PART I: ABOUT THE RAT FAQ Goal of this FAQ The goal of this Rat FAQ is to educate the general public about domesticated fancy rats, and also to help rat owners deal with the ins and out of loving, caring for, owning and being owned by rats! We hope that this FAQ will serve to spread accurate information across the rat fancier sphere, and hopefully displace some of the wrongful information that's been circulated out there. By the way, during this FAQ, rats will usually be referred to as "he" when it is meant in a general way. This usually means rats of both sexes, unless it specifically says otherwise. Copyright and distribution restrictions Corrections or additions to this Rat FAQ may be sent to Arianna Edson at ratgirl@cns.gr.net, although no guarantee is made that they will be included when the FAQ is updated. All of the included material is based on the experience and research of the authors and their friends, but no guarantee is made for the accuracy of any opinions expressed herein. This FAQ is in no way meant to supersede or replace veterinary advice. This FAQ may be freely reproduced and distributed, as long as nothing is altered, edited, removed or changed; it must be distributed in its entirety. Author's credits The author of this FAQ was Arianna Edson, Chairperson Michigan Rat Fanciers. Additional information and material supplied by Mary Ann Isaksen, Co-founder Rat and Mouse Club of America; Debbie Ducommon, president of The Rat Fan Club; Angela King, of England; Antonia Swerzy of England; and Brian Lee, Internet information expert. PART II: INTRODUCTION TO RATS Q. What are rats? A. Our pet rats are rodents, rattus norvegicus, whose origins lie in Asia. Rats spread throughout the world when they stowed away on ships, then crawled down the mooring ropes at various stops, or stowed away with the edible cargo and were unloaded with it. Now they are "native" to the entire world, every continent except Antarctica. The only more widespread species than rats is man! Domesticated rats are very different from their wild cousins. They have been bred for hundred of years, and are domesticated in every sense of the word; a domestic rat released into the wild will most likely not survive. They come in a variety of colors, sizes, and fur textures, are much more clean, friendly, and delicate in composition. Though they can interbreed with the wild rat, this does not make them the same; our friendly dogs can interbreed with wolves, but they are not the same animal! Q. Do rats make good pets? A. Yes! Rats make wonderful pets, for every kind of person. They are small, clean, easy and relatively cheap to care for, readily available and cheap to obtain, social, very intelligent and friendly. A rat can be the equal of a dog in friendliness and trainableness, measure up to a cat in beauty and intelligence, give a ferret a run for their money in curiosity and mischief, and give rabbits lessons in cuddliness. All in all, a perfect pet. Q. What do you call them? A. A male rat is called a buck. A female is called a doe, or sometimes a queen. An newborn baby with no hair, until their eyes open, is called a pinky. A baby whose eyes are open, up to 8 weeks of age, is called a pup, or kitten. A group of rats is popularly referred to as "a mischief of rats." Q. I am allergic to some animals; will I be allergic to rats? A. You will have to expose yourself and find out. First, know that most rats bought from pet stores are not changed very often, and so will be more irritating and allergen-prone. Rats carry their allergen in their urine (rather than dander, like a cat) and when they walk through their bedding they pick it up on their fun and claws. A doe is less likely to cause allergy problems than a buck, due to the strength of male urine, and greasy fur. If you wash your rat frequently (about every month), clean their cage weekly, and rub any scratches with rubbing alcohol, your allergies should not prevent you from owning and enjoying rats. Q. Do rats make good pets for children or the elderly? A. Yes. Rats, unlike more popular rodents such as guinea pigs, rabbits, hamster and gerbils, are extremely unlikely to bite, even when startled or hurt. Add to that the fact that they are very social and friendly, and can live in a corner of your house in an aquarium or wire cage, and for those who don't have a lot of space and money to devote to a pet, a rat is nearly perfect. However, rats do take a lot of time and attention. They also do not like loud noises, so very young children who are likely to screech fairly often do not mix well with rats. If the parents are not willing to spend the necessary bonding time with the rat should the child become bored, then perhaps a pet that needs less affection, such as a mouse or hamster, would be a better choice. Q. How long will my rat live? A. The average lifespan is two to three years, leaning more towards two. However, rats have been reported to live up to five years, though they are indeed rarities! PART III: GETTING YOUR RAT Q. Where should I get my rats? A. Someone who breeds rats specifically as pets is the safest place to get your rats. Most breeders are very conscientious people who take care that their breeding stock is healthy and that the babies they sell are healthy. Most breeders also handle their babies from the day they are born, so they are very tame and used to people. Also, breeder rats come in a dazzling variety of colors, and most breeders can supply you with the pedigree, or lineage, of your rats. Be careful to check the breeder out! Sometimes breeders are more concerned with the results of a color or marking than with the health of their rats. In such breeders, rampant inbreeding and disregard for the animal's health will result in animals that sicken easily and die younger. Be sure that the breeder is a responsible person who is concerned with the long-term results of their breeding projects. Pet store "feeder" rats make perfectly good pets, though they should be carefully examined for health problems before purchase, due to the nature of their expected lifespan and the conditions most pet stores keep their rats in. Some pet store rats, due to their indifferent upbringing, take weeks to months to become truly tame. A female rat in a pet store is likely to be pregnant if she is being housed with members of the opposite sex. Sex your rats yourself, as most pet