With my rats, I found a treat that they absolutely loved. They came in a bag, and they were strawberry flavored etc. Everytime they heard a bag noise they thought it was the treats and came running to me. With those treats I was able to teach them to jump from chair to chair. Starting at a short distance and slowly expanding (it was incredible to see how far they can jump). Your doing great tho!
Guys theres so much hate in this comment section saying either how much they dislike this youtuber or how much they dislike rats.. if yall have anything against this video (other than helpful constructive criticism) then it would help everyone to keep it in your own head. If you’re that angry to waste somebody’s time, take it out on rude racism, rude homophobics, and other things. All you’re doing is hurting people and causing drama (which is scientifically proved to increase your mental and physical health later on in life), so don’t waste your time on amazing videos like these. Thank you for reading this and I hope you sleep better or just have a better day.
TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 getting 2 female rats 0:37 name introductions 1:52 food & treats 3:33 how I feed them 3:48 foraging toys 4:41 current cage 5:04 paper bedding 5:38 litter pellets 6:03 litter training rats 6:25 their favourite thing! 7:33 free roam time 8:47 pea fishing 9:28 comment suggestions down below 10:20 insta: @alexandra.stott for live videos of them! instagram.com/alexandra.stott/
@@alexandrastott NOOOOO I MISSED THE PREMIER!!!! I WAITED 11 HOURS BUT I ACCIDENTALLY FELL ASLEEP 😭😭😭 but anyways, you're beautiful and never let anyone tell you you're not. I believe this belongs to you: 👑
I am a first time rat owner so I would appreciate any suggestions or constructive criticism you can give. Let me know any videos you'd like to see with the ratties ❤️
You should do a video on how to convince your parents to let you get pet rats! I would definitely need that video because my parents think that I just want pet rats as a joke. 🕴️Also, I highly recommend watching Shadow the rat! She has so many videos on training rats! 💕
Sprout is such a cute name for your rat. Aww dumpling is adorable too. That sucks that shipping to Canada is so expensive. It was more than the price of the begging wtffff. Dang girl, they have a pretty nice life living with you!
aww dumpling and sprout are such cute names!! This is so interesting to learn about, omg the litter training story is awesome! They seem so smart! Aww the pea fishing was so cute, You're such a good rat mama 🤗
Hey! You’re doing great with their enrichment and care! One thing I always recommend is feeding young rats the adult rat Oxbow and supplementing extra protein like scrambled egg, meal worms, almonds, chicken, etc. until they reach six months. The young rat food has alfalfa in it which is hard for them to digest. The adult rat diet is essentially the same just with no alfalfa and less protein.
Regards the training. Clicker training and treats is a good way to train rats. They pick things up really quickly. It took my rat ten minutes to learn how to give me a kiss for sweetcorn. After that he was licking my eyebrow when I stopped giving him sweetcorn for kisses, lol You don`t need to buy a clicker, just make a clicking sound with your mouth.
I've just got my first rats a few weeks ago and oh boy, living in NZ I FEEL YOU on the shipping + international discourses etc. Ive been googling for good pellet brands and such, and like, oxbow seems to be considered the gold standard, which is basically not sold here. I went with vetafarm origins in the end bc a handful of people said it was 'okay, you know, if you can't get oxbow' and my boys seem to love it. Also, it's one of about two options easily available where I live - and I can't deny - that was a very strong argument in it's favour! I'm surprised/impressed your girls are such well-behaved free roamers tbh. My lads are not trusted with free roaming at this time (and probably not ever, if I'm honest). Part of that is that we rent and the other part is that we're pretty techy and have a lot of wires running about. (The third part is that they're little pee machines, which might calm down a little once I have them snipped, and which might not. Either way, they'll probably never go anywhere near my pillows. I'm happy to wash my clothes every time they pee on them, but washing the sheets every night is a much bigger ask!) They have a huge perspex playpen for the evenings though, and I built them a massive wheel and some climbing structures which go in and out of the pen interchangeably for variety.
i’m hopefully getting rats soon, so i’m watching a bunch of videos about caring for them etc, and i just thought i’d say that your video is really useful for on foraging ideas etc, so thank you!
That is so exciting! Do you know if you want males or females yet? I did the exact same thing, I binged vlogs of people adopting their rats- that's why I filmed the day adopting mine :) I'm glad you found it useful, thanks for watching!
Hey, I just love how clear your joy is when you speak about your rats and how fast they learn. I remember being just as excited when my rats simply used the toilet without needing any training on it. One thing I can recommend is the yt channel "isamu rat care" she has full playlists about diet, bedding, enrichment etc. From what you described it sounds like you are just somehow mixing some random things together for the food. I would recommend to look up some recipes of other rat owners, as rats need certain portions of different foods to also help prevent/lower the risk of health issues like tumors. (I guess that it just sounded like this in the video. And you mentioned Emiology, I remember that she addresses the food mix topic as well ^^) I myself am not confident to make my on mix but I am lucky to have an online source for a good rat mix. It is really great to see that you care so much about your two little furballs and I am really looking forward to seeing them grow :D
I'm a newly rat owner and I found no salt smooth organic peanut butter and I just smear some on my fingers not only is this a treat but it gets them used to your fingers. I also found that organic q-tips is a way for them to use there brain and give them something to do and chew on!
Hi Alexandra!!! I love your rats !!! I have a rat too anyway I love your mix and foraging toys !!! For substrate I use a mix of yesterdays news, shredded newspaper ( with paper shredder) and care fresh** but a little you could do a cleaning rat cage video, playtime video, morning routine with your rats Idk thanks so much for your content!!!!!!❤🐾🐀🐀👍🏼😷
@@alexandrastott we aren't positive how old they are the vet estimated maybe l year old or l year and a half??! We are not sure but its seems quite about right!!! Rio ( my rat says hi to your cute little rats🐀🐀🐾
I loved the video! I want to get rats within the year so I would appreciate all the rat videos you are willing to make. I love your enthusiasm for them. They are precious!
I subscribed when you first got your rats so I love how you did a whole video about them now! I became a rat mom last summer and I love my girls. For bedding, I use an aspen shaving that I find at my local petco (the brand switches depending what's on sale). I love it because it gets rid of the pee smell and just smells like wood. I would love to see a video in the future of a "cleaning the cage/cage set up" or even when you set up whatever new cage you get. I know I'm not much more experienced than you with rats but from what I can see, you're doing an amazing job with them and really do your research when it comes to everything you use. I can't wait to see more vids with your rats!!
