A couple more rat questions...

[Charlottie]

Thanks to people's help on other questions i have had! =)

Well my mum asked if the rats could have wholemeal soda bread i know wholemeal bread is good for them but would soda bread be ok? Its proberly a stupid question but just want to make sure it is ok to fed them as really dont want to take a risk with their food, as i know they can't vomit.

Next one.. how do you keep their claws short or do you not need to do it or can I put something inside the cage to help keep them down-if so what would it be?

Final one.. we are planning ahead and thinking of summer (if we have one!!) could we put a run outisde wth a roof and half of it covered outside now to protect the grass and keep cats off it! we would mow the lawn as usual so it wouldn't get overgrown and then when it gets nice and warm could we put toys and different things in the run so that it is something different for the rats - they would only be in there poss an hour or more but under constance supervision (sp?) as i know they are god chewers the run would be dug into the ground ?

I know it may not sound like it but i did do my research these are just things i had missed =/. Oh it might help to know they are hairless girls and 4 of them! =D
Thanks for taking your time to read it =)
x

[Crownan]

Bump for this as I'm interested in some of the answers too!

[Shell195]

I dont know the other answers but being hairless wouldnt they be prone to sunburn the same as hairless cats and dogs?

[Amalthea]

Maybe lather 'em up in baby sun cream?

[Shell195]

Originally Posted by Amalthea

Maybe lather 'em up in baby sun cream?

I do this to Dennis and he comes in looking like the swamp monster with bits of garden and soil stuck to him

[Amalthea]

*giggles* Bless him!!

[feorag]

Originally Posted by Shell195

I dont know the other answers but being hairless wouldnt they be prone to sunburn the same as hairless cats and dogs?

I was thinking exactly the same thing Shell - that they would need sun cream if they were outside, even when the sun isn't actually shining.

From the point of view of my rats, I clip their claws, just like I do with the cats! Mine have beige claws (don't know if all rats do ) so it's easy to see the quick, but I just clip the tip off.

[LisaLQ]

Yes you can clip their claws, I do it with baby nail clippers, if you look carefully you can see the pink quick, avoid it and only take off the very tip, and you'll be fine. Have a styptic pen or cornflour handy in case you catch it though as they can bleed if you catch the quick (so I hear, I've never caught the quick yet although sometimes my rats are wiggly!).

Not sure about the soda bread, although I doubt it'd be a problem, it might be worth asking on one of the big rat forums.

As for the run I would only do so if you were absolutely certain there'd been no wild rats about, and you were supervising at all times. I've seen pics of peoples rats in the garden and they looked like they enjoyed themselves, but I've never done it myself.

[Charlottie]

Thanks for the replys! thanks you very much i will take into account about the run!
x

[Zoo-Man]

Char, I will clip the girl's nails for you hun x