Rats may be the best pets of all small rodents. While they have a reputation as dirty and nasty, the reality is that rats are no messier than any other small rodent. They may be the most intelligent and responsive of all the common small pet rodents. They get to know their owners very well and genuinely seem to enjoy interacting with them.

Exotic rats, such as pouched rats, require very different care then domestic rats. There may also be legal issues regarding the possession of certain exotic rats. Make sure you research the specific needs and legal requirements if you are considering an exotic rat species.

Housing and Environment

While rats can be considered small mammals, they are larger than the more common species of pet rodents. As a result, they will require larger cages. Approximately 2.5 square feet is appropriate for a pet rat. This is the floor space of a twenty gallon long style aquarium, probably the most readily obtainable suitable rat cage. See the general small animal care sheet for more housing options, but remember to allow more space for your pet rat then for a mouse, hamster or gerbil. If a taller cage is available, additional floor space can be created with ramps and platforms. Many rats will enjoy playing on this type of cage furnishing.

Rats can be kept individually or in small groups. A single pet rat will do OK as a pet, but make sure you have plenty of time to spend with it. Multiple males should not be kept together as there is a risk of them fighting. Two or more females will be fine together. A single male and female will live together with no problems, but you can be assured they will reproduce. Unless you know you can find homes for lots of little rats it’s better to avoid keeping a pair of rats. If you don’t expect to have a lot of time to spend with your pet, it may be more appropriate to get two rats so they will have some social interaction.

Substrate

Rats have no special needs regarding their substrate. See the general small animal care sheet for information on choosing an appropriate substrate.

Diet

Zeigler MonsterDiets™ for mice and rats are designed to be a complete diet. For most rats, offer the feed free choice. As rats get older, especially males and non-reproductive females, obesity starts to become a concern. At this point their food intake may need to be limited.

Zeigler MonsterDiets™ are not designed to be part of a mixed diet. It is not advised to mix the MonsterDiet™ with other rodent foods, especially seed based diets, if the MonsterDiets™ are not the majority of your pet’s diet then they may not be getting enough of their required nutrients. Seed mixes are especially problematic, as the rats will tend to pick out the seeds they like the best.

Rats can be offered treats occasionally, but consider how small a rat is before offering them too many treats. A small amount of treats can cause them to reduce their intake of their regular feed, possibly leading to dietary deficiencies. In extreme moderation, things like unsalted mixed nuts, seeds, and similar treats can be offered, ideally in combination with puzzle-solving type toys for their enrichment. Fruits and vegetables can be offered in moderation, but can lead to runny stool. Check your pet’s droppings and discontinue feeding if their stool becomes runny.

Nursing rats may require more fat in their diet than provided by most commercial diets. You can increase the fat in your rat’s diet by offering sunflower seeds during the time they are nursing. This shouldn’t be a regular component of their diet, but it may be beneficial during lactation.

Maintenance

Please see the general small animal care sheet for information regarding feeding, watering and cleaning your rat’s cage.

Handling

Rats get reasonably large, and have large teeth. While they are not especially aggressive, if startled or if they are not tame they can give you a nasty bite. You should hold your pet rat regularly to make sure it remains tame and easy to handle.

Rats are among the most naturally tame rodents. While there are some exceptions, they quickly become used to handling, and really seem to enjoy interacting with their keepers. Rats are best picked up by scooping them up from below, but make sure that they are awake before picking them up. You can briefly pick them up by the base of the tail, but they should be quickly transferred to your hand or to some other solid object. Young rats tend to be more excitable and are more likely to jump out of your hands. Make sure you hold them over a table or close to the ground. As rats get older they are less likely to jump, but it is not out of the question.

You can quickly make friends with a new rat by offering them treats. Remember, this needs to be in moderation, but a couple of seeds here and there will have your rats associating you with treats in a short period of time. When they are comfortable with you, handling them becomes even easier.

It is possible you may end up with a rat that is simply not tame. This is very uncommon, but not unheard of. If you have a rat that is skittish and prone to biting you, you can continue to try and tame it, but if it never gets used to you it may not be an appropriate pet.

Health

The general small animal care sheet should give an indication of the type of problems to keep an eye out for. One other problem that rats are particularly susceptible to is tumors. Having your pet rats spayed or neutered may reduce the risk of tumors.