Wow thank you for your sweet comment! How many rats do you have? I'll definitely look into that bedding and I have made a note about that video concept, it's a great idea! Really appreciate it❤️
Oh my gosh I watched thr video where you got your rats about a week ago and immediately went to your channel looking for updates. So happy that you've posted another video with them - they're super adorable!
I don’t buy “rat food,” just dog food, oats, cereal, vegetable based chips, horse pellets (check the ingredients) and other things and mix it in a five gallon bucket
Omg they are so sneaky and funny ahhaha, I love how they're just running around and doing their own thing! Sprout is such a cute name I love it!! Omg dumpling 😭 I used to have a little hamster and this is reminding me of all the things we had to get for her, even though they're are so little they need to much support and care! Yesss they are so active at night it cracks me up, my hamster used to run on her wheel for HOURS in the middle of the night 😂
They're so cute! They will grab food from me and scurry off and was it behind a pillow. So cool you had a hamster, I don't actually know anyone who has had one before. Have you had any other pets?
hey i have watched many of your videos and seen u have gotten two more rats and switched beddings i do recen fleece is a good soft base its cheap lasts long and soft u can just wash it when it gets dirty and all four of ur rats are the cutest things
Fleece isn’t the best bedding tho because if you use a loose substrate it helps in courage natural behaviour like digging and foraging whereas fleece doesn’t and it can build up ammonia levels due to pee and it’s not safe if they rip it up - hemp & aspen are great beddings
My veterinarian warns that rats could choke on flattened peas. Unfortunately, most of feed mixes contain peas. So I remove all flattened peas from mix before feeding my girls :)
I recommend having like fleeces in the cage and put the cut paper or ceder wood in the litter trays my rats got potty trained very good from have a litter tray from temu and I put cut paper in it and rocks that they will pee on and yeah it pretty clean now in my rats cage my girls love walking you should try that
It's so strange to me that rat care is so different between Europe, US and Canada. You're doing great with all your research. I personally use aspen or hemp bedding and it works well for me.
I feed cooked wild rice and fresh whole foods mulberries, grapes, spinach, my four do not want the Oxbow pellets? Also puffins cereal they like maple oatmeal, also first time rats .. bought a bigger cage for my two young girls the other cage came with a ton of stuff and two 6 month brown girls so -- now four girls
Hi Long time rat owner and a mod of real rat care on Facebook a popular rat Facebook group Firstly THANKYOU for doing your research So amazing how fare we have come with care and research with rats First thing I highly recommend looking not hemp bedding it’s literally amazing with smell and their health It is popular for people to believe and say 2 rats are ok and yes 2 rats is ok because some people get 1 rat and saying well you need atleast 2 more can be overwhelming and then they do nothing so we says pairs are good Rats thrive in massive colonies so I highly recommend getting 3 plus as they can form a group dinamic and bonds and a social hierarchy which for their mental health is so so so important And if one was to suddenly die which can happen at any age you are not left with a very depressed and grieving rat that is now alone which adds extra stress So I highly suggest getting atleast 3 rats Wish you the best And your doing amazing Great video to 😊❤️
Unfortunately I learned that 3 rats is better then 2 after already getting my girls. I wish I would have gotten 3 from the beginning. I know I can't mix rats of different ages at first (young and older rats in one cage) but I also should not keep 1 rat alone so how should I go about it if I got another rat? I thought I would isolate the new young rats, but how would I go about this if I were to only get 1? Would I simply need 2? Thank you for your comment and sharing your knowledge!
@@alexandrastott who told you You can’t mix rats at different ages 🤨 Talk to a breeder and get as close as possible age to your current rats It just can’t be dramatic like a lone 6 week old baby with 5+ month olds and the 6 eek old will need atleast 1 other 6 ish week old for their development Or just get two baby or old rats You also shouldn’t get just 1 rats at a time
A great training channel is Shadow The Rat. They have loads of rat training videos for a multitude of tricks and they also have some great rat care videos. They are based in the US so you might be able to find some good stuff from them that Emiology doesn't use because she's based in the UK. Love your rat videos btw and I would love to see you react to some rat tiktoks. :)
They are so sweet!! They're so cute hiding behind the pillow hahaha This video was so nice and informative! I'm glad you're having a nice time with your baby rats. Is it hard to train them? Aww they're so adorable!
Thank you 🥰 They're adorable when they grab food from me and scurry away under the sheets or behind a pillow to eat, so silly! I appreciate you taking the time to watch. They can be trained but I think I am not consistent enough and sort of give up. As a result, it's been slow to train them.
You can use you're first cage as a sickbay if one pf you're animals needs to be quarantined. Aspen wood bedding is a great bedding....it gets everywhere.
What I always do for my rats and what the really enjoy is when they free Rome I make a box and put some treats and food and kind of hide them so they have to scavenge and find the food I also get a water bowl put some pees and sweet corn and the jump it and start fishing for the food also a very good treat for rats is rainbow drops I normally give mine a few rainbow drops a week :)
I would recommend getting some fleece to use instead of regular towels. The towels will probably get pretty chewed up over time, and when that happens, it can cause a lot of fraying/loose strands that can potentially be a hazard. Of course, with towels this varies, so it might be fine, but if after some time, you start to find stringy, frayed edges and loose strings from them, I'd recommend switching to fleece. I was able to find some fleece dog blankets for the same purpose and I was able to cut them into smaller squares and they seem to work well.
Ok, thank you for the comment! I can definitely see a towel becoming a hazard for their tiny extremities. Where have you found the best luck in purchasing fleece? A pet store or online?
@@alexandrastott I bought these ones from Amazon: www.amazon.com/Comsmart-Print-Blanket-Cover-Inches/dp/B06XC5VNDW/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=fleece+dog+blankets&qid=1616034406&sr=8-5 Pretty good price and comes with more than enough (I was able to cut each blanket up into a few pieces so there's plenty to cycle through) Something like this works great (I tend to shy away from some of the fluffier fleeces out there) and I'd imagine you could probably find something similar in a pet store if you wanted to shop in person.
