Rat Guide
The information provided below is intended to help new rat owners decide if rats are the right pet for them and to give everyone some guidance in basic rat care. Please do your research before purchasing any pet!
Fancy Rats
The domestic rats raised in the USA are from the species Rattus norvegicus, also known as the Norway Rat, Sewer Rat, or Brown Rat. Owning and enjoying rats is known as a "Fancy". So Fancy Rats really is a term used to describe the fancy or enjoyment of owning pet rats and has nothing to do with the looks or variety of the rat. There is no actual rat called a Fancy Rat. Rats are not divided into breeds but rather are grouped by varieties. As of Jan 2022, the 7 rat varieties recognized by the AFRMA are Standard, Rex, Tailless, Hairless, Satin, Dumbo, and bristle coat. Within these 7 varieties are various colors and patterns that give your rat its individual look. For descriptions of these varieties, please review the AFRMA.org website and click on Rat Standards.
Rat Personalities
As far as rodents go, rats are by far the smartest and friendliest to humans. A well-socialized rat will jump up on the sides of its cage when you enter the room, begging to be let out for playtime or given a treat. Rats are the one rodent that actually enjoys being with people, and can be trained to do simple or complex tasks. Because of their highly social nature, rats require lots of interaction with their owners and other rats. Rats can easily be held or carried, enjoy being pet, and even gently wrestled with. Quality pet rats rarely bite; if they do nip it is most likely because your hands have good smells on them. Rats have very poor eyesight but incredible smelling ability, so often they can mistake fingers for food. It is best to wash your hands before and after handling your rats with antibacterial soap.
Male or Female?
Rats should live in groups of two or more of the same gender. Never plan to have a single rat as they are not solitary animals. If your rat is spayed or neutered, opposite-sex pairs do well together.
Female rats tend to be smaller than males, more active, have softer fur, are usually a bit cleaner, and produce less of an odor. Females do best when in groups of 2 or more. Solo females often develop neurotic tendencies or behavioral problems which magically go away with the addition of a rat companion. Female rats are also easier to add new cage mates to at a later date should you decide to extend your rat family. The recommendation is 2 cubic feet of cage space per female rat and 2-6 females per large cage. Cage space can overlap a bit so you can easily have 3 females in a 4 cubic foot cage. Female rats are a great choice for first-time rat owners because of their passive nature, curious demeanor, willingness to work for food (trainable), and ease of introduction to other rats at all ages. Females are highly recommended for those new to rats or those with young children 10 years of age or younger.
Male rats are larger, less active (often referred to as couch potatoes), more cuddly, can have coarse fur. They also tend to have a bit more of an odor (musk), and can be a bit messier. Males have a musk odor, tend to dribble (pee trails), and are usually not as accepting of newcomers at a later date. Males may also exhibit aggressive behavior toward each other when they mature between the ages of 4-8 months. Misty Blue Rattery recommends always starting with 3-5 male rats to keep them in a working community and less likely to be aggressive one on one. Be sure there is enough cage space for multiple male rats. The recommendation for male rats is 3 cubic feet of cage space per male rat. Their space shouldn't overlap too much, so for 3 male rats, you'll want at least a 7 cubic foot cage.
Remember that the descriptions above are only general guidelines and each rat has its own personality! The choice is really up to you on which gender you want, as most rats make awesome pets. Both genders can be trained with patience and good treats! Both genders make wonderful pets in the right environment.
Rats are not sold as solo pets, so Little Bean Rattery recommends you purchase 2-3 female rats or 3-5 male rats and let them grow up together in same-sex groups.
What You Need
Before you bring your rats home, you will need a cage suitable for the number of rats you are purchasing. The bigger the better but be sure not to get a cage that is too small. The general rule is that there should be about 2 cubic feet of space per female rat and 3 cubic feet of space per male rat, but the footage can overlap a bit. You will also need an 8oz water bottle placed within reach of the rats. A food dish that is sturdy, chew-resistant, and will not easily tip over (or attach to the cage) is recommended over just putting food on the floor of the cage. Other items that make great cage additions: bedding, quality rat food, toys, igloos, tunnels, and hammocks. Be creative!
Housing
Your cage should be as large as possible, as rats, especially females, are quite active and love to move around. A wire cage with 1/2 inch spacing with a metal bottom is best, as it allows maximum ventilation without escape. A cage that sits inside a plastic base or has a wire bottom is also usable and works well for rats. The cage walls' bar spacing should be no more than 1/2" wide, as rats can easily fit through anything farther apart. Cages with a plastic base and/or plastic parts are not recommended as they can easily be chewed by your rats. A rat can escape by chewing through a corner of the plastic base within an hour. Not all rats chew, but why take the risk? We personally recommend the Delux Critter Nation cage.
Toys & Cage Accessories
Rats can have fun with almost anything that can be climbed on, hidden in, or chewed (nothing containing Alfalfa). Tunnels, houses, and hammocks are available online and from pet stores. You can make rat toys yourself out of common household items and clothes. There are several wonderful rat groups on social media that give excellent options and ideas for how to best decorate your cage and what items are best. We encourage you to join some of them as it's a great way to be able to ask questions and gain valuable insight.
