Ten Taboos of Hamster Feeding
(1) Prohibit feeding human food, too much salt and seasoning will increase the burden on the rat's body.
(2) Prohibit direct contact with the sun, rats are very afraid of heat, summer is here, please use a heat sink or marble to cool them down.
(3) Prohibit washing hamsters in water if not necessary.
(4) Please know your own hamster species, except for male and female hamsters, which are forbidden to be kept in a cage together, and male and female hamsters must be kept in separate cages if they do not get along.
(5) If you are not psychologically prepared or financially capable, please do not combine female and male hamsters in a cage, as the reproduction ability of the rats is very considerable.
(6) Prohibit the use of feed of unknown origin, and please discard any raw insects or mold, do not feed!
(7) Prohibit the rats to drink raw water, please let them drink boiled cold water, or mineral water, pure water.
(8) Prohibit the use of bamboo chopsticks, popsicle sticks and other things to make the rats grind their teeth, please use the special teeth grinding supplies and feed for rats on the market.
(9) Prohibit the use of newspaper and tissue paper as bedding material. Newspaper has too much ink, and Kleenex contains bleach.
(10) It is forbidden to keep rats in a space that is too small; the space should have at least a rolling wheel, a water bottle, a small nest (except for bears), and other supplies.
Hamster rearing environment
Optimum temperature 20-28 ℃, avoid direct sunlight or direct windy places, but pay attention to ventilation and air. Don't be too close to the TV, stereo, computer, hamsters can hear the sound that humans can not hear, should avoid radiation and noise.
Summer: It's best not to turn on the air conditioner, because if you turn it off when you go out, and turn it on when you come in, the temperature difference inside the house will be too big, and the hamster is very sensitive to the temperature, and will easily catch a cold.
Winter: don't put it outside, hamsters will hibernate because it's too cold. Spread more wood shavings and other bedding materials, and configure a wooden or grass hut for the hamster to keep warm. Or give more napkins for the hamster to make its own nest. The easiest way is to put the whole cage into a cardboard or plastic box, but pay attention to ventilation.
Basic hamster supplies
Cages: In summer, please use a ventilated wire cage or a half-iron, half-glue cage, such as a field cage; in winter, please pay attention to the rat's warmth, and a full-glue cage is more suitable in winter.
Do not use wire mesh on the bottom of the cage, as rats are prone to break bones and injuries
Food bowls
Most cages come with their own food bowls. If you need to buy your own, small containers are generally available, as long as they are not easily knocked over and the edges are not too high for the hamster to climb into. Commonly used containers: glass cigarette jar, soy sauce dish, all kinds of small bowls, microwave oven box.
Drinker
Most cages come with a drinker, and it's a good idea to install one when DIYing, because hamsters need to drink. Drinkers are generally designed with a stainless steel bead on the front end, so be careful to test for leaks when purchasing. Don't take a bowl to hold the water directly, because the hamster will wet its fur when drinking water or swim in it, so it is easy to catch a cold and get sick. If you don't have one for a while, feed your hamster some vegetables and fruits first.
Toilet
A regular plastic box filled with cat litter is a simple toilet. Remove the clumped litter every day or change it all out, depending on your personal hygiene habits. Some hamsters will use it, not necessary,.
Bathroom
Some hamsters will bathe in the toilet with cat litter, although unhygienic, but this is the hamster's preference, at this point there is no longer a need to bathe the room, but some hamsters are very clean, the owner should buy it a bathroom, put the bath sand for the hamster to roll and play holes to their heart's content.
Running Wheel
Most cages come with a running wheel, because wild hamsters run 20 kilometers a day, so the right amount of exercise is very important for hamsters, and without enough exercise, hamsters will be stressed out and bite the cage. So careful owners should give hamsters a running wheel. At the same time, because nowadays owners give hamsters very good nutrition, often make hamsters overweight, easy to make hamsters also get cardiovascular disease, so even hamsters should have a normal and healthy body. Be careful when you buy, you should choose the running wheel without seams, the hamster is not easy to be injured. Current price: $10-80.
