Rat Advice

Rat facts

1. Pet rats live on average between 2 and 4 years.
   
   
2. Unlike hamsters, rats are just as likely to be awake in the day as at night.
   
   
3. Rats are quite intelligent - you can even teach them to do tricks!
   
   
4. Rats are sociable animals and don’t like to be left alone so it is best to have more than one pet rat.
   
   
5. Rats like to play and get very bored and fed up if they have no stimulation

Housing your rat

Rats don’t like the cold so they need to be kept indoors.  Your pet rat will need a good sized cage to live in with his or her friend or friends.  It is better to have a cage with a solid floor as a wire base will hurt your rat’s feet.  However, wire sides to the cage are good because rats like to climb on them.  You pet rats will need plenty of bedding in their cage such as wood shavings and a box or bed to sleep in which can be lined with clean hay or shredded paper. 
You will need to clean you pet rat’s cage regularly and put in fresh clean bedding.  If you do this then your rat won’t smell. 

What should you feed your pet rat?

The best thing to feed your pet rat is a special rodent mix feed which you can buy from pet shops.  Your rat will also like some fresh fruit and vegetables each day. 
He or she will also need access to clean fresh water at all times. 

Any more rat questions?

Just ask the team at your local Vets4Pets practice and they will be happy to help.