# Leaving rats alone?



## Gussy (Jul 4, 2014)

How long is it okay to leave rats on their own for? There's a possibility I might have to leave my 2 boys alone for a couple nights next week (leaving Sunday afternoon and returning late Tuesday afternoon). I'm in a new city and I don't really know anyone who I trust enough to come in my apartment to check on them. If I give them 2 bottles of water and plenty of food, would they be okay?

Also, out of curiosity for future reference, what would people estimate the longest maximum time I could leave them on their own be?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I'd never do more than three days; that's with hiding food, over feeding, and several water bottles. Also making sure they're away from windows, other pets, kept cool, and given new toys. Again, never more than three days. I don't want my rats to go more than say, six hours without food (low blood sugar...) but they don't know to pace themselves and not over eat. Always hve a backup plan. Some dog kennels do have a small animal room and exotic vets usually offer boarding. 


Mine don't even do well with two days. Right now they're pent up in their cage since Thursday night, with daily visits with treats and pets and they're not doing well. They're bored and frustrated and lonely. They'll be out tomorrow and it'll be for many hours the poor things. 


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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

I leave my boys alone from friday afternoon to sunday night two or three times a year for anime conventions and all I do is give them enough food for that time and fill there water bottle and they are fine.


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## Gussy (Jul 4, 2014)

Would it maybe be easier on my guys since they're mostly cage rats? I take them out for maybe 5 minutes or so a day, but they aren't free range at all. I do pet them and talk to them a lot though, so they might miss that.


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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

Maybe you shouldn't own rats then they really need to be out for AT LEAST an hour a day a few hours is better. If you want something to watch then hamsters or fish are a better pet for you.


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## Gussy (Jul 4, 2014)

I've tried taking them out for extended periods of time, but my guys just don't seem that interested in being out. They just end up going straight back into the cage. They're also fairly new, I just got them last week, so they're still adjusting to the new environment. Don't just assume I can't handle having rats.


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## Bronte18 (Jun 2, 2014)

Id never leave my rats for more than 24 hours and that's with both my mum and dad checking on then several times a day. They need fresh food everyday, they aren't like fish you just leave there, they need out and stimulation everyday! Mines get out 6-8 hours a day on average, sometimes even more! You never see me without a rat down my jumper or on my shoulder. If I HAVE to go away for a weekend they come with me. Only exception is, this September my fiancé has planned a holiday for us for 10 days, I can't take the rats as it's in the Canary Islands, and I'm upset about that, but they are staying with people I love and trust who will take them out everyday and feed them everyday, plus I'll be able to phone and check everyday. What if one of them took really not well, needed immediate help? I'm sorry but this is frustrating, who would leave their pet for that long... You wouldn't do that with a dog or cat (at least I hope, these days you just don't know) so what's different about a rat?


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## Gussy (Jul 4, 2014)

Asking this question has made me feel like an idiot now. If I could delete this thread, I could. Sorry guys.


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## relken0608 (Jul 11, 2013)

Please don't feel that way! There's no such thing as a stupid question  You asked how long they can go, the answer is 3 days max. Like someone mentioned before, hide food so it'll take longer to find. I took a piece of string, put treats in it (though in this case tying the food around the string) then fee the string through an emptied toilet paper roll, and stuffed the space loosely with tissue paper. This will keep them occupied too.

If you have an extra water bottle that'll help. Is it hot where you live? Petsmart sells a thing called the chin-chiller for nine bucks here, its a price of tile and stays cool so your rats can keep from overheating (80° can kill a rat if conditions aren't remedied in a couple days) while you're gone.

Please don't be too upset with the other posters. We are all rat lovers and there are a lot of people who don't understand them and unintentionally mistreat the poor things. Sometimes its easy to get jumpy when you're protecting something you care about. Rats are a ton smarter than they get credit for and need mental stimulation. Its like if you owned a Border Collie, lived in an apartment, and only once or twice said "hey fido, who's a pretty puppy?", only letting them potty inside in a dog-sized litter box. For that collie as well as your rats, its not an ideal life. Trying your best is the best you can do but if their quality of life is lower than morally acceptable, something must be done. Its up to you to analyze the situation and your own beliefs and current circumstances and determine the best course of action for you and your rats. 

There are lots of threads here on ways to increase trust with your rats, but honestly I think they just need time to adjust to new surroundings. When you let them out maybe try it away from their cage so they can't run and hide but rather wander explore and come to see that the world isn't so scary when their human friend is around to keep them safe and keep them occupied 

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## tigerstripesk8 (Jan 24, 2014)

They'll be fine with a day or two as long as they're not the type to eat all the extra food at once. It's definitely better if you have someone check on them and play with them, but sometimes that just doesn't work out. I've had to leave my boys home alone for a night or two before and they're fine. I do recommend giving them extra playtime when you get home, though.


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## deedeeiam (Apr 8, 2014)

My rats get left alone pretty much every weekend from June through November. I don't even let my hermit crabs go more than 4 days without someone checking on them, so three days for the rats is about the max.


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

Don't come down so harshly on Gussy, his rats are still new and just getting used to things. I just recently started free ranging actually, it took me about a month to do it. They would just sit there like lumps and not do anything but hide. It just takes time for them to get comfortable. Keep working with them, they'll come around  


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