Pet Rat Care Guide

Pet rats are domesticated brown rats. They are intelligent and social, and they learn routes, tricks and people. They live only two to three years, but they need daily time out of the cage, a companion of their own kind, and an owner prepared for the respiratory disease and tumours common in the species. They suit adults and older children who want an interactive pet that is active in the evening.

Care requirements

Need	What to provide
Enclosure	As large as possible, with several levels, a solid floor and bars too narrow for a head to fit through (RSPCA). A large ferret or chinchilla cage is usually a good size (PDSA)
Temperature	66–73°F (19–23°C). Not in a conservatory, garage or shed (RSPCA)
Humidity	Avoid extremes: no bathrooms and no air-conditioned rooms (RSPCA)
Lighting	Dim by day, dark at night, never in direct sun. Albino rats are especially light-sensitive (RSPCA)
Diet	Rat pellets or nuggets as the staple, weighed out daily. Fruit, vegetables, cooked egg and grains come out of that ration, not on top of it (PDSA; RSPCA)
Lifespan	Around 2–3 years. Females typically live longer (RSPCA)
Social needs	Pairs or trios of the same sex, or neutered if mixed. Never kept alone (RSPCA)
Legal notes	No common restrictions; check local rules.

Bucks vs does

	Males (bucks)	Females (does)
Living together	Tend to fight unless they grew up together (Merck)	Can usually share a cage without problems (Merck)
Maturity and lifespan	Mature later and tend to be shorter-lived (RSPCA)	Mature earlier and typically live longer (RSPCA)
Neutering benefit	Prevents litters in mixed groups and reduces aggression (RSPCA)	Also reduces the chance of mammary tumours (RSPCA)

The cage: size, layout and what’s under their feet

The RSPCA and PDSA don’t give a minimum cage size. Their advice is to make it as large as you can, scale it up with each extra rat, and add out-of-cage exercise in a secure room. Some US hobby guides quote volume-per-rat figures; treat any such number as a floor, not a target. What the RSPCA, PDSA and Merck do specify:

• Solid floors. Wire mesh or grid flooring damages rats’ feet and legs (Merck; PDSA). If you use wire shelves, Merck says the openings should be no wider than ½ × ½ in (about 1.3 × 1.3 cm). Wider gaps can trap a back foot and break a leg.
• Complex space. Platforms, ropes, hammocks, tunnels and ladders at different heights, but not so much that the open floor disappears (RSPCA).
• Shelters. One more hiding place than there are rats, each with several exits and big enough for the whole group to sleep in together (RSPCA).
• A solid wheel, if you add one, at least 12–14 in (30–36 cm) across (Merck).

Avoid wooden cages. Merck notes that urine soaks into the wood and builds up ammonia.

Lungs: why bedding and cleaning matter

PDSA calls rats “very prone” to respiratory disease. The signs are runny eyes or nose, snuffling, wheezing, a head tilt, laboured breathing and weight loss. Infections can worsen quickly, so see a vet promptly. The two causes you control are ammonia and dust. Rat urine is high in ammonia, and both PDSA and Merck link a dirty cage to respiratory illness. Deep-clean weekly with a pet-safe cleaner. Merck advises changing bedding at least twice a week, and spot-cleaning in between helps. Leave a handful of clean nesting material behind so the cage still smells familiar.

The charities differ slightly on what bedding to use. PDSA prefers paper-based bedding or washable fleece liners and says never to use wood chippings or sawdust. The RSPCA accepts non-aspen wood chips or cellulose chips but rules out sawdust and aspen. All three rule out dusty bedding, and Merck and PDSA specifically rule out cedar and pine.

Feeding a rat that can’t vomit

Rats can’t vomit (RSPCA), so anything harmful they eat stays down. Feed rat-specific nuggets. Food for rabbits, guinea pigs or hamsters won’t meet their needs, and Merck advises against seed mixes because rats pick out the seeds. The RSPCA suggests two meals a day, morning and evening, when rats naturally feed. Remove leftovers and adjust the amount so they stay a healthy weight. Use ceramic bowls, because metal ones produce ultrasound noise. Provide several water bottles so no rat goes thirsty if one blocks. Encourage foraging: scatter part of the ration, or hide it in cardboard tubes or a dig tray.

Gotchas

• Keeping one rat. The RSPCA says rats should never be kept alone. Human company doesn’t replace a cage-mate.
• Missing lumps. PDSA says tumours, especially mammary tumours, are very common and can grow quickly. Run your hands over your rats regularly so you catch lumps early, when they can still be removed.
• Treats on top of the ration. Rats gain weight easily. Extras come out of the daily allowance (RSPCA; PDSA).
• Keeping the cage next to speakers or the washing machine. Rats hear ultrasound and are disturbed by sudden noise and vibration (RSPCA; PDSA).
• Moving the cage around. The RSPCA advises keeping it in one place unless a move is unavoidable, because rats need to predict and control their surroundings and change stresses them.

Avoid

• Onion, citrus fruit, walnuts, rhubarb, grapes, raisins and chocolate (RSPCA)
• Large or regular amounts of dairy, sweet or fatty foods (RSPCA)
• Cedar or pine woodchips, sawdust and newspaper (PDSA)
• Cotton wool and other “fluffy” nesting, which can tangle toes and limbs or block the gut (PDSA; RSPCA)
• Air fresheners, smoke, and fragrant or coloured bedding (RSPCA)
• Wire floors, wooden cages and perforated wheels
• Contact with dogs, cats, birds and other rodents in the household (Merck)