Wood shavings
To be the bedding material for the rat cage, many materials are available, but most people will choose wood shavings because it is cleaner and easy to get.
Grinding stones/teeth grinders
The teeth of hamsters grow, so a grinder is needed to grind down overgrown teeth. Many hamsters grind their teeth in other ways and don't worry too much when they don't use the whetstone/teething stick you provide.
Hutches
Hutches are available in ceramic, wooden, grass, and plastic, which hamsters love, because hamsters are animals that love to live in holes, and those who have the means should be fitted with a hut, which can be homemade.
Timetable
When you bring the hamster home, as it leaves the environment where it has been living, there will be a relatively long time to seem very sensitive and nervous, sometimes there will be biting, biting the cage, not resting, refusing to eat, etc., and this is a critical period for you and the hamster to establish trust! Here's a timetable, don't be in a hurry, a little goes a long way with your hamster:
Day 1: Let it get used to its new environment, don't harass it at all, don't touch it, and don't bring it to the table.
Day 2: Hand feed it with treats and talk to it softly to familiarize it with your smell and voice.
Day 5: You can pick it up gently and hold it in the palm of your hand (don't let it fall or run away).
Day 10: You can play with it as much as you like.
Be careful when picking up a hamster: Sleeping hamsters don't like to be disturbed, so make sure it's awake before you pick it up. You should spread its nest so it can see you, then pick it up gently, and don't force it if it doesn't want to be picked up.
Hamster food
(1) Please don't give too much sunflower seeds or high-calorie food to a rat that is too cute; rats tend to get fat and have unbalanced nutrition. Overfat rats are easy to get heat stroke in summer, too thick skin fat and easy to lose hair.
(2) Please don't think that rats don't need to drink water! Water must be supplied and the drinking water should be changed once every two or three days.
(3) Please don't feed too much fruits and vegetables at one time, as it may cause death from diarrhea. Most fruits and vegetables contain pesticides, so please wash them with water and wipe them dry before feeding.
(4) Match the snacks with the main food, increase the number of snacks and decrease the number of main food, don't give too many snacks, the fat rats will get sick easily.
(5) Please keep the feed and snacks in sealed cans, or in the refrigerator, and discard any food that breeds insects and ants.
Edible food:
Vegetables Green vegetables (e.g. green river vegetables), carrots, squash (green and yellow vegetables are better)
Seeds Sunflower seeds, peanuts, walnuts, pine nuts (don't give too much)
Fruits Apples, strawberries, cherries, bananas (may stick to the cheek pouches, so try not to give them to the rats), grapes (please don't give them too much as they have lots of sugar)
Fruits Apple, strawberries, cherries, bananas (may stick to the cheek pouches, so try not to give them to the rats), grapes (because there are lots of sugars please don't give them too much). Grain Chicken feed, turtle dove feed, bird feed, wheat, corn, millet
Plants Clover, dandelion, kudzu, plantain (please do not feed plants that may be contaminated)
Animal Protein Beef, chicken, hard-boiled egg white, cheese, milk, buttermilk, worms, dried fish for pets
Feeding Volume : The amount of food you supply to your hamster is easily more or less, because hamster has the habit of storing food, and it will be very upset if the food is less. So, if you find the food bowl always empty every time you add food it means that the food is added too little, and you should also pay attention to clean up the uneaten food in time, especially the fruits and other things with moisture to prevent spoilage.
Keeping hamsters can use a 50-centimeter-square tank for tropical fish, with a cover made of wire mesh (which is easy to swelter in summer, so pay attention to it). When using a wire cage, the hamster grabs the wire to climb upward, there will be a risk of falling, so it is best to cage is not very high, and to remove the bottom of the cage after the use of the wire. Line the bottom of the cage with straw, hay or sawdust. The feeding bowl can be made of pottery, preferably heavier. Some twigs can be provided for gnawing to prevent the teeth from growing too long. Nest boxes can be made of wood or paper, etc. Bird nest boxes can be utilized in addition to those that come with the cage. Line the nest box with hay, sawdust, rags, etc. The sink will not scrape your feet, but it tends to accumulate moisture, so be careful to keep it dry. Also, the sink is deep enough to put in plenty of straw, hay, and other cage substrate that will allow the hamster to dive in, put in dirt, and then lay hay on top. Create a very natural environment where hamsters can dig holes for nests.