Along with the crave, id recommend Sunburst rat and mouse food and ditch the Oxbow. Oxbow is hay based and can cause starvation. I had all my small pets on Oxbow and they weren't getting what they needed so I switched them to a mix of Sunburst hamster &gerbil food, kaytee hamster & gerbil food, and kaytee rat and mouse lab blocks. Plus fresh fruit, vegetables, and treats. Much happier and healthy pets now. But I think you have a good jumping off point for sure with mixing everything. I'm also in ontario and it can be hard to find Sunburst, I have to get it off amazon but I think petsmart carries the rat and mouse food from Sunburst, I could be wrong.
@@monsenatividad5559 I wouldnt just feed crave. Theres a whole science behind making your own food, you have to make sure you're using the proper measurements. I honestly haven't figured it out so thats why I mix commercial foods instead. I'd recommend mixing the crave with Mazuri rat and mouse blocks if you can find it. Where I live in ontario you can't find Mazuri anywhere so I substitute Kaytee rat and mouse blocks. It's not that far off from mazuri. But low sugar and fat cereals are generally safe, I can only recommend searching and doing research on what's safe and unsafe. But I also recommend Sunburst as well. Kaytee is probably you're cheapest option out of all that I've mentioned. Sunburst here on amazon is about $23 for a 2.5lb bag. Which is expensive but it lasts me over 3 months for my pets. I'm not sure how much mazuri is.
You know what I use instead of bedding? i put there bath rug the one that has silicone tape on the bottom so it doesnt slip and very absorbant, and they have pellets in their toilet. Works perfectly.
The brand of food your using is great! You should look for the food that is specific for rats as it’s not possible to give both species the nutrients they need in one food
Well perfect timing, I just posted a vlog where I took Sprout to the vet & did a cage makeover (I got new hammocks from Etsy) if you're interested in watching :) no pressure of course - ua-cam.com/video/c_yGBfhaIYY/v-deo.html
Hii, first of they are sooo cuteee!! I would definitely use dust free bedding otherwise they might get a respiratory infection. And it’s good for your rats to give them 20/25 grams of food each, every day. (Also give them animal products like a boiled egg or mealworms. Good for growth) The more variety the better. I know there is a book the scuttling gourmet which is completely about rats and what they need. And maybe switch to a more vegan diet once they’re over a year old. (Better for the kidneys and they don’t need all the animal products at that age)
Wow this is so cool, I don’t think I know anyone that have rats as their pets, I’m actually kinda scared of rats but they look so obedient! U train them so well and they look like they love u so much!! 😍😍❤️
Thank you! U don't know anyone with rats either- other then watching some people on youtube. A lot of people in my life were scared of rats as well but after interacting with them, they think the rats are super cute now.
Katee bedding is pretty good. Kind of pricey but I think it's worth it. Also maybe pick up a big bag of Timothy Hay. I'm not sure about rats but I know gerbils love that stuff. Actually I think Oxbow offers that.
Be careful, I think there’s baking sofa in this bedding which can really irritate your rat’s lungs. I’m in Quebec, Canada and I use corn cob. It’s very cheap and dust free, it is perfect.
They are soooo freaking cute!!!! Have you taking them out and about with you outside anywhere? Keep the videos coming. I’m living my rat ownership thru you!!
Ahh thank you, I'm obsessed with them! I've taken them around the house with me but nowhere outside. So glad you can live through me lol let me know if there are any videos you'd like to see with them!
I order an aspen bedding off of amazon - also ive trained all my rats to spin so thats really easy - you lead them into a circle with the treat and give it when complete, then start luring it out as in just be farther away while doing the spin motion and they should catch on - that is literally the only thing ive trained all my girls i suck at training lol
Safebed is very good and wood pellets in the literbox -problem you mus Clean more (but you see how much pee they do and poo.) and if you neet that for vet that poo is this Cleaner and after a sugary softer too (safebed) un general i find them better because at the same time is this a funny toy for them and easyer to carring from pet shop/suzpermarked and make not so much dust and dirt around and is softer and soak alot of wet stuff wihout molding
Personally I use Science Selective Supreme lab blocks together with a mix based on the shunamite diet. Of course I have no idea if it's available to you in the area where you live, but the best lab blocks are def science selective. For bedding I use ecobale/green mile. You can also use toilet paper/tissues etc to put in the sputniks, which is something you'll have to replace regularly tho, rats will be rats 😅 It's lovely to see such an amazing first rat owner like you! I can tell you really love your babies ❤️❤️
I would love a pair of pet rats but knowing my luck they will hate me and not want to be handled no matter how gentle I am with them ☹️ should I still get rats anyways and see if things work out??
I've heard if you put a "pee rock" in the litter tray it's also good. Basically, just a small, smooth stone on top of the litter. They'll pee on the little rock, so there will be less pee in the cage. I haven't had rats before, but would like to someday. I have enough pets as is, with an elderly cat and dog... But I like watching pet videos as way to relax. 😂 Anybody else do that? Lmfao.
I keep a pee rock in their litter but they still seem to be peeing everywhere lol. I totally get that! I watch pet care videos for animals I'll never even have. What breed of dog do you have??
Hey! I'm really interested in getting rats, I do have experience with small rodents but I spot clean my hamsters cage everyday, would you say rats stink? You obviously have to clean every week but do they stink even I'd you clean it?
hi! i owned 2 hamsters before i got rats and now i own both rats and hamsters. unfortunately rats do smell significantly more then hamsters. i also have to clean my rats cage much more frequently, i spot clean around. 3-5 times a week and full cage clean out once a week. my hamsters i spot clean around 3 times a week and full clean once a month. just for reference all my hamsters have been male syrians and i have 3 male rats. if you decide on getting rats definitely look into room purifiers. rats do have a musky smell, but i absolutely love having them!
