Intro:

     Rats are such social, intelligent, loving creatures! They will be one of the animal species I always have in my home. I adore snuggling and playing with all my ratties. ​Below, I will go into detail on some basic care information for rats. While this will go over a majority of their needs, I do still encourage branching out your research to make sure rats are the right fit for you!

Housing:

     For the cage, it depends of the amount of rats you have or are wishing to attain.  A good rule of thumb to go by is 2 square feet per rat.
     There are all different types and styles of cages, so the measurements will vary. Make sure the cage you have is suitable no matter what shape it is. If you have questions concerning a cage you are interested in, feel free to ask or search for a rat cage calculator. You can place the measurements of the cage you are interested in, and it will give you an estimate on how many rats would be able to fit. The bars on the cage should be no more than 1/2 inch apart, or else a young rat may be able to squeeze through the bars and harm itself in the process. If the main cage you are looking to get has bigger bar spaces other than 1/2 inch, you can house your rats in your isolation cage temporarily until they are big enough to be placed in their main cage. Do not buy a small cage and later buy a bigger one when they grow up. Rats grow at an extremely quick rate, and they will be big enough to fit in a larger cage within a month, so it is not worth it to "wait until they're bigger" before you get a big cage. 
      Below are some of the cages I've used over the years. Currently, and for the foreseeable future, I use Critter Nation cages double and triple stacked. They provide plenty of room for enrichment, both doors open for easy cleaning, and they are easily customizable to add deeper pans for shavings. I will also link additional cages below.
     For my own setups, each section is blocked off as its own cage though to help organize and keep track of ratties easier. I have added in deep bins to replace the plastic trays that come with these cages. The trays that it comes with are great if you are litter training or have them covered with fleece liners. I have too many ratties to litter train though, so I prefer the bins for deeper bedding. The bin I use in the bottom of the cage is a large cement mixing bin which can be found at Home Depot or Lowe's. Here is a link for how to easily get it in the cage without cutting down the sides. The clear bin is a 28qt homz brand from Walmart, which just sits on top of the metal shelf. 
     You can also get galvanized or stainless steel replacement pans from Bass or Quality Cages. Bass has cheaper plain pans, but if you want colored pans, you can get those from Quality cages. I have some Quality cages pans myself and love them! 

Cage Options:

- 3 Level Cage $45: fits 2 rats
- MCage $55: fits 2-3 rats
- Kaytee Cage $140: fits 2-4 rats
- Pawhut Cage $150: fits 2-4 rats
- Frisco Single Story Cage $170: fits 2-6 rats if space is used well
-  Single Critter Nation $189: fits 2-6 rats if the space is used well
- Prevue Cage $260: fits 2-5 rats if space is used well
- Ferplast Cage $283: fits 2-8 rats if space is used well
- Double Critter Nation $310: fits 2-12 rats if space is used well

     Other cage options are bins. These can be customized as much as you want! I used to have bin cages for my main housing, but had a hard time organizing them. That's why I switched to Critter Nations. For bin cages, you'll need a suitably sized bin, proper tools to cut the plastic windows (I use a soldering iron, heat gun, and a utility blade), hardwire cloth (NOT chicken wire), good wire snips or cutters, a sharpie, measuring stick, as well as something to attach the wire to the bin (I use pipe cleaners). At least three sides need to be cut out to provide proper ventilation. Place the wire on the inside to avoid them chewing the plastic edge. For a more detailed description as to how to make them, I suggest looking up some videos on YouTube. The most common bins are for hamsters, which only need one side cut out, so be sure to cut out more than one side when making your own for rats! 

Food & Water:

     In the slideshow are all the products I use in daily feeding and watering. I currently use my own mix of food, so I will add a list of ingredients below as well as some good store bought options.  Rats should also be give fresh or frozen fruits and veggies (click here for a Dos and Don'ts link), or even occasional tuna or chicken. Hard boiled eggs are good as well, but should only be given about once a week due to them being high in protein. Grown rats should have a 14%-15% protein intake in their diet. If rats have too much or too litter protein, it can cause skin irritation, loss of fur, and problems with their tails. Scroll down further to see protein information for young rats.
      As for water, a 6-8 oz. bottle is suitable for every 1-2 rats. With any more than 2 rats, I always add a bottle to ensure there is plenty of access to fresh water, and to avoid conflict over who gets to drink. Fresh water should be given daily!

