# Where Can I Buy Rat Bedding?



## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ive been looking for websites (UK based or ones that do reasonable postage to the UK) that sell safe rat bedding. Where do you guys buy yours from? The pet shops only sell sawdust and its very vague about what type it is so i dont trust it  I dont need a huge bag, just something to keep the cage floor covered through a few cleans.


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## Randy (Jan 18, 2008)

Does it have to be wood shavings? A lot of people, myself included, use fleece or flannel fabric as cage linings, and it might be easier to find.

Another option is Yesterday's News. Here's a link for their UK site:

http://www.rlpetproducts.co.uk/


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

Tesco, Morrisons and Wilkinsons all sell recycled paper based cat litter for less than Â£2 a bag, and a bag used to last me about 4 cleans. My vets sells yesterdays news but its more expensive than the shop branded stuff.

I dont use it anymore because its messy when they kick it around their cage, and I like free things better. I now use old old towels or tshirts or pillowcases or curtains or any old fabrics I have. I use large pieces of fabric/towels and then I shake them off and throw them in the washer when they get dirty.

They also get tonnes of shredded paper which are my bills and letters which I ran through a cheap shredder I got last month, and they get some softer shredded paper (70p a bag from Wilko) and some facecloths (4 for Â£1 in Primark) for their bed, and a pillowcase (old and free) for their hammock, which also gets thrown in the washer once a week.

I use a piece of newspaper (which can be a no-no because of the inks) on the bottom of their cage, but they never really get to the bottom of their cage, and I have always done it and never had any problems.


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## Neuroticax (May 1, 2007)

I used to use Aspen from Petsmart, but now I use fleece lining that you can find at any fabric store.


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Randy said:


> Does it have to be wood shavings? A lot of people, myself included, use fleece or flannel fabric as cage linings, and it might be easier to find.
> 
> Another option is Yesterday's News. Here's a link for their UK site:
> 
> http://www.rlpetproducts.co.uk/


I have fleece lining on the upper levels to help prevent bumble foot because its wire, but i would like the bottom to be something they can kick around a bit. Ive been looking for something like Yesterdays News but didnt know it was cat litter, ive heard that some cat litters are bad for rats but YN is reccomended in rat books anyway or is that a specific 'pet bedding' type bag?

Thanks for the link to the website, i would never have thought of looking on cat sites!


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> Tesco, Morrisons and Wilkinsons all sell recycled paper based cat litter for less than Â£2 a bag, and a bag used to last me about 4 cleans. .


Ive heard that certain cat litter is bad for rats and since im no expert i wouldnt want to buy something thats bad for them and make them ill  Some are good though but like i said i wouldnt really know which ones they were, id only get yesterdays news as its reccommended in all of the rat books i have read.



xampx said:


> They also get tonnes of shredded paper which are my bills and letters which I ran through a cheap shredder I got last month, and they get some softer shredded paper (70p a bag from Wilko) and some facecloths (4 for Â£1 in Primark) for their bed, and a pillowcase (old and free) for their hammock, which also gets thrown in the washer once a week.


Haha i never thought about getting ratties to get rid of my bills and stuff! Would the ink be ok? ' I asked at a vet once when i had mice and the bad ink isnt used in printing anymore or something so is it alright to use newspaper and printed-on paper? o.o Thanks for the very useful information on where to get stuff from and how much they cost, i didnt expect a reply in such detail


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Cat litter CAN be bad for rats - especially if you used the clay based or wood based litters.

Recycled paper is absolutely fine, as long as it's not too dusty. I use bio-catolet for my litter trays without hassle. It's just a cheaper equivalent (and English!) to YN.

Just make sure you check the bedding that you do buy for perfumes, chemicals etc. But usually they are ok to use.

I don't know about bill ink - I would assume you run the same risks as with newspaper. But I'm not sure. I'm a fleece/toweler myself


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

You dont want to use the usual clay based or wood based cat litters, just the paper ones, which is great because it weighs nothing and is quite cheap in comparison.

My old boys used to get shredded newspaper. I dont think the ink is so bad these days but obviously dont use it if you dont feel comfortable with it. The bills and envelopes and stuff seem to be ok. in this day and age you have to presume everything is going to be put in a childs mouth at some point and so its usually pretty safe


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> Cat litter CAN be bad for rats - especially if you used the clay based or wood based litters.
> 
> Recycled paper is absolutely fine, as long as it's not too dusty. I use bio-catolet for my litter trays without hassle. It's just a cheaper equivalent (and English!) to YN.
> 
> ...


'Yesterdays News' is reccomended in all of the pet rat books i have read (i do a lot of research ^^'') so im probably going to buy it from the site another member posted above. Ive been getting lots of different materials in for the 'nest' - cardboard, towels, coths - anything, should i just kinda throw it all in together or give them it seperate? o.o'' I think itd be a bit uncomfortable to sleep in a nice soft material nest and then have a piece of cardboard stab you in the back.. or would they prefer to move it themselves..? o.o'


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> You dont want to use the usual clay based or wood based cat litters, just the paper ones, which is great because it weighs nothing and is quite cheap in comparison.
> 
> My old boys used to get shredded newspaper. I dont think the ink is so bad these days but obviously dont use it if you dont feel comfortable with it. The bills and envelopes and stuff seem to be ok. in this day and age you have to presume everything is going to be put in a childs mouth at some point and so its usually pretty safe


I read somewhere that a lot of the paper-based cat litters are bad because they dont really contain much paper or something.. it was an article saying how it has a lot of nasty stuff in it o.o'' I think with the newspaper ill probably stay away from it because i have a lot of other stuff they can nibble on - including a massive drawer full of scrap paper. Haha its wierd im going through all these lengths to make sure theyre happy and i dont even have my rats yet ^^'' My family keeps saying how spoilt theyre going to be because i have a tendancy to get bored very quickly with the toys and layouts i give/make them so change it a lot - they wont even have a _chance_ to get bored ^^'


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

Yesterdays News IS paper based cat litter. It is just branded and therefore expensive.

The tesco one i used to use was 100% recycled paper, which had been smushed into small balls, like cat litter. 