@@marandajeanne thankyou so much! I have 1 male hamster and 1 female ( both Syrians) I'm on the same cleaning routine as you are! My hamsters do not smell much but I don't mind a little odor. I will definitely invest in air purifiers :)
oxbow young and rat mouse food is actually not the best for them the best food is oxbow essential adult rat food is the best!! i’d recommend you not to feed them rice krispies as they do contain a lot of sugar stick to cheerios shreddies sherreded wheat and gerbers baby cereal for cereals to feed them also so happy your upgrading for a critter nation i have a triple critter nation for my 13 girls! i use aspen wood shavings for bedding and fleece be careful with paper bedding and make sure it’s dust free! also try a corner litter box use the same litter and use a pee rock, move there poop and put it in there litter box they will catch on don’t give up!! i hope i helped you!! great video i loved it!🥰💜
I’ve only had rats for a year, but a big help for me was the rat Reddit. There’s a subreddit just for rat owners. You can post questions, pictures, just about anything and there’s TONS of experienced owners on there to answer questions. As for bedding, I’m in the US so the brands I mention might not be available, but I mainly use fleece at the moment. I go to a place in my area called Joann which is a fabric/craft store. IKEA also has grey kinda striped thin fleece blankets for a few dollars. Walmart has fleece blankets for a few dollars too. I have 5 rats right now and one has been pretty ill for a few months with severe respiratory problems that we can’t seem to get under control. My vet recommended I don’t use loose type bedding while she’s still with me because any extra dust can trigger more problems. If you use fleece in your cage, you usually have to change it out a lot. I change fleece items out 2-3 times a week. Back when I did use loose bedding for awhile, I used “softwood” bedding from petco. I’ve also been recommended fine pine from tractor supply, hemp, and kaytee clean and cozy unscented. Once I’m able to use loose bedding again, I’ll most likely try a hemp bedding and mix it with the kaytee clean and cozy. Also, always freeze loose bedding before using it in the cage! Freezing it gets rid of any bugs/mites that could be in the bedding. I usually would buy the bedding a week or two before I needed it and keep it in the freezer for a week or two before putting it in the cage
Kiln dried pine shavings is the best bedding: great ammonia control and cheap. As for the food, you should be switching to Oxbow Adult Rat Food by now. Sputnik is the best! You can put some toilet paper in there for pee. Also Isamu Rat is a great source of info. Great ratties!
My newest video shows more updated care, if you're interested ↳ua-cam.com/video/c_yGBfhaIYY/v-deo.html (no pressure of course). I show that I have actually switched to that adult rat food! Yes, the sputnik is their favourite! Thank you for the comment :)
my NEWEST RAT VIDEO: my first RAT VET VISIT (respiratory infection) & new cage layout TOUR
↳ ua-cam.com/video/c_yGBfhaIYY/v-deo.html
With my rats, I found a treat that they absolutely loved. They came in a bag, and they were strawberry flavored etc. Everytime they heard a bag noise they thought it was the treats and came running to me. With those treats I was able to teach them to jump from chair to chair. Starting at a short distance and slowly expanding (it was incredible to see how far they can jump). Your doing great tho!
Guys theres so much hate in this comment section saying either how much they dislike this youtuber or how much they dislike rats.. if yall have anything against this video (other than helpful constructive criticism) then it would help everyone to keep it in your own head. If you’re that angry to waste somebody’s time, take it out on rude racism, rude homophobics, and other things. All you’re doing is hurting people and causing drama (which is scientifically proved to increase your mental and physical health later on in life), so don’t waste your time on amazing videos like these. Thank you for reading this and I hope you sleep better or just have a better day.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 getting 2 female rats
0:37 name introductions
1:52 food & treats
3:33 how I feed them
3:48 foraging toys
4:41 current cage
5:04 paper bedding
5:38 litter pellets
6:03 litter training rats
6:25 their favourite thing!
7:33 free roam time
8:47 pea fishing
9:28 comment suggestions down below
10:20 insta: @alexandra.stott for live videos of them!
instagram.com/alexandra.stott/
Can we just take a moment to look at how beautiful she is!? 💕
aww you're too kind ❤️
@@alexandrastott NOOOOO I MISSED THE PREMIER!!!! I WAITED 11 HOURS BUT I ACCIDENTALLY FELL ASLEEP 😭😭😭 but anyways, you're beautiful and never let anyone tell you you're not. I believe this belongs to you: 👑
@@melissatrevor4805 Thank you❤️❤️
@@alexandrastott Np! ❤️
But you mean the rats too and she is
I am a first time rat owner so I would appreciate any suggestions or constructive criticism you can give. Let me know any videos you'd like to see with the ratties ❤️
You should do a video on how to convince your parents to let you get pet rats! I would definitely need that video because my parents think that I just want pet rats as a joke. 🕴️Also, I highly recommend watching Shadow the rat! She has so many videos on training rats! 💕
Can you do a rat morning routine
@@melissatrevor4805 I have a rat UA-cam channel, please will you check it out?
Thanks!⭐
@@melissatrevor4805 thank you, that's very kind! 💓
Sprout is such a cute name for your rat. Aww dumpling is adorable too. That sucks that shipping to Canada is so expensive. It was more than the price of the begging wtffff. Dang girl, they have a pretty nice life living with you!
Choosing their names was such a struggle for me. I know, the shipping was just absurd! Thank you for the sweet comment❤️
aww dumpling and sprout are such cute names!! This is so interesting to learn about, omg the litter training story is awesome! They seem so smart! Aww the pea fishing was so cute, You're such a good rat mama 🤗
Thank you❤️ They are such smart animals, it's amazing to see! Thanks for watching :)
Hey! You’re doing great with their enrichment and care! One thing I always recommend is feeding young rats the adult rat Oxbow and supplementing extra protein like scrambled egg, meal worms, almonds, chicken, etc. until they reach six months. The young rat food has alfalfa in it which is hard for them to digest. The adult rat diet is essentially the same just with no alfalfa and less protein.
Regards the training. Clicker training and treats is a good way to train rats. They pick things up really quickly. It took my rat ten minutes to learn how to give me a kiss for sweetcorn. After that he was licking my eyebrow when I stopped giving him sweetcorn for kisses, lol You don`t need to buy a clicker, just make a clicking sound with your mouth.
I've just got my first rats a few weeks ago and oh boy, living in NZ I FEEL YOU on the shipping + international discourses etc. Ive been googling for good pellet brands and such, and like, oxbow seems to be considered the gold standard, which is basically not sold here.
I went with vetafarm origins in the end bc a handful of people said it was 'okay, you know, if you can't get oxbow' and my boys seem to love it. Also, it's one of about two options easily available where I live - and I can't deny - that was a very strong argument in it's favour!
