*Disclaimers*
*I do not claim to be an expert on rats or their care. I'm just sharing what I've learned through experience and research*
*I do not claim this guide is definitive. It just shares the basic foundation of rat care. Do more research before getting rats*
*I apoligize if I say something that is inaccurate. I am human and I make mistakes*
*Not everyone agrees on everything. Much of this guide is made of my opinion. If you disagree with something, please reply with your opinion. The goal is to educate people, so the more info, the better*
*I aploigize in advance for any typos. Again, I'm human and I make mistakes*
With that out of the way, here's the care guide!
After each section I have linked a few good videos on the topic.
Rat Care Guide
A Few Things To Know
Rats are incredibly social animals, and NEED to live with other rats. Ideally 3+ rats, but pairs work. The social dynamic within a mischief is fascinating, though it’s not really noticeable until you have a group of 5+. Without other rats, your rat will become lonely and depressed. They can actually die from it. They’re bored without friends, and that boredom leads to stress which often leads to death. No matter how much you interact with your rat, you cannot replace the social reward rats get from each other.
Rats typically live about 2-3 years on average, though 4 years is also quite common.
Boys tend to be less active than girls. Boys prefer to snuggle, girls prefer to play. Boys are also significantly larger than girls. Other than that, there’s not much of a difference as far as personality goes.
Is it okay to only have two rats
Care & Maintenance
Rats are high maintenance animals and are in no way beginner pets. They require care multiple times a day. This includes cleaning, feeding, playing, changing water, and more. Their bedding will need to be cleaned a few times a week, everything in their cage should be wiped down about once a week, and their cage should be deep cleaned and rearranged at least once a month.
Rats need time outside their cage. They should be allowed out for at least an hour every day. The area you let them play in could be a table, bed, playpen, rat-proofed room, or something similar. Do not use any wire playpens, rats can and will climb up the wire and escape. The best playpens are diy cardboard ones. Make sure the pen is at least 2.5’ high, because rats can jump over anything smaller. Their playtime area should have many places for them to explore. You can use cardboard boxes to make hideouts, chairs to make climbing structures, tunnels, toys, and more!
Things to know before you get rats
Diet & Food
Rats always need access to water. There should be at least one water source per rat. You have two options to provide water. You can use a bottle or a bowl. Bowls are more natural, but get dirty quickly. Bottles stay clean longer, but bacteria builds up in the nozzle and it’s very hard to clean. Bottles hold more water than bowls, but bowls are more natural. Sometimes, using bottles leads to neck and back issues. Personally, I use both. I have six personal rats right now, so I have three bottles and four bowls.
The staple diet should not be taken lightly, it is the most important part of your rats’ diet. Rats should have %14-%18 protein, 5%-15% fiber, and low fat. You have two options, lab blocks or muesli/seed mixes. Muesli mixes usually have a lot of variety, but there aren’t any good ones commercially available in the U.S. You would have to make your own, which I do NOT recommend for a first-time owner. Muesli mixes also allow rats to only eat their favorite ingredients(aka picky eating) which leads to an imbalanced diet. I recommend lab blocks. Blocks prevent picky eating, which is quite hard to combat with a group, and ensure that your rats’ are getting all the nutrients they need. That being said, you should never just feed your rats their staple, they need enrichment food. Some good commercial diets include Oxbow Adult Rat(my personal favorite), and Harlan Teklad. Some may say that Mazuri Rat and Mouse is okay, but that information is outdated. Mazuri changed their recipe and it now has far too much protein.
There are a few options when it comes to feeding rats. You can use a bowl, but that isn’t very enriching. I recommend using foraging toys. Foraging toys make your rat work for their food, and it gives them something to do. You can use diy foraging toys, bird foraging toys, and more! You can also scatter feed, which is exactly what it sounds like. You just scatter the food around the cage so they have to go look for it.
Along with their staple diet, rats need variety. They should be given different foods every day to every other day. I like to call these foods “enrichment foods.” Rats can eat many different things, from veggies to meat, they can probably eat it. In fact, it’s probably easier to name the things they can’t eat. Rats should never have any candy, alcohol, caffeine, onions/garlic, citrus, anything under/over ripe, raw legumes, anything salty, seasoned, or artificially flavored, colored, or sweetened. Other than that, rats can probably eat it, though it wouldn’t hurt to do a quick google to make sure. Rats should have around a tablespoon of “enrichment food” each every day, or 1.5-2 TBs every other day.
Rats love treats, and treats are very important for the taming process. But treats don’t have to be unhealthy, in fact, they shouldn’t be. Many of the treats marketed for rats are high in sugar and fat, so you should try to avoid those. You can use other foods like Gerber baby puffs, meat baby food, and plain cheerios. You can also use fresh foods like leafy greens, bell pepper, and some fruits.
Cage & Setup
Rats require large cages. Four cubic feet per rat is the minimum, though some people say more. Rats need wire cages with LOTS of ventilation. Any ammonia build-up will cause a respiratory infection, which leads to pneumonia which quickly leads to death. Because of this, rats cannot live in tanks or anything similar. They also cannot live in hamster cages(fun fact, most hamster cages are far too small for ANY animal, including hamsters). My favorite cage is the Critter Nation by Midwest. Each unit fits up to 3 rats.
