Just FUR fun

Pet Care: Rat Pig 411: "
Did you know that rats are available wearing five different kinds of coats?
The short STANDARD coat is the most common.

REX rats have curly coats--and curly whiskers, too.

Rats with SATIN coats have super shiny hair.

Some rats are bred to be TAILLESS. (That's right, no tails!)

Owning a HAIRLESS rat sure cuts down on all those trips to the beauty parlor. (Just kidding! But if you do get a hairless rat, please remember that they're extra sensitive to heat and cold, and need to be kept warm.)"

Rat laundry tip use fabric softener

Rat Laundry: "After hours of searching, Snip was found stuck to jeans with static cling. You may wish to add fabric softener to your load in the drier. Fabric softener helps to control static cling. There's nothing worse that searching all over the house for a lost rat, only to find it stuck to your back or leg with static electricity."

Hearing with whiskers

Hearing with whiskers: "Hearing with whiskers
by Anne of anne_rats

The rat's whiskers are the first step in a highly sensitive sense of touch. Whiskers brush over the ground, obstacles, food, and other rats. When a whisker touches an object it bends, and when it bends its follicle sends a message to the rat's brain. The rats can tell the direction and how far each whisker moves. As the rat moves through the landscape he feels all the objects and textures near his face, and constructs an image of the world around him. This image may be far more detailed than what the rat can see through his eyes.

But that's not all whiskers do. Recent research has shown that the rat's whiskers may also be used in hearing.

Whiskers resonate at certain frequencies, like the strings of a harp (Neimark et al. 2003, Hartman et al. 2003). Longer whiskers vibrate at lower frequencies; shorter whiskers vibrate at higher frequencies. Because the rat has short whiskers near the nose and long ones further back, his array of whiskers creates an orderly map of frequencies on his face (Neimark et al. 2003).

Each whisker is wired to a specific location in the brain's sensory cortex (called the barrel cortex). These brain locations are organized in a map that matches the layout of the whiskers on the face, and thus matches the resontant frequencies of the whiskers. Therefore, areas of the brain sensitive to low frequency whisker vibrations are grouped together, as are areas sensitive to high frequencies (Andermann et al. 2004).

Whisker vibration may explain the extreme sensitivity of the rat's sense of whisker-touch. Rats can make fine distinctions between different textures, like different grades of sandpaper. Rats may do this by sweeping their whiskers over the sandpaper and feeling, not just the whiskers' overall displacement, but also the vibrations of different whiskers. Coarse textures vibrate the longer whiskers, while fine textures vibrate the shorter ones.

The curled whiskers of rex rats probably don't resonate as well as straight whiskers. Therefore, rex rats probably do not 'hear' or distinguish different textures with their whiskers as well as normal rats.

Good Good Good Whisker Vibration!

Whats your I.Q?

Information

Scientists belive that the Rat is more intellegent as the cow, horse and some dogs.

Rats learn from expericence and other Rats expereince. If a rat sees another dead in a trap, it will aviod all traps from then on.

I'm not just a pretty face...

Gotta a Saw Cutter?

Previous Rat Facts of the Week

Rats' teeth are so strong they can chew through concrete.

Gotta a Saw Cutter? Can I borrow your rat?

Trust Training Nervous Rats

the Rat Report: by Elizabeth R. TeSelle

One Pet lovers tip...

Our agouti rat Phineas was 14 months old when he joined our family. For all of his life Phineas had been used as a stud rat by a man who bred rats as 'feeders' and who was, consequently, not particularly concerned with how easy they were to handle. When he bothered to pick Phineas up at all, it was by his tail, with Phineas hanging in the air flailing his legs wildly. Needless to say, this treatment did little to make Phineas feel positive about humans.

The first time I reached my hand into Phineas' cage with a treat, he shrieked in terror and ran into the corner, where he huddled and chattered in fear. We took all his food away and for the next 2 days I persisted until Phineas was so hungry he was forced to take food from my hand. This may sound hard, but I knew that unless Phineas learned, through approaching my hand and not being hurt, that not all humans are the same, we would make no progress at all. When Phineas finally began taking the food I offered, he was frightened and nervous but within a week, he was allowing me to rub him behind the ears and gently stroke his back, though he still appeared nervous and concerned that I might alter my behavior at any moment.