Its nice to give them different areas to play in. In my cage, their bed is full of facecloths so its squishy and warm, their hammock is full of shredded tissue because its squishy and warm. and the floor is full of shredded paper because I hide food in there for them to hunt for. Many people use towels or fleece on the bottom because it is easier to clean - you just shake them and put them in the washing machine, wipe out the bottom of the cage and replace them with clean ones. The people who do this will usually litter train their rats and they use the yesterdays news in the litterpan and replace this with clean litter every couple of days when it looks dirty.

All I am saying is that there is really no need to waste money on the branded Yesterdays News when the other versions available are just as good.


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

One last thing - 

You can go to a lot of trouble arranging their beds, but at the end of the day they will do what they want with it and move stuff around until they are happy. I usually find their soft tissue is thrown out of their bed and hammock and replaced with shredded paper. On cold nights they even take the paper from the bottom of their cage and rip it up themselves, and on warm nights they just throw everything to one side and sleep on a bare hammock.

Its good that you are researching, but calm down, they will be fine!


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## CrazyBones (Apr 1, 2008)

I use news paper shreddings, I don't read the paper so i collect them and shred them, sometimes i leave some blank for my rat to chew up and rip them. I am doing great for the enviroment by recycling or using them for compost.
And it's cheaper to, but i live in australia, i dont know if you get free news papers?

Go in a super market they should have a pet section but i dont know if they have bed material?


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Yesterday's News is a well reccommended bedding - in America. If you want to pay the price and get it, that's cool. But the cheaper alternatives are just as good, and just as reccommended within UK rat circles 

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=e...lt&cd=1&q=biocatolet+yesterday's+news&spell=1

I think realistically, ANY bedding that you get has it's pro's and con's. Research will only confuse you (as it did me when I started looking at all of this). My advise? Go with something used and reccommended by many, and that you feel most comfortable with. It's not a perminant choice anyway, if it doesn't work out - switch.


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> Yesterdays News IS paper based cat litter. It is just branded and therefore expensive.
> 
> The tesco one i used to use was 100% recycled paper, which had been smushed into small balls, like cat litter.
> 
> ...



Which Tesco brand did you use before? I havent actually checked out Tesco's yet, i work in a Morissons store so i just looked in there.. Ive recently baught some tea towels and face cloths (much to my sisters demise as im 'spending way too much on them' ..its a lie.. >>'') I currently have fleece down on my cage as it has wire flooring, but i dont think its thick enough as you can still feel the wire very easily.. im thinking of buying some plexiglas but dont know where to get it from. What do people attatch the fleece to the flooring with as mine keeps coming up and if they tug at it itll probably come up even though its bend underneath the flooring. Hmm.. i have a week off from work so i think ill pop into Tescos and Asdas to see what they have ^^''


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I use carpet on rough flooring, then put fleece over that. You can buy carpet tiles from Homebase for between Â£1.99 and Â£2.99.

What kind of cage do you have? On my 'pan' cages (like a Savic Freddy or the Jenny) I just cover the entire pan in fleece (up the sides too and use the wire frame to keep the fleece in place.


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## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

CrazyBones said:


> I use news paper shreddings, I don't read the paper so i collect them and shred them, sometimes i leave some blank for my rat to chew up and rip them. I am doing great for the enviroment by recycling or using them for compost.
> And it's cheaper to, but i live in australia, i dont know if you get free news papers?
> 
> Go in a super market they should have a pet section but i dont know if they have bed material?


i thought that was horrible to use as bedding? you must clean the cage every single day or something. anybody have any info on this. i coulda sworn that shredding paper was a bad idea for bedding. if you want to use old news paper get something like yesterdays news right? where is it compacted balls of paper and not soft shreds?

i could be wrong so please correct me if i am.


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## RatsR4Life (Mar 11, 2008)

kancerr said:


> CrazyBones said:
> 
> 
> > I use news paper shreddings, I don't read the paper so i collect them and shred them, sometimes i leave some blank for my rat to chew up and rip them. I am doing great for the enviroment by recycling or using them for compost.
> ...


 It is recommended that you make sure the paper is soy based, because that way its harmless for a rat to ingest. But i never heard of shredding the paper being bad for the rats. If you dont shred it then the rats will! LOL

Also, i came across YN, i thought it was bargin cheap! $4 for the small bag, you mean there are brands just as safe as YN but cheaper?? Please share!


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

RatsR4Life - in the UK (the OPs location) YN is SOOOO expensive. Other, similar, products have been developed that are effectively the same thing, but more affordable (for us)


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## kancerr (Apr 7, 2007)

i just figured that it wouldnt absorb really very well...i give my guys tp or paper towels, and after 1 day its so disgusting that it has to be thrown away. i figured a cage full of something of the likes would be just as nasty.


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> One last thing -
> 
> You can go to a lot of trouble arranging their beds, but at the end of the day they will do what they want with it and move stuff around until they are happy. I usually find their soft tissue is thrown out of their bed and hammock and replaced with shredded paper. On cold nights they even take the paper from the bottom of their cage and rip it up themselves, and on warm nights they just throw everything to one side and sleep on a bare hammock.
> 
> Its good that you are researching, but calm down, they will be fine!


Thats ok then, i dont want them to be uncomfortable ^^' Its good that theyll move stuff around on their own, i thought they would but i figured id ask. I guess i should really calm down, my sister thinks im going a bit overboard with everything ^^'' Personally i think the cage looks too bare.. I guess i panic a lot about them because im new to rat owning, im glad i found this site though because it really helps to have experienced rat owners give advice =3 Thanks to all!


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> I use carpet on rough flooring, then put fleece over that. You can buy carpet tiles from Homebase for between Â£1.99 and Â£2.99.
> 
> What kind of cage do you have? On my 'pan' cages (like a Savic Freddy or the Jenny) I just cover the entire pan in fleece (up the sides too and use the wire frame to keep the fleece in place.


I dont know what kind of cage i have, its three floors and totally metal. Its the 'USA Cage' on www.acrorats.co.uk (near the bottom). I had thought about the tile thing but do you have to stick them down? Wouldnt it be harmful if you stuck them down and they nibbled at it from below? o.o


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> RatsR4Life - in the UK (the OPs location) YN is SOOOO expensive. Other, similar, products have been developed that are effectively the same thing, but more affordable (for us)


Pardon the stupid question, but what does 'OPs location' mean?


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

oh! sorry! "original posters location" - aka, the UK.

