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| A hairless rat (R. norvergicus) named Lhassa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Are you planning for some pet rats? Well, pet rats are really cute and very adorable. They are quite friendly and active and are good to play with at home. They live for 2-3 years maximum. However, if you are about to get pet rats there are some points you should consider. Below are the few pointers.
Read and browse to know more
Before you go to buy your pet rat, it's smarter if you read the books and browse the net to know more about the tiny pets. There are many websites online which tell you on various characteristics of the pet rats and help you to know them better and act accordingly.
Go for a reputed breeder
You must consult an esteemed breeder for buying pet rats. Yes there are pet stores too but they are not always reliable. The rats in pet shops in many cases might suffer from poor health and also might not be much tamed which could be an issue. Besides, the dangerous thing is that the pet stores have an ill-repute for mixing the rats which lead to a misrepresentation of the rat's sex. Thus there's a chance that you are handed with a female pet while you asked for a male one and later on you might find your one to be pregnant. Besides, there are the rescue centers for getting the pets. But again, it is not that effective since the rats taken from rescue centers need a seasoned owner.
Try to avoid pairs
Rats are very sociable animals and hence it's better not to keep them in pairs. No matter how much you attend them, nothing can be a substitute for their craving for other rats. Thus, always buy 2 rats at least and try to check that they are of same gender. The males would be usually lazier and larger while the female counterparts are more active and smaller. However, both of them would make wonderful pets.
Get them proper diet
The pet rats must be given a rat mix of high quality supplemented with fresh food. Remember rabbit mix or hamster won't be suitable here since the rats have separate nutritional requirements. The pet rats, in fact relish varied diets.
Make for spacious and comfortable habitat
The pet rats relish staying in large cages, the bigger it is, the better it would be for the rats. Don't forget wire cages since the rats love to climb. There must be minimum two cubic feet space per rat. Don't keep sawdust or wood shavings inside the cage as these might cause respiratory trouble for the animal. Make the bedding with cat litters (paper based), old towels, newspapers, cardboard bedding or the hardwood shavings. Fill up the cage with ample toys, tubes, hideaways and hammocks etc. since rats enjoy playing.
Attend to the rats
The pet rats love to be attended to and loved. If you own a rat, make sure to cuddle and play with it. They are very friendly and would relish the bonding.
Visit the author's sites for offers on rat cages [
Article Source: EzineArticles
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