Wire/grate/mesh floors, wheels, levels, and ramps are dangerous because your rat’s feet, toes, and tail can get stuck in the gaps which can result in broken toes, feet, ankles, and vertebrae, in the case of a tail. Sharp edges can injure your rats. Wire can also cause bumblefoot, aka Ulcerative Pododermatitis. You can tell from the name ULCER(ulcer)ative PODO(foot)DERMA(skin)TITIS(infection), it’s pretty much infected foot-skin ulcers. I don’t know about you, but that does not sound fun. If you have a cage with wire floors, don’t worry. You can just put something on top of the wire such as cardboard or fleece.
You have quite a few options when it comes to bedding, you just have to test a few and find out what works for you. Some safe options are unscented paper bedding, aspen bedding, hemp bedding, and paper/wood pellet bedding. Never use corn-cob bedding, cedar bedding, softwood bedding, pine bedding, scented paper bedding, cotton bedding, cat litter, clay bedding, ash bedding, or anything dusty. Corn Cob is unsafe because it molds almost immediately after it gets wet, which is obviously not good. Cedar, softwood, pine, and scented beddings are all unsafe because the odors/phenols will cause respiratory infections. Cat litter, clay and ash are unsafe because they are very dusty and they will cause impaction if they are ingested. Cotton is unsafe because the long, small fibers get wrapped around the rats’ toes and cut off circulation. Finally, anything dusty is unsafe because dust will irritate your rats’ respiratory tract. Along with bedding, you will need to provide nesting material. You can use paper, paper towels, toilet paper, soy ink newspaper, and pretty much any safe paper product. You can also use fleece scraps. DON’T use magazines(the ink is dangerous) or cotton(for the reasons mentioned above).
You can train rats to use a litter box. It makes spot cleaning much easier. Try to have one litter box for every two rats, and try to have one on every level of the cage, or at least when you're training them. The litter pan should be big enough for two rats at a time. Never use a litter pan with a grate. The grates are bad for their feet, and it blocks them from accessing their poop. Sometimes rats eat their poop, it’s gross, but normal. It’s called coprophagia. Use an absorbent bedding with good odor control for the litter. Many people recommend putting smooth rocks in the litter box. This helps with training rats to pee in the litter box because rats like to pee on smooth, flat surfaces. To train them to poop in the litter box, just put their poop into the litter box every time you spot clean and eventually they’ll get the hint.
Rats are very intelligent and energetic creatures, so they need stimulating cage setups with lots of places to hide, climb, and play. Rats love cardboard boxes. Just cut a hole to make an entrance. Rats also love hammocks. There are many different styles and sizes. You can make them yourself, or you can get them from places like Etsy. I don’t recommend the hammocks from the pet store because they are horrible quality and most rats hate them. Some other great accessories include Lava Ledges, Sputniks/Space Pods, dog/bird ropes, dollar store containers, wheels, igloos, bendy bridges, tunnels, and more!
Beware of dangerous rat products. Not everything sold for rats is actually safe for them. Some dangerous items include Snak Shaks(they’re made of alfalfa and honey, and rats can’t eat alfalfa), hamster balls(the slits are the perfect size for their toes to get stuck, resulting in broken toes, feet, and ankles. The balls are also too small, and it will force your rat’s spine to curve in an unnatural way, resulting in neck, back, and tail problems. There also isn’t nearly enough ventilation, not to mention that the whole experience is very stressful for rats), and more.
Although they’re not completely necessary, rats love wheels. Never use any wire wheels because wire is dangerous and can harm their feet and tail. Only use solid-bottom wheels. Female and young rats can usually fit on a 12” wheel, but males need 15” or bigger.
Training & Taming
Rats can learn a variety of tricks, and training them is fun for the rat and the human. You can train them with a target, by shaping, treat-training, and other methods!
Taming is pretty much just the process of getting your rats used to you. Use lots of treats, and talk a lot so they get used to your voice. When they are comfortable near your hand, you can start letting them out for playtime. Set up a playpen right outside the cage and open the door. Let them come out by themselves. Sit quietly in the playpen and let them come up to you. After a couple weeks of daily treats and playtime, they should be comfortable being with you and letting you hold them.
Rats and people can bond very closely. Hobbiestes like to call the rat we have the closest bond with our “heart rat.” Bonds form over time, but once they’re there, they’re there for good. Heart rats usually enjoy hanging out with their human in many different ways. Some like to snuggle, some like trick training, and some just like to hang out on your shoulder while you do stuff.
Illnesses
Rats are small animals and are susceptible to many different illnesses. The most common being respiratory infections. It’s important that your cage is not near any open window or air vents because drafts can cause URIs(Upper respiratory Infections). Strong odors(scented candles, bedding, air fresheners, ect), mold, and second-hand smoke can also cause URIs.
Where To Get Your Rats
There are a few places where you can get rats. Some options include shelters, ethical breeders, pet stores, feeder bins, local foster homes, rehoming sites, and Craigslist. I do NOT recommend getting rats from pet stores because all the animals have horrible genetics and you’re supporting an awful system of animal abuse. You can also get rats from feeder bins, but they also have questionable genetics. I recommend getting your rats from a shelter, foster home, or rehoming site because those rats need new homes. You can also get rats from ethical breeders. Breeder rats usually have wonderful genetics, they often live 4+ years, have great temperament, beautiful coats, and more. The only reason I don’t recommend breeder rats is because 1. There are already so many rats that need homes, and 2. It’s incredibly hard to pick out a good breeder from a bad one.
Edited by a little furry thing, 27 January 2021 - 09:01 AM.