Drinking water can be done with a water feeder, mounted at a height where it is easy to drink, and add water to a vessel-type pitcher. You can let hamsters play with water in the summer, but don't make the cage too wet. Hamsters have the habit of defecating in a fixed place. Put a potty in the place where it often defecates and put urine or feces in it to make the potty smell bad, so it will use it as a toilet. If you don't use the toilet, don't force it to do so, just be careful to clean the cage often.
Hamsters are omnivores, so you can give them yellow-green vegetables such as pumpkin, light-colored vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce, potatoes, beans, fruits, weeds and seeds. There are also hamster-specific feeding grains. However, it is important to pay attention to feeding some vegetables and fruits when the feeding diet is the mainstay. As a source of protein, you can feed it boiled eggs, cooked dried fish, boiled chicken and cheese, tofu, etc. You can also feed some dog food, cat food, etc.
Hamsters have the habit of storing food in their gills. Be careful to change the water regularly. Wash the food bowl and water feeder every day and replace them with fresh food and water. Replace nesting materials as well. Check the nest box and leave some food such as fruit or solid feed for the hamster where it accumulates food. Change the cage bottom dressing once a week and clean and disinfect the cage 1-2 times a month.
The temperature inside the tank is easy to rise in the hot summer, and in summer, it is best to move to the cage for feeding. Keep the cage in a well-ventilated place and be careful not to let direct sunlight. When it's hot, hamsters don't like to eat solid rations, and should be fed water-rich foods such as vegetables. Store food in the fall, and don't forget to check the nesting box frequently to prevent the hamster from going into hibernation due to low temperature. When placing it in a heated room, take care that the temperature difference between day and night is not too big. You can put a plastic bag over the cage, or put the cage into a paper-shell box to keep warm.
Hamster Emotions
Hamsters, compared to dogs and cats, are animals that are less likely to get through to their owners. However, it is possible to understand the emotions of hamsters if you observe them carefully every day. Hamsters can also express their emotions, so look carefully at these actions and messages to understand the hamster's mood.
Finishing the body hair
When a hamster finishes its body hair, it is in a relaxed state. Otherwise, it is a state where the hamster's own flavor disappears after the owner strokes the hamster and wants to apply the flavor to its body again. Hamsters love their own flavor.
Turning over
The hamster will turn over when the owner's hand reaches inside the cage. This is due to the state of being startled or feeling annoyed when the hand comes in. The hamster has almost no weapon against the enemy, so it will roll over and resist with all four legs. At this time, just go over slowly and reassure the hamster. Especially when the hamster is sleeping, don't scare the hamster.
Curl up in a circle
It's obvious that this is the hamster's sleeping position, so keep your voice down. However, they will also roll up when they are in poor health, so be careful. When the weather is cold, it will also roll up, this time is to keep warm.
Cage chewing
When a hamster chews on the wire of its cage, it may be trying to escape, and some hamsters will rub the hairs on the top of their nose between the wires, making the top of their nose bald. This behavior is what allows the hamster to grind its teeth and control the length of its teeth.
Droopy ears
The easiest thing to see to understand a hamster's mood is the ears. If the ears are drooping, it must be when they are feeling nasty or scary, and they are also drooping when they have just woken up from a nap.
Body stiffness
Turning on the wheel and then suddenly standing still is a sign that the hamster is trying to use the wheel to move to a faraway place, and that it has stopped and is standing still to make sure that it has reached a certain place.
Standing up and shaking
Standing up is to understand the situation in the distance, feeling to observe the surrounding, paying attention to the sound, and also standing up when reacting to the sound of the feed bag.
Lying on the ground
When coming out of the cage, the body is located together, lying on the ground and sniffing around. This is a sign of nervousness about the new place and wanting to sniff around. Don't make a lot of noise at this time.