In our first two weeks with Phineas, Marc was bitten once and I was bitten twice--once so hard my thumb bled for 10 minutes and sustained minor nerve damage that never entirely went away. In each case it was clear that Phineas was terrified, and was responding instinctively to situations he perceived as threatening. In fact, Phineas seemed so fearful that at first we were concerned that although we understood and sympathized with his plight, we may never be able to completely trust him. We wanted a rat who would sit on our shoulders and cuddle with us, but we tried to resign ourselves to being satisfied with just being able to handle him when necessary.

From the beginning, I decided that no matter how much I needed to or wanted to pick Phineas up, I would not resort to using his tail. Since this was clearly the kind of treatment at the root of his fear of people, I determined to persist in my plans to train him to tolerate being lifted by the body, no matter how long it took. The first time I put my hand around him in the cage, Phineas nearly scared me to death! He leapt away from me, screaming and chattering, and then sat facing me, daring me to try it again. I felt hurt and misunderstood, since I had no evil intentions and only wanted to provide Phineas with the freedom and fun I knew he deserved. But I tried to understand how scared he must be, and decided to wait until he trusted me more.

Meanwhile, Phineas' companion, Fergus, who was 10 weeks old when he joined our family, was responding to us fearlessly. He mostly wanted to explore the room, but was happy enough to cuddle occasionally, and as he grew up and calmed down, he became loving and friendly. At first I wasn't sure we could expect the same of Phineas, but I wasn't yet ready to give up hope.

Following the Skinnerian technique of behavior modification, which emphasizes rewarding desired behavior, I began gradually increasing the difficulty of what Phineas had to do to get the small pieces of food we offered him. At first, he only had to take the food from my hand inside the cage. Then he had to come to the cage door and take it. Then he had to come out of the cage onto my leg. Finally, after proceeding in this vein for about a week, I once again reached in to pick Phineas up. This time he tensed up and looked worried, but let me lift him out of the cage and onto my leg, where he took a piece of food from me and retreated to the cage. For the next week, the rule was that Phineas had to let me pick him up in order to get the food. First he was given it after I'd set him down on my leg, then he had to take it from me while I still held him.

The nice thing about this method was that it was easy to see progress from day to day. Each day we felt good because Phineas seemed to trust us a little more, and seemed to feel a little more relaxed about us and a little more willing to give us a chance. As the days turned into weeks and I had still never hurt Phineas or grabbed him by his tail, he began to really trust me. He begged for food when I walked into the room, and when he was free to roam around, he no longer skittered away whenever I moved my leg or adjusted my position on the floor. These days, Phineas climbs onto our laps of his own volition, seeks us out wherever we are, and really seems to enjoy the attention we give him. Grooming Marc's beard has proven to be a popular activity for both our rats! Probably most gratifying to me is the fact that now, when I put my hand around him, Phineas sits calmly and waits to be picked up, then seems relaxed and mellow while I hold him. If he struggles, it's because he wants to run around, and not because he's afraid.

If Phineas can do it, so can your rat...

Its a matter of trust...

the Rat Report:

If you have a rat who doesn’t like to be held, remember that baby rats and females tend to be very active and often don’t want to hold still to be held. Instead they want to run around and play and explore. See if your rat wants to play a game with you instead of being held. Then, wait until she is feeling sleepy to hold her. When rats are feeling sleepy, they are more willing to be held.

If a rat still doesn’t like being held, acts scared of people, or doesn’t want to come out of her cage, it’s probably because she hasn’t been properly socialized. Some rats just naturally have a more fearful personality too. You can help her learn to trust you by using food. It works best to use soft foods, such as baby foods and yogurt, because you can offer them on a spoon and the rat can’t grab the food and run away. Try different foods to see what she likes. You may need to let her try a food several times in the cage before she decides she likes it.

