Hello! I'm new to the world of rat ownership, but for ages now I've wanted one. Now, I have a couple rat-related questions that I've had a hard time finding answers to. I'm sure they'll be perfectly obvious to you experienced people, but I guess they're just not the sort of thing people put in their 'Guides to Rat Ownership' essays.
Okay! I'm 18 and I've never really done anything 'by myself' - It's important to me that I take care of my rats on my own, you know? That said, money is obviously an issue for me (On top of things, I have to save up for a new Wacom Tablet. Ugh, 450 US dollars ._.) and I was wondering -on average- how much does it cost for you to take care of your rats say, monthly? Food, bedding, toys, stuff like that. How much did it cost for you to buy your rats and make their home?
Does the cost and difficulty of caring for rats rise substantially the more you have? I know that you're best off keeping them in pairs or groups (and I plan to get at least two) but from the looks of it most people around here have three or four, if not more. Would they be considerably happier in a larger group? Should a newbie like me even attempt more then two rats at first, or would I be better off waiting a while to buy more?
Eep! I hope these questions haven't been asked a million times >.< Thank you for any help you can offer me!
-Ducky
Okay! I'm 18 and I've never really done anything 'by myself' - It's important to me that I take care of my rats on my own, you know? That said, money is obviously an issue for me (On top of things, I have to save up for a new Wacom Tablet. Ugh, 450 US dollars ._.) and I was wondering -on average- how much does it cost for you to take care of your rats say, monthly? Food, bedding, toys, stuff like that. How much did it cost for you to buy your rats and make their home?
Does the cost and difficulty of caring for rats rise substantially the more you have? I know that you're best off keeping them in pairs or groups (and I plan to get at least two) but from the looks of it most people around here have three or four, if not more. Would they be considerably happier in a larger group? Should a newbie like me even attempt more then two rats at first, or would I be better off waiting a while to buy more?
Eep! I hope these questions haven't been asked a million times >.< Thank you for any help you can offer me!
-Ducky