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07/14/2019 The decorative rat is characterized by curiosity and mobility. An intelligent and playful pet rodent who loves pranks and fun. It is very important to find time to play with your pet - this is connected not only with maintaining an emotional connection with your pet, but also with fulfilling the animal’s need for physical activity. The lack of daily physical activity is fraught with the development of obesity and other serious diseases for the rodent. To keep the animal healthy, you need to provide it with a daily marathon (at least 2 hours), in which a walk will be combined with games.
What and how can you play with your pet rat?
The decorative rat is characterized by curiosity and mobility. An intelligent and playful pet rodent who loves pranks and fun. It is very important to find time to play with your pet - this is connected not only with maintaining an emotional connection with your pet, but also with fulfilling the animal’s need for physical activity. The lack of daily physical activity is fraught with the development of obesity and other serious diseases for the rodent. To keep the animal healthy, you need to provide it with a daily marathon (at least 2 hours), in which a walk will be combined with games.
Which gender is better
Another problem: who is better - a male or a female? In my opinion (I have had cats, hamsters, a rat, a dog in my life), females are better: the maternal instinct makes the female smarter than the male, and besides, males have an overly developed desire for reproduction and leadership, which leads to a significant disadvantage - marking the territory , as well as a tendency to disobedience.
The female rat is smaller in size (weight up to 400 g). They are more mobile and clean. They have an instant reaction, so they will bite you more than once, because... it is not their rules to understand the situation. But they are absolutely not vindictive.
Males, on the contrary: large (weight up to 600 g), more passive, not so clean: they constantly mark everything around with urine, are vindictive and prone to revenge. However, as with all rules, there are exceptions. True, I personally have not observed any of these...
How to play with rats
It is important to play with the rat correctly. The main thing when playing with a small pet is safety, therefore:
- All games and walks outside the cage are under the control of the owner - leaving the rodent unattended is prohibited.
- It is advisable to cover sofas, chairs and other furniture in advance with a material of a color against which the little fugitive would be immediately noticeable.
Before letting your pet out of the cage, you should make sure that he will be out of access to such objects as:
- wires;
- bin;
- houseplants;
- other pets (if any in the house);
- open doors and windows;
- ventilation vents;
- cracks etc.
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During the game (and any other time) it is strictly prohibited:
- lift or pull the rat by the tail;
- step on or sit on a rodent;
- squeeze your pet tightly;
- raise the animal high.
Such treatment of a pet is unacceptable under any circumstances.
Diseases
The poor health of the animal is difficult not to notice. A healthy rat is always cheerful and cheerful, plays and runs a lot, has clear eyes and shiny fur. If you notice that your pet is acting differently or looks unwell, it is best to contact a veterinarian immediately.
The most common diseases in rats are:
- Mycoplasmosis. The animal can pick it up by airborne droplets; Complications may develop and pneumonia may appear. This disease can be fatal to the animal.
- Abscesses. Appears when a pet is injured. In this case, it is necessary to open and disinfect the outbreak.
- Benign and malignant tumors.
- Parasites. Rats are not given anthelmintic drugs for prevention; they are used only when the disease already exists.
What can you play with a rat at home?
It is recommended to provide your pet with interesting leisure time both in and outside the cage. This is not difficult to do. It is highly desirable to have the following equipment in the animal’s cage:
- running wheels;
- ladder;
- tunnels;
- wooden toys;
- plastic balls (for example, table tennis);
- hammocks;
- shelves, etc.
This will provide the animal with exciting and useful leisure time within the walls of its own cage. As for entertainment outside the cage, at home you can play the entertaining games presented below with a small, active and inquisitive rodent.
Cat and mouse
The animal will enjoy hunting for a “mouse” attached to a strong thread or rope. The “mouse” can be:
The game is simple - you need to move a rope around the rat. The “mouse” will follow the thread, and the animal will enthusiastically attack the object, cheerfully jumping up and having fun.
Rabotage
This game, in essence, is a fight between a rodent and an opponent, whose role is the owner’s hand. It’s easy to captivate the animal - just move your fingers near the floor, depicting a small living creature moving. Having noticed a “competitor”, the animal will want to overcome it.
Gym
You can construct a unique sports and entertainment complex for your pet with your own hands using available materials. To work you will need:
- plastic bottles (for tunnels);
- cardboard boxes (for pens, towers, maze stages).