I'm surprised/impressed your girls are such well-behaved free roamers tbh. My lads are not trusted with free roaming at this time (and probably not ever, if I'm honest). Part of that is that we rent and the other part is that we're pretty techy and have a lot of wires running about.
(The third part is that they're little pee machines, which might calm down a little once I have them snipped, and which might not. Either way, they'll probably never go anywhere near my pillows. I'm happy to wash my clothes every time they pee on them, but washing the sheets every night is a much bigger ask!)
They have a huge perspex playpen for the evenings though, and I built them a massive wheel and some climbing structures which go in and out of the pen interchangeably for variety.
I like the names sprout and blossom since you like flowers and plants
i’m hopefully getting rats soon, so i’m watching a bunch of videos about caring for them etc, and i just thought i’d say that your video is really useful for on foraging ideas etc, so thank you!
That is so exciting! Do you know if you want males or females yet? I did the exact same thing, I binged vlogs of people adopting their rats- that's why I filmed the day adopting mine :) I'm glad you found it useful, thanks for watching!
Hey, I just love how clear your joy is when you speak about your rats and how fast they learn. I remember being just as excited when my rats simply used the toilet without needing any training on it.
One thing I can recommend is the yt channel "isamu rat care" she has full playlists about diet, bedding, enrichment etc.
From what you described it sounds like you are just somehow mixing some random things together for the food. I would recommend to look up some recipes of other rat owners, as rats need certain portions of different foods to also help prevent/lower the risk of health issues like tumors. (I guess that it just sounded like this in the video. And you mentioned Emiology, I remember that she addresses the food mix topic as well ^^)
I myself am not confident to make my on mix but I am lucky to have an online source for a good rat mix.
It is really great to see that you care so much about your two little furballs and I am really looking forward to seeing them grow :D
Thank you for your comment❤️ Ill be sure to check out that youtube channel! I'm so grateful for all the great online resources. Thanks again :)
I'm a newly rat owner and I found no salt smooth organic peanut butter and I just smear some on my fingers not only is this a treat but it gets them used to your fingers. I also found that organic q-tips is a way for them to use there brain and give them something to do and chew on!
I’m here after so long. You haven’t posted in a while!!! I’d love to see how your ratties are doing ❤
i know this is a year ago but i use fleece and aspen bedding :)
i love the full cheeks low dust no scent bedding and i love it
Hi Alexandra!!! I love your rats !!! I have a rat too anyway I love your mix and foraging toys !!! For substrate I use a mix of yesterdays news, shredded newspaper ( with paper shredder) and care fresh** but a little you could do a cleaning rat cage video, playtime video, morning routine with your rats Idk thanks so much for your content!!!!!!❤🐾🐀🐀👍🏼😷
Hi!!! Thank you for the sweet comment❤️ Those are such great video ideas, I've noted them down for the future! How old are your rats?
@@alexandrastott we aren't positive how old they are the vet estimated maybe l year old or l year and a half??! We are not sure but its seems quite about right!!! Rio ( my rat says hi to your cute little rats🐀🐀🐾
Rio says hi to sprout and dumpling **adorable** names !!!!!
We use corncob bedding. It's safe for small rodents because this type of bedding doesn't clump. If a rat swallow a grain, it'd be digeted.
I loved the video! I want to get rats within the year so I would appreciate all the rat videos you are willing to make. I love your enthusiasm for them. They are precious!
Thank you for the sweet comment
You are a good rat mom. Willing to learn and you love them.
I'm trying to keep learning so I can be the best mom for them. Thank you for the sweet comment :)
I subscribed when you first got your rats so I love how you did a whole video about them now! I became a rat mom last summer and I love my girls. For bedding, I use an aspen shaving that I find at my local petco (the brand switches depending what's on sale). I love it because it gets rid of the pee smell and just smells like wood. I would love to see a video in the future of a "cleaning the cage/cage set up" or even when you set up whatever new cage you get. I know I'm not much more experienced than you with rats but from what I can see, you're doing an amazing job with them and really do your research when it comes to everything you use. I can't wait to see more vids with your rats!!
Wow thank you for your sweet comment! How many rats do you have? I'll definitely look into that bedding and I have made a note about that video concept, it's a great idea! Really appreciate it❤️
I use yesterday new's litter for my four girl ratty's, all i can say is just give them ton's of love. Love your channel 🐀🐁🥰xx
shadow the rat's youtube channel is wonderful for rat training
Oh my gosh I watched thr video where you got your rats about a week ago and immediately went to your channel looking for updates. So happy that you've posted another video with them - they're super adorable!
Ahh well I'm so glad you were able to see this video! They're growing so quick! Thank you for watching :)
i believe if you have a local farm store they should have HUGE cheap bags of hemp. that works wonders for me
I don’t buy “rat food,” just dog food, oats, cereal, vegetable based chips, horse pellets (check the ingredients) and other things and mix it in a five gallon bucket
I cant wait and CONGRATULATIONS ON 600 BEAUTIFUL!! 😍 SO DESERVING!
Thank you love! You're creeping up to 800 which is insane!!
Omg they are so sneaky and funny ahhaha, I love how they're just running around and doing their own thing! Sprout is such a cute name I love it!! Omg dumpling 😭 I used to have a little hamster and this is reminding me of all the things we had to get for her, even though they're are so little they need to much support and care! Yesss they are so active at night it cracks me up, my hamster used to run on her wheel for HOURS in the middle of the night 😂
They're so cute! They will grab food from me and scurry off and was it behind a pillow. So cool you had a hamster, I don't actually know anyone who has had one before. Have you had any other pets?
Hey hun , great video lover the room and energy 💕
aww, I really appreciate that❤️
If you put a blanket on your cage it will make them feel safe and they like the dark to be safe 🤎🐁🖤🐀🤍🐭🐕🐶🐈🐱
your rats are so cute! i just subscribed, I cant wait to see more videos of you and your new babies in the future!