Homemade Dry Mix:
- 1 pack of unsweetened coconut flakes (7 oz.)
- 1 pack of lentils (16 oz.)
- 1 pack of dried split peas (16 oz.)
- 1 box of rainbow rotini noodles (12 oz.)
- 1 bag of unsalted peanuts (shelled or unshelled) or sunflower seeds/kernels (9 oz.)
- 1 bag/box of granola or muesli (11 oz.) (one with low sugar; I use ancient grains)
- 1/2 box of plain bran flakes (18 oz.)
- 1/2 box of plain Cheerios (18 oz.)
- 1 cup of dried meal worms
- 1 cup of dog food (fish based is best but turkey or even chicken works too)
- 1/2 (larger container) or 1 (small) container of old fashioned oats (18-42 oz.)
- 3 lbs (or 14 cups) of Oxbow Essentials Adult Rat Food
- 3 lbs (or 14 cups) of Mazuri 6f or Rat and Mouse Blend

     I have created this mix based on several other rat owner's mixes. This mix makes around 10lbs of food. For homes with fewer rats, you can cut the recipe in half. The number of rats you have will determine how quickly you will go through this. This mix lasts about 3 weeks with the amount of breeding I do. I have anywhere between 25-30 rats to feed. All the ingredients (minus the block you pick) costs about $20 for two batches. This mix only gets fed to my adults. My younger rats get fed Mazuri 6f with added in dried meal worms, old fashioned oats, and occasional hard boiled eggs.

Store Bought Options:
- Oxbow Adult Rat Food - If you have young rats, still use this mix but make sure they are supplied with extra protein such as pasta or hard boiled eggs (shelled or peeled). If feeding a hard boiled egg for the first time, try cracking the shell for them to help get it started. Do not use the Oxbow Young Rat Food because it is not nutritionally balanced.
- Mazuri 6F - The kind suitable for rats can only be bought in 50lbs bags (that I have found). The smaller bags found at Petsmart are too high in protein (21%), whereas the larger bags are a safe amount (16%). It's better for a large amount of rats, or you can keep the food in gallon baggies, keep them in the freezer for an extended shelf life, and only use one bag at a time. 
- Mazuri Rat & Mouse - This works well for young rats (up to 6 months). Since this blend does have a higher protein level, it does not work long term for adults. If you're in a pinch and need something until their other food can be available, it works short term.
- Science Selective
- Envigo 2018
- Kalmbach 18%

Foods to Avoid:
- Kaytee Brand foods (mixes and blocks)
- Heavy seed/nut/filler mixes
- Dried corn as a main ingredient

     These types of food are unhealthy and/or do not provide the needed nutrients for your ratties to be happy and healthy. If you want to provide a healthy mix of foods, you can use the homemade mix above. You want their diet to be at least 75% lab blocks to ensure they're getting the compacted nutrients provided in them.

Feeding Young Rats (Up to 6 months old):
      Young rats will need a higher protein count in their diet, around 18-20%. Some supplements I use, or have done research on are, tuna, chicken, unsalted nuts (sunflower seeds and shelled peanuts are best),, dried mealworms, as well as hard boiled eggs or scrambled eggs, and high grade cat or dog food. Ensure none of the foods you use are salted or seasoned. 
      As for feeding instructions, you can give a little pinch of the kitten food daily (about 4- 5 pieces per young rat.) If using the kitten food daily, only give eggs about once a week. I will give the tuna and chicken whenever I am making something for myself. Some people will just give eggs every other day. To make this process easier, I suggest hard boiling several eggs at once so you are not cooking them all the time. I give a half an egg for every two rats. Otherwise, they will not eat it all at once, and it will cause a mess. When feeding the chicken or tuna, I give about a bite sized piece (in human terms), and I watch to make sure they eat the whole thing. Avoid giving the fatty parts. 
      I primarily feed dried mealworms as a protein supplement for my guys. It's just easier to get ahold of, and I'm not going through dozens of eggs each week, ha! Since I give them to a whole litter, I don't really measure them out. For just a few rats though, I'd give them 2-3 mealworms each daily. 
      When you are feeding any fresh foods, always watch to make sure they eat it all, or feed them outside of their cage, either in their playing area, on a table, etc. Make sure they do not stash any of it though so it cannot sit and spoil.

Bedding:

Suitable:

• Aspen shavings (dust free)
• Kiln dried pine shavings (dust free)
• Fleece (must be paired with litter training)
• Rabbit pellets
• Paper-based bedding (non-scented, non-dyed)
• Poplar Shavings
• Pine Equine Pellets

Not Suitable:

• Clay-based bedding
• Dusty bedding/shavings
• Scented or dyed bedding (paper, etc.)
• Non-kiln dried pine products

