You decided a rat was the right pet for you and your family. You found a curious, healthy, happy rat from a breeder, store, or shelter. Now it’s time to set up your new pet’s new home!
When it comes to cages, bigger is always better. Your rats will want to explore and play, and will need room to do it! Look for a tall cage with lots of ramps, platforms, and hammocks for the rats to play on. Wire cages are good for climbing, but make sure the flooring is solid. Spending time on wire flooring can cause foot problems! Cover wire floors and balconies with a thin sheet of wood or other solid material, then attach to the cage sides with ties.
Place the cage in a relatively quiet place, but one where the rats will be near the family. Remember — your rats may do a lot of their sleeping during the day! Don’t place the cage in a drafty area or in direct sunlight, and try to restrict access from other pets.
You’ll want to put lots of ladders, ropes, tunnels, and other toys in the cage. Wood blocks are a good choice for chewing, as are cardboard tubes and rope toys. Plastic toys often can’t handle the hard chewing a rat dishes out. Change and move the toys frequently so your rats won’t get bored. Some rats will run on an exercise wheel and some won’t. Choose a wheel with a solid base, rather than a wire base — feet and tails can get caught in the rungs and be injured.
For bedding, hardwood shavings are a possible choice — avoid cedar and pine, but aspen and other hardwoods are fine. Your rats will want to shred something to line their nest boxes, so offer paper (without ink on it), paper towels, or tissues. Commercial bedding materials are available at your pet store if you like; look for a bedding product that is absorbent but not dusty. Similarly, your nest box can be bought or home made. A cardboard box is perfect, though may need to be replaced frequently. Try a flower pot or jar on its side, or a wooden or plastic box. Remember that your rats may chew on the nest box!
Your rats will often choose a bathroom in one area of the cage and stick to it. Clean out soiled litter daily!
Look for heavy, shallow food dishes that are sturdy and won’t tip easily. Your rats will need access to fresh, clean water at all times! A water bottle with a sipper tube is a good choice: it is easy to see when the water is low and easy to refill the bottle.
Every week, the entire cage will need to be cleaned out. Replace all the litter and bedding and clean out the nest box, toys, and platforms.