Rats
make great family pets. They are generally very clean, highly intelligent
and ideal for older children. Whilst rats are fairly inexpensive to
keep, you should purchase the largest cage possible for your rats.
Rats can live for 2.5 years, so they need to be in suitable accomodation
to give them exercise and prevent boredom when they are not out of
their cage. Make sure you buy a cage specifically for rats. It should
be large, wire and multi level.
Position their cage away from direct heat, like radiators, and away
from windows or draughts. Cover the base of the cage with a paper
based litter, do not use woodshavings or sawdust as this can irritate
rats eyes and noses and cause allergies. There should be a sleeping
area in the cage, filled with nesting material, do not use straw as
this can be too sharp and injure rats eyes and mouths.
You should give your rats time out of their cage every day. And also
provide items for them to play with and explore in the cage, like
a large rat wheel ( make sure it is a proper solid wheel, so that
they do not get their tails caught. Also provide hammocks, ropes,
boxes and tunnels.
Rats are very sociable animals and should be kept in same sex pairs
and groups.
You should feed your rats rat nuggets, this is better than muesli
mix, as it stops selective feeding.
Your rats should always have fresh water available to them, in a large
bottle with a metal spout.
Make sure you clean out their cage thoroughly once a week with hot
water and proper cage disinfectant. Also clean their toilet area out
daily, and remove uneaten food every day.
Here
is a list of some of the other foods you can give your rats alongside
their nuggets :-
Carrots
Cucumber
Broccoli
Apples
Berries
Banana
Pear
Honeydew Melon
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Yogurt-Covered Pretzels
Cashews
Sunflower Seeds
Rice
Potatoes
Fruit Baby Food
Vegetable Baby Food
Blueberry Buckle Baby Food
Vanilla Custard Baby Food
Applesauce
Oatmeal
Macaroni and Cheese
Pasta
Bread
Oatmeal Cookies
Whole Grain Crackers
Dry Cereal
Here are some of the foods you should NEVER feed your rats :-
Chocolate
Orange Juice
Raw Beans
Raw Brussels Sprouts
Raw Red Cabbage
Raw Onions
Raw Artichokes
Peanuts
Sweet Potato
Green Bananas
Green Potato Skin and Potato Eyes
Rhubarb
Licorice
Dried Corn
Avocado Skin, Pit, Rind, Leaves and Fruit Adjacent to the Pit (the
fruit portion is safe, but high in fat)