In the boxes, it is important to make openings for transitions that correspond in width to the size of the animal. The design of the complex is arbitrary - you should rely only on your imagination and the amount of consumables at hand.
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Hide and seek
Decorative rats love this game. Moreover, you don’t need to look for the animal. For hide and seek with a rodent, you just need to choose one of two main game options:
- Place a randomly crumpled blanket or large towel on the sofa or floor and run the animal under it.
- Place your pet in your bosom - under a robe or jacket, preferably with long sleeves.
The little traveler will be happy to tinker under the fabric. Every time he sticks his face out from somewhere, you need to praise him and encourage him.
hidden treasures
You just need to hide the treat inside the box or under crumpled cloth. Then all that remains is to watch with interest how the little tracker will look for a tasty “treasure”, relying on his sense of smell.
Training
A smart pet can be taught simple tricks - jumping through a hoop or from “stand to stand”, etc. The rat is capable of spinning on a hoop, fetching small things, etc.
Proper training strengthens the friendship between owner and pet. The main thing is not to forget to praise your pet and reward it with goodies during training.
Bathing
If the animal likes to “take a bath,” you can please him with this procedure. To do this you need:
- Fill the basin with warm water 5 cm from the bottom.
- Place an inverted bowl or container on the bottom to create an island (the bottom of the bowl should stick out of the water).
After bathing, the rat needs to be dried so that its fur is dry, otherwise the animal will catch a cold.
Care and maintenance
Cell
Domestic Dumbo rats, like other rodents, are kept in a cage. It is best to choose a spacious metal cage
Ideal cell for Dumbo paint
Wooden and plastic rods can be easily chewed or damaged by rodents.
Selection of accessories
In the rodent's home you need to place:
- a house or hammock where the rat will rest and sleep
- various exercise equipment, toys, ladders
- mineral stone for grinding teeth
- special drinking bowl and food bowl
Remember that the cage should not be left in the sun or placed in a draft. The optimal temperature for keeping a pet is 20-22 degrees
Litter selection
Wood shavings or thick paper are ideal as bedding. You should not choose small sawdust: a rodent can accidentally inhale them, which will entail negative consequences and contribute to the manifestation of allergies.
Tip 類: sawdust can be bought in poultry stores or where they sell feed. The price per bag is 200-300₽. When a small bag in a pet store costs 70₽.
Caring for and keeping Dumbo rats involves cleaning the cage as it gets dirty, on average 1-2 times a week. Once a month it must be disinfected.
How to play with baby rats
You can start playing with babies only after going through the adaptation period. When the pups get comfortable in their new place, you can begin taming them in a playful way. Allowed:
- carry them in your arms;
- let them play with safe things (it’s good if they have the owner’s smell);
- let them run around the table or sofa;
- put them in your bosom and let them wander under your jacket.
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Any actions should be accompanied by affectionate conversations, stroking and preferably treats.
Varieties
Thanks to the work of breeders, several subspecies of the Dumbo breed have appeared, each with its own differences and characteristics. First of all, they differ in fur type and colors. You can buy a furry animal or, on the contrary, a bald one, white or black, red or gray, the choice is really great.
Rex
These are the owners of very dense and curly fur. The fur covers the animal's entire body evenly, so they look plush and soft. Small rodents have fur that sticks out in different directions, which looks very funny. Some representatives have curly antennae.
Sphinx
As you can guess from the name, these animals have no fur at all. The skin is very soft and velvety to the touch, can be pink, black, white, blue. There are folds of skin on the body. Regarding the whiskers, they may be completely absent or, on the contrary, be very long; there are animals with short whiskers.
The lack of fur classifies this breed as hypoallergenic and is suitable for people who suffer from allergic reactions. It is impossible to house these representatives with breeds that have fur, since the latter may display aggression. Naked animals require special care. Crossing these representatives with other species is not recommended.
Siamese
Very cute animals that have soft cream-colored fur, and brown paws and muzzle. They belong to expensive breeds, all for the reason that they have a recessive gene, in other words, the characteristics of the breed may not be passed on to the offspring from the parents.
Husky
These representatives are born with a standard coat color; as they grow and mature, they develop white hairs. These animals look very gentle and cute.
