My adult rats (both bucks and does) are housed in Savic Royal Suite 95's. I like things to co-ordinate and I really love the cage as it's a great size and the double doors make it easy for cleaning. I have taken the middle shelf out so that I can put in more ropes and toys as the rats love to run, climb, jump and play. Sadly these aren't available to buy now but there's lots of similar ones out there. As you can see in the photos below, the cages are filled with various items to make it as enriching as possible for them. I also use 16 inch Tic Tac Wheels which most of my rats use regularly and really enjoy. Mum's give birth in hamster/Alaska cages and once the kittens are around 3-4 weeks old they move into half a Little Zoo Venturer. If you want any ideas for cage layouts I have an album on my Facebook page or a story highlight on Instagram.
For substrate, I generally use wood shavings (dust extracted and kiln dried)and have chosen to go semi-bioactive for a couple of cages so they have coco soil. I've used soil as a substrate for several years now and I absolutely love it as it's less cleaning out for me to do! I try to make the substrate as deep as possible so the rats can have great fun foraging for their food and digging around. For the litter tray I use Back-2-Nature/Breeder Celect which is a paper-based cat litter.
Food
I make my own food mix based on the Shunamite Diet using the guide here from Jemma at Isamu Rats. I really enjoy creating my own mix as I love choosing all the ingredients and putting them together. It's also nice to know exactly what is in my rats food. It is supposedly more cost-effective to make your own mix but I'd be lying if I said I'd sat down and worked out all the numbers. If you don't want to make your own then I'd highly recommend buying pre-made mixes from Rat Rations. I scatter feed around the cage to encourage natural foraging behaviour and ensure that there isn't one greedy rat hogging it all! I also weigh out the amount I feed so that I know they're not getting too much or too little. A good guide is to start with 15g per rat a day and see how they look/feel. If they start looking a little overweight, reduce the amount of food. If they seem underweight, then increase it.
As well as their regular dry mix, my rats get fruit and vegetables a couple of times a week. This may be veg I've specifically bought for them (e.g. kale - wouldn't find me eating that!) or veg leftover from our own dinner. Again, I regularly use the Isamu website to check which veg etc. is suitable for them - see here.
I make my own food mix based on the Shunamite Diet using the guide here from Jemma at Isamu Rats. I really enjoy creating my own mix as I love choosing all the ingredients and putting them together. It's also nice to know exactly what is in my rats food. It is supposedly more cost-effective to make your own mix but I'd be lying if I said I'd sat down and worked out all the numbers. If you don't want to make your own then I'd highly recommend buying pre-made mixes from Rat Rations. I scatter feed around the cage to encourage natural foraging behaviour and ensure that there isn't one greedy rat hogging it all! I also weigh out the amount I feed so that I know they're not getting too much or too little. A good guide is to start with 15g per rat a day and see how they look/feel. If they start looking a little overweight, reduce the amount of food. If they seem underweight, then increase it.
Exercise & Handling
I'm fortunate to have a separate rat room so I'm able to let them run around freely on a regular basis. Although they usually spend most of the time exploring the room (and climbing shelves they shouldn't), I often set up activities for them like climbing frames, peafishing and foraging toys.
My rats are first and foremost my pets so they are all handled daily, be it in the cage or out of it. I regularly check for any signs of illness or injuries and ensure they are all still in good condition. As well as monitoring their health, regular handling and attention also allows me to monitor temperament which is just as important. Kittens will be handled from birth if the doe is happy with that and they will then be handled daily until they go to their new homes.
I'm fortunate to have a separate rat room so I'm able to let them run around freely on a regular basis. Although they usually spend most of the time exploring the room (and climbing shelves they shouldn't), I often set up activities for them like climbing frames, peafishing and foraging toys.
My rats are first and foremost my pets so they are all handled daily, be it in the cage or out of it. I regularly check for any signs of illness or injuries and ensure they are all still in good condition. As well as monitoring their health, regular handling and attention also allows me to monitor temperament which is just as important. Kittens will be handled from birth if the doe is happy with that and they will then be handled daily until they go to their new homes.
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