store employees can't tell the difference between males and females. Any male rat over 4 weeks of age will have very prominent testicles, so if you don't see them, it is a female. The problem with "feeder" rats is that by supporting the feeder industry, you are supporting indiscriminate breeders who see rats as disposable money makers. By "rescuing" a rat from the feeder tank, you are not changing the deplorable situation of the millions of rats who are bred and sold as feeders each year. Animal shelter rats are sometimes pets, abandoned by people who cannot care for them. They make excellent pets. Unfortunately, some shelter rats are dumped after abusive experiences or health problems, and may be difficult to train, or unhealthy. Since almost all rats can be tamed, with patience and love, never make the mistake of assuming a rat is "untamable" and a "waste of time" because it comes from a shelter. Also, many of the animals labeled "biters" in pet stores and shelters are in reality no such thing. Another good place to check is in your local newspaper. Often, people with pet rats will have an accidental litter and will advertise in the paper looking for good homes for the babies. Q. How can I locate a breeder in my area? A. It can be difficult to find a breeder in your area. Check a local pet store that carries rats, and ask them where they get their stock, as often it is from a local breeder. If this fails, check a Rat Club in your area, or the Rat and Mouse Club of America (a list of clubs and contact information is in section 12) and they will probably be able to connect you with a breeder in your area. Q. Should I choose a doe (female) or a buck (male)? A. Whichever you prefer. Unlike most other rodents, male rats can live together in perfect harmony, without trying to hurt or kill one another, so the fact that you want multiple rats should not be a factor in deciding on gender. You should begin with only one gender, unless you are planning on breeding your rats. Does tend to be smaller, faster, and more active than bucks. Their fur will be sleeker and softer. A female rat is generally more curious and destructive than a male rat. A doe will play with you, actively explore her environment, try her teeth on everything, steal small objects, and run about in a most amusing and exhausting fashion. Does appear to be more curious and intelligent than bucks. Bucks tend to be nearly twice as large as does. They are stronger smelling, though their smell is not unpleasant, and their skin secretes an oily substance that can make their fur greasy. Male rats are much calmer, mellower, and sleepier than females. A male rat will eat from your hand, sleep on your lap, bumble about on your bed, and generally be much more cuddly and lovable than a doe. Q. How many rats should I get? A. Rats are social animals. In the wild, they live in large colonies of up to hundreds of individual animals. Unless you can spend every minute of the day with your rat close at hand, it is kinder to get him or her a companion of the same gender to entertain and stimulate him when you are not around. Two to five rats is an ideal number, depending on the size of the cage. Generally, decide on three rather than two, as if one rat should die, the other two will still have each other. Rats will play with, argue with, dominate and submit to, and generally amuse, each other while you are not around. Lone rats tend to be depressed and lonely whenever you are not around, and not as healthy and active. Two or more rats are also much more fun to watch than a lone rat, interacting and playing in many creative and amusing ways. Lone rats tend to be neurotic and clingy; as social animals, they need other members of their own species to interact with, and to deprive them of it is cruel. Rats have also been shown to tame and become more friendly to you quicker if they have companions of their own species. Q. What should I look for in a rat? How should I pick one? A. If color is important to you, find a rat that appeals to you aesthetically. But be sure not to base your choice entirely on the rat's pretty appearance; also make sure that the rat is healthy. Signs of a healthy rat are that the rat is active and curious; that the rat's breathing is not audible or labored; that the rat's orifices are clean; that any droppings in the cage are firm and pelleted; that the animal's coat seems shiny and nice; and that there are no visible wounds, scabs or insect infestations. Signs of an unhealthy rat are dull coat and eyes, lethargic or disinterested bearing, aggression, diarrhea, patchy fur or bald spots, wheezy loud breathing, red discharge around the eyes and nose, or visible injuries. If the rat passes all of the above, then take it home! Q. How can I introduce a new rat to my old one? A. Whether or not you can introduce a new rat to old ones depends a lot on the personalities of the rats involved. Most rats are social; some simply dislike other rats, or dislike certain rats while tolerating others. Your best bet is to keep them in separate cages next to each other, where they can smell, see and hear each other without touching. After a week or so of that, they can move on to supervised playtime in a neutral area. If they fight, then separate them again, but keep trying - don't give up and they may learn to get along. The rats will often rise up on their hind legs and "box" with their front paws, then one may flip the other over on its back and seem to bite the other's belly. One rat may pin another and aggressively sniff the other's genitals. This may frighten or upset the submissive rat, but it will not hurt them - unless there is a serious fight, with lots of biting, jumping around and yelling, it's best to let these fights play themselves out. The rats are establishing who will be "in charge" of the cage. Once they are playing nicely on neutral ground, decide which of the two cages you want to use. Scrub it out thoroughly, and fill it with new bedding, but add a handful of old bedding from both cages, so it smells like "home" to both of them. Leave this cage open and free to be entered during playtime. Be sure that both of them are very familiar with this enclosure, and both are comfortable with it. If both can go in and out together without fighting, then consider them well introduced and let them stay together. This may take a month or two to accomplish - or it may only take 1 week. Please understand, however, that this is a gradual process, and rushing your rats into co-habitation before they are ready is asking for injuries on both sides, especially if both rats are adults, or one has lived entirely alone for a long time. Q. How can I make sure my new rat won't make the others sick? A. Quarantine any new rats for at least two weeks to a full month. House the rat in a separate cage, in a separate room of the house. Wash your hands thoroughly with a disinfectant or germicidal soap between handling of either cage. Make sure the rats don't come in contact with each other, or litter from the other's cage. Watch the new rats for any signs of illness, or medicate with antibiotics any sickness they may already have. When you are satisfied with their health, it is probably safe to introduce them. PART IV: HOUSING Q. What are the supplies I'll need to set up housekeeping? A. You will need a cage of sufficient size to hold all the rats you want; bedding material; a rat-block and grain mix; a demand-type water bottle, preferably with only one metal ball; two crock-style food dishes that will be hard to tip over, one for dry food and one for veggies. Bottle with one metal ball leak more than those with two, but two balls may jam more often, causing the outer ball to dry and an air pocket to form between the two balls, preventing the animal from drinking water. In this case, the water bottle needs to be agitated by you to work again. Glass bottles are good, but they should NEVER have glass drinking tubes! Q. Should I keep my rat in an aquarium? A. An aquarium protects a rat from drafts, is fairly cheap and easy to find, and it is easy to view your pet inside one. However, it has bad air flow, tends to be hotter and more humid than other cages, are heavy, and need to have special tops purchased or built so that the rat cannot escape. They also do not offer levels of running and climbing space that can be found in other types of cages. The minimum size of aquarium that is acceptable for one or two males, or two to three females, is a 20-gallon long (approximately 3'x1'x1`). More rats will need a bigger cage. Aquariums need to be cleaned at least once a week, no matter what kind of bedding is used, and need to be scrubbed thoroughly to prevent ammonia buildup. Be careful not to drop and break the aquarium while you are cleaning it, as a cracked aquarium may no longer be suitable for rat habitation, due to safety or escape factors! Q. Should I keep my rat in a wire cage? A. Yes, provided that the wire used meet certain specifications. The wire should be powder-coated, and not galvanized. The galvanized wire will corrode with time as the urine burns it away, and since galvanized wire includes zinc, if they chew on the wires they may be poisoned. The floor should be a solid pan, and not wire. The outside of the cage should be made of wires no wider than .5" for young rats or does; up to 1" is fine for adult bucks. The shelves should either be solid plastic, or 1/4"x 1/4" wire. All in all, wire cages provide easier access to multiple levels, easier means of hanging and securing toys and hammocks, better ventilation, and easier means of escape-proofing than aquariums. Like aquariums, they should be wiped down with disinfectant when cleaned. Recommended brands of rat-safe wire cages are Fern Manufacturing, Ferplast, and SuperPet. Q. Should I keep my rat in a wooden hutch? A. No. Urine will soak into the wood, causing it to rot, swell, and emit ammonia vapors. It may splinter and pierce the rat's feet. The rat may chew through. All in all, wooden cages and cage floors are a no-no. Q. Should I keep my rat in a hamster cage? A. No. Whether it is a plastic habitrail-type cage, or a wire birdcage-type, hamster cages are always too small for adult rats. Rats can also chew through the plastic cages and tubes very easily, and cannot fit in the wheels, tubes, or hiding houses as adults. PART V: LITTER AND BEDDING Q. What kind of bedding should I use? A. Pine, cedar, spruce and other softwoods are toxic. They contain phenol oils which is what makes them smell so nice. Unfortunately, it also breaks down the liver and respiratory system of your pet. They are the easiest bedding to find - avoid them like the plague. Aspen or other hardwood shavings can be used, as they do not contain phenol oils. Paper products, such as Yesterday's News, Bio-Flush and Cellu-dri, may be used. Sani-Chips are small, sterilized bits of aspen shaving that are especially absorbent. Corn cob bedding is non-toxic, and fine to use in wire cages, but not aquariums- when it gets damp, it tends to begin growing mold and needs to be changed more often than other beddings. Rabbit food pellets have also been recommend. They are very absorbent and smell nice, but may be dusty and break down easily. It is much cheaper than many other litters, and is certainly safer than softwood or corncob! I personally recommend that you go out and find a store that carries, or will order, CareFresh for you. This is the best bedding I have found - it is extremely absorbent of both odor and waste matter, soft, fluffy, sterilized, environmentally friendly, non- toxic. It is most economical to buy in a 50qt bag. In the UK, the only safe litter besides CareFresh (which only recently became available and may be difficult to find) is Bio Catolet. Bio Catolet is made of recycled paper pellets, and is very good at odor control. PART VI: FOOD Q. What should I feed my rat? A. "Lab blocks" or Rat & Mouse pellets are completely nutritionally formulated for a rat's needs. However, some brands are better than others - I recommend using the Kaytee blocks and avoiding the L/M ones. Purina Rat Chow is high quality, and you can order it in 50 lb bags. Harlan blocks, made by Teklad, are also very highly recommended. Mix in a bag of grain mix - hamster seed mix is good -making sure that the seeds are not cobwebby, infested, and are fresh and sealed in an airtight bag. To that you can add a bag of Kaytee Exact Hamster Mix if you wish, and/or a small amount (less than 1/4 the mix) of Iams Minichunks dog food. This mix to work very well in keeping rats healthy, happy and fed. Rats need a diet low in protein and fat, and high in carbohydrates. Adding fruit and vegetables to your rat's diet as well. They need the fresh food as much as the others - it provides