The Basics of Pet Rat Care

Getting rats for the first time is incredibly exciting! You don’t have to spend a lot of money on an extensive setup, you can start out small with second-hand cages, cardboard boxes, and lots of love.

On this page, you’ll find all the essential information you need to take great care of your furry friends! Whether you’re a first-time rat owner or an experienced pet parent, this page is designed to provide you with the basics of pet rat care. Here are the basics you will need to get started:

Rat Cage

There are various options for rat cages ranging from a starter cage like the XL to big cages like the Savic, and it’s good to think about what you want and need before you invest.

Bedding / Substrate

You will need two types of bedding in order to litter train your rats: one type for the litter box and another softer type of bedding to line the bottom of the cage with at least 10 cm.

Dry & Fresh Food

Rats enjoy a wide variety of food as omnivores, and it’s recommended to feed a dry mix every day, with a fresh meal every couple of days to ensure that they get all the nutrients.

Water sources

We recommend giving your rats at least two water bottles in case one gets clogged, and a water bowl of fresh water every day, if you can manage it. They will love you for it!

Cage furniture

Filling a cage can feel overwhelming sometimes, but it’s good to think of what theme you want to go for, and then start collecting. We prefer things that are natural wood or can be washed with soap and water.

Enrichment

Rats are intelligent animals and they get bored quickly. You can enrich your rats’ life by making toys for them from recycled material, buying parrot toys, or giving them a puzzle to solve. It doesn’t need to be expensive.

Cleaning cages

Keeping your rats’ cage clean is one of the most important parts of having pet rats because it’s their home, and they will get sick if it’s dirty and it affects their breathing. See our cleaning routine below for more info.

Exotic vet & First aid kit

All living creatures sometimes require medical assistance. Make sure that you have an exotic vet’s number saved on your phone, and a first aid kit at home, just in case you need to clean a small wound, and more.

Suitable Pet Rat Cages

The minimum suggested cage size for two rats is 72 cm x 36 cm x 44 cm. However, the bigger, the better. Bigger cages provide more enrichment and living space for your rats, if they are kitted out well, and they take longer to get dirty.

Bedding & Substrate

Rats are fossorial animals who have a natural instinct to burrow. It’s important to give them to the opportunity to express this natural desire in their cage by providing a deep layer of soft bedding at the bottom of the cage, whether it’s kiln-dried pine shavings, coco peat, shredded cardboard, or paper. It’s also important to provide a secondary type of bedding like eco litter in their litter box to facilitate litter box training.

If you can, try to modify your cage to provide a deep base if it doesn’t already. If you have wire mesh floors in your rat cage, it’s important to protect your rats’ feet from sprains or breaks that can result from getting their feet caught in the wire. Using a wire spacing of 1.27 cm x 1.27 cm can help reduce injury, but it’s still recommended to cover most, if not all, of the floor. Wire floors, especially dirty ones, can also aggravate bumblefoot in rats that are predisposed to it. Keep in mind that the surface area of wire floors is much larger than when it’s covered.

Fortunately, there are many safe options for covering the cage floors. Some recommended options include non-glued linoleum (cut to size), placemats, fleece, and blankets, which can be washed frequently to keep the environment clean and hygienic. But keep in mind that fleece needs to be changed every 2nd day, and non-porous surfaces should be wiped down daily. By using a safe floor covering, you can help prevent injuries and promote your rats’ health and well-being.

You can choose an option that works for your rats and your setup. But which ever one you decide to use, it’s important to change it often to keep the levels of ammonia down and to remove feces from the cage.

Not recommended:

Cedar or any untreated wooden shavings
Clumping or scented cat litter
Corn cob bedding (due to potential mold)
Hay (because it’s not absorbent)
Fleece (because it needs to be changed often)

Our preferred substrates & bedding

Kiln-dried pine shavings

Kiln-dried pine shavings are a suitable bedding material for rats because they are absorbent, minimize odors, and are unlikely to contain harmful chemicals. Kiln-drying removes excess moisture from the wood, which helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. Pine shavings also have natural antimicrobial properties that can help keep the rat’s living space clean and healthy. Additionally, they are soft and comfortable for rats to burrow in, which can promote natural behaviors and reduce stress. However, it’s important to note that not all pine bedding is safe for rats, as some may contain high levels of aromatic oils that can be harmful to their respiratory system. It’s best to use only kiln-dried pine shavings that are specifically labeled as safe for small animals like rats, for example the blue Marltons bag of pine shavings.

Coco peat

Coco peat is a natural and eco-friendly bedding material that is suitable for bioactive rat cages. It is made from the fibers of coconut husks and is highly absorbent, making it great for controlling moisture levels in the cage. Additionally, coco peat is a sustainable option as it is a byproduct of the coconut industry.