Hiding in narrow places Hamsters were originally wild animals that lived in narrow tunnels. When playing indoors, hamsters will always look for narrow and dark places in order to feel at ease, so be careful if the hamster runs to the corner of the room.
When buying:
1. It is best to use the same breed of hamster, because different breeds of hamsters can easily fight.
2. As they are nocturnal animals, they sleep for 12-14 hours a day, and only move and eat in the evening, so it is best to buy them in the evening or at night, so that you can see the active side of the hamster.
3. Generally speaking, a healthy hamster is characterized by sound limbs, eyes, normal ears without secretions, average and soft fur, and dry, hard, granular feces.
4. Hamsters are also afraid of strangers, and when they first come home, they seem to be more sensitive and need two or three days to get used to the idea before they can have "close contact" with you.
Hamsters are nocturnal animals that like to sleep during the day and come out at night, so don't wake them up when they're sleeping! Four-week-old hamsters are adults. Unlike rats, they have a short tail, or even no tail at all. One of the most interesting things about hamsters is that they know how to hide their food in the sides of their gills and spit it out only when they are in a safe place.
Medical Matters to Note
Precautions for Mothers During Labor:
(1) During the pregnancy of female rats, remember to separate the cage from the male rats. The male rats may eat the babies; most importantly, the male rats may still be in heat at this time, so if they are not separated from each other, they will cause the female rats that are still nursing to become pregnant again, which will affect their health and even lifespan. The female rats still have the ability to store sperm, and there is a possibility that one litter will be followed by a second litter. Therefore, it is very important to separate the male rats from the cage in time.
(2) Please help mother rats to replenish their body well, as production is very harmful to the body, and you can use flaxseed, nutritional cream, nutritional water, dried small fish, bread worms, etc., so as to let the mother rats to increase their nutrition.
(3) Please try not to change the objects and padding in the mother's cage between the full moon. It is easy to scare the moms and cause them not to nurse their babies or to recycle (eat) the mice, so please don't touch the mice until they are one month old!
(4) When the mice are one month old, they can leave their mothers after their fur grows and their eyes are opened and they are weaned, so you can try to touch the babies at this time!
(5) It is best to wait until the mice are a month old before feeding them breadworms, which have shells.
At this time, the baby's digestive system is not yet complete, please do not feed breadworms, as it is easy to get indigestion. The mother will feed the mice by herself, please do not intentionally help the mice to feed.
(6) During the pregnancy, please remember to pick up the roller, sometimes the mother will neglect to breastfeed in order to play with the roller.
Self-inspection of the rat's body
(1) Teeth: The rat's incisors are constantly growing, and sometimes the teeth are too long, making it impossible to eat. At this time, you can cut your own teeth, please use small animal teeth cutting utensils, if you are afraid to cut, you can bring it to the doctor to cut the teeth.
(2) Scent gland: male rats only have, in the middle of the abdomen, there is a yellow grain of something, that is the scent gland, male rats in heat, the smell here will be particularly heavy. Sometimes the scent glands will be too much, so remember to use hydrogen peroxide mixed with saline at a rate of 1:10 to help them wipe it off! If there is too much, please take them to the veterinary hospital and ask the doctor to clean them.
(3) Eyes: If the rat is healthy, its eyes should be very shiny and glossy, but if they are red, oily, or have eye droppings, then it is time to pay attention and bring them to the doctor.
(4) Poop: The rat's poop should be a little hard, the size of a grain of rice, black and odorless. Sometimes it will turn green or red, don't be too nervous, please think back to the rats' feed, whether there is green or red feed, if so, the green color of the stool is normal. If there is any green or red color in the rat's diet, it is normal for the stool to be green in color. If the stool is soft or has a foul odor, please send it to the doctor as soon as possible.
(5) Buccal sacs: Sometimes it is necessary to pay attention to the buccal sacs to see if the food has been eaten, and if it has not been eaten, please don't give it any more food. If the food in the bursa is rotten and smelly, it will easily lead to bursitis. Regularly monitor the buccal sacs to make sure they don't smell like rotten food, and help him remove the food from the buccal sacs by rinsing the buccal sacs with a feeding syringe and mixing saline with water in a 1:3 ratio.