Manx
These are tailless rodents that have caused quite negative reviews from experts. This feature was the result of a gene mutation, but as it turned out, the absence of a tail does not allow the animal to live fully.
This feature negatively reflects on the animal’s skeleton, makes it impossible to maintain proper balance and eliminates the possibility of reducing body temperature naturally (due to the tail). Their life span is no more than 12 months.
Blue mink
These cute animals have gray fur with a blue tint. Such a unique and luxurious coloring, of course, affects the high cost of the rodent.
How to tickle a rat
Tickling is another easy way to play with your rat at home. Pet rats respond to tickling in a similar way to humans, due to similar brain structures. These rodents show a touching and funny response to gentle touches in the following areas of the body:
However, different individuals may have different sensitive points. Some are not at all afraid of tickling, but such rodents are in the minority. Most decorative rats are sensitive to tickling. At the moment of tickling, the animals emit an intermittent squeak, similar to laughter, and also wave their paws and jump provocatively. Tickling and play sessions should be interspersed to diversify your pet’s leisure time.
Habitat and characteristics of the breed
Rodents of this breed are not found in the wild; they are bred specifically for decorative purposes. The name of the animal was given by a Disney elephant calf, which differs from other representatives of its species by its large ears.
The characteristic features of the Dumbo rat are:
- Large, compared to the size of the rest of the body, low-set, rounded ears
- Pear-shaped short body
- Pointed muzzle
- A long tail
The size of the dumbo rat is practically no different from the size of its relatives; weight – up to 400 grams, length – up to 20 cm. Of course, there are larger individuals, but they are quite rare.
Games with rats
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Of all small domestic animals, rats are the most sociable with their owners. It is very easy to play with rats, because they themselves want to frolic with you. Sociable rats love attention and, like many cats and dogs, want to spend as much time as possible with their owners. Below are several games for you to play with your rat.
Rats love to jump and get crazy with other rats. This is how you can play rat wrestling: place your hand so that your fingers look like paws. The hand then becomes a rat-sized wrestling opponent. Walk your fingers towards the rat. At first, the rat may sniff you with caution. Walk your hand back and repeat the path to the rat again. Most likely, she will jump on your hand, but not to bite, but simply grab it sharply with her paws or lightly bite your moving fingers. You can continue the petting game or try to gently turn the rat over. You can continue to play like this, because this is not real boxing and no one will get hurt. Many rats love to have this game played with them. If the rat gets too excited, you can always put it back in the cage to calm it down.
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Rats love to chase strings if teased, like a kitten. Drag the string around the rat or tie a piece of crumpled paper to one end and throw it on the floor. The rat will be much more interested if you move or sharply pull the string so that the paper ball moves unpredictably. After a long game, you can give the rat a ball as a reward for good behavior.
"Running with obstacles"
For your rat, it can be like an amusement park, filled with interesting things to climb and run around. Cut several cardboard boxes and put them together to make the walls of a large pen. Place the pen on the floor (on a surface that will be easier to clean up after play). Place cardboard boxes inside, milk cartons with holes cut in them, platforms connected by ladders or rolls (from toilet paper or kitchen towels). Or if you like to make things, you can build such a pen with a plywood floor. Make holes in the floor so you can secure some elements, like ladders or swings, so they don't move. Be creative! Change the environment every time you introduce rats! You can create a specific obstacle course with a start and finish, and reward the rat when it completes everything. Don't limit yourself (and your rat) to only horizontal obstacles, build vertical ones too. Always keep an eye on your rat during such training. Remember! This is important for the rat - check the room where you are playing. Make sure that your rat cannot escape through small holes. Close windows and doors and make sure other pets cannot get to the rat. And move electrical cords out of the rat's way. As you know, rats are quite intelligent animals and need a large field of activity. BUT we cannot spend as much time with them as they would like - some have work, some have school, you never know. And of course, not everyone can allow a rat to walk around the apartment all the time - wires, plants (they can be poisonous to your pet!) - all this can cause harm to the rat, and if they don’t harm the rat, but vice versa :)) Of course, every owner he wants his rat not to get bored and to have fun spending time with him. And this is precisely why there are a number of games with which you can please your rat. Not all of them are here, so if you come up with or remember something new, be sure to write!
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This is a puzzle game for rats :)) Take a simple matchbox, put something in it that the rat likes (preferably this product has a strong smell), then close the box and hand it to the rats
