Rat - Things You Should Know

Rats are kept for many reasons from being pets to prize show animals. They are excellent pets, are easy to keep and you can develop good owner-pet relationships with them.

Many rats sold as pets are white, although other colours are available. 'Selfs' have one body colour which may be black, blue, chocolate, fawn, etc. 'Hooded' animals have coloured heads and white bodies. Specific varieties include the Irish black (a white triangle of fur on the chest and white feet) and the Japanese hooded rat (stripe along the back with a solid coloured head and shoulders with white body). If you want to breed and show rats The National Fancy Rat will give you all the information you need.

Housing

Rats can be housed successfully in commercial or home-built cages. If you make the cage, remember that rats can chew through wood or plastic very easily and, once free, will gnaw everything from household items to electrical cables. Metal and glass are good materials for cages, which often include a separate bedding area although this is unnecessary if there is sufficient floor space. Many cages are too small - remember there is no maximum size! A floor space 60 x 50 cm with a height of 40 cm will cater for two or three rats but basically the bigger the better. Any wire mesh should be fine enough to prevent escape of young rats but sturdy enough to resist the teeth of adults.

Paper, including newspaper, makes excellent bedding, however, remember that newsprint may rub off onto fur. Shavings may contain aromatic compounds that may be directly irritant or may react with urine. Rats should be housed at between 14-26°C (58-80°F) and never above 30°C (88°F) since fatal heat stroke is then possible.

Feeding

Rats can be fed a commercial complete ration supplemented with fruit and vegetables. They are happy to eat tit bits but while these can be useful in firming the owner-pet bond, they can lead to obesity and considerable health problems.

Handling

Rats are generally amenable to handling and, although they rarely bite, they should always be handled with care. Grasping the rat firmly by the shoulders is the best way and a confidently held rat will be a much happier animal than one held gingerly. Handling a rat by the scruff is likely to cause distress and should be avoided.

Breeding

Adult rats can be sexed easily but young animals are more difficult. The anus and vulva in the female are much closer together than the anus and penis in the male. Rats are sexually mature at 8 to 10 weeks and have a gestation (pregnancy) of 20 to 22 days with a litter size of 6 to 14 pups. Weaning age is 3 to 4 weeks. Population explosions are common when rats are kept in groups. Ideally they should be kept either in single sex groups or in single sex pairs. If you have a male - female pair, separate them before the birth because within 12 hours they will mate, giving you a very rapid increase in your pet population!