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The popularity of rats grows each year but their potential is often neglected. Rats are extremely social animals
who bond closely to their owners and enjoy interacting with them. Rats learn their own names, will come when called, can learn many tricks,
and play interactive games with their owners. They are affectionate and enjoy being petted. They are ideal pets for people who have at least
½ - 1 hour a day to play with their pets. Rat owners often become very devoted to their rats and are willing to spend considerable sums of
money on them.
There are several ways you can take advantage of this to increase your sales and profits. Because rats are so
intelligent and playful there is a large market for rat toys and accessories, but they are hard to find. It's also difficult for rat lovers to
resist fancy rats, such as hairless, rex and Dumbo, which can command much higher prices than random-bred "feeder" rats. So, if you carry more
rat products and more exotic rat varieties, your sales will go up.
Also, because rats are so social, we recommend that at least two be kept in a cage. A single rat is often
lonely, bored, and insecure. Therefore you should try never to sell just one rat. This benefits you too, since you will be selling each rat
owner more food, bedding, etc.
The best commercial diet for rats are rat blocks. The best brand is Teklad. Two other brands are LM and Kaytee.
Commercial rat nuggets are also good. Next best are the packaged grain mixes fortified specifically for rats, but some rats only eat part of
the diet leading to waste and an imbalanced diet. The best treats for rats are fruits and vegies, especially brocolli, kale, bok choy and
cooked sweet potato.
Good rat cages are hard to find. They should be at least 14" wide, 24" long and 14" high, and bigger is better.
They need to be big enough to allow scampering and toys. A rat cage should not have floors or ramps made of 1" X ½" as rats can get their
feet caught in this size mesh. Solid floors are best as some rats are prone to getting foot infections from wire floors.
Rats need a water bottle, a food dish for fresh foods, and we recommend the Lixit FoodHoppers™ for dry foods.
Many rats will use a litter box, and small corner boxes for ferrets work well. Rats also need sleeping quarters and enjoy products such as the
Super Pet Giant Roll-a-nest and hammocks. While most rats will chew on hammocks and eventually destroy them, once rat owners see how much
their pets enjoy hammocks, they will continue to buy them new ones!
Because rats are intelligent active animals, toys are not optional, they are necessary! Encouraging your
customers to buy toys for their rats will increase your sales. Placing toys in your rat display cages will encourage people to buy toys for
their rats. Rats enjoy exercise wheels, tubes, ladders, branches, and other climbing toys. They also enjoy food toys. Many bird toys work
well for rats. Wheels should be at least 10" across and solid plastic, not wire. Check out Super Pet's Comfort Wheel, or Wodent Wheels at www.transoniq.com
Pine and cedar shavings contain toxic acids and aromatic hydrocarbons (phenols) which are inhaled. These toxins
damage the respiratory tract and, over time, cause liver damage. There are many other products which are safe, and may have a better profit
margin for your store. Encourage your customers to buy the safer products by using them in your display cages. Rabbit food (yes, the little
green pellets) also makes an excellent odor-controlling bedding for rats, hamsters, mice and gerbils.
Never pick a rat up by the tail. It's not necessary and destroys the rat's trust in people. A rat's tail is
delicate and the skin on the end can actually come off. The right way to pick up a rat is around the shoulders and middle. Then put your other
hand beneath the rat's hindquarters and bring him close to your body so he'll feel more secure and less likely to squirm or try to jump out of
your hands. (It's very rare for socialized rats to bite. If you're afraid a rat might bite, place your hand close behind the rat's head.
That way the rat won't be able to turn his head to bite you.)
Pet rats are domestic animals and are naturally tame. However, they do need socialization to bond to humans.
All that's required is that baby rats be picked up, held, carried, petted, and talked to, for a short time each day. It's best if
socialization starts before their eyes open, but they should at least receive socialization from the time their eyes open (2 weeks) to weaning
(4 weeks). Socialization before weaning is many times more effective than after weaning. A well socialized rat will run to any human hand,
eager for interaction.
You may have to search for breeders who socialize their rats. Properly socializing babies takes time (although
not as much time as socializing them later!) and for this reason, a breeder who offers such animals is justified in charging more for them.
You then are justified in passing the higher cost on to your customers.
If you have an independent store, here's where you can stand out from the large chains. Make sure your customers
know that you have the friendliest animals in town! Use signs to explain why your rats are better than average.
Domestic rats can breed at only 5 weeks of age! It is irresponsible to sell pet rats already pregnant. Rodents
are not hard to sex, but mis-sexing them is common. Train your employees to properly sex rats and keep the sexes separate. It is most common for a female to be mistaken for a male because the female urethra looks somewhat like a penis. The testicles and scrotum of males are usually quite apparent so a male is rarely mistaken for a female. To confirm that a rat is a male, pressing down gently on either side of the prepuce of a suspected penis will cause the actual penis to extrude. In females the vaginal opening is located immediately below the urethra, and only female rats possess nipples, but these structures are sometimes difficult to see on a wiggling rat.
By breeding your own rats you can control their health, the amount of socialization the babies get, and even the
varieties you breed. Your rats will also be subjected to less shipping stress. In-store breeding requires extra space and labor and creates
extra mess so you'll need to do a cost analysis to see if the benefits outweigh the costs. But keep in mind that even if you only break even
on selling the rats themselves, by offering your customers superb pets, you will encourage them to continue to own rats for many years and you
may be able to make even more profit on the supplies you can sell them.
The most common health problem in rats is mycoplasmosis, an incurable respiratory disease caused by the bacteria
Mycoplasma pulmonis. This disease also makes rats more susceptible to secondary bacterial infections. Symptoms include sneezing, wheezing,
and in advanced cases, labored breathing, respiratory distress, and death. Unfortunately, this disease has become so common that pretty much
all stocks of rats outside of laboratories are infected. Selectively breeding only symptom-free rats and antibiotic treatment can help keep
the disease under control. In young rats the symptoms of respiratory disease are usually caused by a secondary infection and the recommended treatment is 2-3 weeks of amoxicillin at 10 mg/lb twice a day. Without this treatment a secondary infection can kill a rat within 12-48 hours. If the symptoms do not improve within 2-3 days, then the rat should be switched to either doxycyline at 2.5 mg/lb twice a day or enrofloxacin at 10 mg/lb twice a day for at least 4 weeks (longer in older rats.)
The second most common health problem is mammary tumors. About half of all female rats will get one or more of
these tumors. Spaying helps to prevent them.
Make sure your customers have the best experience possible with their rats by making information available. Give
out our Care Sheets, use other handouts, such as The Rat Fan Club brochure, and stock rat care books. The book Rats by club founder Debbie
"The Rat Lady" Ducommun is the most complete and accurate care book available. To order this book for resale, call Bowtie Press at
800-426-2516.
Debbie also writes and publishes the booklet Rat Health Care, an inexpensive yet comprehensive guide to common
rat health problems that is available for resale. Please contact The Rat Fan Club for more info.
Train your employees so they at least know the basics about rats and can answer questions. If rat owners have
questions you can't answer, feel free to refer them to The Rat Fan Club. Debbie "The Rat Lady" is happy to answer questions.
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All site content © 2003-2008 by Debbie Ducommun and the Rat Assistance & Teaching Society, unless otherwise noted. All information contained herein may be reprinted if both author and the Rat Assistance & Teaching Society are credited. Unauthorized use of images prohibited. |