Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok so I went ahead and got 1.2 rats and have them set up in a 24x12 cage with a wheel (which they like already) and two feeding dishes and two water bottles a toilet paper roll and a pair of old socks with holes to help make nests. I've got one dish filled with dog food and the other one I have put in raw veggie scraps (like celery and tatters) and also some stale bread which my family won't eat. Is there anything I CAN'T feed them or isn't good for them? Also what other things can I feed them? I have tons of cat food, moist and dry as well as dog food moist and dry. I also keep crickets & waxworms.

Also, how soon can I expect the first litter assuming all goes well?

ALSO. I checked them when I was at the store to make sure they were all healthy, no wet tail, didn't sneeze, etc...
When I got them home and set up, I noticed a few sneezes here and there, but it's stopped today. Is that just the dust from the bedding (aspen)? or something else I need to worry about?

Thanks for the help in advance.
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Chantel a.k.a. sillygirl
"I came, I saw, I adopted"

2.4.0 green anoles (Stumpy (M)), and the rest remain nameless.
2.2.0 green tree frogs (Romeo & Juliet, Bonnie & Clyde)
0.0.3 D. tinctorius (Cobalt froglets)
0.0.1 Anerythristic 'B' (Charcoal)corn snake (Popcorn)
0.0.1 Snow Corn (KandyKorn)
0.2 Amel Corns (KornSilk & KornMuffin)
0.0.1 Giant African Millipede
2.4 Domestic house cats (Bad Boy (m), Bart(m),Sasha(F),Little Bit(F),Spirit(F)
1.0 Rottweiler (Jake)
1.2 Rats (new additions with no names yet)
1.0 Husband (David, who loves all my critters too)

Is there anything I CAN'T feed them or isn't good for them? Also what other things can I feed them? I have tons of cat food, moist and dry as well as dog food moist and dry. I also keep crickets & waxworms.
>>
>>Also, how soon can I expect the first litter assuming all goes well?
>>
>>ALSO. I checked them when I was at the store to make sure they were all healthy, no wet tail, didn't sneeze, etc...
>>When I got them home and set up, I noticed a few sneezes here and there, but it's stopped today. Is that just the dust from the bedding (aspen)? or something else I need to worry about?

Don't feed rats blue cheese, licorice, raw dried beans or peanuts, raw cabbage, green bananas, green potatos, soda, chocolate. Some say avalcado also. I feed mine leftovers fairly often, fresh veges etc. Mine also relish bugs like crix and waxys. First litter? ....a month, give or take depending on age and when they get settled. 21day gestation.
Sneezing with rats is sign of stress and likely just from the move. But I personally only bed them on pelleted bedding with paper towel for nesting so as to avoid any irritation from bedding like woods. If you have chronic porphyrin staining (bloody looking eyes or nose) then I would change bedding for sure. Occasional sneezes are more or less normal.
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Sonya

Sonya

I used to feed cabbage every week. Is there something bad about cabbage?

DeMak

P.S. I mean besides if you feed to much they get diarrhea....

>>Sonya
>>
>>I used to feed cabbage every week. Is there something bad about cabbage?
>>
>>DeMak
>>
>>P.S. I mean besides if you feed to much they get diarrhea....

Raw Cabbage is an antinutrient that destroys thiamin.
Molds (blue cheese) are toxic.
Licorice is suspected in neuro damage.
Raw Beans and Peanuts destry Vit A, and enzymes that digest protein and starches and cause blood cell clumping.
Dried Corn can have high levels of fungal contamination....
All this is out of Ducommun's Rat Health Care booklet.
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Sonya

A good site to check out for what to feed rats and not to feed them (dog and cat food are not good, too high in protein which can lead to skin rashes amoung other things) is:

www.ratsrule.com

Though this is a site for people with rats as pets and not snake food, it still contains all you need to know to properly feed and care for them.