      The best bedding I have found for odor control and great with absorbing urine are wood shavings. Poplar shavings have been the best in my experience. However, they are hard to come by. Aspen is a great alternative, although I do avoid the finely shaven chips because those tend to be full of dust. Aspen shavings can be bought fairly dust free around $7-9 a bag. Owning 50 rats on average (not including the babies), one large bag lasts about a week. Also avoid non-kiln dried pine and cedar shavings because these can cause respiratory infections as well as irritation. If infections get serious enough without treatment, they can be fatal. Kiln dried pine is the only exception for pine bedding, but anything not kiln dried is not safe for rats.
      Non-scented, non-dyed, and baking soda free paper bedding is a great option to use as well. If you are unsure about certain brands, feel free to ask me! Rabbit food pellets have great absorbency, and they are also nice when used in litter boxes. Yes, rats can be litter trained! Trust me, it cuts cleaning time in half when they are litter trained. If you would like some in depth information on litter training your rats, there are some great how-to videos on YouTube if you search "how to litter train rats." Fleece should only be used if you plan to litter train. On it's own, it does not absorb ammonia well enough, which can cause respiratory infections.
      Clay-based beddings are NOT okay to use! Many people think they are great because they are extra absorbent and clump together. The dust from clay bedding is harmful to rats' lung and causes major respiratory issues. The rats will also try to eat the bedding, which is extremely unhealthy for them. Any bedding that is dyed or scented (seen mainly with paper bedding) is also very irritating to their respiratory system and can be harmful if ingested. While these beddings look pretty or cute, and smell really nice, they are not safe to use for your rats.

Enrichment:

     Below I will list out some enrichment items that fit well or should be avoided. Under that, I will go into more detail if you'd like to read further into some of the items.    

Suitable:
- Hammocks (home-made, store bought, and I also have an Etsy shop - if adopting let me know before so you can pick them up instead of having them shipped)
- Hides (Kaytee Igloo (large), space pod (large), tree trunk, wood arch, Lixit hide, Pigloo (large), barn hide, or cardboard boxes)
- Baskets (plastic baskets tend to last longest but woven ones work too - plastic baskets can be found at Dollar Tree)
- Lava Ledges (double as a chew and a ledge to sit/climb on)
- Chew toys (most wooden bird toys work well for rats - feel free to ask about certain ones if you're not sure)
- Foraging boxes (fill with packing paper, scrap fabric, pom poms, paper bedding, add a few treats, toilet paper/cardboard scraps)
- Wheel (rats need a 12" wheel or larger)

Not Suitable:
- Wooden ledges/hides (these get dirty quickly and are near impossible to clean, building up ammonia)
​- Fibrous material (stringy material like yarn, thread, stuffing, or nesting fluff can get caught around toes, limbs, or caught in their mouth causing injury or even death)
- Edible houses/logs (Snak Shak, Edible Logz, etc. These are harmful when ingested due to the materials not all being edible. They try to consume it all since they're covered in honey)
- Hamster/mouse houses/supplies (a lot of times, I see people buying small houses/hammocks/etc. meant more for hamsters and mice. These items just don't fit ratties, which will either end up wasted or they could get stuck in them)
- Harmful Wheels (mesh wheels can be harmful not from the mesh itself, but they are typically held by metal bars that I've seen animals get caught on. 
- Exercise Balls: these are harmful for all animals. Their limbs can easily get caught in the slits as they walk/run in them, they provide little air flow/ventilation, and most rodents have poor eyesight, relying more on touch and smell. Being in a ball severely limits these senses, causing them to panic and continuously run to try to find a way out. This causes unnecessary stress and a likely chance of physical harm. 

     Essential elements to any rattie's cage are accessories. Although rats are extremely active during the later portion of the day, they tend to be loungy through most of the morning. This means they will need plenty of sleeping places and things to climb on. If on a budget, these things can be easily made with old t-shirts, old blankets, or another good source is Jo-Ann's. We go there all the time to get our fabric, and they almost always have their scraps, or remnants, 50% off. Wal-Mart also frequently sells cheap fleece blankets for $2.50.
     Thick ropes are good for climbing on, especially if you tie knots in them for your rats to grip. The classic igloo castle (large version) is a good accessory for rats to hide in or climb on. They are usually $5-$6 depending on where you get them. The possibilities are virtually endless when it comes to what to use for your ratties. I will have a page of DIY ideas, but I also have my own accessories I make. More information can be found on my accessories page. 
      Some great space fillers are plastic baskets. All of mine I have purchased from Dollar Tree. I've occasionally seen some in the dollar section of Dollar General. There are others online and at other stores, but those ones I've noticed are more expensive. I use pipe cleaners to attach mine to the cage. I either fill them with wood shavings, scrap fabric, or paper bedding. 
      Rats are extremely active, and require lots of toys to keep them entertained. They love to tear and shred things like newspaper, rolls of toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, etc. One thing I love to do is get empty tissue boxes, shove it full of nesting items (anything listed above) and treats, place it in their cage, and watch as my babies go crazy over it! Wrapping treats inside of fabric scraps or paper towels provides for a fun piñata. Ping-pong balls or golf balls are fun for ratties to push around with their nose or paws. Rats love bright colors, so I have found that the bright bird toys that can be found in almost any pet section, are some of my rats' favorite toys to play with.

