question about rat breeding

[TeaNinja]

so, my dumerils hasn't been hungry for 2-3 months and i've had the rat in a birdcage on my floor the entire time and he's pretty calm and domesticated. my friend used to have a rtb that died and he had a rat for it that he ended up keeping as a pet and that was a WHIIILE ago. he told me if i wanted, he would take the rat thats at my house, and i could get a female and breed some rat pups. i'm thinking that way i could bring her to his house to get impregnated then bring her home to have babies and i could do that whenever i need more rats. also it would be good to switch my ball python to rat pups instead of mice so he will be ready to eat rats later on when he's bigger.

to make it clear, he would have 2 males at his house, and i would have a female at mine.

my questions are, would it be worth it to house a female and breed some pups whenever i need them for a BP and a big dum?
and how long does it take them to get big enough to be a good meal for a 5-6 foot dumerils?

if anyone has opinions on this, lmk. :)

[kinggill]

I bred rodents for a many years,fed rat chow from the local COOP ,i cant remember how long it takes but they grow fairly quick but not as fast as mice....one cage aint bad...more than a few stink like crazy so you need a room with ventilation.Fun at first so try to control yourself..gets very addictive....for me 1 cage grew to 100 in no time at all...saved alot of $ but took alot of time,b4 i knew it i was spending more time on my chickens,rats and mice than my reptiles.If you have room for a cow tank,take your weened pups and put them all in there...males will fight like hell when they grow,so feed them off,they are real easy to sex.Take your females out of the cow tank when they are pregnant put them in seperate cages until the cycle repeats itself..before ya know it youll have a 1000 rats breading and you be RICH!!!!!!:crazy:

[TeaNinja]

I bred rodents for a many years,fed rat chow from the local COOP ,i cant remember how long it takes but they grow fairly quick but not as fast as mice....one cage aint bad...more than a few stink like crazy so you need a room with ventilation.Fun at first so try to control yourself..gets very addictive....for me 1 cage grew to 100 in no time at all...saved alot of $ but took alot of time,b4 i knew it i was spending more time on my chickens,rats and mice than my reptiles.If you have room for a cow tank,take your weened pups and put them all in there...males will fight like hell when they grow,so feed them off,they are real easy to sex.Take your females out of the cow tank when they are pregnant put them in seperate cages until the cycle repeats itself..before ya know it youll have a 1000 rats breading and you be RICH!!!!!!:crazy:

will it work with the males being at my friends and the female at my house?
should i just leave her over at his house for a few days then take her home and wait and see if she's pregnant or what? i've never bred rats.

[kinggill]

not sure...i left mine together...im sure ya could do that...i dont think theres a science to breeding rodents...its pretty much hammertime for the male if he is around females as long as the cage aint too cold somewheres around -40 or real hot +80ish any wheres over or under they didnt breed good for me.....im not an expert but it was easy!!They might fight a little when you interduce them and there will be some sqealin goin on ,but it never bothered me because mine were not pets...Give it a shot man,thats the only way ya learn..if you can raise healthy reptiles... rats are easy...they basically do everything them selves...just feed and water...

[TeaNinja]

not sure...i left mine together...im sure ya could do that...i dont think theres a science to breeding rodents...its pretty much hammertime for the male if he is around females as long as the cage aint too cold somewheres around -40 or real hot +80ish any wheres over or under they didnt breed good for me.....im not an expert but it was easy!!They might fight a little when you interduce them and there will be some sqealin goin on ,but it never bothered me because mine were not pets...Give it a shot man,thats the only way ya learn..if you can raise healthy reptiles... rats are easy...they basically do everything them selves...just feed and water...

yea, thanks.

[infernalis]

The females do have a "heat cycle" and if you miss it, she will not be receptive to males.

I do too many to time it, but it seems like I have litters every few days, it does take a couple weeks before they are weaned.

Right now, my buyer has not asked for any rats in a while, so I'm getting stuff around for a gas chamber.

I have a few paint ball gun canisters, the big black ones that hold quite a bit of C02, then I can gas them and freeze the rats for later use.

I have never kept the males and females at different locations.

I don't notice the smell unless the cages are nasty, keep the cage clean, and they don't really stink.

