🌱 Rat Care Tips 🌱
Here are some quick tips to keep your rats happy and healthy:
INTRODUCTIONS: Be sure to introduce new cage mates on neutral ground before putting them in a cage together. Slowly introducing each other over a period of time will set your rats up for success. To help prevent aggressive introductions, try cleaning the cage thoroughly so older rats aren’t as territorial when new rats are put into the cage. Squeaking and displays of dominance may happen but as long as there is no genuine fighting, then they will be fine once a hierarchy is formed. Once your rats are at ease with each other, give your rat time to settle into his new home.
FOOD: Be sure to provide high quality RAT food, preferably in block form to discourage selective eating. I swear by Mazuri (Which can be bought from Chewy.com!) to all rat owners since it’s one of the best foods you can buy!
ENVIRONMENT: Please provide as much space and toys as you can! Rats are highly intelligent and easily bored; They like room to run around, bars to climb, and things to chew, dig in, and hide in. Anything from small animal / bird toys to cereal boxes can be used as enrichment. And remember, each rat you get will need 2 cubic feet+ of space each at minimum! The bigger the enclosure, the better! As rats have very sensitive respiratory systems, you should keep their cage clean and make sure the cage has plenty of ventilation. If you plan on keeping rats for a long time, the cage that I have always used is the Critter Nation. It's large, has great ventilation, is super easy to keep clean, and is very customizable.
SOCIAL: If you wish to continue keeping rats as pets, please always keep two or more, as rats are social creatures and thrive in pairs or groups! Remember to socialize daily with your rat; The more familiar your rat is with you, the more it’ll enjoy your company. While rats are social creatures, they will need time to get used to you and your family. Even pet bonds require time and patience. Each rat is different, some may need more time to adjust to your life and others may easily blend right in. Take time to get to know your rats personality.
BEDDING: Aspen and paper bedding is a safe bedding that rats can use. Kiln dried pine and cedar is debatable from person to person as they can still have traces of phenols which are toxic to rats. Fleece covers work if maintained daily. Do some research and find what is suitable to you and your lifestyle!
SNACKS: Provide your rats with fresh snacks every so often! A universally loved treat for most rats is veggies, scrambled eggs, or spaghetti either dried or cooked. Please reference Google for more detailed references about things rats can and cannot eat.
BITING: Rats are naturally very good natured, social animals who rarely bite. To avoid potential bites, make sure to wash your hands before handling your rats- ESPECIALLY after handling food or another animal! Avoid scaring your rat as bites also happen out of fear, instead offer your hand to sniff so they know that you're there. Good tempered rats will never bite you on purpose! In fact, even if a rat mistakes your hand for food, they usually take a test nibble, realize you aren’t food, then go about their business. (Test nibbles are not the same as bites!) Also, try not to poke at your rat through the bars of its cage. If your rat is normally docile but has started biting, consider taking your rat to a vet for a check as biting can be a sign of discomfort or illness.
VETERINARY CARE: Call around and find a vet near you that takes rats (Which count as "exotics") that way you can avoid future scrambles. If a rat seems lethargic or sickly, take them to the vet as soon as you can! While I can offer very basic rat first aid treatments, I AM NOT A VET NOR A VET TECH! Messaging me will usually result in me telling you to reach out to your local exotic vet.
ONLINE RAT COMMUNITY: While major health concerns can only be diagnosed via a vet, I found that online rat communities are a great way to learn more about your furry friend and find others who are enthusiastic about the species!
INTRODUCTIONS: Be sure to introduce new cage mates on neutral ground before putting them in a cage together. Slowly introducing each other over a period of time will set your rats up for success. To help prevent aggressive introductions, try cleaning the cage thoroughly so older rats aren’t as territorial when new rats are put into the cage. Squeaking and displays of dominance may happen but as long as there is no genuine fighting, then they will be fine once a hierarchy is formed. Once your rats are at ease with each other, give your rat time to settle into his new home.
FOOD: Be sure to provide high quality RAT food, preferably in block form to discourage selective eating. I swear by Mazuri (Which can be bought from Chewy.com!) to all rat owners since it’s one of the best foods you can buy!
ENVIRONMENT: Please provide as much space and toys as you can! Rats are highly intelligent and easily bored; They like room to run around, bars to climb, and things to chew, dig in, and hide in. Anything from small animal / bird toys to cereal boxes can be used as enrichment. And remember, each rat you get will need 2 cubic feet+ of space each at minimum! The bigger the enclosure, the better! As rats have very sensitive respiratory systems, you should keep their cage clean and make sure the cage has plenty of ventilation. If you plan on keeping rats for a long time, the cage that I have always used is the Critter Nation. It's large, has great ventilation, is super easy to keep clean, and is very customizable.
SOCIAL: If you wish to continue keeping rats as pets, please always keep two or more, as rats are social creatures and thrive in pairs or groups! Remember to socialize daily with your rat; The more familiar your rat is with you, the more it’ll enjoy your company. While rats are social creatures, they will need time to get used to you and your family. Even pet bonds require time and patience. Each rat is different, some may need more time to adjust to your life and others may easily blend right in. Take time to get to know your rats personality.
BEDDING: Aspen and paper bedding is a safe bedding that rats can use. Kiln dried pine and cedar is debatable from person to person as they can still have traces of phenols which are toxic to rats. Fleece covers work if maintained daily. Do some research and find what is suitable to you and your lifestyle!
SNACKS: Provide your rats with fresh snacks every so often! A universally loved treat for most rats is veggies, scrambled eggs, or spaghetti either dried or cooked. Please reference Google for more detailed references about things rats can and cannot eat.
BITING: Rats are naturally very good natured, social animals who rarely bite. To avoid potential bites, make sure to wash your hands before handling your rats- ESPECIALLY after handling food or another animal! Avoid scaring your rat as bites also happen out of fear, instead offer your hand to sniff so they know that you're there. Good tempered rats will never bite you on purpose! In fact, even if a rat mistakes your hand for food, they usually take a test nibble, realize you aren’t food, then go about their business. (Test nibbles are not the same as bites!) Also, try not to poke at your rat through the bars of its cage. If your rat is normally docile but has started biting, consider taking your rat to a vet for a check as biting can be a sign of discomfort or illness.
VETERINARY CARE: Call around and find a vet near you that takes rats (Which count as "exotics") that way you can avoid future scrambles. If a rat seems lethargic or sickly, take them to the vet as soon as you can! While I can offer very basic rat first aid treatments, I AM NOT A VET NOR A VET TECH! Messaging me will usually result in me telling you to reach out to your local exotic vet.
ONLINE RAT COMMUNITY: While major health concerns can only be diagnosed via a vet, I found that online rat communities are a great way to learn more about your furry friend and find others who are enthusiastic about the species!
