Diet for Rats

As with any pet, good quality food and clean, fresh water must be provided at all times. In the wild, these animals feed on leaves, seeds, roots, fruits and insects. Pelleted rodent rations are recommended for feeding in captivity, which are processed as dry blocks or pellets. Typical maintenance diets contain about 14% protein and 4% to 5% fat, while diets for growth and reproduction contain 17% to 19% protein and 7% to 11% fat. Seed diets are also formulated for mice and rats, but these diets should only supplement the basic rodent pellet as a treat item. Rodents prefer sunflower-based diets to pellets, but these seeds are low in calcium and high in fat and cholesterol. When fed exclusively, seed diets can lead to obesity and nutritional deficiencies.

The pet's appetite should be monitored closely. Many factors affect the rodent's food intake, including the ambient temperature, humidity, food quality, breeding status, as well as the pet's health status. On average, an adult mouse will consume about 15 gm of feed and 15 ml of water per 100 gm body weight daily. Comparatively, an adult rat will consume approximately 5 gm of feed and 10 ml of water per 100 gm body weight daily. Rats typically eat at night.

Water should be provided in water bottles equipped with sipper tubes. The sipper tube keeps the water free from contamination. The tubes must be positioned low enough to allow the pet easy access.Inadequate water consumption leads to dehydration, lower body weight, infertility and death. These rodents drink only a fraction of the total bottle volume, but the bottle should be emptied, cleaned and refilled with fresh water daily.

...that should help you with information on a rats diet

Handling and Restraint of Rats

Pet rodents become tame and seldom bite when properly restrained and accustomed to handling. Be careful, however, when approaching a nervous or frightened pet. Also, it is best not to disturb a sleeping animal because most are usually quite cranky when awakened. Some rats can be very territorial of their cage, and these should be coaxed out of the cage before being handled. Most pet rats enjoy being handled when away from their cage.

Rats can be easily picked up by scooping them into a can or cupped hands. They can then be moved out of their territory to a neutral area. Rats can be lifted by grasping the base of the tail, but be careful not to injure them due to their larger size. For any rodent, never pull on the tip of the tail because the skin can easily tear and become stripped from the tail.

Rats can be restrained by grasping over the back and rib cage, while restraining the head with a thumb and forefinger positioned on either side of the neck. To initially pick up a rat, it may be necessary to grasp the tail base as suggested above. Rats do not respond well to scruffing by the nape, but it may be necessary in some cases.

...happy to hold

Rat Care

People envision many different things when thinking about rats. Some consider them as vermin or pests, many envision laboratory specimens, others think of them as snake food, while a chosen population treasure them as pets. These rodents make excellent pets for children if they are cared for properly. They seldom bite when raised as pets and are handled with care. These timid and social pets are fun to watch performing their natural behaviors of burrowing, searching for food, and playing. Unlike their wild counterparts that are typically nocturnal, pet rats have periods of activity both day and night. Rats are inexpensive, easy to care for, and responsive to handling.

...what's not to love...get over the mind thing of it being a "rat".

A Domestic Rat can be the Ideal Pet

When you tell someone that you, as a supposedly mature, sane adult, have two rats as pets, you'll generally get one of two responses: revulsion, followed by a questioning of said supposed sanity, or delight, from those who once had rats as pets (usually when they were young) and still remember how much fun they are.

Since I adopted a pair of domestic rats (Ava and Zoe) from a rescue group last fall, I've experienced both responses countless times, the former far more than the latter.

The reaction of disgust is unfortunate, for rats can be entertaining, affectionate and clever pets. They're excellent first pets for children, great sole pets for adults who might prefer a dog but are in "no pets" housing, and easy-care pets for those who aren't home much or don't have the desire to clean up after a dog, cat or bird.

Still not convinced? Let go of everything you've ever thought about rats and consider the benefits with an open mind:

* Rats are social animals. Many small pets don't like being handled, but rats get used to careful socialization easily, and come to enjoy riding in pockets and on shoulders. They like people! The older, larger and (it must be said) homelier of my two rats is Zoe, who makes up for her mud-fence appearance with an outgoing personality. She loves to be petted and likes to sleep in the hood of my sweatshirt when I'm writing.

Because rats are so social, if you're going to get one, you ought to get two so they can keep each other company.

* Rats are smart. Rats respond quickly to food-based training and seem to love to perform. With little effort, I've trained Zoe to perform a couple of simple tricks, and she has picked up on the cues that let her know mealtime is here faster than any dog I've ever known.

* Rats are agile and sturdy. Try to get a guinea pig to run a maze or climb a ladder, and you'll appreciate the fleet-footedness of a rat. Unlike mice, rats can stand up to the handling -- and occasionally, the unintentional mishandling -- of well-meaning children.

* Rats are cute. Really. Think sleek, shiny fur, dark, glossy eyes and cute little ears. You say it's the tail that gets to you? Give a rat a break. If he just had a fluffy tail he'd be a squirrel, and people would give him nuts in the park.

* Did you know that rats come in oodles of colors and coat patterns? Think colors like silver mink, platinum, blue and chocolate, and markings like hooded (the head a different color than the body) or masked or patched.

* Rats are easy to keep. Get a cage sized for a larger pet, such as a chinchilla or guinea pig, and your rat will be content. (Mine live in a three-story ferret cage.) Add bedding, a place for the animal to hide and sleep, a food dish, water bottle and some toys. (These can be freebies, such as the leftover core of a paper-towel roll, or small untreated blocks of wood.)

Your rat will happily eat the food manufactured for them, and will love you if you add fruit, nuts, vegetables and other "people food."

The downside of rats? They don't live all that long -- two to three years -- and they're prone to tumors. As with all small pets, cage changes must be frequent, otherwise the smell will become unpleasant, to you and your pets both.

...oodles and oodles of rattie fun

Why a Pet Rat?

Whenever I mention keeping rats as pets I usually get the same reaction: WHY? People see rats as dirty, disease carrying vermin, so why would anyone ever decide to keep one as a pet? While it's true that wild rats are best left alone, those raised as pets can be wonderful companions. Contrary to popular belief, pet rats are generally clean animals. They spend much of their time grooming and as long as their cage is regularly cleaned, you should have no problems with smell. By their nature, rats are friendly, social animals and like nothing better than to play with their humans. They are also extremely intelligent. In my rat keeping career, many of mine learned their own names and came when I called them.

...rats the best pocket pets out there...