What do you need to care for a rat?

Answer 1

Well that's a great question! Here's a list of some items you'll probably need for 1 grown rat, of female or male gender.

1.A large tank or wire-mesh cage, big enough for the rat to get PLENTY of excercise, allow for a wheel, hiding places and food/water things as well as toys. Twenty gallon tanks are good with a wire-mesh lid or an extra wire cage set on top of it for more room and sealed to the top of the tank.

2. Non-chewable food dish; ceramic or metal works wonders since rats like to chew and plastic is bad for them.

3. One or two water bottles; preferably two so in the summers you can change their water twice a day to keep them healthy and not overheated if your house gets hot.

4. A running wheel; preferably something with a fine mesh inside it so their feet don't slip through and they hurt themselves, it's pretty costly to have to take a rat in to get a bone reset if they break it by accident.

5. Children's toys; like plastic balls or wooden blocks. The rat will chew the blocks and if the ball has a bell he/she may like to roll it around. Nothing with tiny parts to a toy however, so dolls and whatnot are out, think baby toys.

6. Wooden tunnels and toilet paper rolls are awesome for keeping a rat occupied when you can't; toilet paper rolls with help them build nests or he/she can just play in it. Wooden tunnels and boxes(you can find them at most pet stores) are perfect for hiding places and chewing as well as sleeping, alot of rats like dark dry places to sleep though I've had a few that just zonk out wherever they got tired.

7. Bedding material is a tricky thing; First of all, rats and smaller rodents have sensitive lungs and airways, so materials like Pine and Cedar shavings aren't very good for them because of the residue from sap and the tendency for the wood itself to turn dusty, it'll irritate your rat and it'll get sick easily. Aspen shavings are good though, as well as paper products for bedding. Nesting materials like strips of plain paper(no inks) are perfect for building up a sleeping/nesting place. Don't forget to change the litter and bedding every few days, to keep things clean and un-smelly.

8. Food. Fresh pieces of vegetables like carrots are good in small amounts every couple of days, remove any food that doesn't get eaten after two hours so it doesn't spoil. A generic rat/mouse formula for seeds and pellets are good for the rest of the nutrients but you will also need a salt and mineral lick, just so they can get any vitamins you may have missed. Fruits like apples and grapes are good, but use them sparingly, I used them for treats if my rats did something like a maze well. They sometimes like peanut butter too but only in tiny amounts once every blue moon or two, peanuts are high in fat and you don't want a fat rat.

9. A care guide for rats will hold more items and some interesting ideas for training and such as well, pet stores generally have pamphlets or books you can get from $0-$30.

In general, small cages are NOT good for ANY animal, so as long as you have just those basic things, you should be fine. And if you hand train your rat, then you're guarantee'd to have a very intelligent friend for life! Well....for as long as your rat lives that is. They have shorter life-spans than humans do.