Taking care of pet rats isn’t hard, but it helps to follow some basic recommendations to ensure your rats are living their best lives. Use this list of some important do’s and don’ts of rat care to make it easier.

1. Should You Keep A Single Rat Or Multiple Rats?

Following a few guidelines helps make pet rat care easier, even for multiple rats.

Don’t have only one rat. Rats are social creatures that thrive in a mischief (a group of rats). In the wild, rats live in colonies with up to 150 different males and females. It is instinctive in our pet rats to live with friends.

Do adopt at least 2 or 3 rats when first starting out. If you’re adding to your already established group, then bringing in a singleton is fine. If there’s a good chance they won’t be accepted by your other rats, however, consider adopting a pair to ensure no one is left alone.

There are some exceptions to rats living alone. If all but one of your rats have passed away and you won’t be getting more, it is understandable that they are alone for a bit. Just spend extra time with them daily to prevent loneliness.

If one rat doesn’t get along with the mischief, having that rat live alone might be the best option. The safety of all rats is the most important. Talk to your vet about ways to help aggressive rats so they can enjoy being with friends.

2. Know Your Pet Supplies

Don’t buy an item just because it claims to be for rats. As an example, some wood shavings sold for small animal pets, including rats, contain phenols that might adversely affect health. Aspen is a hardwood and safe for rats. My personal preference, however, is to use scraps of fleece that can be washed to line my rats’ cage floors. If you’d like more information on commercial beddings, check out the Rat Guide’s list.

Do your research first! Before buying anything, learn what supplies are safe and preferred by educated rat owners. Some of my suggestions can be found in my article “Gift Ideas For Your Pet Rats.”

3. Research Your Rats’ Food

Research to be sure you are feeding your rats a complete food, such as Rascally Rat Nutri-Berries. Brandi Saxton of It’s A Rat’s World

Don’t feed your rat just any random diet. Some small animal diets claim to be suitable for rats, but they aren’t.

Don’t over feed.

Do your research and read up on proper rat diets and portions. Learn how to feed your rats throughout their different stages of life. What a baby rat needs differs from adults, seniors and pregnant females.

Don’t feed your rats junk food, fried or fatty foods, or carbonated beverages. These things will only lead to obesity and health problems.

Do research on safe snacks. It’s fun to share table scraps with your rats but you should know what foods to avoid. Some human foods can even be toxic or pose a choking hazard.

For an in-depth look at commercial rat diets, safe and appropriate human foods, and feeding considerations for the different life stages, check out the “Diet” article I co-wrote for the Rat Guide. Lafeber’s Rascally Rat Nutri-Berries is also a completely balanced diet for adult, non-pregnant rats.

4. Choose And Maintain A Cage

Investing in a quality cage helps your rats live a better life.

Don’t house your rats in aquariums or small, single-story cages. Aquariums are unsuitable due to their small size, poor ventilation, and lack of levels. Our rats live a good portion of their lives in their habitat, so it needs to provide good ventilation, space, and exercise. Being able to stay active is good for both their health and their mental well-being.

Do research and get a multi-leveled cage that is properly sized for your rat group. I recommend getting one made of durable, galvanized wire. Bars with some sort of powder coating are easier to clean. For help with cage size, use a cage calculator as a guide.

Cages are not exactly cheap, but your cage should last years if you invest in a good brand. I’ve had my Double Critter Nation for well over a decade, and it has housed at least 30 different rats in that time.

Don’t leave the cage in a poorly ventilated room or next to a drafty window. Rats are susceptible to serious health issues in extreme temperatures.

Don’t leave wire flooring in the cage uncovered. This can lead to injury, bumblefoot, and an unsanitary/hard-to-clean habitat.

Do clean the cage regularly and do spot cleanings when necessary.

5. Beware Of Chemicals And Fragrance

Don’t use strong room deodorizer plug-ins, sprays, or candles near your rats or their cage.

Don’t use fabric softeners on their cloth bedding.

Don’t spray strong or toxic household cleaners near or on their cage.

Rats have sensitive respiratory tracts, and being exposed to these things can cause them irritation, breathing issues, and health problems.

6. Think About Secondhand And Thirdhand Smoke

Don’t smoke near your rats. Secondhand smoke irritates respiratory tissue and can make existing problems for your rats worse or lead to infections they may not otherwise have gotten. Smoking also creates thirdhand smoke. This is the residue of hazardous chemicals in cigarette smoke that builds up over time on surfaces, skin, and even under your fingernails. Fans, open windows, and even most household cleaners will not get rid of this long-lasting residue.