(6) Hair color: Rat's fur is usually soft and shiny. If there is hair loss, please note if it is an allergy and bring it to your doctor for examination as soon as possible.
(7) Body temperature: The body temperature of rats is usually slightly higher than ours by touching it with our hands, but it is not obvious. If you obviously feel that your rat's body temperature is too high, please send it to the hospital immediately, as it is very likely to be the precursor of heatstroke!
Cross-reference table of ss breeding
Three lines + three lines = three lines
Three lines + three lines (with Purple Barn genes) = Three lines + three lines (with Purple Barn genes)
Three lines + Purple Barn = Three lines (with Purple Barn genes) + Purple Barn
Three lines (with Purple Barn genes) + Three lines (with Purple Barn genes) = Three lines + Three lines (with Purple Barn gene) + Purple Barn
Purple Barn + Purple Barn = Purple Barn
Silver Fox + Silver Fox = Trilinear + Silver Fox + Purple Barn
(NOTE: Silver Fox is a (dominant) gene. When a silver fox is paired with a silver fox, the dominant gene will be absorbed by the mother, thus reducing the chance of the mother giving birth to a silver fox and affecting the overall pregnancy rate of the mother).
Silver fox + triple line = triple line + silver fox with darker dorsal line (triple line silver fox)
Silver fox + purple hamster = triple line + purple hamster + silver fox with lighter dorsal line (purple hamster silver fox)
(Remarks: If the silver fox has a triple line gene in its body, then it will be as shown in the table above. If not, there are only Purple Barn and Silver Fox)
Pudding + Pudding = Triple + Purple Barn + Pudding (the ratio can not be determined, Pudding's genetic situation should be similar to the Silver Fox, i.e., Pudding with Pudding will reduce the chances of the birth of Pudding!)
Three lines + Pudding = Three lines + Pudding
Three lines (with Purple Barn genes) + Pudding = Three lines + Three lines (with Purple Barn genes) + Purple Barn + Pudding
Purple Barn + Pudding (with three lines of genes) = Three lines + Purple Barn + Pudding (if there are no three lines of genes in the Pudding, there will only be Purple Barn and Pudding)
Silver Fox + Pudding = All Gakkalia coat colors.
Silver Fox + Pudding = all Galkaria fur colors, in varying proportions.
Milk Tea + Milk Tea = Milk Tea
Milk Tea with other breeds is equivalent to Purple Barn, Milk Tea with other breeds with Milk Tea is very rare, if you are concerned about the breeds of "good", it is recommended that the Milk Tea with Milk Tea
About the Golden Fox, the form is similar to that of the Silver Fox and the Pudding, refer to the matching table of the Silver Fox and the Pudding! The above table is enough for most people, here silver fox, pudding, and golden fox data is more complex, the following list of these three more detailed information. Interested can refer to:
(Note, because the silver fox, pudding, gold fox gene form is very similar. Here with the "platypus" instead of the above three coat colors of rats and mice)
Three lines of platypus (with purple warehouse gene) + three lines = three lines + three lines (with purple warehouse gene) + three lines of platypus + three lines of platypus (with purple warehouse gene)
Three lines of platypus (with purple warehouse gene) + three lines (with purple warehouse gene) = three lines + three lines (with purple warehouse gene) + three lines platypus + three lines platypus + three lines platypus + three lines platypus (with purple warehouse gene) = three lines + three lines (with purple warehouse gene) + three lines platypus + three lines platypus Tri-line Paddy (with Purple Barn gene) + Purple Barn + Purple Barn Paddy
Tri-line Paddy (with Purple Barn gene) + Purple Barn = Tri-line (with Purple Barn gene) + Purple Barn + Tri-line Paddy (with Purple Barn gene) + Purple Barn Paddy
Purple Barn Paddy + Tri-line = Tri-line (with Purple Barn gene) + Tri-line Paddy (with Purple Barn gene)
Purple Barn Paddy Paddy + Tri-line (with Purple Barn gene) = Tri-line (with Purple Barn gene) + Purple Barn + Tri-line Paddy (with Purple Barn gene) + Purple Barn Paddy
Purple Barn Paddy + Purple Barn = Purple Barn Paddy + Purple Barn
Expenditure for keeping ss for a lifetime
Basic equipment:
Cage: roomy (at least as big as a small organizer box), preferably do not buy domestic ones, they are cheap but not safe.