Use the food on a spoon to reward the behavior you want. For instance, use the food to lead her out of the cage and onto your hand, arm, or lap. Then reward her with the food. You have to do it little by little, just small steps at a time. Just give her a little taste each time and gradually make her come out farther and farther each time. As she learns that she gets good treats for being with you, she will be more willing to come out, be with you, and be held.

How much time do you spend with your rat? A single rat needs about 4 hours of human attention a day. If you can’t provide that I highly recommend you get another rat as a companion for her. Single rats often feel very insecure. With another rat friend, your rat will be more likely to trust you.

Below is a story that shows that even older rats who have been traumatized and are terrified of people can learn to trust us again when the food reward method is used."

Just trust me...

You Hooded You!

AFRMA - One In A Million: "Hooded rats are very common. Unfortunately, show quality Hoodeds are not. In fact I would consider them one of the rarest.

Let me explain. The distinctive Hooded pattern is caused by the distribution of pigment cells in the rat embryo being impeded. The nerve cell tissue along the spinal column is the origin of these cells, thus when the color is restricted, the head, shoulders and spine are the areas left pigmented.

The AFRMA standard is very specific as to what Hooded rats should look like. It says that “Hooded rats may be shown in any recognized color. The sides, legs and feet should be a pure, clean white, free from spots or brindling. The hood should cover the head, neck and shoulders without a break, showing no white on the throat or chin, and should run in an even line around the body. The spine marking should extend in an unbroken line from the hood to the tail, be of moderate width, and be free of ragged edges or brindling. The tail should be colored at the base, then white to the end. Faults - White on the throat or chin, ragged edges to the hood or spine markings, spine marking too wide or too narrow, break in the spine marking; any color spots in white area; spotted tail.” Needless to say, this description leaves very little room for interpretation, and is in fact one of the most explicit standards we have. On top of the description being very precise, the rat also has to be a good example of a recognized color, and has to have good type. This combination can be almost an impossibility."

Go ahead punk..make my day!

Rats Rule OK!

ratsrule.com: "Rats truly make wonderful pets! If you are looking for a fun, small pet, please don't rule out a rat. They are loyal, friendly and playful, and love human attention. Most pocket pets could care less about the attention you give them (ferrets excluded), but rats absolutely thrive on it! Rats can also be trained! They can learn their names and some commands, with some patience. Many rat lovers compare them to very small dogs, in terms of intelligence and love, including world-famous animal guy, Jack Hanna, who says, 'Rats are the closest thing you will find to a dog in a small animal.' Rats are extremely social animals, so they do best if you keep them in same-sex pairs or more (I currently have four males). I can't stress enough that rats need the companionship of other rats, as well as their human friends. They are happier, healthier, and even more social toward humans if they have other rats to interact with."

Rats Rule OK!!!

Who is Debbie "The Rat Lady" Ducommun?

Rat Fan Club: "Debbie “The Rat Lady”

Debbie Ducommun, known as “The Rat Lady,” is internationally recognized as an expert on domestic rats. She has worked in the animal care industry for over 18 years and has a background in animal training, nutrition, and animal health care. She graduated from California State University at Chico with honors and holds a bachelor of arts degree in animal behavior."

Who is Debbie "The Rat Lady" Ducommun I hear you ask?

Rats love to be petted...

Rat Assistance & Teaching Society: Why Rats?: "Pet rats are truly domesticated animals that have been selectively bred in captivity for hundreds of generations. They have been bred to be gentle and affectionate. Pet rats are as different from wild rats as dogs are from wolves. They rarely bite and stay clean by grooming themselves like a cat several times a day.

Rats are extremely social and personable animals that bond strongly to their owners. They are smart enough to learn their names and will come when you call them. They beg to come out of their cage to play and interact with their owners.

Rats love to be petted. They enjoy being rubbed behind their ears or scratched on their shoulders. Some rats will roll over on their back so their owner can rub their tummy. Many rats will lick their owners to show affection just like a dog.

Rats are very playful and will wrestle with your hand the same way a kitten will. Rats will play games with their owners, including tug-o' war, hide-n-seek, and peek-a-boo.