Thank you!! If you want to see any specific videos feel free to just let me know :)
Alex thk you im learning from you , so thk you
hey i have watched many of your videos and seen u have gotten two more rats and switched beddings i do recen fleece is a good soft base its cheap lasts long and soft u can just wash it when it gets dirty and all four of ur rats are the cutest things
Fleece isn’t the best bedding tho because if you use a loose substrate it helps in courage natural behaviour like digging and foraging whereas fleece doesn’t and it can build up ammonia levels due to pee and it’s not safe if they rip it up - hemp & aspen are great beddings
My veterinarian warns that rats could choke on flattened peas. Unfortunately, most of feed mixes contain peas. So I remove all flattened peas from mix before feeding my girls :)
i was just looking at getting some as treats, glad I saw this! thank you:)
Rats are incredible my baby boys are my rock
I recommend having like fleeces in the cage and put the cut paper or ceder wood in the litter trays my rats got potty trained very good from have a litter tray from temu and I put cut paper in it and rocks that they will pee on and yeah it pretty clean now in my rats cage my girls love walking you should try that
It's so strange to me that rat care is so different between Europe, US and Canada. You're doing great with all your research. I personally use aspen or hemp bedding and it works well for me.
That is super interesting. I have heard great things about hemp bedding so I'll have to look into purchasing some. Thank you for the comment!
I feed cooked wild rice and fresh whole foods mulberries, grapes, spinach, my four do not want the Oxbow pellets? Also puffins cereal they like maple oatmeal, also first time rats .. bought a bigger cage for my two young girls the other cage came with a ton of stuff and two 6 month brown girls so -- now four girls
I love their names and they are so cute! It’s cool how you got inspired by emiology, I also like her channel!
for the bedding i would really recomend hemp and i am frome the us and i did the shunamite diet so i recomend that to hope this helpped !!!!!!
Hi
Long time rat owner and a mod of real rat care on Facebook a popular rat Facebook group
Firstly THANKYOU for doing your research
So amazing how fare we have come with care and research with rats
First thing I highly recommend looking not hemp bedding it’s literally amazing with smell and their health
It is popular for people to believe and say 2 rats are ok and yes 2 rats is ok because some people get 1 rat and saying well you need atleast 2 more can be overwhelming and then they do nothing so we says pairs are good
Rats thrive in massive colonies so I highly recommend getting 3 plus as they can form a group dinamic and bonds and a social hierarchy which for their mental health is so so so important
And if one was to suddenly die which can happen at any age you are not left with a very depressed and grieving rat that is now alone which adds extra stress
So I highly suggest getting atleast 3 rats
Wish you the best
And your doing amazing
Great video to 😊❤️
Unfortunately I learned that 3 rats is better then 2 after already getting my girls. I wish I would have gotten 3 from the beginning.
I know I can't mix rats of different ages at first (young and older rats in one cage) but I also should not keep 1 rat alone so how should I go about it if I got another rat? I thought I would isolate the new young rats, but how would I go about this if I were to only get 1? Would I simply need 2?
Thank you for your comment and sharing your knowledge!
@@alexandrastott who told you
You can’t mix rats at different ages 🤨
Talk to a breeder and get as close as possible age to your current rats
It just can’t be dramatic like a lone 6 week old baby with 5+ month olds and the 6 eek old will need atleast 1 other 6 ish week old for their development
Or just get two baby or old rats
You also shouldn’t get just 1 rats at a time
A great training channel is Shadow The Rat. They have loads of rat training videos for a multitude of tricks and they also have some great rat care videos. They are based in the US so you might be able to find some good stuff from them that Emiology doesn't use because she's based in the UK. Love your rat videos btw and I would love to see you react to some rat tiktoks. :)
They are so sweet!! They're so cute hiding behind the pillow hahaha
This video was so nice and informative! I'm glad you're having a nice time with your baby rats. Is it hard to train them? Aww they're so adorable!
Thank you 🥰 They're adorable when they grab food from me and scurry away under the sheets or behind a pillow to eat, so silly! I appreciate you taking the time to watch. They can be trained but I think I am not consistent enough and sort of give up. As a result, it's been slow to train them.
Very adorable names! And I hope you’re doing well :)
Thank you
You can use you're first cage as a sickbay if one pf you're animals needs to be quarantined. Aspen wood bedding is a great bedding....it gets everywhere.
Yes, that is my plan. I'll definitely look into that- do you typically purchase it online or from a specific store?
@@alexandrastott I got Aspen from Wal-Mart. Pet section for small animals
What I always do for my rats and what the really enjoy is when they free Rome I make a box and put some treats and food and kind of hide them so they have to scavenge and find the food I also get a water bowl put some pees and sweet corn and the jump it and start fishing for the food also a very good treat for rats is rainbow drops I normally give mine a few rainbow drops a week :)
I'm in canada too, having having same issues finding info on food and stuff im so happy I found your page! I'm getting my boys on the 20th
We'll go through it all together! That is so exciting, do you have names picked out?
I would recommend getting some fleece to use instead of regular towels. The towels will probably get pretty chewed up over time, and when that happens, it can cause a lot of fraying/loose strands that can potentially be a hazard. Of course, with towels this varies, so it might be fine, but if after some time, you start to find stringy, frayed edges and loose strings from them, I'd recommend switching to fleece. I was able to find some fleece dog blankets for the same purpose and I was able to cut them into smaller squares and they seem to work well.
Ok, thank you for the comment! I can definitely see a towel becoming a hazard for their tiny extremities. Where have you found the best luck in purchasing fleece? A pet store or online?
@@alexandrastott I bought these ones from Amazon: www.amazon.com/Comsmart-Print-Blanket-Cover-Inches/dp/B06XC5VNDW/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=fleece+dog+blankets&qid=1616034406&sr=8-5
Pretty good price and comes with more than enough (I was able to cut each blanket up into a few pieces so there's plenty to cycle through) Something like this works great (I tend to shy away from some of the fluffier fleeces out there) and I'd imagine you could probably find something similar in a pet store if you wanted to shop in person.
I love your channel because it helps me out a lot with my rats but I was just wondering how you got your rats so comfortable when free roaming?
I have the same bed as you have and I might get a rat for christmas. I'm really excited!
I meant 2 rats
do you know if you are getting them?!? So exciting
make sure you're getting TWO rats
Along with the crave, id recommend Sunburst rat and mouse food and ditch the Oxbow. Oxbow is hay based and can cause starvation. I had all my small pets on Oxbow and they weren't getting what they needed so I switched them to a mix of Sunburst hamster &gerbil food, kaytee hamster & gerbil food, and kaytee rat and mouse lab blocks. Plus fresh fruit, vegetables, and treats. Much happier and healthy pets now. But I think you have a good jumping off point for sure with mixing everything. I'm also in ontario and it can be hard to find Sunburst, I have to get it off amazon but I think petsmart carries the rat and mouse food from Sunburst, I could be wrong.
