Rat Care Hints and Tips

Imac 'Play Time' rat cage

There is an increasingly wide range of cages in all shapes and sizes available in pet shops and on line, but only a few of them are suitable for rats. The cage you choose is going to be your rats home for the next 2 - 3 years and it is important that they are safe in it and that they feel comfortable. In our own homes we have several rooms; somewhere to eat, our bedroom, the lounge and it is important to consider how and if you’ll be able to create separate environments for your rats in one cage.

Why Not to Use Aquariums

• Aquariums are wonderful homes for many types of rodents, but they are much more suited to gerbils and jirds rather than rats.
• While the solid sides of an aquarium can keep out draughts, which rats don’t like, they also prevent the circulation of fresh air.
• Their lack of ventilation means the ammonia that comes from rat urine will build up and make for an unpleasant home environment and it will also affect your rat’s health and ultimately shorten their life expectancy.
• In the summer months living in an enclosed glass, or plastic, tank offers very little relief from the build up of heat.
• Aquariums can also be difficult to set up an interesting home environment for your rats.
• There are no bars to hang hammocks and toys from and nowhere for your rats to climb, which they love to do.

Why Wire Cages Are Best

• Some wire cages are made especially for rats, but if they meet the needs below other types of wire cages can be used too.
• Providing they are kept in a draft free place, and out of direct sunlight, a cage will provide a stimulating and healthy environment for your rats.
• The wire bars provide great ventilation and allow you rats to smell and see the world outside their home.
• A deep solid plastic base will provide somewhere secluded and shaded for a cosy floor level bed.
• The plastic base will stop most litter being kicked out, but will not hold in harmful odours.
• The bars make it easy to attach and rearrange hammocks and toys.

In all my years of being a rat owner, I have always found wire cages much more preferable to aquariums.

High Rise for Fun and Exercise

The wire cage top serves many purposes in the enhancement of your rats home. I have always felt their biggest advantage is allowing them to climb, which is good exercise for your rats while they are in their home. Rats need a lot of exercise and their home will play an important part in their daily activity. Even if your rats are not very active, having hammocks and toys high up will stimulate them and give them an incentive to climb and build up their muscles. This is especially useful if you take the opportunity to change things around when you clean them out. They love exploring to see what you have changed.

While rats love to climb and it’s certainly good for them, they can and do fall. The higher the cage the longer their potential drop to the floor. If you do get a particularly high cage it is worth using hammocks and shelves to make sure your rats cannot fall far enough to cause themselves serious harm.

Room Enough for Your Rats

Get as big a cage as you can, making sure you have room in your house. Your cage can never have too much floor space for your rats. There are plenty of cage calculators on the Internet to tell you how many rats a cage can house, but only use these as a guide. You should also take into account how much time you will be able to spend with your rats out of their cage. A large cage can in no way can make up for the freedom and adventure of spending time running about, but it will help if you are unable to spend long periods of time letting your rats out to exercise.

Ease of Access for Everyone

Badger, Willow & Biscuit

Unfortunately even some of the biggest rat cages come with small doors, which I have never understood. Despite the size my rats have grown to, whether huge males that need two hands to hold them safely, or my smallest females who fit snugly in the palm of my hand, when that door opens all the rats who live in that cage will come pouring out at once and a large door is required to stop any injuries or upsets.

A large door also gives you better access for cleaning the inside of the cage and playing with your rats in their home. Rats don’t always want to come out to play, they may prefer you to reach in and stroke them, or play with them and a large door enables you to do this.

Having a second large door in the roof of a cage is also advantageous when it comes to cleaning your rats out and rearranging their toys. It is also useful for getting hold of shy and nervous rats who won’t come to the main door.

Beware of Rat Escape Artists

One potential problem with wire cages is their bar spacing. Some of the best rat cages are actually designed for ferrets and can have quite widely spaced bars This can be a problem for young rats and small females, who may be able to squeeze through the bars, leaving them free to get into all kinds of rattie trouble when no one is watching.

One solution is to have different cages for the age of your rats. Young rats can start off with a smaller home, with more suitable bars and grow into their adult home. This has the added benefit of being less overwhelming if your new rats are particularly young and may find moving into a large home daunting. It may be a costly solution, but if you find a lovely large cage that is not suitable for the size of your rats and you don’t mind the expense then it is an option. You will still need to choose a cage that has plenty of room for your young rats as they have large amounts of energy to burn and cramping them into a small hamster cage will stunt their development.

Checklist for Rat Cage Happiness

• Overall size matches the number of rats
• No large drops to the cage floor
• Door size for your access and for your rats
• Bar spacing matches their age
• Bonus - top door access
• Room to hang hammocks, tubes and other toys

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