vitamins and minerals. Crucifers, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts have a chemical in them which helps prevent tumors in rats. Rats especially like broccoli, oranges, grapes, garbanzo beans, popcorn, white rice, pasta, peas and tomatoes. Q. What makes a good treat for my rat? A. Rats love table scraps, but try to avoid giving them too often. They are likely very high in fat and protein. Chicken bones are ok to give to rats - they gnaw the bone and will not choke on it like a dog. Fruits and veggies make good treats, as do specially-made treats like honey sticks and yogurt drops. Rats always go nuts for banana chips, but don't feed them often, as they are fried in coconut oil! Q. What should I avoid feeding my rat? A. Rats should not have food with too much protein or fat in it. Cat food, puppy food, and wet cat food should all be avoided. Processed sugar is hard to digest, and caffeine isn't very good for rats, so I have to recommend against feeding any candy or pop to a rat, except in very occasional, and small, doses. High protein food, such as puppy or cat food, may be fed to young rats to help through their growth periods, especially if they come from a very large litter. This is acceptable for the first 10 weeks. PART VII: TOYS Q. Can I put a wheel in the rat's cage? A. Only if you can find a solid, sheet-metal wheel. Wire wheels are dangerous to rats, as it can break or even amputate tails or feet that get snagged in the wire, and they can cause bleeding foot callouses (ulcerative pododermatitis, sometimes called "bumblefoot.") Q. What are some good rat toys? A. Wooden bird ladders, either as a ladder or hung horizontally as a platform. White PVC pipes are cheap, easy to wash, and rats love to hide in them! Solid sheet-metal wheels. Ferret hammocks, spongie-jumpers, and hide-always are good, but expensive - they're not that hard to make yourself, however. Ferret corner bedding pans are useful to make "extra levels" and sleeping spaces in wire cages. Whiffle balls are sometimes fun. Wooden and chain climbing hangers made for large parrots are fun to climb and chew on. Cotton ropes strung all over the cage are also fun; you will be amazed at how quick and agile your rats can be! Plastic flower pots can be tied or bolted to the side of the cage to made a rat bed. NOTE: your rat will chew through and eventually destroy all of these that are not metal. Be prepared for it - it's natural instinct, and they can't help it, but they will love the toy as long as they have it! PART IX: BASIC CARE Q. How often should I clean the rat's cage? A. It depends on how many rats you have, the kind of cage you are using, and the kind of bedding. If you have an aquarium, it must be cleaned once or twice weekly, due to the ammonia buildup. If you are using corncob bedding, that too much be changed weekly, due to the tendency of corncob to grow mold very quickly when damp. With females, the need to clean the cage is much less, and the frequency also drops when using something super-absorbent, such as CareFresh. Two females in a cage bedded with CareFresh in a 2-level SuperPet cage can be changed every 3 weeks; the frequency increases with numbers and size from there. Basically, if you can smell urine, the cage must be cleaned; the rats' nose is a hundred time more sensitive than yours, and he has to live there! If you are allergic or asthmatic, change it twice as often. Q. How should I disinfect the cage? A. Your cage should not only have the bedding swept out of it, but it should also be washed down with a disinfectant, and then rinsed off and thoroughly dried before new bedding gets put in. Good disinfectants are Parvosol (2 tbls/1 gal hot water,) bleach (1 part bleach to 10 parts hot water,) Lysol (spray, then wipe off thoroughly,) and hydrogen peroxide (rinse off thoroughly.) All of these solutions should be rinsed off VERY well; any leftover residue could poison your rats! Q. How can I rat-proof my house? A. This is a very big task, and probably too big. Your best bet is to choose a single room, where all doors can be closed securely, as the rat play room. Make sure any electrical wires are put into plastic tubes (sold at hardware stores) and tape up to the wall. Make sure all heating vents are closed off, or have louvers that are very small and cannot admit a rat body. Cover the corners of the carpet with foot-square pieces of 1/4" x 1/4" hardware cloth, tacked down with upholstery nails. Make sure any furniture in the room is safe for the rats to chew and pee on; throw a sheet over it, if you wish. Please avoid keeping rocking chairs or reclining chairs in the rat play room. Make sure that you walk backwards in and out of the door, watching for rats to dart through and maybe get closed in either side of the door. Look under your cabinets, dressers, and closets for anywhere where the rat could crawl into a small, unreachable-by-you spot. Keep a close eye out for openings around pipes that could give your rat access to the walls! Q. How much out-of-cage playtime does my rat need? A. Your rat needs at least an hour of playtime with you daily, especially if it is a single rat. If it is possible, your rat can play in the ratproofed room relatively unsupervised, but it really needs the daily interaction with you to keep it completely healthy and happy. Q. Should I bathe my rat? How? A. You should only bathe your rat if he is particularly smelly, greasy, dirty, or about a week before a show. It is best to use a mild dishsoap (for boys who are very greasy), Ferret Glow, or mild baby shampoo. Get a very shallow dish, or the sink, and fill it with not more than 1" of warm (not hot!) water. Let the rat get used to the water - don't run it with the rat nearby, they don't like the sound. Gently cup your hand in the water and stroke it over the rat, petting and wetting it at once. Once he is wet, gently work in and lather up the shampoo. Repeat the petting/wetting process until all of the soap is out of the fur; this is very important. Your rat will probably not be calm and cooperative throughout this process: speak soothingly to him, do not yell, and do not squeeze and force him into the water roughly. Be VERY careful that your rat does not get water in his nose and inhale it, as water in the lungs can cause aspiration pneumonia. Q. Should I clip my rat's nails? A. Only is you want to. Some people