The rat's feet can easily get stuck and cause fractures, or break out of the cage. And it's not safe for rats to paint off (rats have to chew the cage).
I know this very well, Pippi once got a piece of skin off his leg because I opened the door,
The day before yesterday, my sister was chewing on her own cage, and when she was chewing on it, she caught her own leg, and she moaned softly for a while,
and she still couldn't pull her leg out, and I finally tried to get it out, and fortunately, it didn't break the skin, but just got a big bruise.
If you buy an imported cage, used ones are usually between 50-100. Brand new ones range from 100-300.
Or some rat friends DIY organizer is also good, the whole set down to less than 100 can be done, of course, except for the aesthetic.
Rat toilet: rats will be scheduled to go to the toilet (rats are very like clean little animals, but not every good behavior Oh)
Using their habit, clean up will be much more convenient. Otherwise, you'll get their pee all over the place,
and the cage will be full of smell every day or two.
You can get some plastic products for rat sand, or buy a custom-made rat toilet for rats.
This can cost anywhere from a few dollars to a few dozen!
Water bottles and food bowls: a dozen dollars or so will do the trick. (Imported cages usually come with a water bottle and food bowl)
Rollers: basically come with the cage.
If you're a DIY rat lover, you'll have to buy your own, or make one yourself. Remember to buy a seamless one,
Never buy the kind with a seam in the middle, the rat will run very fast.
Once you get your legs stuck in it, it's very easy to break them.
The roller is generally divided into non-silent and silent two kinds, the price of this thing is also from 5 yuan to tens of dollars.
Hut: rats and mice are nocturnal animals, so they like to sleep during the day,
So we need to prepare a hiding place for them to sleep,
From small cardboard boxes to customized for rats and mice can be a beautiful mouse house,
(some imported cages with a two-storey lattice building, can be used as a place to sleep and place). Prices range from a few dollars to tens of dollars.
Basic supplies:
Feed: Imported feed a packet of about 30-60 yuan range, you can eat a long time.
Some advertise the effect of removing urine odor. Not really recommended to use pigeon or feed store own mix of grains, the nutrition does not meet the requirements of rats and mice.
Don't think they can eat and absorb anything like house mice, hygiene is not very good, there will be rice worms or other moths
(easy to have mold or yellow wheat toxin), but if you really don't have the financial ability to buy too expensive imported feeds,
this is the choice of last resort! And strongly avoid giving rats human snacks.
Padding: Poplar is better but more expensive. One package costs nearly 50 dollars.
Pine wood is used by many people, from 20-40 yuan, try to pick the less dusty
(that is, you will not be snotty when you change the wood shavings of the kind of), other kinds of paper, corn burgundy, wood shavings sand and so on.
Bath sand: WILD-308 A pack is about $65 to $90. It lasts about six months and can be recycled.
When the odor should be replaced, if just replaced with a new one is wet with urine, you can take out the wet place separately.
Some people will use cat litter instead of bath sand, I do not agree with this practice, cat litter used as a mouse toilet sand effect is not bad.
But for rats and mice, the particles are too large to get rid of the bacteria on the body.
(Remember not to bathe your rat with water, as rats are naturally afraid of water. (After washing it may die).
Drinking water: Use plain water, and if possible, feed the rats pure water (female rats should be fed fresh milk during lactation).
Teething supplies: there are special teething wood and mineral salts for teething, but the rats may not like them,
Teething snacks will be more popular. Prices range from 10 to 60 dollars.
Never use no-rinse quickies, popsicle sticks, or the like!
(Be sure to have these on hand for those who keep them in organizers. If it's a cage,
Rats will sharpen their teeth by chewing on the cage, it's just a little noisy)
Do rats need a bath?
To take a bath! This is a good starting point, but for rats and mice, they can't enjoy bathing as much as humans.