In a bioactive rat cage, coco peat can promote natural behaviours and provide enrichment for the rats. It allows them to dig and burrow, which mimics their natural habitat and reduces stress levels. Coco peat also provides a habitat for beneficial microorganisms, which can help break down waste and maintain a healthy environment for the rats.

It’s important to note that coco peat should be used in combination with other materials, such as hay, sphagnum moss, leaves, and twigs, and a clean-up crew of springtails or isopods to create a diverse and natural environment for the rats. Overall, coco peat is a great option for a bioactive rat cage as it is natural, sustainable, and promotes the rats’ natural behaviours and well-being.

Eco Litter

Eco litter is a natural and sustainable option for litter boxes in rat cages. Made from wood pellets, eco litter is highly absorbent and effective at controlling odours. It’s also safe for rats to use and doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals.

Using eco litter in litter boxes can promote good hygiene and help maintain a clean living environment for your rats. It’s important to choose a litter box that is the appropriate size for your rats and to clean it regularly to prevent the buildup of waste and bacteria. Eco litter is easy to dispose of and can often be composted, making it an environmentally friendly option.

We use eco litter in our litter boxes, at the bottom of some trays, and in travel carriers. It’s also a handy substrate to use if you are doing carrier method introductions.

Nutrition | Dry Mix & Fresh Food

Rats are omnivores and they will eat almost anything humans do. Just like us, they love junk food and unhealthy snacks, but they should get a balanced diet. It’s important to give your rats the best nutrition that you can afford. A little goes a long way, and every morsel of goodness is always appreciated by the rats. Avoid oily or fatty foods and overfeeding proteins.

Dry pellets & mixes

We make our own dry mix based on the Shunamite diet and Pretoria Rattery’s diet, but with ingredients easily found in Cape Town. Our mix was vetted by Alison Campbell from Ratwise and the Scuttling Gourmet, and our rats are very healthy on it. We take great pride in making the highest quality mix possible with a wide variety of ingredients. We also dry our own vegetables, fruit, and herbs.

You can make a mix yourself or buy a ready-made mix from a local supplier like Mischief Pet Products or Oliver’s Burrow.

If you would like to try a rat pellet, we recommend staying away from Burgess as this has been reported by UK rat breeders to result in more tumours in rats. Oxbow is now available in South Africa and is a great option to feed. Science Selective is also a good option.

You can also make a mix of a pellet-based food and other dry ingredients with one of the many recipes available online.

Fresh food

Fresh meals of fruit and vegetables should be given every few days. Fruit can be high in sugar, so it’s best to feed more vegetables. Great options for fresh meals include steamed corn, peas and carrots, beetroot, cucumber, kale, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, sprouts, apples, blueberries, mushrooms, and fresh herbs like mint, basil and parsley.

Protein can be given 2 – 3 times a week for rats older than 3 months. Kittens younger than 3 months, elderly or sick rats, or pregnant and lactating mothers should get additional fresh protein on a daily basis. Boiled egg, tuna, high quality tinned dog food, mealworms, and boiled chicken or chicken bones are great sources of protein.

You should supplement their diet with a multivitamin like Mirracote, and you can also add other superfoods like kelp powder, chia seeds, goji berries, and olive oil to ensure they get all their daily nutrients.

Water sources

Cage Furniture

Every cage (and budget) is unique and you don’t need to worry about spending thousands on your cage, as long as you try to make it comfortable and engaging for your rat, they will appreciate it. Sometimes a cardboard box is just as comfortable as a new hammock. Of course, if you want to spoil your rats, that’s your prerogative too. 😉

Here is our collection of must-have items to buy for your cages. If you only invest in these, you can buy everything else as you go along.

Litter box

Make sure you buy a litter box big enough for your rats. Remove the grid inside if it has one, you can zip-tie this to your cage to provide a platform for your litter box to sit on. Fill the litter box with eco litter and add a pee stone to encourage them to pee on it.

Hide or Hammock

Every rat cage needs at least one place for your rats to sleep comfortably. I like to get a Sputnik for each cage because the plastic is easy to clean, my rats all love it, and it lasts forever. Hammocks are also great, especially for the colder winter months.

Ropes & Perches

Ropes are a great way to fill up a cage with things for the rats to climb on. Dog ropes are great to use and usually very affordable, but you can make your own from cotton T-shirt yarn or sisal rope. Perches like a Lava Ledge or a wooden ledges are great additions to a cage.

Foraging & Treat Toys

There are many things you can find around the house to use as treat toys, especially toiletpaper rolls which make a great container for rat treats. Some foraging toys made for parrots also work well, or you can make your own from recycled materials.

Enrichment

Rats are very intelligent animals and they can get bored quickly if they don’t get enrichment in their cages in addition to free roam time. Here are some of the most popular ways to enrich a pet rat’s life:

Pea fishing

This is a firm favourite for summer time – simply fill a sturdy, shallow bowl with water, add frozen peas, and let the rats go fishing for food. You can also add stones for them to perch on.