Can I use crave as their main diet? Also is it ok to make my own mix with it? I noticed crave is way more cheaper than oxbow so I wanted to ask you.
@@monsenatividad5559 I wouldnt just feed crave. Theres a whole science behind making your own food, you have to make sure you're using the proper measurements. I honestly haven't figured it out so thats why I mix commercial foods instead. I'd recommend mixing the crave with Mazuri rat and mouse blocks if you can find it. Where I live in ontario you can't find Mazuri anywhere so I substitute Kaytee rat and mouse blocks. It's not that far off from mazuri. But low sugar and fat cereals are generally safe, I can only recommend searching and doing research on what's safe and unsafe. But I also recommend Sunburst as well. Kaytee is probably you're cheapest option out of all that I've mentioned. Sunburst here on amazon is about $23 for a 2.5lb bag. Which is expensive but it lasts me over 3 months for my pets. I'm not sure how much mazuri is.
@@budgetwithcam thank you, this is my second time owning rats but the first time was such a long time ago so I am doing my research all over again.
@@monsenatividad5559 Hi :) I'd recommend researching the
You know what I use instead of bedding? i put there bath rug the one that has silicone tape on the bottom so it doesnt slip and very absorbant, and they have pellets in their toilet. Works perfectly.
I am here for all of the rat content
This is a really great video! ❤️⭐
Thank you so much!!
@@alexandrastott welcome!
A quick tip is that it's good to use a bit of warm water for the peas
The brand of food your using is great! You should look for the food that is specific for rats as it’s not possible to give both species the nutrients they need in one food
Yes I totally agree. I changed to an Oxbow food specifically for rats. Thank you for the comment :)
The video I’ve been waiting for!! Love it
Thanks❤️
Shadow the Rat is wonderful for training videos!!
I love that channel, super informative
I want lots of updates on the cute fluff potatos ☺❤
Well perfect timing, I just posted a vlog where I took Sprout to the vet & did a cage makeover (I got new hammocks from Etsy) if you're interested in watching :) no pressure of course - ua-cam.com/video/c_yGBfhaIYY/v-deo.html
i’m getting my first two rats in two weeks! i’m so excited, sprout and dumpling are adorable
That is so exciting!! Have you decided on their names yet?
@@alexandrastott i’m not too sure! i’m getting two little boys, i really love the name tofu, it’s just so hard to decide!
👀 ohhh cuuute. I love rats !
Hii, first of they are sooo cuteee!!
I would definitely use dust free bedding otherwise they might get a respiratory infection. And it’s good for your rats to give them 20/25 grams of food each, every day. (Also give them animal products like a boiled egg or mealworms. Good for growth) The more variety the better. I know there is a book the scuttling gourmet which is completely about rats and what they need. And maybe switch to a more vegan diet once they’re over a year old. (Better for the kidneys and they don’t need all the animal products at that age)
Wow this is so cool, I don’t think I know anyone that have rats as their pets, I’m actually kinda scared of rats but they look so obedient! U train them so well and they look like they love u so much!! 😍😍❤️
Thank you! U don't know anyone with rats either- other then watching some people on youtube. A lot of people in my life were scared of rats as well but after interacting with them, they think the rats are super cute now.
Katee bedding is pretty good. Kind of pricey but I think it's worth it. Also maybe pick up a big bag of Timothy Hay. I'm not sure about rats but I know gerbils love that stuff. Actually I think Oxbow offers that.
Be careful, I think there’s baking sofa in this bedding which can really irritate your rat’s lungs. I’m in Quebec, Canada and I use corn cob. It’s very cheap and dust free, it is perfect.
I've stopped using that bedding and in the meantime have been using fleece and towel material. I'll look into that, thank you!
They are soooo freaking cute!!!! Have you taking them out and about with you outside anywhere? Keep the videos coming. I’m living my rat ownership thru you!!
Ahh thank you, I'm obsessed with them! I've taken them around the house with me but nowhere outside. So glad you can live through me lol let me know if there are any videos you'd like to see with them!
I am absolutely in love already!!! I want my own
They are such great pets! Do you have any animals right now?
I order an aspen bedding off of amazon - also ive trained all my rats to spin so thats really easy - you lead them into a circle with the treat and give it when complete, then start luring it out as in just be farther away while doing the spin motion and they should catch on - that is literally the only thing ive trained all my girls i suck at training lol
Ohh I'll look into that bedding. I've done that too, so cute! I agree, it can be challenging. How many rats do you have?
@@alexandrastott i have 3 but ive had three passed away as well
They are so cute. I learned a lot from Emiology
Me too, she has educated me on a lot regarding rat care! Thank you for the comment :)
the baby rats looks so curious and cute aaaah.
They are so cute! I'm amazed by how smart they are as well. Would you ever get a pet rat?
I love your rats!!!😍😍😍
Safebed is very good and wood pellets in the literbox -problem you mus Clean more (but you see how much pee they do and poo.)
and if you neet that for vet that poo is this Cleaner and after a sugary softer too (safebed) un general i find them better because at the same time is this a funny toy for them and easyer to carring from pet shop/suzpermarked and make not so much dust and dirt around and is softer and soak alot of wet stuff wihout molding
Personally I use Science Selective Supreme lab blocks together with a mix based on the shunamite diet. Of course I have no idea if it's available to you in the area where you live, but the best lab blocks are def science selective. For bedding I use ecobale/green mile. You can also use toilet paper/tissues etc to put in the sputniks, which is something you'll have to replace regularly tho, rats will be rats 😅 It's lovely to see such an amazing first rat owner like you! I can tell you really love your babies ❤️❤️
I've heard great things about Green Mile so I will look into that! I have been researching more about the ❤️
I have two rats and I used the beding called care fresh
I'll have to look into that. Do you purchase it from a pet store, or online?
@@alexandrastott You can get them online and in the pet store
I would love a pair of pet rats but knowing my luck they will hate me and not want to be handled no matter how gentle I am with them ☹️ should I still get rats anyways and see if things work out??