have trouble with a rat's sharp little nails. Use small fingernail clippers, and have a helper hold the rat firmly but gently. Take his foot, and look carefully at the nail. There should be a long white part with a bright red center running through it. When you clip the nail be sure to only clip the white part (the tip), as the red is a vein that will bleed a lot if you cut it. Be sure to have StopQwik or a similar brand of styptic powder on hand in case this happens. PART X: RAT BEHAVIOR Q. My rat got out! How do I get him back? A. Check under all the furniture. Be sure to leave their cage door open, with fresh food and water in it. With any luck, they will return to their home and you can close the door behind them. Go to bed. Usually, a rat that has escaped will explore a little, then seek you out. If you are sitting quietly, they are much more likely to come up to you. Q. My rat is clicking his teeth; is he happy or angry? A. Usually, a rat will grind his teeth when he is happy. If you give your rat a favorite treat, cuddle him, or any other positive activity, you may notice him grinding and "clicking" his teeth. That's the rat equivalent of purring. However, sometimes when a rat is angry at another rat, you will notice a much louder, more distant clashing noise coming from the mouth. That's a threat, and sometimes accompanied by a hissing or huffing sound. Some rats will do this when they are nervous -- it's usually accompanied by lots of face washing in these cases. Rats will grind their teeth even when they are not with you, or angry; they are grinding down their teeth to help keep them short. Q. My rat shivers when he is out of his cage. Is this normal? A. Yes. He's probably scared, being out of his safe, known cage and thrust into a situation he doesn't understand or control. He will continue to shiver, usually, only for a few minutes before calming down. The longer he quivers, the more stressed he is, generally. Q. My rat is shaking it's tail. What does it mean? A. If your rat's tail appears to be shivering or rattling (like a rattle snake or an earthworm) he/she may well be agitated or angry. This is likely to be the case if your rat has just encountered a strange rat on your rat's own turf. On the other hand, some rats, when they are really happy and really excited, will stiffen their tail and sort of slap it around, flinging it here and there. These tend to be quick single or double movements of the tail through a large arc, not the rhythmic shaking of the tail that happens when a rat is mad, where the tail does not move very far. PART XI: FUN WITH RATS Q. What tricks can I teach my rat? A. Some rats can be taught to shoulder perch. Rats can be taught to come when they're called, to play basketball, to play soccer, to stand up on their hind legs, to go to the bathroom in a certain place, to eat their food in their cage, to give licks and kisses, and many other things. Most of the "tricks" a rat does are simply extensions of their natural behavior. When you notice your rat doing something you like, reward them. Eventually, they will perform the "trick" on command, to get the treat. Q. What are some games I can play with my rat? A. "Get the Rat" is a popular rat game, involving rushing up to the rat with your hand and tickling them, then "running away" with your hand, so that they case it. This mimics rat play behavior, and is specially fun for single rats who don't have this release with other rats. Friends have set thick pillows or piles of wrapping paper about two feet away from them, then gently tossed their rat into the pile. Usually, the rat enjoys it and comes running back to be tossed again! PART X: MEDICAL CARE Q. How can I find a vet? A. Check your yellow pages, and begin calling. Call each vet that does not specify "only dogs and cats," paying special attention to those that advertise that they treat "small mammals," "pocket pets," or "exotics." Ask each vet you can get a hold of whether or not they treat rats, and how extensive their experience is. Questions like "how many rats have you spayed/neutered this year" and "how many tumors do you remove from rats annually," are good starting questions; these are fairly routine procedures that any vet experienced with rats should have performed fairly often. If you belong to a rat club, check with them. Often, they will have a list of veterinary referrals, from which you may find a good rat vet in your area! Q. What are signs that my rat is sick? A. Red or black discharge around the eyes and nose is the most common sign, but can also be present due to an irritant such as dust. The hadarian gland, which lies behind the rat's eyeball, secretes a red porphyrin-rich secretion that lubricates the eye and eyelids. This secretion sometimes gives the appearance of blood, but contains no blood. Excessive sneezing, lethargy, loss of appetite, a dull or staring coat, loud or raspy breathing, and labored breathing are all signs of a respiratory infection, and are a very good indication that your rat needs to see a veterinarian immediately. Q. I've heard that my rat has mycoplasma. What is it? A. Mycoplasma pulmosis is an organism which all of the rats in our pet population carry. Stress of other illness can make your rat break with an active infection that can lead to pneumonia if left untreated. There is no cure for mycoplasma, but it can be controlled with antibiotics, and is the main cause of respiratory infections in rats. Be sure to continue any antibiotic your vet prescribes for the full amount of time, as a small dosage may result in the organism becoming immune to that particular antibiotic, rendering it useless. Q. The rat's head is tilted to one side. A. This condition, known as "wry neck" is normally caused by an inner ear infection. You will need to take your rat to the vet to see if the eardrum is still intact and to determine a proper course of treatment. Systemic antibiotics will need to be prescribed, and if the eardrum is not intact, a topical solution containing an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory drug should be used. Chances are that even after the infection clears up, the rat's head will remain tilted. He may never have very good balance after that, and may have to live in an aquarium where he cannot fall and hurt himself. A lot of rats with red eyes (who can't see very well, even for a rat) will sway their