Husbandry Information

SOULWISH RATTERY

Care Guide: About

Housing

Appropriate caging is necessary to keep your rats (and your furniture) safe!

A guide to keep in mind is that your rats need ample room to climb, as well as floor space. 1.5-2 cubic feet per rat is a good rule of thumb. Bar spacing also needs to be appropriate, to ensure they can't squeeze through the bars. Females and young rats need under 0.5" or below.

1" spacing is only recommended for your giant male rats that can't squeeze their chunky bodies through the cage bars!

Here are some great recommendations for your furry friend's new home!

Critter Nation Cage

These are well loved and great cages! They are the costliest but a great long-term investment. We use these as the Rattery cages.

Prevue Rat/Chinchilla Cage

Kaytee My First Home

PawHut Ferret Cage

Rat Manor (Petco)

Bin Cage 110qt

Bin cages are a great cost-effective cages if you're crafty and comfortable with tools! These may also need to be replaced if they end up chewing too much of the plastic.

These are just a few recommendations of what you could get :)

Care Guide: Text

Bedding

Bedding is a crucial part of keeping you and your new furry friend healthy!

Appropriate Bedding

Pine

Pine bedding is wonderful for odor control and absorption. Previous studies have shown that pine bedding that has not been kiln dried contains harmful phenols, but virtually all pet beddings have been kiln dried. :)

Aspen

This is also wonderful for odor control and absorption and is a great alternative if you are allergic to pine bedding.

Bedding that works...but could be better.

Fleece

Fleece can work is washed thoroughly every 2-3 days. No matter if you sew an absorbent layer into your fleece, it still does not absorb or neutralize odor (which you and your furry friend are sensitive to)

Paper

This bedding does not odor control and becomes soggy pretty quickly. It's a good alternative to wood beddings if you're allergic, but you'll need to change it out every 3-5 days.

Corncob

This bedding is awesome for absorption, but it becomes moldy very quickly and needs to be changed out every 2-3 days to prevent this.

Inappropriate Bedding

Cedar

Cedar bedding contains dangerous phenols and does NOT suit rats. It can cause chemical burns, respiratory damage, and even death.

PuppyPads

These are not suitable, if ingested the silica gel used within the pad will expand and cause illness and even death.

Newspaper/Cardboard

Newspaper and cardboard do not absorb urine and feces will sit atop of them. There is no odor control with these. This could cause respiratory issues and the cleanliness of your housing will be affected as well.

Care Guide: Text

Food

We feed Mazuri block 6F, along with frozen and fresh vegetables every 1-2 days

You'll want to choose a food block that doesn't offer an assortment for your rat to choose from, as this will give them a fully rounded diet.

We recommend Mazuri, Oxbow Adult Rat, or Teklad

We have not used anything else so we cannot recommend them. :)

Treats such as uncooked pasta, bland cereal, ect. should be given in moderation as to prevent obesity! Be careful of the amount of salt in certain products, and always check ahead as to what your rats can and can not injest

UNSAFE FOODS

Avocado skin and pit
Chocolate
Fruits with citrus
Mango
Green potatoes
Chlorinated or fluorinated water
Raw or undercooked beans
Onion

Always check if it's safe before giving your rat new foods

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Medical Information

Please take your pet to the vet if you are concerned about anything. We are not medical professionals and are not qualified to give out any medical advice.

Vets we recommend in Omaha, Nebraska

All Creatures Vet Clinic

(402) 399-8224

Southpaw Vet Clinic

(402) 830-3700

Florence Animal Hospital

(402) 451-7001

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