Bedding
Safe bedding includes Aspen, CornCob, CareFresh, or other paper-based pet bedding. Most pet bedding will neutralize the ammonia in rat urine, keeping your cage smelling fresh longer. You can also use shredded newspaper, shredded white paper, or bits of fleece (fleece gets smelly) or other cloth that can be washed and reused, though these choices do not neutralize the rat urine smell and your cage will need to be cleaned a few times a week if not every day. Pine, cedarwood chips, anything dusty, or scented bedding should NOT be used in cages for rats. Pine and Cedar contain phenols, which can irritate the sensitive respiratory system of a rat, and may cause respiratory infections. Often, parasites come in the bedding (or food) purchased retail or wholesale. To reduce the occurrence of mites/lice/fleas getting to your rats, freeze your bedding for 1-2 weeks before use. Simply fill two 1 gallon ziplock freezer bags, each with 1 week's bedding needed. Refill each weekly as you use it. The first baggie may only be frozen a week, but after that, you are on a 2-week cycle. Little Bean Rattery uses rolled paper bedding for our litter boxes, and absorbent washable platform mats. This is what works for us as we deep clean our cages every 3 days.
Corner Litter Box
Most rats are easily trained to use a corner litter box in their cage. Simply put the corner pan in the corner they have been going to the bathroom most, or in a new cage, pick a corner. Always put a little bit of soiled litter into the pan. I recommend when you clean the cage, clean the corner pan first, wipe out (but don't wash), fill 1 inch of the bottom with litter from the cage, then replace cage litter. You can clean the litter box as needed, and the full cage every other week if they use their litter box well. For male rats, put a fist-size rock (pee-pee rock) in the middle of the litter pan. This encourages males to scent the rock, somewhat like a dog would spray a tree. Do not clean the rock weekly, let it be gross! When you can't handle it, just rinse it off in hot water and put it back into the litter box (don't use soap, you want some scent remaining on the rock). Do not use a pee rock for female rats - females think it's gross, and I don't blame them.
Rat Food
Little Bean Rattery feeds our rats Oxbow Adult Rat Food along with a variety of other yummy and safe treats, see our nutrition page. Do not feed any retail foods that contain alfalfa in any form. Brands with alfalfa include Oxbow Young Rat and Mouse, Mazuri, Kaytee, etc - don't feed these! Read the ingredients list, if you see the word Alfalfa then put it back. Search online for other foods you can use as safe treats and lists of foods to stay away from. Many rat health issues come from the food owners provide them. If you feed Envigo Teklad or Oxbow Essentials Adult Rat, you should have a healthier rat that can live 2-3 years.
Health Care
You can expect your rat to live 2+ years. Occasionally rats will live to 3 years or longer, but this is rare. Rats do not need vaccinations. As long as they are healthy there is no reason for them to get regular check-ups with a vet. Know your rat and know when they are showing basic signs of illness. The most common health problems among rats are respiratory infections, external parasites such as mites or lice, tumors, stroke, and old age. Respiratory infections are usually a mycoplasma flare-up caused by stress, poor ventilation, drafts, scented bedding, an unclean cage, or irritants in the air such as smoke or air freshener. The likelihood of illness can be decreased by feeding quality rat food, using proper bedding, and keeping a stress-free environment. Scabs around the neck are often caused by mites/lice/fleas, not your rats wrestling. Upper Respiratory Illness is often caused by stress in the environment. Be sure to freeze bedding and food to control mites/lice/fleas. Keep your rats out of draft areas and do not let the fan blow directly on them. Most rats remain healthy all of their lives, but a rat that tilts its head (wryneck), develops scabs, sneezes often, makes wet lung noises, or is gasping for air will need immediate medical attention.
I Already Own Other Rat(s) - How do I do introductions?
Usually, female rats are easier to do introductions and often accept newcomers fairly easily. Male rats on the other hand can be hit and miss on introductions. There will be wrestling and tumbling and maybe some nipping as they establish who's boss and their pecking order. You can find all sorts of things online as to how to do introductions. Little Bean Rattery recommends introducing rats in the bathtub. First, put a towel or a few down to cover the bottom of the bathtub. Have a thick board (cardboard, cutting board, baking sheet) on hand in case you need to break up a fight. Have an empty "time out" box available. Then add the new rats for a few minutes. Add your rat and observe temperaments and contact. If you have multiple rats, introduce them one at a time, individually, before doing group to group introduction. Things to look for that show negative aggression: Rat puffs fur and/or backs into the new rats, attacking (not to confuse with wrestling), hissing/screeching. If none of these negative aggressions are shown, then it's no blood no foul. If there is a fight and you need to break it up, stick your board between the rats - NEVER USE YOUR HANDS! Then grab the aggressor by the tail and put them in the timeout box. NEVER HOLD AND CUDDLE A RAT IN A HEIGHTENED STATE OF ATTACK - YOU WILL GET BIT!!! Time out should be for a good hour to let hormones subside. At this point, go to the side by side cage method keeping about 3 feet between cages to begin. If all goes well - then clean the cage, put new rats in the cage first, then add in older rats. Again, observe for temperament. Articles online can help you with any other issues. Be prepared though, sometimes you just can't make the introductions work and you'll have to house the rats in separate cages.
When all else fails, watch some YouTube videos!