And as for the cage - you should be able to put carpet tiles on those no problem. If you cover the carpet with fleece (attach the fleece to the bars so it can't be pulled up) they can't get to the carpet to pull it up.

I've never had a problem with my girls going to chew the carpet - and they can be real chewers when they want to be!


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

IT was Tesco's own, in a blue and white paper cat litter bag. Thats all I remember.

I might have had it from Morrisons before too but its been a while since I bought it.

I might look at carpet tiles for my cage. Its a plastic bottom and I currently use a couple of sheets of newspaper, which they shred up sometimes. I used to shred newspapers too but I seem to get a lot more post these days so I just shred that instead.

I know the ink can be an issue but I havent had any problems.


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> oh! sorry! "original posters location" - aka, the UK.
> 
> And as for the cage - you should be able to put carpet tiles on those no problem. If you cover the carpet with fleece (attach the fleece to the bars so it can't be pulled up) they can't get to the carpet to pull it up.
> 
> I've never had a problem with my girls going to chew the carpet - and they can be real chewers when they want to be!


Sorry if ive given you the wrong idea but i dont have a problem with them chewing the carpet ^^'' (dont even have the rats yet! haha. Thatll all change next week though <3) The fleece is to cover the metal wire flooring because without it the cage looks more like a lab rat cage than anything else, i got it because of its size and said to myself that id make the flooring better - bumblefoot and all that.. 

Ive tucked the fleece beneath the floor (the floor on levels 2 and 3 are removable) and kept it in place with masking tape but it doesnt seem to stick properly.. hmm.. maybe if i get some florists wire and attatch it that way? OH! Also, is florists wire the same as 'rose wire' as the guy i want to buy it off on ebay (no florists near me) doesnt have a clue what hes on about and isnt helpful at all X_X''


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> IT was Tesco's own, in a blue and white paper cat litter bag. Thats all I remember.
> 
> I might have had it from Morrisons before too but its been a while since I bought it.
> 
> ...


Im back from being drenched in the rain on my way to buy freakin cat litter, haha. I didnt realise that we dont actually have a proper Tescos near us, its 'Tescos Exra' and none of the cat litter there was 100% paper - the only blue and white packaged one didnt say anything either - its so frustrating that the lables are so minimal! I couldnt get _anything_ out of what was in it  After going to a load of shops i went to Sainsburys, i didnt think theyd have anything but to my suprise i found 'Bio-catolet' (sp?) on the self! A little pricey (i think.. never really baught cat litter before..) but it'll have to do for now ^^'' Next time im in town ill look in Asdas and stuff.. Now all i need to buy is the food then im all set for the little rat babies =3 Hmm.. food could be a problem.. i dont want to buy the crappy pet shop food so i guess ill have to make my own, that 'suebees diet' or whatever the **** its called looks really complicated, i havent heard of half the stuff in the **** thing! do you know of any more simpler rat diets - or perhaps someone who is willing to sell me some of their homemade food in the UK?


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Do you have a pets at home nearby? Their Rat Nuggets come reccommended, as do Excel Suparat (by Burgess). You can even try the Shunamite diet 

http://www.shunamiterats.co.uk/diet.html

Edit: Oh! and this is what I meant that you could do with the floors (forgot before, had to go get a pic!)










I use it for my shelf, but you could do the same for the floor.

Attaching the fleece - um. You could use cable ties? Or I just pop a little through the bars and clip it in place with a small bulldog clip (you can buy a pack of small ons in ASDA for maybe Â£1.50)

Just some ideas


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## Emster (Dec 9, 2007)

I currently use Pets At Home safe paper bedding for the flooring (I'm thinking about going to fleece though once I use the bags up) and also their wood litter pellets for the girls poopy tray - as I call it 

EDIT - They also sell Carefresh at Pets At Home, but the bags are so small it wouldn't be worth buying and you'd need at least 2 bags just for one clean out and at Â£3.19 a packet, I wouldn't even consider it.


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

It looks like mine are on the shunamite diet and I didn't even realise!

I mix pets at home rat nuggets with multicoloured dried pasta and rice crispies, branflakes or multigrain cheerios (or a mix)

One batch lasts me 3 months for 2 rats so its pretty cheap.


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> Do you have a pets at home nearby? Their Rat Nuggets come reccommended, as do Excel Suparat (by Burgess). You can even try the Shunamite diet
> 
> http://www.shunamiterats.co.uk/diet.html
> 
> ...


YES! We actually DO have a Pets At Home nearby! ..well.. sort of.. my dad'd have to drive me there as its a bit of a distance to travel simply for rat food, but if i buy several packs i shouldnt have to go back for a while  Thanks so much! **** i love this forum site, haha. 

Ooh, that diet is actually a lot more simpler than any other ive seen, i think ill buy some food from pets at home but if one day dad refuses to take me i can always make some using that 

Ahh, i see what you mean now, i guess I was the one with the missunderstanding, eh? sorry about that ^^'' Thats actually a really good idea.. ill have to ask my parents where i can buy some carpet from though ^^'' Is any type of carpet ok? I presume it should at least be very short - no long-haired carpet and stuff as theres no point. 

Also, would you reccomend buying rats from Pets At Home? Thats where im planning to get mine from (after i ask a **** of a lot of questions) and i was wondering if the conditions there are ok. I went to another petshop called Booths and it was HORRID! Im planning to make a complaint and see if i can get them shut down because it was discusting, and the poor ratties and all of the other animals were in horrid conditions.  Um.. do you know where i can make complaings to? XD Yeah, im completely new to both rat buying AND atempts at shutting places down ^^''


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> It looks like mine are on the shunamite diet and I didn't even realise!
> 
> I mix pets at home rat nuggets with multicoloured dried pasta and rice crispies, branflakes or multigrain cheerios (or a mix)
> 
> One batch lasts me 3 months for 2 rats so its pretty cheap.


Guess we all learn something new everyday  How much pasta/cereal do you mix in anyway - or do you just use common sense depending on your rats?


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

My two dumbo's are from PAH. 
Would I buy from there again? Possibly. Use your instinct.

They are good at the ones ive been to in recent years. They use paper based bedding, feed them rat nuggets, and the rats are really friendly.
I got mine from there because I was allowed to hold them and they were very friendly and the kid that worked there seemed as if he spent every spare second with them making them extra tame.