Thanks for the link. I read up on it and it says that dog food IS ok as long as it's the low cal kind, Like the Maintence of other "diet" brands which IS what I have my rottie on (otherwise he'd be 150 not 110 lbs.) And as far as the dog food goes, I've been giving them fresh veggies, bread, fruit and raisins on a daily basis and they only seem to gnaw on the dog food for "in between" snacks, they much prefer the fresh stuff it seems. Kinda nice having yet another food disposal animal in our house as we seem to never totally finish off food before it starts going bad. So now I'm feeding Crickets, springtails, rats, millipedes and my rottie left over scraps. My family laughs at me for this, they have compost bins, I have animals.
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Chantel a.k.a. sillygirl
"I came, I saw, I adopted"

2.4.0 green anoles (Stumpy (M)), and the rest remain nameless.
2.2.0 green tree frogs (Romeo & Juliet, Bonnie & Clyde)
0.0.3 D. tinctorius (Cobalt froglets)
0.0.1 Anerythristic 'B' (Charcoal)corn snake (Popcorn)
0.0.1 Snow Corn (KandyKorn)
0.2 Amel Corns (KornSilk & KornMuffin)
0.0.1 Giant African Millipede
2.4 Domestic house cats (Bad Boy (m), Bart(m),Sasha(F),Little Bit(F),Spirit(F)
1.0 Rottweiler (Jake)
1.2 Rats (new additions with no names yet)
1.0 Husband (David, who loves all my critters too)

guess I should have re-read that website myself. I feed my rodents and reptiles better than I feed myself LOL..but it certainly is nice to know all the special greens I buy for my bearded dragon, is now shared between mice, rats and guinea pigs. I certainly don't throw away 2/3rds of the greens I buy now.

>>A good site to check out for what to feed rats and not to feed them (dog and cat food are not good, too high in protein which can lead to skin rashes amoung other things) is:
>>
>>www.ratsrule.com
>>
>>Though this is a site for people with rats as pets and not snake food, it still contains all you need to know to properly feed and care for them.

One thing I would consider when reading 'pet' rat sites is....they are not breeding with the numbers you are and they are not 'working' their animals like you will. Therefore you want to feed with more fat/protein and calories than they ever would. Don't feed dyed foods, aim for low to mid 20%s for protein and feed all they want.
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Sonya

Doggie food and fresh veggies/fruit it is then! I just loaded one of their bowls today with spring salad mix chopped celery and raw yellow squash. They emptied that puppy right out and chowed, now it's scattered all over their cage. So much for them being neat animals.

Well so far I've tried to make friends with them, they'll let me pet them but do not like to be picked up. Oh well, I guess that keeps me from getting too close to them and feeling guilty about robbing them of thier babies after they are born. Just have a feeling I'm going to be doing that last trick with a pair of tongs so I don't end up bit. Good news is that they are all getting along great considering the two females were cagemates at the store but not the same litter and the male was a store bought adult feeder rat. But never have had the slightest hint of discord between them all. They sleep all curled up together. But havn't seen any hanky panky yet either :-S
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Chantel a.k.a. sillygirl
"I came, I saw, I adopted"

2.4.0 green anoles (Stumpy (M)), and the rest remain nameless.
2.2.0 green tree frogs (Romeo & Juliet, Bonnie & Clyde)
0.0.3 D. tinctorius (Cobalt froglets)
0.0.1 Anerythristic 'B' (Charcoal)corn snake (Popcorn)
0.0.1 Snow Corn (KandyKorn)
0.2 Amel Corns (KornSilk & KornMuffin)
0.0.1 Giant African Millipede
2.4 Domestic house cats (Bad Boy (m), Bart(m),Sasha(F),Little Bit(F),Spirit(F)
1.0 Rottweiler (Jake)
1.2 Rats (new additions with no names yet)
1.0 Husband (David, who loves all my critters too)

They sleep all curled up together. But havn't seen any hanky panky yet either :-S

Rats are fast. Usually you will here a scuffle and see the male checking himself...that is it. Don't worry about it unless he is really older and totally not checking them out.

I always feed just a few fresh veges at a time so that they don't just pave the cage with it. That or feed that stuff just before you clean cages.
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Sonya