Rats can learn many tricks just like dogs. They can learn to sit up, fetch, walk a tightrope, pull up a basket on a string and jump through a hoop. Some rats are smart enough to learn a trick after only two lessons!

Each rat is an individual with his or her own personality. Some rats are very intelligent (more intelligent than most dogs and cats!) but some rats aren't so smart, just like some other cats and dogs (and people.) But even these bumbling blockhead rats are affectionate and make adorable loving pets.

Rats make great pets for both children and adults. Because they are nocturnal animals, they are happy to sleep during the day while their owner is at work or school. Then they are ready to come out to play in the morning or evening. They are especially good pets for apartment dwellers with limited space, and busy people, as long as you can spend at least 1/2 to 1 hour a day with your rats.

Ahhh yes...thats the spot...

Rat Web Cam

If you love rats then check out the RatWebCam>>>RatWebCam Online 24/7
These rats are all about fame and love the postcards! They work for peaunuts...

It's Big Brother Rat coming live into your lounge...

squEEK! it's a human!

AFRMA - Trust-Training: "Trust-Training Nervous Rats by Elizabeth R. TeSelle

Since most people in AFRMA handle their young rats a great deal, they grow up accustomed to and interested in interacting with people. In some situations, however, a new rat may have been handled very little, or handled inappropriately, as was our Phineas. These rats can be difficult to tame, but as we have found, the key is establishing trust.

Our agouti rat Phineas was 14 months old when he joined our family. For all of his life he had been used as a stud rat by a man who bred rats as “feeders,” and who was, consequently, not particularly concerned with how easy they were to handle. When he bothered to pick Phineas up at all, it was by his tail, with Phineas hanging in the air flailing his legs wildly. Needless to say, this treatment did little to make Phineas feel positive about human beings.

The first time I reached my hand into Phineas’ cage with a treat, he shrieked in terror and ran into the corner, where he huddled and chattered in fear. For the next 2 days I persisted, until Phineas was so hungry he was forced to take food from my hand. This may sound hard, but I knew that unless Phineas learned, through approaching my hand and not being hurt, that not all human beings are the same, we would make no progress at all. When Phineas finally began taking the food I offered, he was frightened and nervous, but I tried to remain as benign and non-threatening as possible. Within a week Phineas was allowing me to rub him behind the ears and gently stroke his back, though he still appeared nervous and concerned that I might alter my behavior at any moment.

Following the Skinnerian technique, which emphasizes rewarding desired behavior, I began gradually increasing the difficulty of what Phineas had to do to get the small pieces of food we offered him."

squEEK! it's a human! squEEK! squEEK!

Rat Essentials 101

AFRMA - Rat & Mouse Essentials: "10 Things You Need Before Buying A Rat!"

1) A CAGE
Aquariums with wire mesh covers make excellent homes for your pet. For two rats a 15-gallon tank (or larger) is good; for two mice a 5-gallon works well. Wire cages can be drafty and will allow your pet’s bedding to fall out causing a mess. They are, however, more spacious than tanks and can be used for rats. If the cage has shelves, they should be made of ½ by ½ inch wire mesh as a rat’s back foot can get caught in 1 by ½ inch wire and it can break a leg.

(2) BEDDING
DO NOT USE CEDAR OR PINE SHAVINGS! They cause respiratory disease and organ damage. Good alternatives are CareFRESH™, Sani-Chips®, Aspen Shavings, etc.

(3) WATER BOTTLE
A demand type water bottle is essential in providing fresh clean water for your pet. They can be mounted on the outside of cages, and holders are available for use in tanks.

(4) FOOD
As a main diet, the best food for your rat or mouse is laboratory pellets (Lab Blocks, Rodent Chow, Pet Blocks, etc.). This is a complete, balanced diet and should be available to your pet at all times.

(5) TREATS
All pets enjoy an occasional treat. Fresh and dried fruit, vegetables, salad greens, plain popcorn, whole wheat bread, and low-sugar breakfast cereals are all good treats and add variety to your pet’s diet. In fact, anything you eat, that wouldn’t be classified as junk food, would be enjoyed by your pet. Just be careful not to overfeed with treats as they can lead to obesity. Be sparing with oily seeds, nuts, and grain mixes.

