THE RAT

Origin

·      Wild rats are often thought of as pests and carriers of disease and so domestic rats are often given the same reputation, even though they spend a lot of their time cleaning themselves. After a rat has been handled it will normally give itself a good wash.

·      Recently the domestic rat has become a very popular pet, they are very clean, friendly animals and because of their size they are much easier to handler than some of the smaller rodents.

Life expectancy

·      3 years.

Temperament / Behaviour

·          They are intelligent and inquisitive animals.

·          If they are used to being handled they love human company.

·          A lot of the rats that come into the RSPCA are quite nervous but because of their inquisitive nature, with a bit of time and patience they can become very friendly.

Company

·          They are social animals and should be kept in same sex pairs or groups.

·          If one lives on its own it should be given lots of stimulation and attention.

·          They bond with their partners and can become very stressed if they lose them.

Mixing / Introducing

·        They are social animals and can  be mixed if done carefully, see sheet on introducing.

·        Two adult males will not normally mix.

·        The easiest combination to mix is a neutered male with a female or two females.

Diet

• What we feed: A complete rat food e.g. Reggie Rat.

• Treats: Rats will eat almost anything you give them but they can become overweight very quickly so it is best to stick to healthy treats.

Accommodation

·          Rats need a large cage with several floors to enable them to jump and climb, to help keep them fit and healthy. A solid wheel should be provided along with plenty of toys and tubes.

·          They need wood to gnaw on.

·            Minimum cage size for up to 2 rats: 60cm x 60cm x 60cm. They are very intelligent, active animals and their accommodation needs to be as stimulating and as large as possible.

Maintenance

·          Food and water must be changed daily.

·          Cages will need cleaning twice weekly.

·          They are intelligent animals and ideally they should be handled on a daily basis, and have daily exercise out of their accommodation.

Ÿ               An adult should give a weekly health check.

IN CASES OF CRUELTY, NEGLECT OR IN AN EMERGENCY TEL: 0300 1234 999 (24 HOUR)