head from side to side to try and see things. (Their vision seems to be mostly motion sensitive -- by swaying side to side closer things seem to move more.) Some rats do this less as they get older, others do it more when they get excited. This should not be confused with the head tilt. Q. My rat scratches and has scabs on his face and shoulders. A. It is possible that he has mites, bit most often scabs are caused by too much protein in the diet, which causes hot spots that the rats scratch open, creating scabs. Try eliminating or cutting back on the amount of sunflower seeds, peanuts, and dog food in your rats' diet first and see if the scabs disappear. If the scabs are still present after two weeks, then chances are it is mites. The horse-wormer product "Zimecterin" or "Roctectin" can be used very easily to rid your pet of mites (or lice, which appear as little red bugs on the skin with tiny eggs on the hair shaft.) Give your rat a small amount of the paste (about the size of a grain of rice on the end of a toothpick) and repeat again in 3 weeks. Q. The rat's hair is falling out. A. There are several things that may be wrong. Barbering, the act of chewing hair off one's self or cage mate, seems to be hereditary, though it may also be caused by severe stress. If it is something the rat does frequently, it will appear that portions of him - usually the front legs, chest and belly - have been shaved, and it is nothing to worry about. This may also be a sign of lice or mite infestation. Animals with a severe infestation of mites may appear to have thinning hair which may even fall out in clumps. Scabs will sometimes leave a bald patch when they fall off. The rat may also be descended from rex or hairless stock. At between 4 and 7 weeks of age, a rex or hairless rat's hair may fall out in clumps. In the case of the rex, it will grow back. In the case of the hairless, it won't. Old age may also cause fur loss. Q. The rat has soft, very smelly stools. A. He is under stress, most likely. When a rat is afraid, he may "fear-poop," which is a very soft, smelly and unfinished kind of stool. There may also be too many vegetables and fruits in the rat's diet, resulting in diarrhea. This is very dangerous to the rat, and may result in quick dehydration. It is also possible that the rat may have an intestinal infection of Salmonellosis, Cestodiasis, or other possible infections which can cause severe diarrhea. In case of acute diarrhea, your rat should be taken to a vet immediately. Q. The rat's fur is very greasy. A. He is a male, most likely, and that is the only reason. Male rats have very greasy fur, and only neutering or regular baths will take care of it. Q. There is a reddish stain very high on the top of my rat's shoulders. A. This is caused by porphyrin staining. Since your rat's saliva is stained with porphyrin, when he cleans himself, licking his hands and feet then rubbing his fur, it may dry to a dark stain across his shoulders if he is light colored. It is nothing to worry about, and washes off. Sometimes, when baby rats are going through their moult and acheiving their adult coat, their fur may change color in odd patterns. Half of them may be lighter or darker than the other half. This too is nothing to worry about. Q. The rat's tail looks constricted. A. This is the result of "ringtail," a disease usually found in rats on corncob shavings. This is the result of too little humidity in the air, causing the scales of the tail to slough off, the tip to fall off, or the tail to become constricted, and appear as though there are little rubber bands wrapped around it. The dry condition of the cage may be remedied, but the damage to the tail will remain. Q. There is a lump under the rat's skin. A. This is either an abscess or a tumor. The tumor may be malignant or benign. Your vet will be able to tell for sure, and can surgically remove it. If he says he cannot, find another vet! Almost any tumor can be removed, though in some cases the rat's quality of life will not be worth it. Very rarely, a tumor will be inoperable, or a rat is so old or in such poor health that the operation is more life-threatening than the tumor itself. In such cases, a vet may legitimately refuse to do the operation. An abscess springs up around a wound, though you may not have seen the wound. If the lump suddenly sprang up in a matter of hours or a day, and grew very quickly, it is probably an abcess, especially if it is hard. A malignant tumor is also hard, and it also grows quickly, but it does not grow as quickly as an abcess. Generally speaking, malignant tumors seem to be more oddly-shaped, and more firmly attached, than benign ones. Benign tumors are usually fatty carcinomas. They are especially common in obese females more than 1 year in age. A benign fatty tumor will usually be round, and will roll easily under the skin, not seeming very firmly attached. Tumors seem to have a genetic predisposition to them as well. Unfortunately, tumors are a very common occurrence in rats or both sexes, but predominantly in unspayed females. Q. The rat is bleeding vaginally. A. Female rats DO NOT have menstrual periods, so if your doe bleeds vaginally, something is wrong and she needs to see a vet immediately! Vaginal bleeding is usually a sign of a uterine tumor, a urinary infection, a miscarriage, the beginning of labor, or can be caused by genital mycoplasma. Q. Can I spay or neuter my rat? Should I? A. It is possible to both spay and neuter rats. It has been shown that it may reduce the chance of mammary cancer, and it certainly is unarguable that it reduces testicular and uterine cancer. However, it is major, and elective, surgery, undertaken with a general anesthesia, and should not be taken lightly. There is a chance that your pet may not pull through the surgery. Also, testicular cancer is extremely rare in rats. When a male rat is neutered, his scrotum is opened and his testicles removed. Sometimes a vet sutures the opening, sometimes not. The inguinal canal on male rats is far more open than in other animals, and there is a chance that the rat will hernia, and his intestines may fall into and out of his inguinal canal. Care should be taken to ensure that your vet knows this, and is not treating your rat's neuter like a cat neuter. Post-operative antibiotics are a necessity, as the rat may abcess in his scrotum after the