(6) TOYS
Toys encourage rats and mice to be more active and inquisitive. Good choices are:
Rats: Boxes, ladders, shelves, large PVC pipes, large wheels, bird toys, ferret toys, etc.
Mice: Toilet paper tubes, ladders, wheels, houses, etc.

(7) A BOOK
There are several good books on rats and mice available in pet stores. These books will explain what you can expect from your pet, and are an important reference if a problem should arise at some point in your pet’s life.

(8) A VET
While rats and mice do not need yearly checkups or shots, emergencies can arise. It is important to know which vets in your area treat rodents.

(9) A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER
Just as with puppies and kittens, many mice and rats found in pet shops are mass produced in commercial facilities where they are weaned as early as possible and never handled. This combined with the stress of shipping, greatly increases the chance that the person who buys them ends up with a sick pet. A responsible breeder focuses on health and temperament when planning their litters. They raise their rats in clean surroundings with plenty of quality food and clean water, and handle babies from birth to produce well-socialized pets. They are also an excellent source of correct information should questions arise. Check with your local rat and mouse club for information on breeders near you.

(10) A CLUB
The best way to become more involved with your pet, stay current on health and husbandry practices, and meet other people who are also interested in rats and mice, is to join a rat and mouse club. Clubs usually hold shows which are open to non club members, and they are always happy to offer advice, suggest veterinarians, and direct people interested in specific colors or types of animals to appropriate breeders.

Rat Tips for Dummies 101

Rat Chow

Rat Food: "A lot of new rat owners don't know much at all about what to feed their rat, and end up with a toad who only eats the sunflower seeds out of the gerbil mix they get instead of real food. (Like my first rat.)"

So here are tips on what to feed your pet rat.

The basis of my rats' diet is either some brand of rat food (Harlan Teklad or Purina Rat Chow for instance) and/or Debbie Ducommun's rat food recipe and diet. (See Debbie's Rat Fan Club web site, you can get this info in the Rat Health Care book.) The nutritional needs of a rat are quite different from other rodents, and unless you know them all and can make your own rat food, you should be feeding your rat some sort of rat chow (sometimes called lab blocks). You can usually get this in bulk at pet stores, or at least in little bags. There are several brands, my rats like Harlan Telkad the best. That is to say, they will eat them, not that they are crazy about them. There are some other brands that the rats simply shove out of their food dish and bury, as if I had mistakenly put rocks in their food dish and they wished to correct my mistake.

The basic problem with feeding your rat food designed for hamsters or gerbils is that your vastly superior rat simply has different requirements from those pitiful little animals. Your rat needs protein, but if you feed them a seed mix they eat lots of seeds, nuts, etc., whatever they can find in the mix. This stuff is really fatty too, and one day you find that when your rat sits down he/she's nearly as wide as long. And your rat may end up getting all scabby (literally, it causes skin problems) from getting way too much protein and fat. Rat chow is much lower fat, but high enough in protein for your rat. There are other good things in rat chow for your rat (vitamins and nutrients and all that) that are hard to find elsewhere, but I won't go into those, as I wouldn't really know what I was talking about. A little hamster mix once in a while won't hurt, just don't over do it, and if your rat shows any skin problems at all, do away with it entirely. (Peanuts can be particularly troublesome for some rats.)

Now, while in theory your rat could live off of lab blocks alone (many lab rats do) this does not mean that your rat will enjoy this. Think of it this way -- the part of a rat's brain devoted to smell and taste is a larger portion of his/her grey matter than the portion of your brain devoted to sight. Your rat needs some entertainment. And variety seems important -- there are many things that my rats will happily eat for a day or two, but then they become bored of it and want something new.