Vape pens and marijuana also pose a health threat to your rats and other pets. Studies on both have shown significant risk to rats for a myriad of reasons.

Do create a smoke-free environment for your rats by not smoking inside your home.

Do make sure that you’ve showered, brushed your teeth, and changed your clothes before handling your rats if you have smoked. This may seem like overkill, but it’s the only way to prevent these harmful chemicals from getting on your rats and their fur. Otherwise, they will continually be ingesting these toxins whenever they groom themselves or you.

7. Be Choosy with Household Plants

Any veggies you feed your rats aren’t the only greens to be concerned about. Be sure that any plants in your home that your rat can access are safe to be nibbled on.

Don’t keep poisonous houseplants in areas your rats frequent, especially if they free range. You may be surprised by how many popular indoor plants are toxic to pets. Philodendrons, for instance, contain calcium oxalate, which can cause toxicity when handled incorrectly or digested. Even fallen leaves (whether fresh and green or dead and shriveled) can be dangerous if nibbled on.

Do an inventory of your household plants and check to see if they are safe in the vicinity of your rats (or other pets for that matter). If they aren’t, get rid of them or move them to an area of the house your rats will never be in. Check out the ASPCA for a list of toxic and non-toxic plants.

8. Reconsider Leaving Them Alone

Don’t leave your rats unsupervised when going out of town. You may think that being caged means they are safe alone for a few days, but anything can happen. The water bottle could leak, leaving the cage wet and your rats with nothing to drink. They could binge their food and have nothing left to eat. Or your air conditioner/heater could break, or you could have a power outage, leaving your rats in extreme temperatures. There are just so many random possibilities that could occur. It’s not worth taking the risk.

Do have a friend, family member, or pet service come to or visit your house daily while you are gone. Or take them to a trusted pet sitter.

9. Allow Darkness

Provide your rats with dark places they can retreat to if they wish.

Don’t leave the lights on 24/7. Just like in humans, a rat’s circadian rhythm can be negatively affected by too much light. This can lead to obesity, health issues, and changes in behavior.

Do turn off the lights at night and cover any window in the room where your rats are kept. And provide them with plenty of dark places to hide and sleep in, such as hammocks, igloos, space pods, or cardboard boxes.

For more on sleep, check out my article “What to Know About Pet Rats and Sleep.”

10. Safety From Other Pets

Don’t leave your rats unattended with other pets. Even if your dog, cat, lizard, bird, etc. gets along with your rats, do not get lax about their safety. All animals are unpredictable, and anything can happen.

Do supervise your rats whenever they are out of the cage and provide a safe room or area for them. My utility room has enough space to keep my large cage setup in, which is one of the reasons we bought our house. If our cat Vertigo had her way, she’d sit next to the rat cage all day and stare at them, which they hate! Instead, I keep the utility room door shut and Vertigo out.

11. Protect The Tail

Don’t ever pick up your rats by their tail or use it to catch your rat! The tail is actually a part of their vertebrae. Picking a rat up by the tail would be like grabbing a human by their spine. It can lead to pain and injury, or future complications with their back.

Do support their entire body by cradling them in your hand. If your rat is fairly large, you may need a second hand to support their legs. Holding a rat close to your own body provides further support, especially if they are squirmy.

12. Make Time For Quality Time

Don’t go the whole day without spending time with your cute rats. Even with rattie friends, they still desire time with their owners. Quality time reinforces bonds, provides them with a sense of safety, and teaches them to trust you. Plus, they need time out of their cage.

Do spend at least 1 or 2 hours a day with your rats. Even if you’re busy and don’t have time to sit and hang out together for a couple of hours, make sure their cage is nearby and create ways to interact with them. Talk to them, bring them healthy snacks, put them in a play area or build one in the room you frequent the most.

Enjoy Awesome Rat Companionship!

Do pat yourself on the back for the effort you’re making with your rodent friends. Spending time reading articles like this means you care enough to learn the do’s and don’ts of general rat care. Your rats will surely benefit!

Article by Brandi Saxton

https://lafeber.com/mammals/pet-rat-care-dos-and-donts/

Pet Rat Care Do’s and Don’ts