I mix 1 bag of nuggets (I think they are one size but if there were 2 sizes then I'd get the biggest) with one bag of pasta - the average sized bag from the supermarket, and 1 regular sized box of cereal. I am also mixing in some rat musli too but I will stop that when I have run out. 

They also get cooked pasta or rice or meat when I have it, and fruit and veg everyday.


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

Also, if you find that they are only eating say the pasta or the cereal, you can always just feed them nuggets and fruit/veg half the time.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

The carpet you can get in tiles from Homebase quite cheap. And it'll be easier to cut the tiles to fit your cage.

PAH (the ones I have experienced) have been ok. But use your judgement when buying them - look for signs of health etc. I don't know whether yours has it, but mine certainly does, a Pet Adoption Scheme? Animals from oops litters, unwanted pets etc get put into this scheme to adopt out to an owner for a donation (usually half the price they sell for). All the money goes to a local animal shelter - and I know my local PAH has quite a good turnover of rats there. All I've seen have been quite healthy, too. I don't know if that helps - it's an alternative to regular pet shop bought rats


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## melon (Mar 27, 2008)

i get my cat litter from morrisons, it`s their own brand recycled paper cat litter and it costs under Â£2 for a large bag! my rats have never had any problems with it.
as for food i`d also recommend rat nuggets, i was using PAH nuggets but switched to the super excel apple and blackcurrant flavor as my ratties seem to prefer those and it was a mission to get to the nearest PAH so it suited me as well


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> My two dumbo's are from PAH.
> Would I buy from there again? Possibly. Use your instinct.
> 
> They are good at the ones ive been to in recent years. They use paper based bedding, feed them rat nuggets, and the rats are really friendly.
> ...


They sound quite decent then, which puts my mind to rest. Im worried that they might get their animals from rodent farms though because my uncle who tipped me about PAH said that if they dont have what you want they can 'order' them, but i want to know if they get ALL of their stock from the same 'breeder' cause if they do then its likely to be a rodent farm  I hope they dont as i know a lot of petshops do that now-a-days, itd really suck if they did.

Wow i guess the mix makes a lot of ratty food o.o'' Whats 'rat musili'? Also, would mixing some seeds baught from acrorats into the food be a good idea? 

Thanks so much for your help on these subjects  I cant wait to get my little ratties!


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

melon said:


> i get my cat litter from morrisons, it`s their own brand recycled paper cat litter and it costs under Â£2 for a large bag! my rats have never had any problems with it.
> as for food i`d also recommend rat nuggets, i was using PAH nuggets but switched to the super excel apple and blackcurrant flavor as my ratties seem to prefer those and it was a mission to get to the nearest PAH so it suited me as well


I looked at the morrisons cat litter but i wasnt too sure after reading an article on '100% paper based' cat litter that really isnt as 'paper based' as people'd like to think  I went on a mission to find another cat litter instead and got bio-catolet for Â£4.49 from sainsburys.. kinda sucked but at least i know its safe (i worry a lot ^^''). I know what you mean about living too far away from the nearest PAH! My dads not a rat fan and i think **** be a bit miffed when he finds that i expect him to drive me there when i run out of rat food (so ill buy several bags at once).


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

rat musli is another food that they do at PAH for rats, its not that high in protein but they can be known to pick out the best bits so i am phasing it out of my twos diet. 

I know PAH won't pay breeders for 'stock' because when I phoned them peed off when I thought Carrot was pregnant, thats what they told me. 'Oh well she shouldn't have been near any boys, but if she is pregnant we will take the babies - for free...' It turned out she was just fat! But on the good side, at least they knew how to tell the difference between boys and girls.

I believe they get their rats from local(ish) breeders - I have lived all over England and all PAH's i've been to have had very different rats.

As ration said, check the rats out, look for shiny coats and bright eyes, and ask to handle some before you decide to take some home. Its really hard to turn down poorly rats, but be sensible!


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

The Morrisons stuff is 100% paperbased. We have used it before. Its fine - get that next time, its MUCH cheaper.

Thinking about it, I think it was Morrisons that I used more than Tesco, since I haven't lived near a Tesco in ages.


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> The carpet you can get in tiles from Homebase quite cheap. And it'll be easier to cut the tiles to fit your cage.
> 
> PAH (the ones I have experienced) have been ok. But use your judgement when buying them - look for signs of health etc. I don't know whether yours has it, but mine certainly does, a Pet Adoption Scheme? Animals from oops litters, unwanted pets etc get put into this scheme to adopt out to an owner for a donation (usually half the price they sell for). All the money goes to a local animal shelter - and I know my local PAH has quite a good turnover of rats there. All I've seen have been quite healthy, too. I don't know if that helps - it's an alternative to regular pet shop bought rats


I dont think we have a homebase near us unfortunatly. I didnt know you could get 'carpet tiles', sounds easier to use. If not would a bit of ordinary carpet be ok? I dont think ive heard of a pet adoption scheme but ill keep an eye out for one, maybe my local vets has something like that. I cant wait to go to PAH now, it actually sounds decent, thanks


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> The Morrisons stuff is 100% paperbased. We have used it before. Its fine - get that next time, its MUCH cheaper.
> 
> Thinking about it, I think it was Morrisons that I used more than Tesco, since I haven't lived near a Tesco in ages.


Ill have a look next time im at work (i work there). Come to think about it Morrisons is more convenient that going all the way to town to get some litter ^^''


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Your vets may know a local place that does it, it would be quite helpful. PAH do the adoption scheme around mine - that's how I bought home Jack and Gus (I'm a sucker for nakies).

Do you have a B&Q? They may do similar. If not, maybe try local carpet fitters/shops, see if they'll sell you an offcut cheap?


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> rat musli is another food that they do at PAH for rats, its not that high in protein but they can be known to pick out the best bits so i am phasing it out of my twos diet.
> 
> I know PAH won't pay breeders for 'stock' because when I phoned them peed off when I thought Carrot was pregnant, thats what they told me. 'Oh well she shouldn't have been near any boys, but if she is pregnant we will take the babies - for free...' It turned out she was just fat! But on the good side, at least they knew how to tell the difference between boys and girls.
> 
> ...