Treats:

     Rats are not picky when it comes to treats. They love Gerber puffs, cat treats, rodent treats (such as the yogurt drops), dried fruit and veggie mixes, and the Mini Milk-Bone treats. Treats should be given sparingly, as with any pet, over-treating can cause obesity, an upset stomach, or nutritional imbalance.  Since the cat and dog treats have a higher protein level, one mini bone every few days or 1-2 cat treats will be okay. When giving treats, if the protein percent is over 14%, give in small amounts. Excessive protein can cause skin irritation, scratching, and loss of fur. Another thing to watch out for is to make sure there is little to no corn in the ingredients list.  Also, if the treats have a higher sugar or fat levels, be sure to moderate as well! 

Social Needs:

     Both male and female rats are extremely social and require either same sex or altered companions. A pair of rats is the minimum, but groups of three or more tend to do better for their social hierarchy. Rats love to play, wrestle, and best of all, snuggle with each other. Humans cannot be with them 24/7, so it is super important that they have at least one companion housed with them to provide that social interaction we cannot. 

Introducing New Rats:

     I recommend starting in a neutral area such as the bathroom/bathtub, a play pen, bed, covered table, etc. Just make sure it's a place that they can't easily escape. Sometimes, young babies can get nervous with intros and try to hide. Keep the area clear of items. You can have treats scattered around, or open items, but avoid closed items so they do not corner each other in them.
     Start by placing the new rat(s) in the neutral area, then add in the older rat(s). Observe their behavior. Normal behaviors are sniffing (may include shoving their nose under their butt or in their fur), pinning each other (seeing if they will submit), grooming (can be a bit forced, you might hear minor squeaking complaints), ignoring them, tussling/play fighting, or a bit of chasing (not aggressive). Some concerning behaviors can include puffy fur, side shuffling, aggressive chasing, pulling fur or limbs, loud squeaking, bloodshed, and prolonged fights.
     Typically, intros go over pretty smoothly and they can be together on the first day. If you have rats not from me, or from my lines that may be more dominant to new cage mates, the process may be longer since I do not know how well things will go over. If you are in a situation where they don't get along the first day (and they weren't super violent, just uncomfortable), I would just restart the intro process again the next day to see if they feel anymore comfortable. You may also take things from each of their cages to swap them so they have something with their scent to get used to each other without contact. This is also why I recommend having an isolation/backup cage in case intros do take longer than day one. 
     Once neutral intros go well (can be as early as the same day), I would clean out the main cage they'll be staying in, put all new/freshly cleaned accessories in. Avoid adding hides or boxes that they can corner each other in. This can cause them to spook each other and lead to unnecessary squabbles. Once they're comfortable together in the main cage, you can leave them over night. The next day, you can add back boxes and hides. If all is still going well, you've successfully introduced them!
     I am available for any questions on the intro process as well! Some people like to send videos to ensure the behaviors they're seeing are normal and not something to be concerned about. 

Personality/Handling:

Males vs. Females:
     Rats have all kinds of personalities! This is one of the things I love most about them. Each one is so unique! Typically the males and females do act differently.
     Males and females each have their pros and cons. Pros of the females, they are much more active and inquisitive, plus they are more sleek and smooth, which some people prefer. Females also have less of an odor, do not mark their cage as heavily as the males, if at all, and they are smaller in size (for the most part). Cons of the females, is they are more prone to tumors in old age if they go without being spayed at a younger age. Most of their tumors are due to hormones. When they are no longer fertile, around 18 months of age, the risk of mammary tumors increases greatly. Spaying greatly decreases the risk to almost nothing, and also prevents prolapse. They also are not as keen on cuddling or staying still for being handled like the males, but I know some people prefer more active pets to play with.
     The pros of males, they are laid back, cuddly, and easier to hold. They have a thicker/coarser coat and are bigger in size. Both of those traits can be a pro or con depending on preference. Cons of males, is they do have a stronger odor, they spot mark their cage and anything they see as their territory (including their humans, haha), and they have a chance of developing hormonal aggression once they fully mature. Hormonal aggression is one of the traits I pride myself in breeding away from. I have only had one report of HA from all of the adopters I've had, and only a few cases with my own males. None of the males were bred except for one that was bred once before the aggression set in. Thankfully, almost all of the cons of males can be fixed by neutering them. Once neutered, they no longer mark their cage (there have been a rare few cases where it continues, but not as severely), their fur becomes softer, their scent becomes level with that of the females, and they can no longer have hormonal aggression since their hormones are no longer there!

Handling:
     To add onto how their personalities are, rats typically do well with handling. This can vary depending on each rattie, but the males typically are easier to handle due to them being more laid back. Females can be easy to handle as well, but they are typically a lot more active and prefer to explore and play. I recommend taking the time to think over which may fit your life style better before deciding which you would prefer.