@i love horses 💗 seriously? This was a concern of mine.
I've heard if you put a "pee rock" in the litter tray it's also good. Basically, just a small, smooth stone on top of the litter. They'll pee on the little rock, so there will be less pee in the cage.
I haven't had rats before, but would like to someday. I have enough pets as is, with an elderly cat and dog... But I like watching pet videos as way to relax. 😂 Anybody else do that? Lmfao.
I keep a pee rock in their litter but they still seem to be peeing everywhere lol. I totally get that! I watch pet care videos for animals I'll never even have. What breed of dog do you have??
I've never had rats,my first small pets are guinea pigs. I'm really allergic to them but I love them. Still cuddle them. I just wear a mask an gloves.
I've never had or even interacted with guinea pigs before, I'm so curious! Are they quite social animals? I am so glad you're loving having them :)
Hey! I'm really interested in getting rats, I do have experience with small rodents but I spot clean my hamsters cage everyday, would you say rats stink? You obviously have to clean every week but do they stink even I'd you clean it?
@Ada Burrow thankyou very much!!
hi! i owned 2 hamsters before i got rats and now i own both rats and hamsters. unfortunately rats do smell significantly more then hamsters. i also have to clean my rats cage much more frequently, i spot clean around. 3-5 times a week and full cage clean out once a week. my hamsters i spot clean around 3 times a week and full clean once a month. just for reference all my hamsters have been male syrians and i have 3 male rats. if you decide on getting rats definitely look into room purifiers. rats do have a musky smell, but i absolutely love having them!
@@marandajeanne thankyou so much! I have 1 male hamster and 1 female ( both Syrians) I'm on the same cleaning routine as you are! My hamsters do not smell much but I don't mind a little odor. I will definitely invest in air purifiers :)
Awww they’re soo cute 🥺 my son, Kaine, now wants some pet rats 😂
They are so cute, I'm obsessed! They've made such great pets and my 10 year old sister is also in love with them.
oxbow young and rat mouse food is actually not the best for them the best food is oxbow essential adult rat food is the best!! i’d recommend you not to feed them rice krispies as they do contain a lot of sugar stick to cheerios shreddies sherreded wheat and gerbers baby cereal for cereals to feed them also so happy your upgrading for a critter nation i have a triple critter nation for my 13 girls! i use aspen wood shavings for bedding and fleece be careful with paper bedding and make sure it’s dust free! also try a corner litter box use the same litter and use a pee rock, move there poop and put it in there litter box they will catch on don’t give up!! i hope i helped you!! great video i loved it!🥰💜
Wow you have so many girls! Where have you adopted them from? Thank you
@@alexandrastott i found 6 of my girls on kijiji and the rest from breeders!!
They are so dang cute🥰
Make sure with the bedding it’s dust free! :)
I’ve only had rats for a year, but a big help for me was the rat Reddit. There’s a subreddit just for rat owners. You can post questions, pictures, just about anything and there’s TONS of experienced owners on there to answer questions.
As for bedding, I’m in the US so the brands I mention might not be available, but I mainly use fleece at the moment. I go to a place in my area called Joann which is a fabric/craft store. IKEA also has grey kinda striped thin fleece blankets for a few dollars. Walmart has fleece blankets for a few dollars too. I have 5 rats right now and one has been pretty ill for a few months with severe respiratory problems that we can’t seem to get under control. My vet recommended I don’t use loose type bedding while she’s still with me because any extra dust can trigger more problems. If you use fleece in your cage, you usually have to change it out a lot. I change fleece items out 2-3 times a week. Back when I did use loose bedding for awhile, I used “softwood” bedding from petco. I’ve also been recommended fine pine from tractor supply, hemp, and kaytee clean and cozy unscented. Once I’m able to use loose bedding again, I’ll most likely try a hemp bedding and mix it with the kaytee clean and cozy. Also, always freeze loose bedding before using it in the cage! Freezing it gets rid of any bugs/mites that could be in the bedding. I usually would buy the bedding a week or two before I needed it and keep it in the freezer for a week or two before putting it in the cage
ok its looks good but just make sure the bedding is not like a sented wood or anything sented or dusty
They are so adorable🥺
Thank you 🥺❤️ they are growing so fast!
Oh my goodness! They are the cutest!!! I had 2 pet rats when I was younger (think I told you on insta lol )
Thank you❤️ You have told me! I love knowing someone who also has experience having rats- I don't really know anyone who has had them as a pet.
Kiln dried pine shavings is the best bedding: great ammonia control and cheap. As for the food, you should be switching to Oxbow Adult Rat Food by now. Sputnik is the best! You can put some toilet paper in there for pee. Also Isamu Rat is a great source of info. Great ratties!
My newest video shows more updated care, if you're interested ↳ua-cam.com/video/c_yGBfhaIYY/v-deo.html (no pressure of course). I show that I have actually switched to that adult rat food! Yes, the sputnik is their favourite! Thank you for the comment :)
Hey love I love this video!
Used fluffy soft bedding
Sage willow sprout and dumpling
Omgggg this makes me miss my hamster🥺 dumpling and sprout are such cute names!!
I had such a hard time choosing names! thank you ❤️ Do you have any pets now?
@@alexandrastott yesss a yorkie, Otto :)
@@AllysonRose twins, I have a yorkie too! so cute ❤️
With my boys they were already using the litter tray when I got them which is odd because they didn't have a litter tray in there old home
hemp bedding is very good!
I'll look into that, thank you!
I personally wouldn’t get rats, but I really enjoyed watching this video ❤️
Totally understand! I really appreciate that you still watched :) so kind!
Shadow the Rat UA-cam channel for training. Her rats do amazing things. My rats are lazy.
I am always in awe when I see her rats doing tricks!!
@@alexandrastott she is amazing. My rats only get exicted when food is around.
OH MY GOSH I WOULD BE SO SCARED HAHAHA but they look super cute
They're super cute and friendly! My sister was scared and didn't want them but once she saw them and got to interact with them, she loved them!
Wow its so cute amazing 👏 😍 💖 injoy watching here new friend 😀 😊 🙂
They are so small and cute! Thank you for watching my friend🥰
If you have the stomach for it another good protein treat is dried meal worms. My girls love them and hard boiled eggs too