2 males raised together from birth usually get along without fighting.

[TeaNinja]

The females do have a "heat cycle" and if you miss it, she will not be receptive to males.

I do too many to time it, but it seems like I have litters every few days, it does take a couple weeks before they are weaned.

Right now, my buyer has not asked for any rats in a while, so I'm getting stuff around for a gas chamber.

I have a few paint ball gun canisters, the big black ones that hold quite a bit of C02, then I can gas them and freeze the rats for later use.

I have never kept the males and females at different locations.

I don't notice the smell unless the cages are nasty, keep the cage clean, and they don't really stink.

2 males raised together from birth usually get along without fighting.

how many pups do they normally birth per litter?

would it be alright to have a female in with 2 males?

should i just leave the female at my friends with the males until she's noticably pregnant then take her home?
i don't know how else to catch the heat.

[infernalis]

First litter is usually 4-6 pups, up to double that afterwards.

two males will fight over a female unless they all grew up together.

Why not borrow a male for a few weeks, then keep a male pup and let it grow up.

[TeaNinja]

First litter is usually 4-6 pups, up to double that afterwards.

two males will fight over a female unless they all grew up together.

Why not borrow a male for a few weeks, then keep a male pup and let it grow up.

can you inbreed rats without consequences?

[infernalis]

can you inbreed rats without consequences?


Never had a problem yet.

Wild rodents do it all the time.

[presspirate]

I'd like to throw a question in here. How long does it take for a rat to grow from a pinkie to a jumbo?

[infernalis]

I'd like to throw a question in here. How long does it take for a rat to grow from a pinkie to a jumbo?

several weeks.. and not all of them will get "jumbo". some will be huge, some will not.

[TeaNinja]

only a few stores carry females around me. a petsmart around 30 minutes away from me has exclusively females but they are only around 2 months old, so i'd have to wait a month but i don't think it matters.

[kinggill]

I'd like to throw a question in here. How long does it take for a rat to grow from a pinkie to a jumbo?

Rat pup too large or jumbo.....I Would say more like a few months

[TeaNinja]

i went ahead and went to petsmart and got a super cute little hooded girl. i named her Margo and now that i've come to terms that the big black male rat is no longer "death row" i've given him the name Merlin lol.

Hopefully Margo and Merlin will make beautiful babies :)

http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/rats003.jpg
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/rats004.jpg
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/rats005.jpg

my dog has been in that exact position staring at that cage for the last 30-45 minutes lol.

/i'm gonna get some real bedding soon too -.-

[NennaMeerkat]

Awww they look so cute! Though having 2 rats myself (two females) you are gonna want to get a MUCH bigger cage for them. Rats love multi platformed homes and you can buy some small ferret cages that have that. Also you need 2 water sources since you have 2 rats. I would also suggest either one large bowl OR two small ones. As for diet you can buy the rat pellets but it is honestly cheaper to feed them a mix of things:

- uncooked pasta
- dog food
- plain cereals like cheerios, chex, puffed rice cereal
- plain uncooked oatmeal
- some seed like you would feed wild birds
- uncooked rice
- cat food/kitten food

I feed a mixture of all of the above as a staple and include some type of "treat" like walnuts, tropical trail mix, cooked chicken bones, sweet cereal, romaine hearts...stuff like that.

Also they make GREAT bedding that isn't messy AND holds smell in fairly well, unlike newspaper. I don't really know what it is made of but it is awesome. http://www.petworldshop.com/pictures/kaytee-bedding.jpg

Oh and here are some good examples of a cage that would be large enough for 2 rats
http://www.zooplus.co.uk/bilder/1/9353_1.jpg
http://www.smallerliving.net/vicblogs/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/rat-cage.jpg
http://www.petblvd.com/pb/images/large/MAR/MAR36276_l.jpg

If you have any questions let me know. I got TONS of information as I know own 2 rats and have owned several rats in the past (though never bred them)

[TeaNinja]

thanks, my friend has a big male rat that he had for his snake that died a year or two ago and he ended up keeping it as a pet. he said he would take my male for a house mate for his male. my plan was to leave my male and female together until she can have a litter or two then give the male to my friend. and perhaps bring it back for an "extended sleep over" whenever i would want a new litter of rat pups. so it'd eventually just be the female living in there, but i am going to try and get a bigger cage either way.

but thank you nenna, i may be pming you with random questions here and there.

do your rats ever play fight at all, like chase each other around? i've seen them running around a few times, thinking maybe they were fighting, but there was no squeaking or actual fighting going on i don't think. would be bad if the big male decided to beat up the little girl!

