AboutSandra Conti-Todd Expertise NOTE:
I am sorry for any long delays in responses. I have been going through some personal issues with my life but things are looking up for me and I am getting my life back on track again and will promise to be here for all rat lovers to help guide you on proper care. Love to all of you!
To request a telephone consultation, please email sandyscrittercity@yahoo.com. in order to schedule a date and time that is feasible for both you and I. There is no time limit on weekends or after 99pm M-F or if your cell phone carrier is Verizon Wireless. There is no charge for a telephone consultation. I offer my advice free of charge since my goal is to simply keep your rats happy and healthy for as long as possible. My reward is knowing that people learning as much as they can on rat care in order to provide the best care possible. Thats all I need to know. You cant put a price tag on love:)
As one of the top experts here at allexperts for 2008, I am happy to be able to help advise others on the proper care of pet rats.
I am a rat care specialist/advisor for area vets and have 20 plus years experience working with rodents.
I can advise you on the most current treatments available to your rat for common and also complicated ailments that seem to affect domestic rats during their life time. I do telephone consults and have even had some wonderful Vets call me to compare notes/stories. I also have training in animal behavior with the main focus being the study of rodent behavior.
I also have experience with wild rats, raising one myself .
Experience My expertise
Includes the following:
1. Education on prevention of tumors, lung and heart disease and disease of the kidneys too.
2. Up to date treatments for tumors in rats,both benign or malignant tumors.
3. The most current treatments used successfully to treat lung and heart disease
4. Prevention and treatment of the mycoplasma organism that our rats are plagued with since the day they are born, among other common ailments that attack our rats, just to name a few.
My job as a rodent consultant is to educate the owner on proper care of the animal but in no way does my advice take the place of seeking professional treatment by a qualified Veterinarian.
However, I will contribute to this site by answering your questions about raising pet rats and any problems that may arise regarding their health, diet, husbandry and over all well being of the rat to **the best of my ability.**
Organizations I maintain my website, Critter City and update it often to keep up with current treatments concerning pet rat health care. Please click the link above to take you there!
Publications My own website of course, and also I have brochures on rat care that are found in various animal clinics in my area.
Education/Credentials
Mentored by highly noted exotic specialists in my area. I am a member of the ASPCA.
Awards and Honors Was honored by being chosen to be one of the top 50 experts of 2008
Past/Present Clients My past clients have been through various animal clinics and I also am mentor to new rat owners that reach me through here and my website too.
Question QUESTION: Hello Sandra! I read a question you answered to a little boy about whether to get a male or female rat for a pet and just loved your answer. It was so informative, so I think you might just have the answers to a couple of my rat questions.
I am thinking about getting 2 rats and have decided (because of that one answer I read of yours) to get males and have them neutered. I've found a local vet that has experience with rats so that all settled. I have a 2 almost 3 year old daughter who loves all animals and is very gentle with them. But I am wondering if a rat would make a good pet for a home with such a young child. She would always be supervised around the rats (for her safety and the rats!) but I still have my concerns. Also we have two cats. Everything I've read about rats and cats co-mingling says that you mostly have to worry about it while the rats are small then once they grow and become bigger in size most cats are to lazy to pursue the rats. My cats are indeed lazy, one of them is almost 15 years old so I don't see her being a rat huntress. The other one is probably 4 years old but he is also lazy and has never been outside the house or had any kind of hunting experience. I had 2 ferrets that the cats never had any problems with but I don't' know if that is in the same category.
Also on that post to the little boy you mentioned some recipes for rat food. If you still have those links I would love to see them.
Mhh, I think that's all the questions I have. I had a rat (Ratso) as a child and he was one of the best pets. I would really like my daughter to get to experience what a wonderful pet a rat can be and also educate my mother-in-law that rats aren't awful little beasties and show her just how sweet and loving pet rats actually are.