Thats actually a big worry for me that one of the females i get could be pregnant, my parents'd never let me get another rat EVER if that happened, we used to have mice and Horo gave birth to 9 babies - no more micies now, she let me keep one of the babies to keep Horo company but im never allowed anymore - im happy with rats though  Ill be sure to ask a lot of questions and id never purchase an animal without handling it anyway because i buy based on personality and social-ness and not 'how pretty they are' ...although itd be a lie to say im not inlove with hooded rats  Problem is im a suker for poorly things, the feeling of 'needing to rescue' animals is overwealming ^^'' I guess ill just have to be strong!


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

I was recently looking for carpet tile and found B&Q do them for about Â£3 each and Focus have them too. Wilko does cheap door mats for 50p I think, they could work too.

You dont HAVE to get rats from PAH, you could check the internet for local breeders... My sister just found one in Yorkshire who is selling Dumbos for Â£2 each!! I paid Â£9 each for my two so I was going to contact the breeder when I decide to expand my mischeif.


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

shinzo-chan said:


> Thats actually a big worry for me that one of the females i get could be pregnant, my parents'd never let me get another rat EVER if that happened, we used to have mice and Horo gave birth to 9 babies - no more micies now, she let me keep one of the babies to keep Horo company but im never allowed anymore - im happy with rats though  Ill be sure to ask a lot of questions and id never purchase an animal without handling it anyway because i buy based on personality and social-ness and not 'how pretty they are' ...although itd be a lie to say im not inlove with hooded rats  Problem is im a suker for poorly things, the feeling of 'needing to rescue' animals is overwealming ^^'' I guess ill just have to be strong!


Rats are quite easy to sex. Its pretty obvious which ones are boys anyway. Try and get a good luck at all the rats in the tank and don't get the ones that look 'round'. There will always be a small risk, but I dont think PAH are too bad, and a breeder would know better.


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## BowlTipper (Mar 21, 2008)

CrazyBones said:


> And it's cheaper to, but i live in australia, i dont know if you get free news papers?quote]
> 
> Well, its not exactly free in the USA (unless you're willing to basically steal from the multitude of "free" adds and whatnot that are found in stores, around bus stops, etc...) but for about 1-2 bucks a week, depending on how much the local paper charges for their sunday paper, you basically get a week or so of bedding depending on how much is used per cleaning...
> 
> I do have my reservations though. I'll use regular shredded newspaper, but any ads which are on glossy paper, I won't use. My girls love turning the newspaper into a cozy nest. (When they do that, I can't even see where they are because they're litterally under the newspaper shreddings.) I'm also planning on getting a shredder so that I can make the shreddings more fine than what I currently do by hand.


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> I was recently looking for carpet tile and found B&Q do them for about Â£3 each and Focus have them too. Wilko does cheap door mats for 50p I think, they could work too.
> 
> You dont HAVE to get rats from PAH, you could check the internet for local breeders... My sister just found one in Yorkshire who is selling Dumbos for Â£2 each!! I paid Â£9 each for my two so I was going to contact the breeder when I decide to expand my mischeif.


We actually have a B&Q in town so ill take a look in there next time. Would i just attatch it to the cage using florist wire like everything else?

Ive been checking the internet for ages for local breeders but it looks like there arent many rat fans around here cause i didnt get ANY results 

Ive just gotten back from PAH and i didnt buy any rats. There were two BEAUTIFUL hooded males but they seemed really..hm.. whats the word? ..skittish..? like they wanted to get away from the hand all the time.. then again if i was being yanked out of my 'home' for people to look at me id want to get away too. The thing was one of them had dodgey breathing, you could hear him breathing through his nose and it just didnt sound right. I didnt want to buy one without the other so i left them. Also i have to admit i was a little intimidated by their size - they were huge! I asked how old they were and the lady said that they were older than 6 weeks but wouldnt give a specific age. I originally wanted females anyway so i left them my number to call when they get some in. Its a shame though.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Recently I've found, especially with hoodeds, that they are left till last in a pet shop. We have a severe problem down here at the moment, where no body is buying hooded rats because they are "boring" and a couple of breeders have popped up in the area who are producing the more exotic colours, dumbos, hairless etc. It's a real shame. If it's anything like that up there, it wouldn't surprise me if they were even a few months old. You would probably be best asking how long they've been there, rather than how old they are. They'll be able to find that paperwork, and you can assume that they're usually given to the pet store at 6/8 weeks old. That can give you a better idea, as most of the employees won't have a clue and would rather guess than appear wrong. (I've found that happens in most pet shops)

Don't be intimidated by size though - at least if they are almost adult, most of their growth will be over and their behaviour has settled. I've also found that the 'older' pet store rats settle down easier, even if they do need a little extra effort at being handled during the first few weeks.

Good luck on your rat hunt though; you sound well and truly prepared 

EDIT :- Also, a thought, have you tried your local RSPCA centres? Maybe they can let you know of any local rescues? Also http://preloved.co.uk can be a good place to find rats needing homes


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> Recently I've found, especially with hoodeds, that they are left till last in a pet shop. We have a severe problem down here at the moment, where no body is buying hooded rats because they are "boring" and a couple of breeders have popped up in the area who are producing the more exotic colours, dumbos, hairless etc. It's a real shame. If it's anything like that up there, it wouldn't surprise me if they were even a few months old. You would probably be best asking how long they've been there, rather than how old they are. They'll be able to find that paperwork, and you can assume that they're usually given to the pet store at 6/8 weeks old. That can give you a better idea, as most of the employees won't have a clue and would rather guess than appear wrong. (I've found that happens in most pet shops)
> 
> Don't be intimidated by size though - at least if they are almost adult, most of their growth will be over and their behaviour has settled. I've also found that the 'older' pet store rats settle down easier, even if they do need a little extra effort at being handled during the first few weeks.
> 
> ...


I cant see why people wouldnt want hooded rats, in my opinion theyre the most beaufiful! I just love their stripe, i guess its because i like a variation of colour rather than a whole plain colour. Im feeling really bad about leaving the boys there now, it sucks. My main worry with males is that theyd fight though, also they are more smelly than females. If they ended up fighting itd be really hard for me as it could very easily result in my having to give the trouble maker up  Hance the no males. Its a shame cause i like the idea of a lap rat. Ive already looked on preloved but everyone lives so far away from lil ol' me  Life really does suck XD Oh well, i hope PAH get back in touch soon though with good news!