Dig boxes

All you need for this one is a plastic container, some coco peat, and dry mix seeds. Add the rehydrated coco peat to the container, sprinkle with seeds, and let them at it.

Foraging

Foraging for food is one of the most natural ways for a rat to keep busy. You can scatter food and treats in a deep base for them to find, and some foraging toys made for parrots work well.

Cardboard castles

One of my favourite things to do is to build castles for the rats with cardboard boxes and a glue gun (with non-toxic glue). My rats love to add more windows, and widen windows into doors.

Cleaning

One of the most important responsibilities of owning a pet rat is keeping its environment clean. Rats have sensitive respiratory systems and can easily get sick from poor air quality in their cages, so their cages need to be kept fresh and clean.

Daily – Spot clean cages to remove soiled bedding and clean any visibly dirty surfaces.
Weekly
- Remove all accessories and clean everything with antibacterial cleaner, water, and F10, rinse thoroughly, and dry in the sun.
- Remove and wash all hammocks and fabric items, but avoid using fabric softener with a strong smell.
- Clean out any visibly soiled bedding, and top up your deep base with substrate, or if you are using a bioactive setup, turn and wet the soil, and add more CUC if necessary.
Monthly – If you use a deep base, it’s usually sufficient to clean it out monthly.

You can put your rats in a carrier for a proper deep clean to avoid affecting them, or you can let them free roam while doing quick routine clean-ups. You can make a little free roam area on top of their cages so they have somewhere comfortable and fun to go while you clean. Just note, you’ll probably have to lure them back in with food. 🙂

You will need:

F10 SC Veterinary Disinfectant
Spray bottle (500ml – 1L)
Liquid detergent like Sunlight Liquid Antibacterial
Bucket (2 – 5L)
Sponges & rags
Gloves
Paper towels
Carrier or free roam area

Medical

Common illnesses

Mycoplasmosis with Secondary Respiratory Infections
Cancers & Growths
Hind Leg Paralysis – Degenerative Osteoarthritis
Mites
Seizures
Stroke, Ear infection, Pituitary tumor
Choking
Urinary Tract Infections or Stones
Abscesses
Bumblefoot
Eye injury or infection

First aid kit

1ml – 5ml syringes
F10 germicidal ointment
F10 SC Veterinary Disinfectant
Ivomec or Kitten Revolution
Vet wrap to bandage wounds
Nutrastim (high calorie nutrient concentrate for sick rats)
Isomil for babies
Ensure for sick rats
Sachet of baby food
Allergex for kids
Protexin probiotic
Soft tissue paper bedding

Handy supplies

Notebook or spreadsheet
Nail clippers
Tweezers
Disposable gloves
Headlamp or torch (to check ears)
Kitchen scale
Heat pad
Hospital cage
Extra blankets & rags
Towels
Paper towels
Cotton ear buds
Medicine box

Do's

Take your pet rat for regular check-ups with a veterinarian who has experience treating rats.
Provide your pet rat with a healthy and balanced diet, clean water, and a clean living environment to prevent illness.
Watch for signs of illness, such as lethargy, loss of appetite, and difficulty breathing, and seek veterinary care immediately if you notice any of these symptoms.
Keep up to date with vaccinations and parasite prevention treatments recommended by your veterinarian.
Follow your veterinarian’s instructions carefully when administering medication to your pet rat.
Provide your pet rat with mental and physical stimulation, such as toys and exercise, to maintain their overall health and well-being.

Don'ts

Do not give your pet rat antibiotics without the guidance of a veterinarian. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance and harm your pet rat’s health.
Do not rely on home remedies or alternative treatments without consulting with a veterinarian first.
Do not keep your pet rat in a drafty or damp area, as this can lead to respiratory problems.
Do not use bedding that is dusty or fragranced, as this can also cause respiratory problems in pet rats.
Do not wait to seek veterinary care if you notice signs of illness in your pet rat. Delaying treatment can lead to a more serious condition and make treatment more difficult.

Exotic Veterinarians

Pet rats are considered to be exotic pets and you can’t just take them to any veterinary clinic because they don’t necessarily have someone on staff who has the necessary knowledge and experience with rats. In Cape Town, we are lucky to have a few great vets who are able to help out with any rat issues.

We use the Cape Exotic Animal Hospital (CEAH) in Durbanville for almost everything. They are 10 minutes from our home and we’ve always had great service and found the vets to be very knowledgeable. They also stock a few great toys, some bedding, food, and treats.

Another great option in Cape Town is the Centre for Avian, Reptiles & Exotics (CARE) in Klapmuts.

Another affordable option is the Bothasig Citivet, I’ve heard good things from people who have used them, but they aren’t extremely experienced in rat illnesses, so best to use them for routine procedures like neutering.

Additional resources

If you have any questions or concerns, you can always contact us directly, but here are some additional resources that you can dive into to learn more about pet rats, their needs, and how to care for them. You can also post questions directly on the groups below.