Thank you so much for your time,
Stephanie
ANSWER: Hi Stephanie
I turned my Grandmother on to rats years ago, and God love her, she is still alive at 92 years old, a bit senile, yet she can still remember the "black headed rat named Louie" she calls him when she lived with us 5 years ago. I had to wire the doors shut because I would find her in the rat room and she was always trying to let them out to play with her! She used to say she was sorry for ever chasing rats with her broom! LOL!
Anyhow, as for the rat diet, since the letter to the little boy, I have updated my website and have devoted a page on rat diet, one strictly for training scared or biting rats, etc...etc...so I will give you the URL where I have recipes and ideas for diets etc...
Ironically, a frantic mother just wrote to me because one of the baby feeder rats she bought just bit her little 3 year old girl pretty hard and she was very worried about the excessive bleeding and if her child could catch anything from the rat. I reassured her that the only concern would be to make sure she was up to date on her tetnus shots which at that age she should be, and said a ton of other things that I cant even remember now. However, this in no way means rats all bite. A very scared shy rat that is new to the home and has never been socialized will bite if cornered or forced to be handled. If the tail is grabbed, the rat can deglove easily which can be a medical emergency. I know alot of moms with young children that have rats, even breed them for a hobby and all is well, but as you said, strict supervision since the rat is so small. As for cats, I never ever recommend allowing cats and rats together, no matter how old the cat is or how big the rat is. My rats all tip the scales at close to 2lbs and my cats would devour them in a NY minute. On the other hand, I know people that raised rats with kittens and because the cat grew up around rats, they were friends. This is a bit different but you know what? I still dont trust it. Cats and rats do NOT get along by natural instinct. My rats freak just hearing the cats meow from outside their door and they have never had any face to face confrontation with them. Is that odd? They just know....
Hope this helps, and if you think of anything else, feel free to contact me!
Ohhh.....
One more thing...I think you may appreciate these photos:
QUESTION: Thanks Sandra!
I knew you'd have the answers. Also I LOVE those pic's especially the first one with the GIANT rat! I hope my rats get that big and cute!
But anywho, I have a couple more questions for you. I found a breeder near by but she only had one male available so I checked crags list and found someone who has pet ones and breeds them for reptile food! :( Well, she got two baby males that were to sweet and she just couldn't feed them so she posted them hoping to get them a good home.
Well, I couldn't pass them up (I know, I probably would have done better with a good breeder buuuut, they were so cute). They are a little skittish especially the younger one (Monroe). Nether of them bite but when I reach in to get them Monroe backs into a corner and puts his head low and freezes. I feel so bad because he look so scared. The older one (it's my husbands job to come up with his name and he hasn't decided yet) is a little less skittish but he still get a little freaked out. Maybe it's because I smother them with loves and kisses every time I get them out (I can't help myself) should I be moving slower, lol.
Anyways, any tips on helping these little cuties not be so scared or am I doing everything right by taking them out and loving on them a bunch. Also, my daughter loves to eat kix cereal and she's fed them a couple here and there. Are kix ok for them to eat? They seem to love them. Well thanks again! You're the best!
-Stephanie
Answer I have a moose....err... a dog named Monroe. LOL
About the kix, yes they are ok here and there. I know people that feed their rats apple jacks (guilty as charged) once in a blue moon as a snack. Bad Sandy!!
As for training shy rats, I have been getting so much mail about this so I went and made a page on my website about training shy or biting rats.
I trained a biting wild baby rat and she was my best friend till she died last JUly close to 4 years old! I miss her still.
Also, while your there on my site, please look over the diet page also and the GETTING STARTED page too. I will give you the URL or you can go back to my profile and simply click on the CRITTER CITY logo (It should work....I hope) and go to the TRAINING shy or biting rats. I wrote it about 2 weeks ago after sounding like a broken recording answering about this topic and saying the same things over and over. However, if I did not answer all of your questions on that page, please feel free to write back anytime.