[NennaMeerkat]

do your rats ever play fight at all, like chase each other around? i've seen them running around a few times, thinking maybe they were fighting, but there was no squeaking or actual fighting going on i don't think. would be bad if the big male decided to beat up the little girl!

The rule with rats playing/fighting is generally this: No blood, no foul. Rats, especially younger ones like you have, are rambunctious and LOVE to wrestle. The squeaking you are hearing is probably "squeals of joy" so to speak. They just get so wound up that they can't help but vocalize. My two girls do this constantly. Also as they both get older there will be a lot of mounting from the both of them. The boy mounting to girl and visa versa. It is sort of a dominant thing. Usually the rat that isn't the dominant one will allow the other to mount for a bit and then the other will return the favor.

You also mentioned eventually giving your guy to your friend...keep in mind rats are social animals and love to be in the company of not only you but of course others of their own kind. So be sure to keep another female from a litter of the mom around so your original rat has some company.

And when you do give up your male, or if you do I should say, your friend should buy some chinchilla bathing dust and basically heavily coat both male rats in the stuff. The more the better. It erases scent and allows the rats to get to know one another without really knowing they are from different communities. Do it in a neutral area where neither rat has ever been before (I suggest the bathtub since the dust gets everywhere) thus once again nothing territorial triggers anything. And I am not 100% sure but I think you want to make sure your male is a bit smaller than the older male. It makes it more likely that the older bigger male will automatically take the dominant role and the younger male will accept it much more easily.

[TeaNinja]

my male is smaller then my friends fatty rat. i think my male is being territorial about his cardboard box hide. sometimes when the little rat goes in, he CHASES her super fast and i hear squeaking so i assume he's trying to attack her. i snatched the hide out and now they are rolling around and playing lol. do they need a box or something to hide in or can they just sleep out in the open until i get a good cage situated?

the male is probably a month or two older then the female also, she's Noticably smaller. she technically shouldn't even breed for another month.

[NennaMeerkat]

my male is smaller then my friends fatty rat. i think my male is being territorial about his cardboard box hide. sometimes when the little rat goes in, he CHASES her super fast and i hear squeaking so i assume he's trying to attack her. i snatched the hide out and now they are rolling around and playing lol. do they need a box or something to hide in or can they just sleep out in the open until i get a good cage situated?

the male is probably a month or two older then the female also, she's Noticably smaller. she technically shouldn't even breed for another month.

It is good you got 2 different sized rats and that your male is bigger. It just helps out things overall.

A hide is a good thing to have and if your male is being territorial over one then I would suggest getting 2 smaller ones. However, it is likely that they are just playing more than anything. Especially if it is dusk or dawn. Two most times that they are active. They are going to naturally feel more secure with a place to hide, but you could cover up the cage with a old towel or blanket that you don't mind the possibility of being chewed on. Another way to tell if they are fighting over the hide or just playing is to wait and see if the male makes the female sleep in the open. Rats normally will not sleep in the open if they can help it (unless it gets to hot).

Since my rats live in a large aquarium I actually built them a hide box that doubles as a platform using some wood scraps. My gals enjoy tackling one another off of it to initiate play. Though it wakes me out of a dead sleep every time LOL. I have always kept my rats in large aquariums, though they do require more cleaning out than a wire cage. The one rat I did have in a cage turned out to be REALLY territorial of the cage until you took her out. Once she was out she was fine, but you risked getting bitten if you tried to do anything while she was in it. So it is something to be aware of.

[TeaNinja]

mk, ty. i put the hide back in, they probably were just battling out of fun and i added a little bowl of water next to the food so theres 2 sources.

