hey everyone :)

im planning on getting a couple of rats 2 minimum i know they get lonely
just had a couple of questions if anyone would care to answer please

firstly im planning on getting one of those huge Ferplast Furet Extra Large Cages wondered if anyone had any experience with them? this wont be right away i will most likely get a smaller cage to begin with then the ferplast when i have enough money (they aint cheap!)

secondly i read on some sites that a wheel for their cage can give them back problems :S wondered if this was true? (those really big wheels, easily fit a rat in)

thanks in advance :D
ash

I was just about to suggest Rentokil ... :o Then I realised that you didn't mean those sorts of rats.

There's loads running about down by the river at Woodseats ... wanna a couple from there?

You'd be doing them a favour cos Enviromental Health is on the case ...

that river sounds like a lovely place lol tad different though to domesticated rats XD

That's a great cage, they'll love it! Lots of space and you put toys, hammocks etc - all sorts in to keep them entertained. There general rule of thumb is the bigger the better, even from the word go, pingy babies just love to explore. :cool:

With regards to wheels - some rats will entertain them, most won't though. If you do get them a wheel, make sure it's not a metal one as these can cause horrific tail injuries. A large wodent wheel is probably best - it's completely plastic so nothing for a long tail to get tangled in. That said - don't blame me if the rats take one look at it and go "we're not that stupid"! :hihi:

As for where you get the ratties from, instead of lining the pockets of PAH, would you consider rescue rats? There's always loads looking for loving homes (one link of many): http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/community/viewforum.php?f=23 There's also a large rescue centre in Manchester I can put you in touch with if you want.

On the wheel thing - some love wheels, some just don't see the point and sit eating food watching their friend make a fool of themselves! :hihi:

Be aware when choosing you cage that as babies the ratties will be able to squeeze through small gaps, so possibly able to squeeze through bars on a cage designed for ferrets. Just something to think about when you upgrade the cage ;)

The ferplast Jenny rat cage is absoloutley great, lots of doors so you access them easily and plenty of space for them to run around in and to put toys in there. A bit of a pain to put together when you first get it, but after a couple of clean outs you find the easy way to put it back together again. Our ratties (5 of them!) all love hammocks and will snooze in them for hours. Simple crdboard boxes, tissues for them to shred etc will provide hours of entertainment. RSPCA sheffield have either 6 or 8 rats in foster homes at the moment- maybe worth giving them a try (most are babies). Please don't get one from pets at home as there have been many horrible reports of diseased animals, ill and old ones sold as babies and most of the stores don't care about the welfare of the animals, only lining their pockets.

Just had a quick look, RSPCA sheffield have 2, 4 month old babies, some must have gone earlier on this week :). If you were to consider getting more than two babies, different aged and litter ratties get on 99.9% of the time so you could get them from seperate places and they should be fine together. We had our original pair (female and a nuetered male) and then introduced 3 babies when our two were 8/9 months old. They all get on great and have some entertaining games!

Just had a quick look, RSPCA sheffield have 2, 4 month old babies, some must have gone earlier on this week :). If you were to consider getting more than two babies, different aged and litter ratties get on 99.9% of the time so you could get them from seperate places and they should be fine together. We had our original pair (female and a nuetered male) and then introduced 3 babies when our two were 8/9 months old. They all get on great and have some entertaining games!

Yup Rocky and Everest!:love: http://rspcasheffield.homeip.net/cgi-bin/makepage.py?menu=animalscode.dat&targetpage=animals/sheffield//Rat/1.dat

That was me helenasq - they had 4 female babies in for rehoming which a friend of mine took in in Middlesborough, I did a rattie run up there with them and 2 older does who were being fostered by my vets. They were so entertaining on route! They're now all snuggled up with other girlie friends in a giant avary type cage, they landed on their feet ;)

Yup Rocky and Everest!:love: http://rspcasheffield.homeip.net/cgi-bin/makepage.py?menu=animalscode.dat&targetpage=animals/sheffield//Rat/1.dat
...

Must... resissttt... urge...for...ratties...

thank you for all your advice wasnt expecting so many replies :D i was thinking of adopting looked at the 2 rats at rspca Sheffield and i want them so bad XD but i still need a cage this is a bit cheeky but does anyone have a cage that would act as a temporary one until i can buy one? you can have it back after i upgrade XD i was looking at the jenny ferplast cage but like hels said the bigger the better as for the wheel i think ill buy one just to see how they react could be quite funny lol thank you all for the advice and any general advice about rats would be welcome i have done hours of research but can still no more you always can ;) thanks again everyone Ash

I've got one big rat cage, costed me 49.99, you can have it for £20 - it is nearly new as my female ratties were quite old when I bought it and didn't enjoy it for long :( Comes with 2 shelves and 2 ladders.

pm me if interested

regards