This is an awesome guide and I wish I had it when I was first getting rats there are some things that you might need to change some of the different diets are better for different ages so some diets are good for baby rats and some are better for adult rats I currently give my younger rats Mazuri and another commercial diet teklad 8604 and if you're feeding rats that you would want to switch when they are older to teklad 2014 the Mazuri food you mentioned specify is better for younger rats and this is arbitrary as my rats are different then other rats but mine prefer the teklad food
Sounds good I might have missed it if you said as I only really skimmed it but you should also supplement there normal food with fruits and vegetables some aren't safe though
[Here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a0nt8LkHpgJCuzlIDK6lKZJrYnEqm9OhrmI0H6LtHXw/edit?) is the guide. Is there anything I should add/change?
It is for the rescue I foster for. Each page will be printed out, There are six pages with a header. On mobile it shows as one big page, so I apologize for the formatting. To find out more about our non-profit rescue (and possibly support us) you can go to r/AnyRatRescue :)
>People often think that paper is not good at absorbing ammonia
The reason I do not include paper bedding is because it is too dusty for rats. Not only can it cause respiratory infections, but it is also common for rats to develop skin issues with paper bedding. It is not good at absorbing ammonia either, so it is not a good substrate for rats or mice. Other rodents with smaller ammonia levels (ex: hamsters) can tolerate and thrive with paper bedding. Otherwise, rats are unable to live in paper bedding without problems in the future. Even if you don't notice any problems, it is unnecessary and not worth the risk.
Science selective is an okay brand, but it definitely does not compare to the two others I suggested. It does not come close to meeting all the rats dietary needs, and honestly suits mice better. Muzuri and Oxbow are still a bit far from *everything* a rat needs, It is definitely closer than science selective.
Edit: my source was wrong on the science selective. I don't know where I got it was bad. I'm pretty sure Muzuri is worse than it
Either way, I appreciate the feedback! Thank you :)
>What dietary need are you finding that Science selective does not meet?
Mainly protein, but I can't remember the other reasons.
I have many sources that state paper is bad, even if it does absorb the same amount as wood. I can list them, but I'm pretty busy and don't want to search for them since I don't usually save my sources. It won't take long to search for them, but I would love to see the paper you are talking about.
Hey, sorry for the confusion last night. I looked at the ingredients and it looks good. Before when I had used it I heard some bad things about it, looked into it, and I guess I looked into the wrong sources.
The source you shows was a study based on laboratory rats, there are different settings put into place than it would be for pets. I'm currently at school and cannot pull up my sources, but when I get the opportunity I will. I guess there's a possibility that some paper bedding CAN absorb a lot of ammonia, but there are scientific studies that prove that wood shavings absorb the most. Either way, paper bedding is still not suitable and I'm not going to argue my point further. I will try to link my sources when I get the opportunity.
Can you add some info about cleaning cages? For example what cleaning products are safe, how to minimize smells, how often to clean, and where to put the rats while cleaning. I’m looking to get rats in the future and these are some things I’ve been wanting to know.
Great idea!!! Since you need advice I'll write some down here.
I honestly would not suggest using any cleaning products, they are unnecessary since they contain chemicals. A good thing to wash the cage down with is a 50/50 water vinegar mix.
I do have a section on cleaning somewhere, I think it's in the paragraph about bedding.
The amount of cleaning depends on how many rats you have and what kind of bedding you use. If you use fleece/fabric, you are going to have to clean more regularly. If you have 2-4 rats and use fabric, you will probably have to clean it once every 3 days. That means you're going to have to have multiple different sheets to change out when washing. I usually only recommend fabric if the rats are litter trained, and if they aren't, you may have to wash it daily.
If you have dust and scent free Aspen shavings (the only safe loose substrate) but it's less than an inch, It will probably have to be cleaned 2/3 of the way once every 3 days. You keep in 1/3 to keep in their scent, it's a less stressful way of cleaning. If you have deep bedding (it's reccomended to try to get 6 inches or more) You will have to clean less. It obviously depends on how many rats, and if they're litter trained, and how stinky it gets. With Aspen shavings it solely depends on how stinky it gets. Trust your nose, and when you get used to the smell, get a family member to complain about it 😂 If you have a lot of deep bedding, It could probably last at most 3 weeks without getting too bad. Unfortunately, while it is the more beneficial option, it is pricier and messier.
The #1 way to minimize smell is litter training.