[NennaMeerkat]

Don't be surprised if that bowl of water is destroyed LOL My rats never miss a chance to make a mess of something new in their home and I can imagine them both wrestling in such a thing. Once you get a setup that works you won't have to do anything else with it, basic maintenance. As my husband has said...most expensive part of owning a rat is the initial setup. And I have to agree. The rat might cost 5 bucks but add up everything else you initially get and it would make some people think twice. Though I will say to have your own food supply is highly worth it!

Like I said before ANY questions, no matter how silly you might think they are feel free to ask. Though I have never bred rats I can give you plenty of fun general tips about keeping them nice and healthy. And since they are destined to eventually become food for your snake I know you want them as happy and stress free as you can :) Not to mention it is fun for me to share my knowledge and personal experiences for others to learn.

[TeaNinja]

i think mom and pop will both live on ;)
and i already saw the big rat drink some water from the bowl then tip it half over just for fun lol.

my plan for this moment is just to have a litter or two then give the mom a female to hang out with and give the male to my friend, then either use a male that grows up from her litter or bring back the same male to do it again. i would probably let a few grow big and keep a few the right size for my bp and freeze them. he eats like a champ so i bet he'll eat f/t. (and a rat instead of a mouse for that matter)

maybe even rehome a few :)

[kinggill]

you need a LARGE water bottle,and do your self a favor and buy a bag of lab chow...25# bag is 19$ at my coop ...hang the food in wire cage...if you feed them normal foods they will start hoarding it ,urinating on it and wasting it

[TeaNinja]

you need a LARGE water bottle,and do your self a favor and buy a bag of lab chow...25# bag is 19$ at my coop ...hang the food in wire cage...if you feed them normal foods they will start hoarding it ,urinating on it and wasting it

that's a good idea, how would i hang the food?
and i own a yellow lab :) so i always have dog food.

[TeaNinja]

that's a good idea, how would i hang the food?
and i own a yellow lab :) so i always have dog food.

bump for this question.

and here's some pics, i assume it'll probably be a bit before momma can breed, she's still pretty small. (and the male's getting fatter lol)
it's pretty funny to watch them playing with each other.

http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/rats001.jpg
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/rats002.jpg
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/rats003-1.jpg
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/rats004-1.jpg
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/rats005-1.jpg

[presspirate]

man, I miss having rats. Except for cage cleaning. They have some sticky pee.

[NennaMeerkat]

It is easy to check their favorite places to see what they have stored away. My 2 girls do hoard things, but Faye (the one that is a bit older) will often times just try to put toys on top of the large bowl that I feed them out of. I have even seen her take food her partner has hidden and actually put it back in the bowl. Often times I feed them once a week watching their stashes and such. Rats have stable habits and it is easy to figure them out and learn them. Even if you found out a way to "hang" food they could be likely to just tear it up to get it down, hide it, and then pee on it.

Also rats love variety in their food and though I do give them either dog or cat kibble I also make sure to provide them with other staples. We can easily live on cereal or oatmeal all the time...but why can't we have variety when it doesn't take much? Same goes for rats.

[kinggill]

just get some wire mesh with no more than 1/2 inch openings and build a cage...mine were 6x6 x12 inches tall,but i housed more than 2 rats in each cage,yours dont need to be that big for only 2 rats.Hang a wire from it ,hang it from the top of the cage so they can reach it.Make sure the top of the feeder is secure cause they will crawl up and hang out inside the food container.Feed them what you want and how you want,I just went with lab rat chow cause i had over 600 rodents all together with the Rats and mice.I tried to set mine up so i could save the most time..it was a 1-2 hr job every other night picking babies,cleaning,feeding etc....if i did it again,which i was thinkin of doing on a smaller scale,I would use rubbermaids and custom build wire lids.Slide the container out of the shelf,throw food on top of the lid in the recessed area,slide it back in the shelf....done...that would save a few more minutes.

p.s.Putting your rats on your bed are not going to make them breed:rolleyes::)