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Im going to B&Q today to look at carpet tiles, but i think ill try to get some proper carpet instead depending on the pricing, i dont mind spending on the rats but ill be buying their food the same time as i buy them (PAH is far away so i cant just pop down there this weekend or something) so i need to save a bit - theyve cost me around Â£100 so far and i havent even got them yet! O.O''


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

Just to throw some spanners in the works:

- Boys don't really smell more if you are keeping their cage clean, and both boys and girls will scentmark (dribble)
- Fighting boys can usually be dealt with by neutering one or both of them if it comes to it
- Some girls will fight too, and there will almost always be a small squabble to decide who is head ratty.
- Girls can be laprats too - pretty much ANY baby rat you buy is not going to sit still until its older, and even then it may still be an explorer

Proper carpet is expensive, but good luck finding an offcut. I think the tiles are harder wearing so get something with a similar texture.

I dont think you need to buy anything else just yet. Just a couple of toys, food and water, and a friend will keep babies happy, and you can gradually get newer stuff for them as time goes by.

Definitely start saving though, because if one gets sick it can cost you an absolute fortune (A check up is about Â£12-15 and Carrot cost me Â£150 last month) and you need to be prepared for such things...


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> Just to throw some spanners in the works:
> 
> - Boys don't really smell more if you are keeping their cage clean, and both boys and girls will scentmark (dribble)
> - Fighting boys can usually be dealt with by neutering one or both of them if it comes to it
> ...


I know if i keep the cage clean then they wont smell as much, but its the scent marking that bugs me and males do it more than females. Any rats i get will be spayed or neutered anyway, but i used to have mice and Daisuke was a real bully and was always trying to kill Pippin and we ended up with three seperate cages (we had two girls together) and i really dont want several cages in my room as it started to become really expensive and tiring. I feel bad enough about leaving them there, i keep thinking about them and part of me just wants to go back and buy them  Its a pain in the butt really.

Jesus, rat are really expensive at the vets O.O'' Im getting mine checked up within the same week i buy them to make sure everythings ok, its a good thing i have around Â£600 in the bank, i think ill put half of it into a savings account and then get some of my wages to go directly in there every month then - so expensive! I heard about poor Carrot, is she doing better? I want to get my ratties spayed but it looks like the cone'll be a **** of a problem then.

I just baught a door mat (thanks to whoever suggested that!  ) to go under my fleece, ill need to buy another one as one mat wont quite be enough to cover all of the floors. My mum recently found out how much ive spent on my ratties and shes told me not to buy anything else for them ^^'' But hey im a saver, i rarely spend money to treat myself so ill treat my ratties instead! =3


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Lol, sounds just like me. I swear I can't remember the last time I bought a people toy - that wasn't for the rats.

If you're planning on spaying/neutering - remember that this does tend to cut down marking behaviour in the boys anyway. To be honest, it'll depend on the boy you get. Some of my boys (even my girls) mark the heck out of me (baby-wipes at arms reach!) and others I've never known to do it. It's just one of those things I guess


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> Lol, sounds just like me. I swear I can't remember the last time I bought a people toy - that wasn't for the rats.
> 
> If you're planning on spaying/neutering - remember that this does tend to cut down marking behaviour in the boys anyway. To be honest, it'll depend on the boy you get. Some of my boys (even my girls) mark the heck out of me (baby-wipes at arms reach!) and others I've never known to do it. It's just one of those things I guess


Haha, im the same with pets - especially rodents. Currently whenever i go shopping if im with someone i just nudge them and go 'think like a rat <3' and they just kinda roll their eyes at me, but theres so much ratty stuff among every-day things! Ive seen a wooden 'sugar' container than i want to buy them and my mums responce was 'uhh.. dont you think youre going a little _over board_?' ...and then she forbid me from buying them any more stuff until after i get them XD Hmm.. i dont actually have baby wipes yet, ill need to get some. 

OH! What do you guys use for and in your litter trays by the way, thats one thing i dont actually have yet.


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

I was just wondering why you were going to have your girls spayed? Because of the complications we have had, and the cost involved, I wouldnt have another rat spayed unless I was mixing sexes or unless there was a medical reason. Just my opinion. :? 

Apart from registering them with a vet, there isn't any real need to take them there for a check up, unless you feel that something might be wrong. Well, thats my opinon anyway. I'd let them settle in for a bit first and look for anything out of the ordinary.

Oh, and Carrot is doing well, thanks


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> I was just wondering why you were going to have your girls spayed? Because of the complications we have had, and the cost involved, I wouldnt have another rat spayed unless I was mixing sexes or unless there was a medical reason. Just my opinion. :?
> 
> Apart from registering them with a vet, there isn't any real need to take them there for a check up, unless you feel that something might be wrong. Well, thats my opinon anyway. I'd let them settle in for a bit first and look for anything out of the ordinary.
> 
> Oh, and Carrot is doing well, thanks


It says in many of the rat books that i have read that female rats that dont get spayed develop mammory tumours, well, i think it said either 80% or 90%, and there were some photos and the tumors were HUGE, they grow really fast i think. Anyway it would be cheaper just to have them spayed than to have several tumors removed in a life time, dont you think? However i can see why people would see it as odd if they have kept female rats and have had no such tumors, but whilst i was in work experience at my local vets a rat came in with a tumor and it was freakin miserable, poor girl. 

I guess letting them settle first would be a good idea, im just worried that i might miss something as im not very observant and i wouldnt really know what their normal behaviour is as theyd be new (and im new to rats).

Im glad Carrot is well, it must have been really hard for her to be ill  My first pet was a gerbil called Jerry and when he got brain damage (dont ask >>'') i cried so much, and when he died i cried loads too. I didnt really cry for the mice much, i guess it was because id suffered my first loss and i realised what it felt like and could be stronger.. oh im not saying Carrot is going to die or anything! O.O' Sorry if it sounds like that! ..um.. yeah.. ill shut up now...


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I've been known to use the a tupperware container in the past. A large cermaic casserole dish is good to. You can get corner litter trays for ferrets (which my girls use) and they are ok but a little expensive for what they are.

Generally people advise using a different litter to what is the main litter in the cage. If you are using bio-catolet (for example) as your main bedding, get a pack of carefresh and use that for the litter tray. That way they can tell the different between "ahh, living place" and "aaaahhhhh, poooopy place!"