Because they are so small, bathing would take too much energy out of them and risk causing a cold.
Mice and rats usually clean their own fur to keep their bodies clean, so there's no need for us as owners to grab them for a bath.
But you can use a towel dampened with warm water to gently wipe the area around the rat's buttocks.
Additionally, you can also prepare a soft brush to help your rat tidy up its fur from time to time, which on one hand is a good way to get close to your rat, and on the other hand, you can also check the condition of your rat's skin and limbs at the same time, especially for long-haired golden rats.
When grooming, you can use a toothbrush with small teeth like those used by children to brush their teeth as a brush.
Slowly comb through in the direction of hair growth, about once every two to three weeks for short-haired rats and once a week for long-haired ones.
There are also cleaning products available on the market for rats, such as dry cleaning powder and foam cleaner,
which you can also use, as they will be more energetic after washing, and can cover up their body odor,
but be careful not to get it in the eyes or other organs of the rat's face.
They will roll in the sand to get the dirt out of their fur and to satisfy their natural tendency to dig.
So basically, if you do the above, you don't have to worry about cleaning your rat's fur.
Giving your rat a sick call
If your rat gets sick, it can be a real pain in the ass!
Because the current pet medicine is still aimed at cats, dogs, horses, etc.
These companions that have been with humans for thousands of years, as for rats and mice, it is only in recent years that the popularity has increased.
We still have a lot of research to do on rats and mice, and we only know how to treat some of the major diseases.
Rats and mice are small and have a fast metabolism, so it's hard to detect signs of illness in the early stages of the disease.
Often, by the time they are detected, the disease is already quite serious, which causes problems in treatment, and they may not always be cured.
What's more, for the reasons mentioned above, there are very few veterinarians who can treat rats, and it's even harder to find a veterinarian who specializes in this field.
The best way is to do a good job of preventive healthcare in daily life, so as to prevent rats from getting sick.
Attention to environmental hygiene
Rats are prone to get sick if they have a lazy and dirty litter box owner! A dirty environment can harbor bacteria,
or attract flies, cockroaches, and mites to visit the nest, and bring some germs as companions, which will make the rats and mice suffer.
It is best to clean water containers, feed bowls, and poop every day, change damp wood shavings, and clean cages weekly
and sterilize them with hot water. Wash your hands before and after playing with your rat.
Balanced and diversified nutrition
Feeding rats with balanced and diversified food is not a good idea, and you can't just be lazy and dump some ready-made feeds on them
Because only when they are well-fed will they be able to resist!
The drinking water should be changed every day if it is contaminated, and in areas where tap water is not safe to drink, please give the rats drinking water for human use, as it doesn't drink much anyway.
Stable temperature and humidity
Most rats come from dry areas, so the cage should be placed in a dry and quiet place to avoid moisture (so change the wood shavings often).
Rats are very sensitive to temperature. In the wild, rats live in holes in the ground, which have a natural thermoregulation function, so they should maintain a stable temperature.
In the weather with a big difference in temperature and in the winter, please pay attention to keep the cage warm in order to prevent hibernation of the rats.
Generally speaking, rats are less likely to hibernate, that is, to sleep a little longer than usual.
Avoid stress and tension
Rats are sensitive by nature (e.g., Roborovski's rats are particularly timid), and when kept in artificial environments,
they are prone to stress and tension, which seems to be the same as in human beings, and often leads to gastrointestinal discomfort, dysentery,
and even stomach ulcers.
Don't overdo it with rats, such as chasing, forced jumping, throwing in unfamiliar environments, etc.
Maybe we think it's fun, but rats feel pain and fear. To solve the problem of stress,
The first step is to provide plenty of space for exercise. Give your rat a big cage, place a running roller, and come out to play every day.
Especially the old man and old woman who are nervous in nature, generally cannot be easily touched,
otherwise, it is easy to scare them and cause self-mutilation, or injure the owner's fingers to be bitten incident.
Of course, it is not difficult to make out with the old man and old woman, basically the second generation will be better,
because growing up with people, it is easy to get on and play.
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