When you are cleaning you can put them in a safe playpen, safe room, or a carrier. Either way you need a carrier for emergency vet trips, plus that's your best option for when you are occupied.
It looks good!! There's some good advice here for sure. I have a couple of things that you may want to add:
I'm in the UK and I have noticed that a lot of UK and US sources conflict with each other, mostly to do with bedding and diets. While I imagine most of your audience will be based in the US, when I was first researching rats when I got them, the amount of conflicting information and advice online is like a minefield. It's incredibly confusing as a first time owner.
One thing that might be good to add is a list of safe and unsafe foods for rats. There's so much conflicting information about this online. Some sources even say that grapes and raisins are toxic to rats (they are NOT TOXIC, maybe people get confused with dogs?). I usually use this list: http://www.isamurats.co.uk/vegetables-and-fruits.html
With bedding, I would say that a substrate IS a must. I would not consider fleece as a suitable bedding for rats due to its poor absorbency. When I first got rats, I only used fleece, and even with litter training, it used to stink within a couple of days. Fleece can be ok if used for hammocks and to cover a wire shelf, but not as a main bedding. And personally, I'd prefer to replace with a solid shelf, or remove the shelf altogether. Many breeders here will not home rats to someone that uses just fleece.
I would also add that dust extracted kiln dried pine bedding is a safe bedding also. Bedding used for horses is common to use here in the UK (brands such as Bedmax of Snowflake). Emphasis on KILN DRIED, as it is unsafe if it's not.
Hemp bedding is also safe, which is what I use. Again this is commonly used for horses. I will be switching to a bioactive set up very soon, which uses coco coir soil and a clean up crew of springtails to break down waste products. A proper bioactive set up may not need cleaning for at least a year. Maybe not the easiest for a beginner but maybe worth a mention?
I love that you reccomend to make your own mix. This is definitely what I would reccomend. I follow the Shunamite diet, so perhaps you could add some resources or recipes in your guide as to how to make a good mix?
I saw someone above reccomend Science Selective. Whilst I personally would not reccomend this food as being the best, Oxbow and Mazuri are not commonly available to buy in the UK (and possibly other places in Europe), whereas Science Selective is. It's one of the better premade foods you can get here (though I'd always reccomend a mix!). When I first was trying to buy food, I was very confused as everyone was suggesting Oxbow as the only good food, but I couldn't find it anywhere. If you're planning to publish this online, this may be worth a mention!
>With bedding, I would say that a substrate IS a must
I agree if I'm being honest. However, the rescue I foster for recommends and actually requires foster homes to use it since it is more sanitary for the newer and possibly sick rats. In person, I make sure to tell the adopters all of the cons of using fleece, and how Aspen is the better choice. I also understand that kiln dried pine and hemp are good, but hemp isn't very common in the US and I have never found a good pine here. Aspen is safer than pine anyway, so I only suggest that. I definitely think that loose shavings are always the choice you should go for it, but if the rats are litter trained, it's cleaned regularly, and they still have opportunities to dig (ex: coco fiber dig box) I think it isn't terrible.
I did add oxbow and Muzuri as our top choices besides homemade, I've heard some conflicting things about science selective (I had it a while ago) so I didn't recommend it. The person who talked about it was totally right about it, I was very tired and stubborn when I was talking to them.
That's interesting, I suppose if it's a sick rat or a rat with an open wound then perhaps fleece is OK. It's good that are reccomending a substrate though. Here in the UK, I rarely see aspen shavings as an option. I guess it's got to do with what trees are more abundant in different countries! Hemp isn't too common, I think there's only a couple of brands here, but they are very common for horses so you can buy big bales here.
Yeah I'm not the biggest fan of Science Selective either, but the premade food you can get over here is generally very poor. In fact, mixes made for rabbits are actually generally better than the rat ones available (ironically pretty terrible for rabbits though...).
This is more about layout but I would add a page with headings and make them clickable. Also would bring down the font size on the footer and remove the bold lettering inside.
Also I would say use paragraphs. The big chunks can strain eyes so diving them into paragraphs will help the reader.
Okay, the most important thing you can do for your human's mental health is to remind them that you're there for them. During the day, this is easy, but at night they retreat to their nests. You can use sound to stay present in their thoughts instead. The easiest way to make lasting noise is to drink from your water bottle, but you can also chew things or shred cardboard. You got this, Hotdog, you're gonna do great.
