Everyone has had so many good suggestions and advice so far. I just wanted to chime in about rats as well. I had my ratties before my bunns and piggies. Although I adore all animals (my dog and cat included), ratties are my biggest love. I've had them as pets for over 7 years now and couldn't love them more.
Unfortunately, girl rats can mark just as much as boys. They can also pee down the side (or back) of the cage too. They also can BOTH be litter trained quite easily. Young ratties might take a bit of time to train. But just like a kitten, you pick up the stray poo and put it in their box. In no time, they get the idea. I've found that using a different kind of litter like yesterday's news that is separate from what you line the cage with, helps them get the idea. I even had a girl once that would pick up the stray poo that someone left outside the box, and put it IN the litterbox!
As for who to adopt, I think 4 ratties is great idea! Is it possible for you to adopt a mom and daughters? Or two mom's with a daughter each? I have some sister combos, brother combos, and a mom/daughter combo (I have 20 rats
). You tend to see quite a bond between them, but not to say that ones that meet later don't bond....because they will. I might just be careful to do proper intros of adults to babies. And if that's your plan...you might want to go with girls. Adult intact males, might find young baby boys a threat and it could take longer to intro them or worse. :sad:
Girls are more adventurous and playful. Boys (after they grow out of the crazy baby stage) are more laid back and calm. If you are looking for a cuddly lap rat....your probably more a "boy" rattie person. But if you want a smart, problem solver that loves your company and is always "busy"...then girls are for you. I have both and love them equally. But girls tend to be a bit more my favorites as they are so darn fun.
The FN cages are beautiful....but the bar spacing can be dangerous to babies and small females. They can get their heads caught. Babies will definitely get out. So you might consider either lining the cage, or waiting until the babies get bigger, to put them in the FN.
I can't access my photobucket pages from my work pc, but I did post a pic of one of our cages in Wickedrodent's rattie thread a while back. I have a ton of hammocks, igloos, pvc pipes, litterboxes, nest boxes etc in my cages. We line the upper levels with fleece and the bottom with aspen.
A sad couple of "downsides". Ratties are not the most healthy of animals. They are very prone to respiratory problems. So you should consider the fact there will be vet costs, as they deserve proper vet care like all other animals. Females are extremely prone to mammary tumors. So much so, that you can pretty much just plan that it will happen. However, there have been more and more proof that spaying females at 4 months, drastically reduces the likelihood of tumors later in life. And surgery for a 4 month old, is much easier than a tumor removal surgery (or 2) later in their life. We have all our females spayed now...and so far, those that have been...have not developed a tumor (my others all did). Of course, like piggies, they need to go to a knowledgeable exotic vet that has a lot of experience with their special needs.
Ratties also have way too short of life spans. Generally only 2-3 years. And when they leave you....they take your heart with them. I just lost a beautiful little old girl last night. :weepy:
Wickedrodent hit the nail right on the head when she refered to ratties like tiny dogs. That's exactly how I feel...though in all honesty...they are smarter than most dogs.
They know their names, come when called (well most of them), use their litterbox and are the cleanest animal I've ever seen. They are constantly bathing themselves or their pals....and they will even try and groom you too. Some will even try and get in your mouth for a little Rodentistry!