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!

Pet Rat Clothes

                Pet rat clothes have become an interesting fashion fad within the world of rats, just as it has with dogs. People are becoming interested in buying pet rat clothes, along with trying to find them online, so now there is a slight demand for them. Some rats may be quite opposed to being all dolled up, while others are more carefree. If you are thinking about dressing your pet rat, you should be sure to keep the animal’s comfort in mind. Now, I am going to point out a few notes regarding pet rat clothes, where to find them, and can you make them???

                Pet rat clothes are slowly making their way into the fashion world, as they wait on a heightened demand from consumers. There are already many shops online that sell rat clothes, whether it be for costume or regular wear. The only problem with rat clothes is that rats are so small, and different varieties can have different body structure sizes. Therefore, you may want the clothes custom made or be able to compare the dimensions. Pet rat clothes can be absolutely cute, but you don’t want them to be sized wrong!

                If you have come this far, you must be interested in buying pet rat clothes!  One of the best places to find pet rat clothes is online. Many vendors and creators sell their items online, to attract a wider audience. They know that a local market is difficult to find so they stick to the cyber sales world. There are people who make conventional rat clothing, then those who will make extravagant gowns. If you do a little searching on good old www.google.com, you are sure to find something to suit your needs. Just be sure to include any other detail words, perhaps clothing type or color, to help narrow your search.

                If you are looking for something one of a kind, pet rat clothes can be a DIY (do it yourself) project! Basic sewing skills, clothing plans, sewing machine or thread and needle, fabric, steam iron, and a few decorative items are all you need! You can incorporate more decoration also, including: lace, buttons, frill, iron on decals and patches, pockets, metallic hem, embroidery, and much more. Just let your creative side run wild. You never know- you may own the first popular rat fashion line. Fashion can be a fun hobby.

                Now that you have a little information on the fun and whacky world of pet rat clothes, you can incorporate them into your rat’s soon to be wardrobe.  As previously stated, you should ensure that your rat is okay with wearing clothes, because it can quickly go from fun and cute for the owner to stressful torture for the rat. Just remember: If you hated being dressed up, would you let your sisters do it constantly? Probably not J so just keep the ratty’s feelings in mind when playing dress up with the pet rat clothes.

Rat For Sale: Selling Your Pet Rat, Or Responding To Rat For Sale Ads

                Have a rat for sale and not sure what to do to sell it? Or are you looking for a rat for sale? Either way, we have a few tips for you. Whether it’s a rat to sell or a rat for sale, you should always keep the health and happiness of the animal in mind. There are two separate paragraphs regarding each, so hopefully you will find some useful information with us!

                If you have a rat for sale, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out how you are going to get them sold comfortably and easily. You want your rat to be safe in its new home, but you also may be selling for profit, and you may be trying to find someone who won’t breed the rat. Depending on your case, we can give you some different examples of places to find the new owner. You can list your pet on www.craigslist.org, and carefully screen all applicants. You can also place an ad in your local paper. If you are going to be continuously selling rats, whether they are rescued or you are breeding, you should build a website and begin SEO to gain traffic. Once you have your different audiences, expose yourself, and wait for the proper new owner to present himself or herself.

                If you are looking for a rat for sale, you can follow the steps above in reverse. Search places such as craigslist and other free online classified ads sites. Look in your local newspaper, and you could even do a search on google for a rat for sale in your area. You may choose to search for ratteries to find a young pet rat. Rat rescues always have rats for adoption, so be sure to check out all of the rat rescues in your local area. Once you find a rat, inquire about his or her health, age, sex, temperament, and ask for pictures. Be sure to meet in a public place to meet the rat, and to decide whether this is the rat that you want. Never meet a potential seller in a secluded place, or at nighttime.

                It is very easy to find a rat for sale, but it can be difficult to actually sell your pet rat to someone. Be sure to do plenty of research, and to make sure that the potential buyer or seller is someone who you would be willing to sell to or buy from. If a buyer seems shady, sell your pet to someone else. You have every right to choose who your pet will or will not go to. And for the buyers, get started now, and enter “rat for sale” with your location into google search!