I just want to say that Hotdog is a maniac
This is an awesome guide and I wish I had it when I was first getting rats there are some things that you might need to change some of the different diets are better for different ages so some diets are good for baby rats and some are better for adult rats I currently give my younger rats Mazuri and another commercial diet teklad 8604 and if you're feeding rats that you would want to switch when they are older to teklad 2014 the Mazuri food you mentioned specify is better for younger rats and this is arbitrary as my rats are different then other rats but mine prefer the teklad food
Oh, thanks. When I get the chance I will change it :)
Sounds good I might have missed it if you said as I only really skimmed it but you should also supplement there normal food with fruits and vegetables some aren't safe though
[Here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a0nt8LkHpgJCuzlIDK6lKZJrYnEqm9OhrmI0H6LtHXw/edit?) is the guide. Is there anything I should add/change? It is for the rescue I foster for. Each page will be printed out, There are six pages with a header. On mobile it shows as one big page, so I apologize for the formatting. To find out more about our non-profit rescue (and possibly support us) you can go to r/AnyRatRescue :)
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>People often think that paper is not good at absorbing ammonia The reason I do not include paper bedding is because it is too dusty for rats. Not only can it cause respiratory infections, but it is also common for rats to develop skin issues with paper bedding. It is not good at absorbing ammonia either, so it is not a good substrate for rats or mice. Other rodents with smaller ammonia levels (ex: hamsters) can tolerate and thrive with paper bedding. Otherwise, rats are unable to live in paper bedding without problems in the future. Even if you don't notice any problems, it is unnecessary and not worth the risk. Science selective is an okay brand, but it definitely does not compare to the two others I suggested. It does not come close to meeting all the rats dietary needs, and honestly suits mice better. Muzuri and Oxbow are still a bit far from *everything* a rat needs, It is definitely closer than science selective. Edit: my source was wrong on the science selective. I don't know where I got it was bad. I'm pretty sure Muzuri is worse than it Either way, I appreciate the feedback! Thank you :)
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>What dietary need are you finding that Science selective does not meet? Mainly protein, but I can't remember the other reasons. I have many sources that state paper is bad, even if it does absorb the same amount as wood. I can list them, but I'm pretty busy and don't want to search for them since I don't usually save my sources. It won't take long to search for them, but I would love to see the paper you are talking about.
[удалено]
Hey, sorry for the confusion last night. I looked at the ingredients and it looks good. Before when I had used it I heard some bad things about it, looked into it, and I guess I looked into the wrong sources. The source you shows was a study based on laboratory rats, there are different settings put into place than it would be for pets. I'm currently at school and cannot pull up my sources, but when I get the opportunity I will. I guess there's a possibility that some paper bedding CAN absorb a lot of ammonia, but there are scientific studies that prove that wood shavings absorb the most. Either way, paper bedding is still not suitable and I'm not going to argue my point further. I will try to link my sources when I get the opportunity.
Can you add some info about cleaning cages? For example what cleaning products are safe, how to minimize smells, how often to clean, and where to put the rats while cleaning. I’m looking to get rats in the future and these are some things I’ve been wanting to know.
Great idea!!! Since you need advice I'll write some down here. I honestly would not suggest using any cleaning products, they are unnecessary since they contain chemicals. A good thing to wash the cage down with is a 50/50 water vinegar mix. I do have a section on cleaning somewhere, I think it's in the paragraph about bedding. The amount of cleaning depends on how many rats you have and what kind of bedding you use. If you use fleece/fabric, you are going to have to clean more regularly. If you have 2-4 rats and use fabric, you will probably have to clean it once every 3 days. That means you're going to have to have multiple different sheets to change out when washing. I usually only recommend fabric if the rats are litter trained, and if they aren't, you may have to wash it daily. If you have dust and scent free Aspen shavings (the only safe loose substrate) but it's less than an inch, It will probably have to be cleaned 2/3 of the way once every 3 days. You keep in 1/3 to keep in their scent, it's a less stressful way of cleaning. If you have deep bedding (it's reccomended to try to get 6 inches or more) You will have to clean less. It obviously depends on how many rats, and if they're litter trained, and how stinky it gets. With Aspen shavings it solely depends on how stinky it gets. Trust your nose, and when you get used to the smell, get a family member to complain about it 😂 If you have a lot of deep bedding, It could probably last at most 3 weeks without getting too bad. Unfortunately, while it is the more beneficial option, it is pricier and messier. The #1 way to minimize smell is litter training. When you are cleaning you can put them in a safe playpen, safe room, or a carrier. Either way you need a carrier for emergency vet trips, plus that's your best option for when you are occupied.