Spaying girls is actually quite reccommended. Spaying them at a young enough age can significantly decrease the likelihood of them getting mammary tumours later in life. If you can get a good vet, and have previsions at home (in case they turn out to be stitch chewers etc) you usually shouldn't have a problem. (touch wood)


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

Ration1802 said:


> Spaying girls is actually quite reccommended. Spaying them at a young enough age can significantly decrease the likelihood of them getting mammary tumours later in life. If you can get a good vet, and have previsions at home (in case they turn out to be stitch chewers etc) you usually shouldn't have a problem. (touch wood)


Yep, I read that.
I think I just don't trust my vet.
I was considering getting a boy and having him neutered (not quite as invasive as a spay, but still...) but I would insist that the actual exotics vet did the op, and not the student who did the spay.

A very experienced vet, the owner of the company in fact did Carrots second op and I think he did a rubbish job. The stitches were massive, im not suprised she had them out. He's a dog/cat/horse kind of vet i think, but it was an emergency


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> I've been known to use the a tupperware container in the past. A large cermaic casserole dish is good to. You can get corner litter trays for ferrets (which my girls use) and they are ok but a little expensive for what they are.
> 
> Generally people advise using a different litter to what is the main litter in the cage. If you are using bio-catolet (for example) as your main bedding, get a pack of carefresh and use that for the litter tray. That way they can tell the different between "ahh, living place" and "aaaahhhhh, poooopy place!"
> 
> Spaying girls is actually quite reccommended. Spaying them at a young enough age can significantly decrease the likelihood of them getting mammary tumours later in life. If you can get a good vet, and have previsions at home (in case they turn out to be stitch chewers etc) you usually shouldn't have a problem. (touch wood)


How big should the litter tray be? o.o' Isnt carefresh the bedding? Like 'nesting' material type thing..? Or do they do litter as well? Whilst i was in work experience at my local vets they removed a tumor from a rat and seemed to do a good job, but i still need to go in and ask some questions just to make sure - my work experience was over two years ago so that person might have left. What previsions would i need at home if they _are_ stitch chewers anyway?


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

How big is the cage? The litter pan should be fairly big, so they don't have as much chance of missing, but obviously it depends how big your cage is as you wouldnt want it to take up all of the floorspace.

What I would do is use towels/fleece as bedding, and the cat litter stuff in the litter tray. That way there is a huge difference between the 2 things and they will learn that the cat litter is their toilet.

If they are chewers you can get e-collars. Ration sent one to me which she got from her vet, however Royal Mail were being their usual selves so I had to make do with one I made from thin card for the most part. I would only advise a card one as a temporary measure as it has rubbed Carrots neck and she has a bald stripe now.

To make a temporary one you need thin card and fabric plaster tape (i used selotape initially which is probably why her neck is bald).


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I usually make sure the litter tray is big enough for at least two rats to climb in at any one time, with enough room for manouvering etc. As long as it's not too small though, and lets them "do the do" then you should be fine.

As long as the stuff you put in the litter tray is different to the stuff you are usig for the rest of the cage, it should be ok. For example; I use fleece, but bio-catolet in my litter trays. Many people use Carefresh for the main part of the cage, and then use YN for the litter tray, or vice versa.

I hope that makes sense lol

Edit: As xampx says, it's always a good idea to have a cone, or cone making material on hand for chewers. Usually, they say pain meds should be enough of a preventative measure to stop them chewing but there is always that odd rat to which the rule doesn't apply. For the amount the collars cost (usually between Â£5-10) it's good to have one on hand. I always do, they can be a life saver at times!


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> How big is the cage? The litter pan should be fairly big, so they don't have as much chance of missing, but obviously it depends how big your cage is as you wouldnt want it to take up all of the floorspace.
> 
> What I would do is use towels/fleece as bedding, and the cat litter stuff in the litter tray. That way there is a huge difference between the 2 things and they will learn that the cat litter is their toilet.
> 
> ...


This is a link to the cage i got them, the measurements are on there:

http://www.ideas-4-pets.com/pages-p...ier-indoor-ferret-chinchilla-rat-cage-dh.html 

I dont really know what to use as a litter tray though as id have to order a ferret one online, if i get a low-sided plastic tub with the lid off could that work? Also im planning on using bio-catolet for the pan flooring so would another cat litter be ok in the litter tray or would that just be completely pointless? I dont know if theyd be able to tell the difference if i did that, i know you can get bathing sand for chinchillas and small animals but i dont know if rats can have sand.

Bless poor little Carrot, it must be sore around her neck. I used to help the vets make buster collars whilst i was there so i think if i REAALLY tried after a few trial and errors id be able to make one again. By 'helping make them' i mean just putting it together but i did loads so i can sort of remember what they looked like before i put them together, so i think i could do it. What other material apart from carboard would you recomend though, is there a thin plastic as it would be a lot better. Haha i dont even know why im discusing this, i dont even have them yet and the vets may well have ratty-collars anyway. I think if they do i might get a few anyway just in case anyone on here needs one in an emergency ^^''

Also, what made you come up with the names for Pea and Carrot? Off topic i know, its just theyre so strange! Warm up to them after yiu say them a few times though (or in this case see the names in a siggy everywhere you go!  haha.)


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> I usually make sure the litter tray is big enough for at least two rats to climb in at any one time, with enough room for manouvering etc. As long as it's not too small though, and lets them "do the do" then you should be fine.
> 
> As long as the stuff you put in the litter tray is different to the stuff you are usig for the rest of the cage, it should be ok. For example; I use fleece, but bio-catolet in my litter trays. Many people use Carefresh for the main part of the cage, and then use YN for the litter tray, or vice versa.
> 
> ...


Ill be popping by my local vets shortly so ill ask them for a buster collar as well whilst im asking about ratty surgery. To be honest i thought they were free ^^''' Oops ^^''


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

> I dont really know what to use as a litter tray though as id have to order a ferret one online, if i get a low-sided plastic tub with the lid off could that work? Also im planning on using bio-catolet for the pan flooring so would another cat litter be ok in the litter tray or would that just be completely pointless? I dont know if theyd be able to tell the difference if i did that, i know you can get bathing sand for chinchillas and small animals but i dont know if rats can have sand.


Plastic tubs are fine - that's what I started with when I started litter training the girls.

