rats
social or solitary?
Rats are generally very social and will do well in pairs and/or groups; of course be sure to separate males from females.
Enclosure Requirements
Rats can easily be free roaming in a rat proof room, with an open cage as their cave to retreat to. When selecting any housing please consider:
BIGGER is better. What’s the BIGGEST cage you afford and double that!
NO aquariums! Cumbersome, rarely big enough, and have horrible ventilation.
Bare Wire HURTS. No one wants to walk, and sit, and sleep on bare wire.
The best places to find comfy cages for your rats include your local classifieds, local rescues (like us!), and looking in the rabbit, ferret, and chinchilla cage sections of your local pet store. The absolute minimum size required for 2 female rats is 18″ x 30″ base. For males, they would need base of at least 20″x 30″.
* We recommend a Double Critter Nation cage or something similar in size.
* You need a cage big enough for rats that are used to explore the world, and their toys to keep them busy and excited.
Finding the Perfect Spot:
Not in direct sunlight
Not exposed to cold drafts, but has good air flow
Not too close to the ground
Not surrounded by loud noises
Often visited and easily accessible
* Also choose a cage that will be easy to clean, and easy to get the animals out of. When you have a cage that is difficult to clean you are less likely to spot clean it daily, and do a large clean weekly. Also if your rat gets sick you want to get housing that opens wide so you can easily access sick animals when needed.
Diet
A good quality food such as OXBOW Essentials for young & adult rats is recommended and food dishes should be cleaned and topped-off as necessary. Food mixes containing dried corn must be avoided as they are not safe for rats. A good quality water bottle or water bowl, filled with fresh water daily is also required.