you own a pet rat, so below you will find listed many rat supplies that you will find necessary in owning your pet rat.

                First in our list of rat supplies is the cage and litter. You must have a place to house your rat. Preferably, you should choose an open wire-walled caged. This allows plenty of airflow; Aquariums trap dirt and dust, which can cause respiratory problems, and trap heat. Be sure that your rat has at least 1 ½ square feet of floor space. Wire walls also allow for climbing and exercise. The bedding is recommended to be carefresh, as this is the healthiest option when it comes to cage litter. Remember: Cedar is deadly!

                Another important focus with rat supplies is feeding. You must find a high quality rat formula to feed your rat, a food dish, and a water bottle. Water bottles are much healthier, as contaminants cannot enter the bottle. However, be sure to scrub the inside of the bottle weekly. Algae can indeed grow in the bottle. As for dishes, be sure that the rat cannot successful chew and ingest the materials. I find that hard ceramic dishes work best.

                Toys are very important rat supplies, as they keep our rats healthy, happy, and entertained. You should be sure to offer these toys as a minimum: Hideaway/house, treat chews or bars, exercise wheel, and wooden chewing blocks. Rats are creatures who love to spend their time chewing, investigating, and running. To keep your rat’s need to explore fulfilled, allow him to explore your home. You can also introduce a new toy to the cage once a week, rearrange the items in the cage (they love when you do this! Plus, if they REALLY liked where something was previously, they will let you know by putting it where they want it), and switch out which toys are in the cage at any given time. Tunnels and complex layouts are a rat’s favorite. Go crazy with the cage design by adding tons of ropes, bird perches, small platforms, hide-aways, and hanging bird toys for your rat to monkey around on.

                You should also remember the medicinal, cleaning, and preventive side of rat supplies. Keeping first aid items on hand will be a great relief if a problem arises. You should always keep some shampoo (tear free baby shampoo works great!) and cage cleaning products on hand. You will need them on occasion. You can also find antibiotics for rats, in case he gets sick or sustains a minor injury. Small animal vitamins are also a good investment. 

                Rat supplies are a big deal when getting a new rat, just as dog supplies are for a puppy. Without the proper rat supplies, you may not be able to provide for your rat when needed, nor in a timely manner. You can never be too safe, so make sure that you have all rat supplies listed above, along with any other preventative medicinal items. These items will be most likely to actually become important later in the rat’s life. Good luck with your new pet!

Rat Mites

                Rat mites are a common occurrence in rats, just as fleas are with cats and dogs.  Usually, rat mites are no big deal and can easily be gotten rid of. I have found a few good home remedies for rat mites, and you can also find them to benefit you too. If you find that your rats have become afflicted with rat mites, do not become too worried. They will not take much work to be relieved of the rat mites!

                Rat mites are very small insects, that are commonly considered parasites. They feast on hosts, which are animals that they use as food. If you are not sure whether your rat has rat mites or not, look for tiny orange or red specks in the fur, towards the skin. They are obvious on white rats, but may be harder to see on darker colored rats. Rat mites generally affect the skin of the rat, usually causing excessive scratching, cleaning, and irritated skin.

                If you find that your rat has mites, start by separating your rat from his cage. Give him a nice soaking of baby oil (be sure that you are not in a hot room), massage it in, and allow him to soak for 5 minutes. This will suffocate the rat mites. Do not allow him to lick himself. You can control this by playing with him and keeping his attention. Once you have allowed his body to thoroughly soak, begin to massage again, to loosen the mites. Rinse him generously, to allow all excess oil to rinse from his body, along with the mites. Then, use a few drops of dawn dishwashing detergent, and massage into a rich lather; this will lift all remaining oil and lift the rat mites from the fur. Rinse your rat again, and give him a long relaxing bath with baby shampoo. This will gently cleanse any excess oil from his fur and any remaining mites. It is also tear free, hypoallergenic, and will not irritate ratty skin.

                Of course, your rat will be poofy once dry from the rat mites treatment! This is because his natural oils have been removed from his coat. Don’t worry though; he will look normal again by the next day or two, with no rat mites in sight. If the rat has sensitive skin, you can always create a homemade oatmeal bath (usually with no actual soap) to soak him in to relieve his skin of irritation.

                Place your rat in a clean box to dry, and thoroughly clean his cage, washing and soaking all pieces in the cage. This will remove any rat mites who may still be in the cage. Once the cage too is dry, you can place clean litter and your rat back in the cage, free of rat mites. You can then buy a mite repellent for birds to hang over the rat’s cage for a week, to ensure they do not return.

                Rat mites are extremely annoying for your pet rat; although rat mites do not pose a serious health risk most times, they can still ruin your rat’s day. Getting rid of rat mites may take a few hours, but it can usually be done with things that you most likely already have. Be sure to watch for more rat mites in the future, to keep your ratty happy and itch-free!