Most people misunderstand rats. The idea of  rats as pets seems to be self-contradictory to them – they are dirty, wild, they chew up on everything in their path, they cannot be trained and kept at a home with humans – especially children.

However, more people than commonly thought own a pet rat, or even several at a time – often nicknamed fancy rats. If you have arrived here you may own one or some already, or thinking of owning one, or simply want to know more about the fancy rat. Whichever is true, you should know that they are more delicate than some might think, and caring for them requires a lot of attention to detail. Here you will learn some tips about attending to pet rat health, which pet rat cages are best and how they should be prepared for your pet, and general tips about pet rat care and  training.

In order to house your pet rat, care must be taken to which cage you choose and how to prepare it. The cage should be large enough so that your fancy rat has room to run around. It should be made to provide an environment of different activities  – toys to play with and keep it interested are very important, for example, because fancy rats can literally get sick with boredom. The cage should also have places in which it can snuggle and rest, and preferably something it can climb. The cage floor should be properly bedded with newspaper or some fabric. Keep an eye on the cleanliness of the cage as well – clean it on a weekly basis, at least.

Which toys should you use in the pet rat cage? well, pet rats have personalities, and each one is different. An old tennis ball can be good for one, a wooden ring to chew on can be good for the other. At the end of this article you will find a pointer to the source of an abundance of ideas for pet rat toys. However, just like with a child it can have all the toys in the world – but nothing would match up to some quality time with you. So make time to play with your pet rats. They are also good companions for each other – if you put more than one of them in the same cage (if the cage is big enough, of course) they’ll be able to play with each other, and that will make their lives much better and more interesting.

Pet rat care begins with what you feed them Rats can eat pretty much everything, but in order to keep it healthy there are certain things you can do with regards to their diet. You can feed them ready-made mouse food that you buy in a shop, but make sure you diversify it with bits of fresh fruit and vegetables (except citrus fruit which are bad, especially to males). Trial and error will tell you which foods your  cute rat loves best – like I said, they have personalities, and each one is different. You can sometimes even spoil them with a sweet delicacy such as a dog biscuit, if you find they like it. You can also hide food in their cages for them to look for. Water should be given in a drip bottle attached to the wiring of the cage – make sure water never runs out.

A healthy diet, without overfeeding, will generally keep your pet healthy. But pet rat health requires attention in other aspects too. For example, they are very sensitive to heat or cold. They should be given a warm cloth to snuggle in during cold days, and be fed cold food (such as frozen veggies) on hot days.

If your pet rat does not act like its usual self (particularly if it’s much quieter or more indifferent than usual), if it does not drink or eat normally, or if it sneezes often or shows signs of breathing difficulty – it may be sick. If you notice a lump in its body, that may be a sign of serious illness. Rats may also contract skin diseases or worms in their digestive systems. Whatever the symptoms are, the best thing to do is to when you notice something out of the ordinary is to take it to the vet, the sooner the better.

What about pet rat training? Is that even possible? Of course it is! That is the fun part. Rats are very intelligent animals. They catch on fast, they are curious, and they aim to please.

Don’t push it too much in training or teaching a trick. Be patient. This is not a race.

Rats can be trained to litter at particular places in their cage, and save you some trouble cleaning it. You can create a corner with some special bedding for that, place older litter in it so your pet rats can smell it. If there are certain places in the cage your pets prefer to litter at their own will, don’t fight them. Create that litter tray where they prefer it to be.

Pet rats can be taught many things – to come to you when you call their names, stand on their hind legs and clap the fore paws, and so much more. Their reward is mainly food, and praise from you. Be patient, it takes time.

There is so much more to know about pet rat training, pet rat care, and pet rat health. Click here to get the comprehensive source for everything you need to know

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Catlin

Petal has a stuffed up nose

Petal is my seventh rat, but amazingly, the only one with these problems. Up till now it was always in her chest, but last night, all of a sudden, it was a stuffed up nose. I have read that the disease responsible lives in the sinuses, … They were all pet store rats, and since my son managed the store I know pretty much all about their family, the colony, etc. They were hardy and healthy. While all rats carry it, not every rat develops the debil…

Pet Medication Guide

A Layman’s Guide to Health, Medication Use, Breeding and Responsible Care of Pet Rats. A Five Step Guide to Ordering Your Pet Prescription Medication Online. Introduction to the Medication Guide The Rat Medication Guide is designed to. Learn about the EPA and FDA approved medications

Mycoplasma and Respiratory Infections in Rats

In fact, respiratory infections are a leading cause of death in pet rats. And often, the culprit is a respiratory ailment called mycoplasmosis, more commonly referred to as “mycoplasma.” Most rats are carriers of mycoplasma pulmonis … Understanding how the disease affects rats, the symptoms of mycoplasma, and understanding the most common methods of treatment are vital, because this very common bacteria is a primary cause of terminal respiratory infection

Technorati Tags: behaviour, cages, care, diet, diseases, fancy, keeping, pet, rat, rats, train, training, tricks