[TeaNinja]

just get some wire mesh with no more than 1/2 inch openings and build a cage...mine were 6x6 x12 inches tall,but i housed more than 2 rats in each cage,yours dont need to be that big for only 2 rats.Hang a wire from it ,hang it from the top of the cage so they can reach it.Make sure the top of the feeder is secure cause they will crawl up and hang out inside the food container.Feed them what you want and how you want,I just went with lab rat chow cause i had over 600 rodents all together with the Rats and mice.I tried to set mine up so i could save the most time..it was a 1-2 hr job every other night picking babies,cleaning,feeding etc....if i did it again,which i was thinkin of doing on a smaller scale,I would use rubbermaids and custom build wire lids.Slide the container out of the shelf,throw food on top of the lid in the recessed area,slide it back in the shelf....done...that would save a few more minutes.

p.s.Putting your rats on your bed are not going to make them breed:rolleyes::)


LOL that gave me a chuckle. i don't even think they WILL breed for almost a month.

yea, i was planning on making something easy that's better then this birdcage when i get some resources.

[NennaMeerkat]

If you think snakes are escape artists then you haven't seen rats! Be careful when making your own home for them because if there is the slightest weakness in their home they will exploit it to get out and explore...and unlike a snake a rat doesn't have to depend on you for food inside your home ;)

[TeaNinja]

If you think snakes are escape artists then you haven't seen rats! Be careful when making your own home for them because if there is the slightest weakness in their home they will exploit it to get out and explore...and unlike a snake a rat doesn't have to depend on you for food inside your home ;)

indeed so :)

[infernalis]

If you think snakes are escape artists then you haven't seen rats! Be careful when making your own home for them because if there is the slightest weakness in their home they will exploit it to get out and explore...and unlike a snake a rat doesn't have to depend on you for food inside your home


Been there, done that...

http://www.reptard.info/funny/freedom.jpg

http://www.reptard.info/critters/freedom.jpg

Non lethal box trap... This guy was a free roamer for over a month before I recaptured him.

http://www.reptard.info/critters/captured.jpg

[Jenn_06]

i think rats are alittle fun to breed, i got about 45 babies right now and there are is one with light brown red eyes and looks like there might be few more like him.
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/IMG_2782.jpg
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/IMG_2784.jpg
my son already said well cant kill this one so i guess i have another breeder male.

[Jenn_06]

oh i had 3 girls get out this week but it was my fault i pushed the tub too far back and that left a gap. found them all under the water heater.

[infernalis]

I don't normally even use the word, bud how "cute" is that??

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/IMG_2784.jpg

[mld]

I don't normally even use the word, bud how "cute" is that??

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/IMG_2784.jpg

It is a cute picture!

[kinggill]

I didnt mean build a cage,i refered to the "feeder" as the cage....I would kill the rats soon as they got out 1 time,it seemed like once they got out they always tried,i never once looked at my rats as a pet,they were strickly there to be killed and fed to reptiles someday,The most fun i ever had from raising rats was when they would get out and try to go to lumpy's pond to drink water...man they would sqeal like crazy:yes:

[infernalis]

Maybe it's my "Farmer" upbringing, But my feeders are treated very well.

I always named my beef cattle, I petted them and treated them good.

Same with the pigs.

My feelings on that subject have always been give them a good life, an honorable death and don't waste anything.

Where I do have to agree, if a rat escapes, I feed them off right away, otherwise they will never stop trying to escape.

[Jenn_06]

if you feed dog food get ones that dont have the red dye, for the cage if your going to breed more the just 2 rats i would make a rat rack
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/IMG_1945-1.jpg
right now the 1st tub has 1 female and 1 male with babies
2nd has males im growing out to XL to XXL
3rd has 3 females and 1 male with 2 litters
4th still need to find more tubs :(
5th has 1 female with her babies(she is a mean one and i cant have her with other females or babies because she will fight and eat babies but she is a great breeder and has litter no less then 16 so i cant put her down just yet)
and the 6th has rats im waiting for them to get med size.

[kinggill]

Maybe it's my "Farmer" upbringing, But my feeders are treated very well.

I always named my beef cattle, I petted them and treated them good.

Same with the pigs.

My feelings on that subject have always been give them a good life, an honorable death and don't waste anything.



I have never had time to be freinds with my rats,had way too many,reptiles were the ones I was interested in,all my feeders were raised to be fed including the chickens.Im a farm kid myself,we had our favorites,we also fed and watered for the sole purpose of most milk production and the best price at the market.When you have 100's of cattle it is impossible to care for them the same as if you only have 5.

