Rat care
The essentials to ensure your rat remains in good health. Always seek veterinary advice if you are concerned about your pet.
Rats are intelligent creatures and make great pets it is important that you can keep their body and mind active to avoid stress. Rats love attention, so need a lot of time and effort dedicated to their daily care. The life span of a domestic rat is between 2 to 3 years.
Accommodation
Rat accommodation should be as large as possible with a variety of levels and platforms. The larger the space the better, as it will provide your rat with a range of options for toilet location and give them plenty of room to display natural behaviours. Rats need a cage that has a solid floor because wire mesh flooring can lead injure their feet.
Ideally, cages should be made from metal, not wood or plastic, as these materials can be gnawed easily making them insecure. It is important to check the cage regularly for any weak spots that your pet rat could escape from or that could potentially cause them injury. If you have young rats, it is also necessary to make sure that the gap between bars is not big enough for them to escape through.
It is important to include an assortment of enrichment in your rat’s cage to keep them occupied and encourage exercise. These can be items such as hammocks, tunnels, and ropes. You can also include fleece blankets on the floor and platforms to help their feet and provide a comfortable den.
The placement of the cage is another aspect that must be considered carefully. Temperature is a very important factor in rat ownership. The ideal temperature for rats is between 19-23oc. The cage should not be kept in areas with drafts, such as a garage or conservatory, or areas with fluctuating humidity such as a bathroom or where there is air conditioning. These rapid temperature changes could cause stress to your pet rat and may cause health complications such as respiratory infections.
During vast temperature changes such as in the summer, their cage will also need to be moved if the location they are in gets too hot. The key to a happy rat is making their environment as predictable as possible, this will help them feel more relaxed. It is also best to keep them away from any alarms, loud noises, telephones, and doors opening and closing.
Cleaning
Accommodation hygiene is very important as it reduces the establishment of viruses and bacteria which could put your pet’s rat’s health at risk. Rats, contrary to common belief, are very clean, so it is important to prevent the build-up of urine and faeces in the cage. Rats should be fully cleaned out once a week, and their toilet areas spot cleaned throughout the week to maintain the perfect conditions. When cleaning out the cage it is important to leave a bit of unsoiled nesting material or blanket to keep their smell in the cage. This will keep your rat’s calmer in their environment.
The time of day that your pet rat is cleaned out is also vital. As rats are most active at night (nocturnal) and at dawn and dusk, it’s best to not clean them out in the middle of the day when they should be sleeping. Waking them up could lead to a very grumpy rat!
Feeding
Getting a healthy balanced diet is the best way to keep your rat happy. Feeding a balanced commercial pellet diet that is designed specifically for rats is the easiest way to do this. When choosing the food it is important that it is specifically designed for rats. It is also best to go with a basic pellet rather than a muesli diet as muesli diets can lead to selective feeding. This is when your rat will only choose the items, that they want to eat, rather than the food that is good for them.
You can also supplement your rat’s diet with the occasional bit of fruit, veg, grains, seeds, and even cooked egg. When giving this to your rat, it is important to make sure it is part of their daily feed allowance and not given as an extra treat as this could lead to obesity and other health problems.
A feeding schedule is a good way of introducing predictability into your rat’s life. It’s best to feed rats twice a day as they are more likely to eat in the early morning/evening. We advise that you always use ceramic bowls for rats as metal bowls can create ultrasound noises that can cause stress to your pet rat. Make sure the bowl has an open top, as rats like to pick up their food and take it to various places in their cage to enjoy. Rats will also eat fresh faeces – this is a natural behaviour and allows them to gain vital nutrients and minerals to stay healthy.
Health and handling
Observing and checking your rats should become part of your daily routine. This is vital as rats are prey species so do not outwardly show pain signals until it is too late. Small changes in their behaviour and eating habits can indicate that they are not feeling well. They may even show red staining around their eyes (chromodacryorrhoea) which is an indication of stress, possibly from an illness or their environment. As stress weakens the immune system, rats are more likely to become ill if exposed to a stressful environment over a long period of time.
Rats also present stereotypical behaviours (behaviours that are performed repeatedly with no deviation) such as bar biting and over-grooming which are another indication of ill health. If you see these things, it is important to consult a vet and get a check-up. These behaviours can also be a result of their environment not being stimulating enough, this may mean they require the addition of more enrichment and complex accommodation to prevent boredom.
The most prevalent conditions in domestic rats include tumours (most common in females), breathing problems, obesity, and overgrown teeth. In some cases these conditions can be easy to prevent, for example, providing safe objects for your rats to gnaw on to reduce the potential of teeth problems.
When rats are living in a mixed-sex group it is important to make sure any male rats are neutered, this will prevent any unwanted pups. Before getting your male rat neutered make sure they have a clean bill of health (no health conditions such as breathing issues etc) and get them a vet check-up before booking in the procedure. The vet will also be able to tell you about the operation and go through any risks with you.
Other things to consider
When adopting a rat, it is important to consider veterinary treatment. Rat treatment can become expensive, so it is important to consider insurance. Insurance is the best way to combat any unwelcome financial surprises.
When adopting a rat from Cheltenham Animal Shelter they will receive a full vet check before going home. In line with veterinary advice, we can consider the neutering of male rats if we think this is viable for the rat and they are healthy enough to undergo the procedure.