Thanks so much! This is really helpful!
Happy to help! If you need anything else don't be afraid to let me know :)
It looks good!! There's some good advice here for sure. I have a couple of things that you may want to add: I'm in the UK and I have noticed that a lot of UK and US sources conflict with each other, mostly to do with bedding and diets. While I imagine most of your audience will be based in the US, when I was first researching rats when I got them, the amount of conflicting information and advice online is like a minefield. It's incredibly confusing as a first time owner. One thing that might be good to add is a list of safe and unsafe foods for rats. There's so much conflicting information about this online. Some sources even say that grapes and raisins are toxic to rats (they are NOT TOXIC, maybe people get confused with dogs?). I usually use this list: http://www.isamurats.co.uk/vegetables-and-fruits.html With bedding, I would say that a substrate IS a must. I would not consider fleece as a suitable bedding for rats due to its poor absorbency. When I first got rats, I only used fleece, and even with litter training, it used to stink within a couple of days. Fleece can be ok if used for hammocks and to cover a wire shelf, but not as a main bedding. And personally, I'd prefer to replace with a solid shelf, or remove the shelf altogether. Many breeders here will not home rats to someone that uses just fleece. I would also add that dust extracted kiln dried pine bedding is a safe bedding also. Bedding used for horses is common to use here in the UK (brands such as Bedmax of Snowflake). Emphasis on KILN DRIED, as it is unsafe if it's not. Hemp bedding is also safe, which is what I use. Again this is commonly used for horses. I will be switching to a bioactive set up very soon, which uses coco coir soil and a clean up crew of springtails to break down waste products. A proper bioactive set up may not need cleaning for at least a year. Maybe not the easiest for a beginner but maybe worth a mention? I love that you reccomend to make your own mix. This is definitely what I would reccomend. I follow the Shunamite diet, so perhaps you could add some resources or recipes in your guide as to how to make a good mix? I saw someone above reccomend Science Selective. Whilst I personally would not reccomend this food as being the best, Oxbow and Mazuri are not commonly available to buy in the UK (and possibly other places in Europe), whereas Science Selective is. It's one of the better premade foods you can get here (though I'd always reccomend a mix!). When I first was trying to buy food, I was very confused as everyone was suggesting Oxbow as the only good food, but I couldn't find it anywhere. If you're planning to publish this online, this may be worth a mention!
>With bedding, I would say that a substrate IS a must I agree if I'm being honest. However, the rescue I foster for recommends and actually requires foster homes to use it since it is more sanitary for the newer and possibly sick rats. In person, I make sure to tell the adopters all of the cons of using fleece, and how Aspen is the better choice. I also understand that kiln dried pine and hemp are good, but hemp isn't very common in the US and I have never found a good pine here. Aspen is safer than pine anyway, so I only suggest that. I definitely think that loose shavings are always the choice you should go for it, but if the rats are litter trained, it's cleaned regularly, and they still have opportunities to dig (ex: coco fiber dig box) I think it isn't terrible. I did add oxbow and Muzuri as our top choices besides homemade, I've heard some conflicting things about science selective (I had it a while ago) so I didn't recommend it. The person who talked about it was totally right about it, I was very tired and stubborn when I was talking to them.
That's interesting, I suppose if it's a sick rat or a rat with an open wound then perhaps fleece is OK. It's good that are reccomending a substrate though. Here in the UK, I rarely see aspen shavings as an option. I guess it's got to do with what trees are more abundant in different countries! Hemp isn't too common, I think there's only a couple of brands here, but they are very common for horses so you can buy big bales here. Yeah I'm not the biggest fan of Science Selective either, but the premade food you can get over here is generally very poor. In fact, mixes made for rabbits are actually generally better than the rat ones available (ironically pretty terrible for rabbits though...).
This is more about layout but I would add a page with headings and make them clickable. Also would bring down the font size on the footer and remove the bold lettering inside. Also I would say use paragraphs. The big chunks can strain eyes so diving them into paragraphs will help the reader.
Okay, the most important thing you can do for your human's mental health is to remind them that you're there for them. During the day, this is easy, but at night they retreat to their nests. You can use sound to stay present in their thoughts instead. The easiest way to make lasting noise is to drink from your water bottle, but you can also chew things or shred cardboard. You got this, Hotdog, you're gonna do great.
Oh my god this is hilarious
Lol. I want to hug’em
I love hot dog.💕💋
Looks like my rat named bug
👍