As paperbased cat litter is the best advised, I don't think it would make much sense to use another of the same for the litter trays. You want to encourage a sense of "ok, rat. live here .. poop in there". I, personally, would just pick up a pack of Carefresh. It's different enough and is good at absorbing smells. Plus, one pack will last quite a while if you're just using it for the litter tray (a good cheat is to take it out of the bag you buy it in, put it in a bin bag and fluff it up. Makes it last a lot longer)

Edit: free buster collars? Ack you're lucky! I know of two vets in the area that give them, one sells for about Â£7 (my vets) and the other for Â£11.50 (hence why I don't use them!)


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

Off topic still - what exactly is carefresh bedding?

I called them Pea and Carrot because I grow vegetables and I call them my little veggies 

I wouldn't worry about getting a collar just yet, get the rats first. You can always get a collar should you need it, and you can make one in an emergency until you can get to a vet. I saw one online made from plastic but you'd definitely need to use that plaster tape stuff as it would have sharper edges.


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> > I dont really know what to use as a litter tray though as id have to order a ferret one online, if i get a low-sided plastic tub with the lid off could that work? Also im planning on using bio-catolet for the pan flooring so would another cat litter be ok in the litter tray or would that just be completely pointless? I dont know if theyd be able to tell the difference if i did that, i know you can get bathing sand for chinchillas and small animals but i dont know if rats can have sand.
> 
> 
> Plastic tubs are fine - that's what I started with when I started litter training the girls.
> ...


Carefresh looks quite good actually. Does PAH sell carefresh at all - or any other UK shop like Tesco or something? Or do you get yours from a website? Haha thanks, i will use the 'cheat' then - fluffing up here i come >=3 

I dont really know if buster collars are free or not, i just presumed they are since when they give you your dog back or something after an op it just has a buster collar on.. maybe its included in the total price? Probably is. 

Ive just gotten back from my interview at Grimsby College, im doing an Animal Care Diploma after i finish my courses at my curren college and i CANT FEKKING WAIT!! There were two ratties and they were AWESOME X3 I wanted to steal them.. but i wont.. >>'' **** it, i want rats so badly! Wasnt too keep on the big-ass bunnies though.. watched Watership Down as a kid... never got over it *shudders*


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> Off topic still - what exactly is carefresh bedding?
> 
> I called them Pea and Carrot because I grow vegetables and I call them my little veggies
> 
> I wouldn't worry about getting a collar just yet, get the rats first. You can always get a collar should you need it, and you can make one in an emergency until you can get to a vet. I saw one online made from plastic but you'd definitely need to use that plaster tape stuff as it would have sharper edges.


I just googled Carefresh and it looks like grey muck XD Looks suitable for a litter tray though, i think it would be too expensive to use for the pan/floor anyway because id need a good amount. 

Haha youre wierd. Its a good wierd though  Im planning on naming mine Kiba and Loki, im a manga/anime fan so i love Japanese names.. im not sure if Loki is japanese but theres a cat called Loki in a manga im reading and i really like the name.. mum hates it though ^^''

I guess im over reacting on the collar thing and i could always make one but i like to fully prepare for these things ^^'' Its because if i didnt have a collar i wouldnt really know how to stop them taking out stitches and id panic a lot.


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

Ah, right, they use carefresh in PAH for their rats. Its similar to the paperbased cat litter but bigger chunks. 

I like my shredded paper because it is free, although im tempted to use fleece. I'm looking to add a shelf to my beasties cage so I will think about all these things when I make some changes. I may even attempt to litter train them (at 20 months, should be fun!)

I want to get a boy and call him Dilbert like Lilspaz


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> Ah, right, they use carefresh in PAH for their rats. Its similar to the paperbased cat litter but bigger chunks.
> 
> I like my shredded paper because it is free, although im tempted to use fleece. I'm looking to add a shelf to my beasties cage so I will think about all these things when I make some changes. I may even attempt to litter train them (at 20 months, should be fun!)
> 
> I want to get a boy and call him Dilbert like Lilspaz


I think ill use a mix like you suggested before (i think it was you anyway...) it should be interesting to see where they put it all. My dog is excited about new family members cause he keeps going up the the rat cage and looking at it and sniffing about, he loves to watch little things =3 Hes a complete rodent addict, he used to sit and watch my mice for aaages ^^. May i ask why you havent litter trained them yet, are they too hyper to be litter trained or something?

Is Dilbert the really tiny cute baby hooded? Hes so cute! Id end up calling him Dilly for short though


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Dilly (many call him that lol) is adorableeeeeee! I wish I could have stolen his wee zombie self back in his wee zombie days!

And - completely off topic I know - I'm glad I'm not the only one who had the bejeebus scared out of them while watching Watership Down! Loved the book - can't watch the film LOL


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

Dilbert the zombie is amazingly cute. I think the bf would even like that name 

Anyways, back on topic, i was just in Asda and THIS is what I used to get for my 2 before I realised Morrisons did a cheaper version. This stuff is actually only Â£1.98 now though


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> Dilly (many call him that lol) is adorableeeeeee! I wish I could have stolen his wee zombie self back in his wee zombie days!
> 
> And - completely off topic I know - I'm glad I'm not the only one who had the bejeebus scared out of them while watching Watership Down! Loved the book - can't watch the film LOL


That zombie pic was hillarious! Hes such a cutie =3 How old was he in that pic by the way? My mum has set her heart on me getting rats that are around that age because of their cuteness (not really a good idea of why you want a rat but at least shes accepting it ^^'') but i dont think that age can be baught at pet shops can it?

Watership Down is a film made by the DEVIL! *cowers* Ive been scared of rabbits since i was a kid cause i used to have nightmares all the time about it, im getting better now though and can hold them and stuff im just wary of them, i only freak out now if they go near my neck, lol. 

Ive never read the book, my friend has it (shes a fan of watership down.. she scares me XD) and says that the book is awesome but its worse than the film or something.

Hmm.. we are sooooo off topic XD Oh well ^^''


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## shinzo-chan (Apr 2, 2008)

xampx said:


> Dilbert the zombie is amazingly cute. I think the bf would even like that name
> 
> Anyways, back on topic, i was just in Asda and THIS is what I used to get for my 2 before I realised Morrisons did a cheaper version. This stuff is actually only Â£1.98 now though


Thanks so much! This really helps, especially since there is a picture  Im going to buy that brand next time im in town then ^^


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