surgery. The resulting abcess may open inside the body rather than outside, causing peritonitis. A female rat getting spayed is also risky. The vet is going into a very tiny body cavity to remove a very tiny organ. Again, post-operative antibiotics are a necessity. While your rat is recovering from any surgery, keep them in an aquarium, with white paper towels as bedding, as being dragged over wire might irritate the sutures, and little flakes of bedding could get into and infect the wound. Be sure to change the towels at least daily. Remember, this is major surgery, and should not be done with anything but the rat's best interests in mind. To prevent fighting, biting, or possible pregnancies, it is acceptable; to make a buck less greasy is not. Q. How can I tell if my rat is in pain? A. If your rat cries out when it moves, or when you touch him, he is probably in pain. If this is associated with a known injury, ask your vet about possible pain medication. If you do not know of any injury, you will need to take your rat to the vet for an X-ray to determine if there is a hidden injury somewhere causing your rat pain. Q. What pain killers can my rat have? A. Most vets feel that household drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen have no real effect on rat pain due to their high metabolic rate, and therefore should not be used. Heavy duty opiate analgesics such as butorphanol and morphine administered frequently are considered to be necessary in case of severe pain. Less severe pain should not be treated, as the pain ensures that the rat stays calm and speeds the healing process. Q. My rat's quality of life is very poor. Should I have him euthanized? A. Yes, it is now time to let go. Make sure that your vet agrees beforehand that an inhalant gas will be used before any kind of lethal injection, to ensure a peaceful death. The lethal injection, which is into the heart or abdominal cavity, is extremely painful, and inhumane unless the rat is gassed first. PART XI: BREEDING NOTE: This FAQ is not encouraging - and indeed, would like to discourage - rat breeding. Unless you are committed to your rats, and are willing to take on all the responsibility of veterinary care, proper food and housings, finding good homes for each and every one of the kittens and keeping those who you can't find a home for, the advice it: don't do it. There are a lot of responsible breeders out there with wonderful babies to buy; you don't need to breed your own. Q. How can I tell males from females? A. There is a greater distance, from the day they are born, between the male rat's anal and urinary openings. Once they reach 4 weeks of age, some very prominent testicles will drop down and be readily apparent to anyone who looks, especially if they are picked up. Q. When is sexual maturity? A. For females, 4-6 weeks, for males, 5-8 weeks. Kittens will continue to grow rapidly until 3 months of age, at which time they will slow down considerably. They reach full growth at 1 year, with the males sometimes twice as big as the females. Females should weigh 8-12 oz, males 15-20oz. Q. When is it safe to breed my doe? A. At four months of age is the first safe time to breed a doe; she has reached almost her full size, and no longer needs to pour so much of her energy and resources into growing. A responsible breeder never breeds a female more than 1 year old, as the chances of death for mother and kittens rises steeply after 1 year. If the doe has not been bred by 8 months, she should not be, because her hips will have become fused and it will be more difficult for her to eject her kittens. Q. How often does she go into heat, and for how long? How can I tell when she is in heat? A. A doe in heat will be jumpier and more skittery than usual, as a general rule. Does go into season every 4 to 5 days and remain in season for about 12 hours; it usually starts between 9-12 at night. You may see her cagemates mounting her frequently, and you will see her arch her hind end up for them. If you scratch her rump, she may arch her back, tilt up her hind end, and wiggle or vibrate her ears frantically; this posture is known as ladorsis. Her vaginal opening may gape open, may be darker colored, and may discharge a clear fluid. Q. How long does it take rats to mate? A. A buck only needs 2 seconds to successfully mate with a doe in heat. TWO! However, he only successfully ejaculates 1 out of every 5 times. But since he can repeat this maneuver several times a minute, best to keep males and females STRICTLY apart unless you're planning to breed them! Q. How long will she gestate (be pregnant)? A. 21-23 days. She will begin frantically building a nest when her last few hours are upon her, and will usually bear her kittens within a few hours. It is possible that the doe may reabsorb her litter at any time during the pregnancy, up to the 23rd day, so be prepared for your rat suddenly becoming "un-pregnant." Q. What are the signs that she is pregnant? A. Almost none, sorry. A rat who is pregnant will have very prominent nipples; this is the earliest sign you will have, and only if the rat is light colored and it is her first litter. In about her third week of pregnancy, she will begin to look a bit plump. When she only has 2-5 days left until she delivers, she will suddenly look as though she swallowed a tennis ball, or a grapefruit! This is an overnight effect, and usually the size of the mother's abdomen in no way reflects the size of the litter to come. Q. What can I do to help her? A. She will need foods much higher in protein and fat than she normally does, while pregnant and lactating. That means you can add dry cat or puppy food it her usual diet, and spoil her with more treats than usual. Fill her food and water as often she will empty it; she needs the resources very badly. If you wish to give her something to bed in, use unscented undyed tissue paper, changed often, or some non-fibrous bedding. Do not use cloth, especially terry-cloth material (washcloths, towels) as the little threads may tangle around a pinky and strangle it, or cut off circulation and cut off a limb. Q. How will I know she is having trouble delivering? A. Rat labor can be as quick as 5 minutes, or may take hours. If you see your rat begin to bleed, stay calm; that is labor starting. If within 12 hours she has not produced pinkies, there is a drug you can give her to induce