The most common thing to add to your rat's diet are fresh vegetables and fruits. Broccoli, peas, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, bananas, cherries, whatever. I can't think of any vegetable I've offered them that they didn't like, although there are some (like asparagus) that they will only eat for about a day. Rats love lettuce, but it doesn't offer them all that much in any sort of real food value. I occasionally give them just a little with their other food, but generally you'd be better off giving them spinach or some other vegetable. Broccoli is great, and some studies claim to show it can reduce the rate of tumors in rats. Be warned it can make your rat's cage kind of stinky if you feed them a lot for several days in a row. But if you can stand it (sure you can!) the rats love it, and it's good for them. Mine get some nearly every day.

One warning that especially goes for veggies, but to some extent with any sudden change in diet -- it can upset your little rat's digestive system. Lots of vegetables all the sudden (especially leafy vegetables) can cause diarrhea, which in turn can cause dehydration. So if you change your rats diet, take it easy. My rats get lots of fruits and vegetables, but they get them every day, and if for some reason I have to stop (like if I'm gone for a few days) I ease them off of veggies and (especially) ease them back onto them over a few days.

Like a strange mind bending experiece she kept on repeating, "What eats the monkey chow? What eats the monkey chow?" Monkeys love them, Parrots love them, Your pet Rat will love Monkey Chow too...

Quick stick it back together before Mom gets home...

Rat & Mouse Gazette: Q & A: "
If you accidentally pull some of yoru rats tail off heres what you do:

A rats tail skin is very delicate and is easily pulled off if you grab the tail hard and pull, or if you grab the tail hard and the rat pulls away from you. If you must grab the tail to prevent the rat from getting into somewhere dangerous, make sure you grab the tail at its base, not anywhere close to the end.

Once an accident like this happens, there are only two possible courses of action: (1) Take the rat to a qualified vet and have the injured portion of the tail amputated surgically, and (2) Allow the injured portion of the tail to dry up and slough off.

With either choice there is plenty of pain involved, however, I believe the amputation is the short-term pain option. Careful consideration of any surgical procedure must still be used (i.e., age, health, or anything else that would present a higher risk during anesthesia).

The skin of a rat tail will not grow back and the injured portion of the tail will eventually die and fall off. This is called sloughing. During the time the injured area remains moist, there will be considerable pain involved. Once the tissue dies and begins to dry out, the rat appears to no longer be in any pain. It is very difficult to watch a rat go through this, and the rat should not be allowed to roam the house. Actually, the rat should be kept alone, on clean white paper-towels in a 10-gallon aquarium or something equivalent, so as to prohibit climbing or too much dragging the tail around. Most rats will stay relatively quiet during the painful period and should be encouraged to do so."

Oh NO! The tail's came off...now what do I do? Quick stick it back together before Mom gets home.

Rat Day Spa

Rat & Mouse Gazette: Q & A: "
Most rats don't ever need bathing (they sometimes need spot cleaned with a damp washcloth) and they can get pretty upset about being dunked in water. There's information on how to bathe a rat here:

First of all, rats only need to be bathed if you, the rats owner, find their smell or oilyness objectionable. Most female rats do not ever need to be given a bath unless you are showing them and their coat has become stained, and even then, most of them can be wiped clean. Male rats on the other hand, have an oily skin problem (some more than others) that is connected with their testosterone level and creates a thick, orange residue on their backs. Wiping with a washcloth will sometimes work for this problem if it is not too severe, but a good thorough bath is needed about once a month for more extreme cases.

Of course, with all of the different personalities our rats have, some will be much more willing to cooperate at bath time than others, and it is not uncommon for a rat to react exactly how you described your rats behavior. It is up to the individual rat owner to decide whether or not they feel a bath is necessary and worth the possible stress to both rat and owner.

BATHING INSTRUCTIONS
(From Issue 2, Nov/Dec 1995, page 5)

Have a towel ready before you begin. Fill both sides of your kitchen sink with lukewarm water. Dip your rat in one side of the sink in the water, but only up to the neck. Using a soap made for cats or kittens, or sometimes even dish washing liquid (I use Dawn on my males since they tend to have an oily buildup on their skin) apply several drops on the rats back. Begin working the soap into a good lather and scrub well with your fingertips. (It is best not to use a brush as you can apply too much pressure without realizing it.) Be careful not to get any water or soap into your rat's eyes or ears. When you feel the rat is clean, lower him/her into the other side of the sink and rinse. Again, be careful not to get any water in the rat's eyes or ears. If you don't feel you can rinse the rat well enough this way you can hold him/her under a stream of running water, but be sure the water is not too hot. Dry thoroughly."

