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.

              An adult should give a weekly health check.

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