[kinggill]

if you feed dog food get ones that dont have the red dye, for the cage if your going to breed more the just 2 rats i would make a rat rack
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/IMG_1945-1.jpg
right now the 1st tub has 1 female and 1 male with babies
2nd has males im growing out to XL to XXL
3rd has 3 females and 1 male with 2 litters
4th still need to find more tubs :(
5th has 1 female with her babies(she is a mean one and i cant have her with other females or babies because she will fight and eat babies but she is a great breeder and has litter no less then 16 so i cant put her down just yet)
and the 6th has rats im waiting for them to get med size.

Nice RACK!!!!!:)

[NennaMeerkat]

I guess for me even if they were feeders, or breeders for feeders, I like to keep them in nice homes, nice food, toys, affection, the works. I bred mice for people and friends who had reptiles that ate them and I always kept them in nice large aquariums where I could watch them, they got a nice spacious home with all the works, and I never had any that tried to get out or any that stressed out. I wouldn't want to feed a stressed out animal to my snake. A stressed animal is more likely to have illness, not eat properly, and fight with others.

If I bred rats I would do the same thing. I also like snake homes to be really nice and not just plastic tubs all stacked up like storage. At the same time I don't begrudge people who do it either...especially people with a lot of snakes. I just prefer not to do it myself. For any of my animals.

[Lankyrob]

Kinda agree with the snakes, i understand why people use tubs but would personally share the space available with less snakes so that they have more space each.

[infernalis]

I keep all mine behind glass, Why have a pretty display animal if you can't see it??

If I'm going to shell out big bucks for a morph, I'm going to put it on display like art and sit and look at it.

Besides that it's really cool seeing all those little faces looking out.

[TeaNinja]

lol the rats love each other <3 sometimes they both sleep in a rat pile in the corner outside of the hide. i just gave them each a piece of banana and they were stoked lol

and nice rack jen :) ( take that how you want ;) )

[infernalis]

They are almost as much fun to observe as the snakes are.

[TeaNinja]

They are almost as much fun to observe as the snakes are.

both my snakes are in the shedding process so i've been leaving them alone and messing with the rats for the past week lol.

[NennaMeerkat]

They are almost as much fun to observe as the snakes are.

Rats are great to watch! I have mine situated in my living room so I can watch them from across the room. One will be sitting on the platform munching away and the other will full on tackle her sending out a squeal of excitement and a wrestling match. When they were younger they used to play "tag". Rats are true characters, and underestimated as a pet in general.

[TeaNinja]

the little girl loves to climb, whenever i take off the top of the cage, she scales the wall and climbs onto my hand.

http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/femalerat001.jpg
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/femalerat002.jpg
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/femalerat003.jpg
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/femalerat004.jpg

[TeaNinja]

for some more questions, what are some warning signs of a pregnant rat?
should i pull the male away from the female when she's going to give birth so he can't impregnate her again?
do i need to do anything for baby rats except keep mom and dads food and water full and clean?

[NennaMeerkat]

Oh yeah my two girls will start begging to be let out or to have a treat anytime I go to their aquarium. Most of the time they are correct cause I can't resist letting them out and about scurrying around. Or giving them a flavored cracker of some sort. Those two are just spoiled rotten.

[NennaMeerkat]

for some more questions, what are some warning signs of a pregnant rat?
should i pull the male away from the female when she's going to give birth so he can't impregnate her again?
do i need to do anything for baby rats except keep mom and dads food and water full and clean?

I know when my mice were pregnant the females would beat up on the males, and harass them any time they came close. When I saw that I would separate them. Also another sign is when the female starts making a nest away from others, sometimes they will pull out their fur when doing this as well (keep in mind this is all what my mice did).

As for the baby rats you want to give the mom plenty of really soft nesting material that will hold in warmth and generally soak up pee. I usually give shredded old rags or socks with a mixture of tissue and paper towels. Also I would suggest giving the mom an option of at least 2 separate hides because (at least with mice) it was not uncommon for the mom to move the babies every so often. All hides should really be on the bottom of the cage that have babies in them, just to avoid falling injuries.

Extra food and water isn't really an issue just keep an eye on everything. And check hiding spots for food if your girl does hide her food away.