labor called Oxytosin; this usually will save the mother but not the kittens. A C-section is possible, but will usually result in dead mother (who has undergone too much stress with the long labor to survive major surgery) and dead kittens (who cannot nurse from their mothers, and probably died in the course of the long labor.) The warning signs are extreme lethargy, severe bleeding, or repeated gasping. Q. How many kittens should I expect? A. 12 is the average, but litters as small as one and as large as 22 have been reported. The male-female ratio is 52% males, 48% females. Q. Should I cull? A. No. Culling is almost never necessary. A mother rat is an amazing creature, and can care for her babies. Though she only has 12 nipples, she can care for more, usually splitting them into two groups to nurse. If you feel that one doe cannot care for all her kittens, your options are to 1) foster some kittens onto a doe with a smaller litter, 2) handraise the kittens, or 3) find someone who fosters orphaned babies (through the DNR) and ask them to foster your kittens. The kittens have the best chance for survival is raised by their mother or another nursing doe. The only case in which culling may be seen as necessary is when the litter is exceptionally large (16 or more) and the mother is not handling them well. If she is rejecting or refusing to nurse some or all of her large litter, if the babies are all thin and malnourished, then a painless culling method may be applied to save the rest of the kittens and the health of the mother. This practice seems to be more prevelant in the UK. Culling because a kitten does not carry a certain quality of marking or color is not an acceptable reason to end that kitten's life. Even if the kitten never wins a ribbon, he can make someone a wonderful pet. Q. How long will they nurse? A. A litter of rats can nurse for 3 weeks if they can't have any longer, but it is better to leave them in for 4 or 5 weeks if possible. Q. When should I separate them from the mother? A. It is recommended to leave them with their mother for 5 weeks. They turn out bigger, healthier, and calmer. At 5 you MUST remove the males from the litters (at 4 weeks they should be very obvious!) or they may impregnate their mother or sisters. Q. Can I keep the father in the cage? A. Not recommended. Within 36 hours of giving birth to her litter, the doe goes into heat again. If the male is there, she may become pregnant while still nursing her last litter. This is a huge strain on her body resources. Also, a new mother may be very protective for the first few days, and may injure the male. Q. Can I keep two does and their litters together? A. Not recommended. The mothers will often fight over the babies, stealing them from one another, or fighting each other for dominance and injuring the babies in the process. If one doe steals the larger number of babies, she may not be able to nurse them all and some may die. It's also best to keep does and their kittens in an aquarium rather than a wire cage, to protect from drafts and escapes. PART XII: WHERE TO GET MORE INFORMATION Q. What are some good books on rats? "RATS: A COMPLETE PET OWNER'S MANUAL" by Carol A. Himsel, DVM Copyright 1991 by Barne's Educations Series, Inc New York, NY ISBN 0-8120-4535-1 "THE PROPER CARE OF FANCY RATS" By Nick Mays Copyright 1993 by TFH Publications, Inc ISBN 0-86622-340-1 Even these fine books are out of date in many ways, suggesting the use of softwood shavings or sawdust, for example, or advocating culling. Check through carefully to weed the good info from the bad; the best way to get up-to-date rat information is to join a club. New information and methods are always being discovered, and clubs are one of the first to get any new information out. Q. How do I get on the Rat Mailing List? A. Send an email with no subject line to "majordomo@starry.stanford.edu" with the message "subscribe rats" in the body of the message. You should then receive an email from the list owner welcoming you to the list, telling you how to post messages, unsubscribe, and subscribe to the digested form. You can use the command "subscribe rat-digest" to get the digested form of the list. The list is a place where rat fanciers discuss, through email, their experiences, stories, and questions about rats. Rec.pets and alt.pets.rodents are also internet sites where rat discussion is held. Q. What are some rat clubs? AMERICAN FANCY RAT & MOUSE ASSOCIATION 9230 64th Street Riverside, CA 92509 $25/yr AFRMA's focus is on breeding and showing rats and mice, with a newsletter. MICHIGAN RAT FANCIERS (MRF) 21 1/2 Dennis SE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 ratgirl@cns.gr.net (616) 336-9460 $15/year. Includes a monthly newsletter (The Rat Tribune) with fun and informative articles. Emphasis is on rats as pets, especially in, but not exclusive to, Michigan, with a small showing emphasis. MOUSE AND RAT BREEDER'S ASSOCIATION Attn: Sharon Brown 127 Stockbridge Lane Ojai, CA 93023 $15/year. Very small but still a good quality club, mostly focusing on breeding and genetics. NATIONAL FANCY RAT SOCIETY NFRS Membership Coordinator 4 Mayfair Court Barn Hall Avenue Colchester CO2 8th England $35/yr, in US dollars. Has a very informative newsletter, Pro-Rata. NORTHEAST RAT & MOUSE INTERNATIONAL Attn: Diane Potter, Pres. 20 Oak Lane Sterling VA 20165 (703) 430-4063 RAT AND MOUSE CLUB OF AMERICA (RMCA) 13075 Springdale Street Suite 302 Westminster CA 92683 RMCA1@aol.com $25/year. Includes a large bi-monthly magazine (Rat and Mouse Gazette) with lots of fun and informative articles. Based in California; the main emphasis is on rats and mice as pets, with a small showing emphasis. RAT FAN CLUB Attn: Debbie Ducammun 857 Lindo Lane Chico, CA 95926 $20/year. For a free into issue of their newletter (The Rat Report), send a #10 SASE. Debbie will also include a list of back issues; the focus is on rats as pets. RAT, MOUSE AND HAMSTER FANCIERS Sylvia Butler, Treasurer 188 School St Danville, CA 94526 Joyce A. Starkey 102641.3365@compuserve.com $15/year. Includes a bi-monthly newsletter with educational and show info. Q. Where else can I find information? A. Search the Internet. The archives of the Rat mailing list is an extremely good source of information about rats, as are the clubs listed above. The encyclopedia, and your veterinarian are also good places to look.