Rat Care Guide 

RAT CARE GUIDE 

HOUSING:

Like all small animals, rats have specific needs when it comes to their housing. They need plenty of space, comfy sleeping places, and enriching toys. 

The minimum cage size for 2 rats would have 4 cubic feet of space. Typically, the accepted standard is 2 ft^3 per rat as long as they have room to dig.

Rats should NEVER be housed alone. They do well in pairs, but typically groups of three or more have better politics. Rats are social animals and do best with companions. When housed alone, they can get depression, which leads to further health concerns and can be fatal. 

When choosing bedding for your rat’s enclosure, we recommend going with kiln-dried pine or aspen. Avoid dusty bedding as that can irritate your rat’s respiratory system. Hemp bedding may also be a good option. We choose not to use fleece or paper bedding, because they do not provide ammonia control. Wood and hemp-based beddings do, so they do not have to be changed as often.

 However, for those able to change the bedding daily or every other day, paper or fleece bedding can be viable options.

Rats can be litter trained! We highly recommend litter training your rats as that can make clean up a breeze!

For enrichment, we recommend lots of different types of toys! Bird toys are great for enrichment and fun to play with. We also make paper toys out of a variety of different recyclable materials like paper towel rolls, cardboard, paper, twine, and more. 

Baskets and ropes for climbing work great for rats, which can be found at the dollar store. Cardboard boxes make great, cheap hides. Hammocks and hanging beds are also great for rats, which you can also make yourself.

CHEW TOYS AND FREE ROAM TIME:

Wooden sticks and other toys make great chews for pet rats. Lava ledges also help grind on the teeth and their nails.

Aim for at least an hour of free roam time per day, or as often as possible. Rats love to explore and go on adventures, so making cardboard box castles and other types of unique toys and structures are a big hit. Pringles cans, paper towel rolls,  egg cartons, paper bags, and lots more can be used in a free roam area!

During free room time, be sure to have your space “rat proofed” similar to how you might puppy proof or baby proof. Wires should be covered and out of reach, stuffed things with cotton in them should be tucked away, and small areas that you might not be able to get your rats out of should be blocked off. 

I personally like to set up a large play pen (which I made using cardboard display boards) so I can ensure anything they have access to is safe for them..  

There are lots of fun activities you can set up for them to play with! Hiding treats around the space or fishing for frozen peas are a few of our favorites!           

TREATS AND BEHAVIOR:

The first few days rats need time to adjust to a new environment! Be sure to give you a rat space and it could take up to a month for them to completely adapt and come out of their shell!

Rats are prey animals and when placed in a new environment they may be nervous. Be sure to put them in a room with no light or loud sounds. 

It’s best to be patient and build your trust! Treats and free range are great opportunities for the rats to create a bond with you! 

For treats we recommend toddler puffs or plain cereals, like cheerios or bran flakes. Pieces of veggies and fruits work as well. Baby food or plain yogurt are  great liquid treats! Mealworms and eggs are also a great occasional treat.

Rats can be trained to do all sorts of tricks! From learning their names to spinning to fetch and some even more advanced!

Some people have seen a difference in males vs female rat behaviors. They might say that females are super playful and males are more cuddly, but that has more to do with individual rats than anything! The younger your rats are the more playful they will be, and as they get older some will begin to enjoy more cuddle time. Again, each rat is an individual and has their own behavior and personality types!

When cleaning a cage it is preferred to spot clean daily and deep clean weekly. When spot cleaning, scoop out any soiled bedding and discard before refilling. For deep cleaning it is best to take everything out of the cage, wipe down the bars and hides using a diluted vinegar solution, and machine wash all hammocks

Also, make sure you switch around toys and hides for some added enrichment. Rotating out toys and hides have worked great for us!

CARE AND FOOD:

There are two main types of commercial feeds that are sold for rats. Seed mixes and lab blocks. We recommend using lab blocks. When you use seed mixes, rats tend to pick and choose what to eat which can leave them with nutritional deficiencies. Lab blocks help to ensure they are getting a well-rounded diet.

There are many brands of lab blocks on the market. We use Mazuri Breeder 6F. However, we also highly recommend Science Selective and Oxbow.

You should also regularly supplement their diet with vegetables and fruit. Rats can have a large variety of “human” foods that are good for them. We  give them a “salad” twice weekly, with things such as asian lettuces (bok choy and napa lettuce), romaine and green leaf lettuce, dandelion and mustard greens, broccoli, steamed squash or zucchini, and various fruits such as apples, berries, and some form of protein such as eggs or mealworms. We always change it up so our rats are getting a large variety of fresh foods in addition to their staple diet.

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ 

TOXIC FOODS:

These are poisonous and should never be feed to your rats.

Avocado skin and pit (contains the fungicidal toxin Persin)

Green potato (contains toxic Solanine)

Fluorinated and/or Chlorinated Water (it is recommended to use filtered water and not tap)

Green bananas  (inhibits the growth of certain  digestion enzymes)

Uncooked/dried beans (contains Hemaglutin, a very toxic anti-nute)

Blue cheese (contains toxic molds)

Caffeine (this drug can overload the rats system, and has a toxin overdose level of about 200-400mg)

Dried corn (can contain the fungus Aspergillus flavus)

Licorice (causes neurological poisoning)

Raw sweet potato (the compounds can quite literally cause cyanide to be produced in the stomach)

Poppy seeds (can cause acute morphine toxicity)

Raw/Red cabbage (breaks down Thiaman in the body)

Raw brussel sprouts (breaks down Thiaman in the body)

Raw peanuts (can contain the fungus Aspergillus flavus)

Rhubarb (prevents calcium absorption)

UNSAFE FOODS:

Rats could potentially get hurt from ingesting or trying to ingest these foods.

Citrus fruits (extreme amounts of D-Limonene can causes kidney damage and cancer in male rats, rind is bad flesh is ok in small amounts)

Mango (extreme amounts of D-Limonene can causes kidney damage and cancer in male rats, small amounts ok)

Carbonated beverages (rats are unable to burp, so the gas gets trapped)

Sticky foods (like peanut butter; can cause chocking)

Wild insects (can carry parasites and disease)

UNHEALTHY FOODS:

These won’t hurt your rat but they can have a poor impact on overall health and should be fed sparingly.

High-fat foods

Sugary foods

HEALTH & THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR:

Rats have very sensitive respiratory systems and many rats will have chronic upper respiratory infections. If your rat develops an URI seek treatment from a vet.

There are a few steps you can take to  prevent URIs from developing. Using dust-free, ammonia absorbing litter typically helps. Also keeping their environment consistent and stress-free, as stress is typically the main trigger for URIs. 

Porphyrin may develop around your rat’s nose and eyes. This is essentially red mucous. In small amounts, porphyrin is normal, however in excess it can be a sign of other health concerns or poor grooming habits. Try wiping the porphyrin clean daily and see if it continues to develop. If so, see a vet to rule out the possibility of an URI.

You also want to pay attention to their eating habits. Make sure that they are eating and drinking, and that their water bottles are functional. Typically a change in eating habits is a sign of health concerns.

You also want to make sure that you pay attention to their teeth. Make sure that they do not overgrow. If you see that their teeth are overly long, that could mean that they’re not chewing. If there’s a large gap in between their teeth their teeth could be growing in crooked which should be seen by a vet. Some rats who do not grind down their own teeth will need to have their teeth trimmed by a vet.

Typically any change in behavior is an indicator of health concerns so pay attention to your rats eating and sleeping habits so you can recognize a change!