[kinggill]

for some more questions, what are some warning signs of a pregnant rat?
should i pull the male away from the female when she's going to give birth so he can't impregnate her again?
do i need to do anything for baby rats except keep mom and dads food and water full and clean?

Its pretty obvious when they are pregnant.....mice are the funniest..they get HUGE!!!!

Sometimes i left mine together,if i had room i pulled the female,the only problem with that is when you introduce her after her pups are weaned the pecking order starts all over again and they will fight

nope rat pups will be cared for by the mother

[TeaNinja]

Its pretty obvious when they are pregnant.....mice are the funniest..they get HUGE!!!!

Sometimes i left mine together,if i had room i pulled the female,the only problem with that is when you introduce her after her pups are weaned the pecking order starts all over again and they will fight

nope rat pups will be cared for by the mother

alright, thanks.

[infernalis]

one word of advice, that big rat that I covertly photographed while running loose in my house was a small juvi that had just been weaned and he squeezed right between the bars of a cage exactly like that one.

He was thriving by sneaking out at night and eating dry dog food and drinking from the dogs dish.

The very first time I took his pic, I was sitting in front of the TV set, it was like 3:00 am and I saw him chowing down.

The camera flash only spooked him the first few times, after that the cheeky booger didn't even care.

Now I exclusively use 55 gallon fish tanks with mesh reptile screen covers on them.

It guarantees that no rats will escape, I even see them hanging upside down with their little toes in the mesh.

The can and will jump straight up some 10-20 inches.

[TeaNinja]

one word of advice, that big rat that I covertly photographed while running loose in my house was a small juvi that had just been weaned and he squeezed right between the bars of a cage exactly like that one.

He was thriving by sneaking out at night and eating dry dog food and drinking from the dogs dish.

The very first time I took his pic, I was sitting in front of the TV set, it was like 3:00 am and I saw him chowing down.

The camera flash only spooked him the first few times, after that the cheeky booger didn't even care.

Now I exclusively use 55 gallon fish tanks with mesh reptile screen covers on them.

It guarantees that no rats will escape, I even see them hanging upside down with their little toes in the mesh.

The can and will jump straight up some 10-20 inches.

yea, they can jump like savages. :)
i was thinking of getting another birdcage from someone then i could either stack them on top of each other so they have somewhere to climb to, or im going to put both birdcages together with the front doors open, so they can go from the left cage to the right.

[NennaMeerkat]

one word of advice, that big rat that I covertly photographed while running loose in my house was a small juvi that had just been weaned and he squeezed right between the bars of a cage exactly like that one.

He was thriving by sneaking out at night and eating dry dog food and drinking from the dogs dish.

The very first time I took his pic, I was sitting in front of the TV set, it was like 3:00 am and I saw him chowing down.

The camera flash only spooked him the first few times, after that the cheeky booger didn't even care.

Now I exclusively use 55 gallon fish tanks with mesh reptile screen covers on them.

It guarantees that no rats will escape, I even see them hanging upside down with their little toes in the mesh.

The can and will jump straight up some 10-20 inches.

Yup I do the same thing Infernalis :) Though mine are now far to large to be hanging upside down. They now just sort of scratch at the lid to get my attention. I think mine is in a 40 gallon since I don't have the space for a 55 or larger right now. But I clean it often and give them a good amount of time everyday out and about.

[NennaMeerkat]

I would be cautious about any "home rigging" of rat cages. If their head can fit through a hole then their body will be able to follow. Rats can chew through cement, asphalt, wood, and some metals. If they can find a weakness in your setup they will exploit it. I would just be cautious.

[TeaNinja]

that's why i was thinking of connecting 2 bird cages, they couldn't get out of that.

[TeaNinja]

my girl is slightly too young and they appear to be "doing the nasty" chasing each other and squeaking. should i seperate them and stop it and wait for her to be older or just let it happen??

im pretty sure by this time it's probably too late. she keeps squeaking and running away, but isn't that classic mating behavior?

[TeaNinja]

yea the big rat definetly porked the hell out of the little female last night, she's PROBABLY knocked up lol.

[Jenn_06]

she is small so she is going to have a small litter, keep a look out for babies in around 23 days.