Rat Care
Personality
Why Rats? Rats make AMAZING pets. Here at LPRR we like to call them the puppies of the rodent community. In many way they are like little dogs. They are the most inquisitive little creatures you will likely encounter. Full of personality and love.
Cons? They have short lifespans, health issues and they are NOT CHEAP. The cost of properly caring for a rat exceeds what anyone ever expects. These critters are HIGH MAINTENENCE!
Housing
Rats require MASSIVE cages. That may seem like an exaggeration, but it isn't. Rats need at least 2 CUBIC feet of space per rat. And since you should always have at least 2 rats, that can be a lot of necessary cage space. Check out the cage calculator here, plug in your dimensions to find out how many rats can comfortably be housed in your cage.
You want to make sure you have the correct bar spacing as well. Young rats and most female rats should not be housed in cages where the bar spacing is greater than 1/2". Most male rats and larger female rats can be housed with up to 1" bar spacing without making any escapes.
Suitable Bedding Types:
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CareFRESH or similar paper based bedding
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Fleece/Towels
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Aspen shavings
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Hardwood stove pellets
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Newspaper; frequent bedding changes are necessary
Dangerous Bedding Types:
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Pine/Cedar shavings/stove pellets; the aromatic phenols are toxic
Diet
Rats love to eat, and providing a well-balanced diet is a necessary part of their care.
Lab Blocks - The main source of food for your rats. You always want to choose a high quality, basic lab block to feed your rats. Avoid any store bought mixes that contain dried corn and seed mixtures. Rats are intelligent and will pick out their favorite, fattening bits and leave out the rest.
Recommended Lab Blocks:
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Oxbow Regal Rat - Available at Petsmart
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Harlan Teklad/Native Earth
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Mazuri Rat & Mouse Diet - Available at Petsmart and Petco
Homemade Mixes - Homemade mixes can be used to supplement your rat's lab block or as their main source of food if a high quality senior dog food is added to it.
Recommended Homemade Mixes:
Supplement your rats with fresh fruit and veggies throughout the week. Limit their intake of high fat foods and treats. Be sure to take a look at this list of FORBIDDEN FOODS to make sure you are not feeding your rats anything that can harm them.
Common Illnesses
When owning rats, you can almost guarantee that you will land yourself in the vet's office for one reason or another. Here is a short list of the most common ailments rats get.
Upper Respiratory Infections - Rats have delicate respiratory systems and can easily contract various infections.
Symptoms Include:
-Sneezing
-Wheezing
-Increased porphyrin (red colored discharge) around eyes and nose
-Coughing
-Labored breathing/wheezing
If your rat shows any signs of an URI, please get them to the vet ASAP so antibiotics can be started. If left untreated, URIs can progress into pneumonia and death.
Ectoparasites - Most commonly lice or mites.
Symptoms Include:
-Excessive itching
-Scabs
-Hair loss
-Tan, brown or reddish colored specks on skin/hair (lice)
Note, lice are species specific, so they will not jump to humans or other animals in the home. Ectoparasites are easily treated by your veterinarian and usually clear after a 3 week treatment regime.
Tumors - Most common in female rats (mammary tumors). They usually start off as small, pea sized lumps in the armpit or groin area of female rats and can grow rapidly. The key is early detection and removal by your veterinarian.
**Spaying female rats around 6 months of age has been shown to decrease the likelihood of tumors in female rats.**