The general rule of thumb for rat cage size is at least 2 cubic feet of space per rat. This is the minimum rat cage size. If your pet rat is larger than average or you simply want to give your pet(s) more room to live in, which we recommend, you may choose to buy one with extra space.
1": This bar spacing is fine for ADULT rats only. It is too small for baby rats up to 4 months old.
Pet rats should be housed together from a young age and ideally be siblings. They should also be kept in small same-sex groups and are perfectly happy without the opposite sex. Separate young males and females as soon as possible after weaning so that they don't produce pups, which are difficult to find good homes for.
To help you choose, we've rounded up some of the best rat cage products below.
- BEST OVERALL: Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation.
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Mcage 3 Levels Small Animal Cage.
- BEST FOR MULTIPLE ADULTS: MidWest Homes for Pets Deluxe Ferret Nation.
- BEST FOR TWO ADULT RATS: Prevue Hendryx Black Feisty Ferret Cage.
Rats generally enjoy running on an exercise wheel, which keeps them healthy and satisfies their need for physical activity. He needs a wheel with a solid surface, or else his tail can get caught between the bars while he's running -- and that wouldn't be fun for anyone.
Rats can be housed in pairs, although a trio or more often live in better harmony as they create their own social network. Pairs of rats can sometimes get agitated with one another and will tend to show dominant behaviour. Time spent out of the cage and fun training can help prevent this.
Rats can catch ringworm and staph infections from humans. They can also contract Bordetella (kennel cough) from dogs, which is almost always lethal to rats. Humans can get rat-bite fever and hantavirus from pet rats, both of which rarely arise as a problem within the rat fancy.
Between 2 and 4 rats are considered a good starting number though cage size and personal preference will often determined how many within this group. One thing to note is that often when keeping groups of rats one will die at a significantly earlier age than the others, sometimes around 1 year and above.
Some rat books say that you can keep a rat alone, so why should I get two? Rats will not usually pine away and die simply from being kept alone - so if you are concerned simply with what rats need to stay alive, you can keep them alone. However, it is not fair to think only of what our pets need to keep them alive.
I would say 2 to 3 days max, I've only left my guys alone though for 24 hours. One time we were going to leave them behind but we're lucky we didn't.
There are four main ways to tell how old a rat is. The color of their teeth, their size, the condition of their coat, and their energy levels, when looked at in conjunction, can give you a good estimate of your pet rat's age.
Pet rat bedding is important not only for your rat's comfort, but also for yours. A good bedding will absorb urine well and keep your rat dry and healthy.
Rats are quiet, clean, and easy to maintain. They are sweet, smart, friendly, social, active, and very entertaining. You can keep your pet rat as healthy as possible by following the simple instructions below. Rats will breed year-round in captivity.
Solidify the BondSit near their cage every day and talk to them. Open it up and pet them once they're used to your hands. After they've been hand-tamed, rats should spend time daily in a secure playpen out of their cage. Hang out with them, pet them, speak to them, move their toys around and play with them.
Rats are naturally social and will continue to be. It's more to keep the rat healthy. If they have a companion and a large cage with a lot to do, 1–2 hours is sufficient.
Usually, rats live for around 2 years, but some may live for longer. Although this may appear a short time in comparison to other pet animals, owning rats is still a big responsibility and commitment. Rats have complex needs and are not easy to look after well.
Whether you bought your rat as a baby or you are adopting your rat an as adult, give it 1-2 days to adjust to its new home. After the rat is settled, start petting it and letting it sniff your hand to strengthen your bond. For example, put your hand in the cage and hold it out toward the rat.