You Pampered Rat...

Does my Rat need a toupe?

Balding Rat / Barbering: "If your Rat is bald then it sounds like your rat is being barbered by a cagemate. If this is the case, it's not harmful (though it does look silly!). Does the cagemate have thinner fur on her own forearms? Often rats that barber their cagemate's head will also shave their own arms. It's hard to say why some rats do this, but if you have a bald rattie with no other symptoms (and a guilty looking cagemate), this is often the cause."

Edward 'Rat' Scissorhands is in my cage...

The male rat is a lap rat

RMCA: Rat FAQ: "Both sexes make wonderful pets. Females are smaller and considerably more active than males and their fur is softer. On the other hand, males are normally happier sitting on your lap and having you scratch their head."

ummm...Male Rat? or ummm... Female Rat? ummm...

Man! That Rat is HOT!

Pet Rat Information Sheet - all you need for happy healthy pet rats: "In hot weather it is important to protect rats from heat exhaustion and dehydration. rats regulate their temperature mainly through the tail and foot-pads, so if you provide a bowl of cold water a hot rat can cool herself down by paddling in it. A fan placed near to the cage will provide a cooling breeze. You can also give your rats frozen vegetables (e.g. peas) as ice-lollies, and ice cubes can be added to their water-dish. Make sure that the cage is not in direct sunlight in hot weather."

Hot rats need cooling down...

Some Rat TLC

Pet Rat Information Sheet - all you need for happy healthy pet rats: "Handling rats

The more attention you give your new rats when you first get them home, the sooner they will get used to your voice and your smell and begin to make friends with you. Handle your rats as much as possible, whether they seem to like it or not at first -- they will soon learn to enjoy your company. Unless a rat is very nervous or unwell, you cannot give it too much attention or handling. One good way of getting your rats used to you is to let them ride around the house on your shoulder or inside your sweater.

Rats should not be picked up by the tail -- they don't like it, and it can cause injury. It is best to lift your rats by placing one or both hands under the chest, behind the front legs -but be careful not to squeeze."

Come here and give me some sugar...kiss

That finger is a treat!

Pet Rat Information Sheet - all you need for happy healthy pet rats: "Finger nipping may occur if your rats are used to getting treats through the cage bars. This is not true biting, but merely an accidental nibble. If a finger is poked through the bars too, the rats may nip, mistaking the finger for food. Train your rats to tell the difference, by telling them when food is arriving - eg 'Sweeties!' - or fingers, eg 'Be gentle!'. If this fails, stop feeding treats through the bars; instead, open the cage door to put your hand inside when hand-feeding."

Watch out for your fingers...

Can I order extra garlic with that?

Pet Rat Information Sheet - all you need for happy healthy pet rats: "The following foods can be used as treats/supplements to the regular diet: fruit (apples, cherries, grapes, banana etc.), vegetables (broccoli, potatoes, peas, carrot etc.), cooked liver, kidney, or other low-fat meat, cooked bones, cooked pulses (cooked Soya protein may reduce the risk of cancer), live yoghurt, sunflower seeds (an exceptional source of B vitamins), wholemeal pasta and bread, brown rice, unsweetened breakfast cereals, and the occasional capsule of cod-liver or garlic oil. Table scraps will be eaten with relish, but try to avoid feeding fatty or sugary scraps. Carbonated drinks should never be given to rats as they cannot burp, and the build-up of gasses in the stomach from fizzy drinks could be fatal. Bear in mind that dietary fat has been linked to tumours in rats, and keep fatty foods like peanuts and sunflower seeds as treats. Moderation is advised in all things - the diet should not be made up of just one main ingredient. For example, some people worry that too much maize (sweetcorn, or just 'corn' in the USA) could be harmful, although small amounts are enjoyed."

Extra Garlic coming right up....