Rat Housing
The most expensive item you will have to purchase for your rats is their living accomodation. It is neccessary to purchase something large enough for rats to live in comfortably. The NFRS recommends a minimum cage size of 30cm x 60cm x 30cm for a pair of rats. Personally, I would go for something larger than that, particularly height - wise, due to rat's natural desire to climb. When purchasing a cage, always go for the largest you can afford. Remember to look on ebay, or in free-ads papers as well. You may get a bargain.
Choosing a Rat Cage
There are several different types of accomodation available for rats. Each type has it's pros and cons, and it's advocates and critics!! Any type of housing that is to be used for rats needs to allow them to climb, see and hear out, have room to play and chew and space for them to sleep in peace.
Aquariums. Aquariums have traditionally been used to house small animals, including rats but are far less popular these days. The main problem with them is lack of air circulation. This leads to a build up of ammonia fumes which can lead to respiratiry problems as well as just being smelly and not nice! Therefore it will need to be cleaned out more often than a wire cage. A glass aquarium is heavy and awkward to lift which makes cleaning them a struggle. The lack of air circulation can also lead to heat stroke in your rats as they get very warm even in only moderately warm weather. They are also hard to furnish to provide a stimulating environment as there is nothing to hang things off of.
Aquariums are cheap to purchase and may make more suitable accomodation with the addition of a tank topper. This is basically a a wire cage structure that clips to the top of the aquarium, allowing climbing opportunities and slightly better ventilation. Even if you don't add a tank topper you will need a lid for the aquarium as a rat can easily jump several feet. The lid will need to be made of mesh with a wooden or metal frame that fits securely so the rats can't move it.
They can be useful for pregnant and lactating does as there is no chance of the tiny babies falling out and aquariums are totally draught proof, so will keep the young family warm.
Hutches. Some people keep their rats in hutches. These are more practicle if you have a large number of rats and/or keep them in a shed. Hutches provide shelter from draughts and have wire fronts for climbing up. They also have very good access as the whole fronts open up. Hutches will need to be coated with a non-toxic coating that will prevent rat urnine from soaking into the wood and smelling bad. There is a risk of the rats chewing through the wood and possibly escaping.
Wire Cages. The range of wire cages available is vast, ranging from single tier cages suitable for a pait of rats to three level ferret cages that could house 11 or more rats.
Wire cages are most suitable for rats as they offer excellent ventilation, plenty of opportunites to climb around and the wire facilitates the maximum use of space as toys, hammocks and ropes can be hung from the sides and top.
Avoid Hamster cages as these will be too small for rats and also avoid the systems such as Rotastack that are made up of pods and interconnecting tubes. The tubes are too small for an adult rat to fit in and they seem to be very easy for small animals to escape from.
There are many purpose-made rat cages available. The most common are probably the Savic Freddy 2 (and now 3) and the Ferplast Jenny. Both of these are a good size for 4 - 5 rats and come with shelves, ramps and food bowls included. Of these two cages the Freddy wins on both access and the plastic coating on the bars, though it is, unfortunately, slightly smaller than the Jenny. Wire cages without coated bars will go rusty fairly quickly due to being urinated on. Cages that have galvanised, powder coated or plastic coated wire will not have this problem. The problem of rusty bars can be avoided by painting the bars with a child-safe paint such as Japlac or Plastikote. If your rats chew the bars, the paint won't harm them but you will need to re-apply it. Jenny cages are often available cheaply second-hand, so you could easily refurbish one by sanding down the rusted bars and painting them. This will not only save you money but your cage will be original due to the variety of paint colours available.
When purchasing a wire cage it is important to check access and bar spacing. Check the size of the doors and how many of them there are. You should be able to reach all areas of the cage so you can get hold of your rats. Bar spacing is important as rats can squeeze through tiny gaps. For young and small female rats up to approx. 300g you need to keep the bar spacing under half an inch. For large males bar spacing of up to an inch will be ok. If you keep boys and girls remember that if the girls can get to the boy's cage while they are out they will be able to squeeze into a cage as eaily as they can squeeze out of one! It is also worth looking for a cage with a deep base as this will limit the amount of bedding that is thrown out of the cage.
If you are looking for a cage that will hold a large number of rats or wish to provide lots of space for a smaller group consider Chinchilla or Ferret cages. Chinchilla cages are all metal so are especially suitable if you have rats that chew bases. Chinchilla cages will generally have wire mesh floors that will need to be removed as rats can get their feet stuck and injure themselves.
Ferret cages are popular with rat owners looking for a large cage. Marchiorio do a range called the Tommy in two different widths (102cm and 82cm) and either two or three levels (T2 or T3). They come with shelves, food and water containers and two plastic houses. (However, in my opinion, the shelves are really flimsy and difficult to clean and the water bottle leaks!) The thing to watch with ferret cages is the bar spacing. The Tommy range has 3/4 of an inch bar spacing and I have had small girls (up to approx 280g) escape from mine.
Ferplast also manufacture a ferret cage caller the Furet XL which is a large square cage. A Tower version is available which is two of these cages stacked on top of each other. The Furet Tower is popular with people with large numbers as the two levels can be blocked off and used independantly of one another.
Aviaries are also very popular and, in my opinion, make great rat cages. They have narrow bar spacing, slide out trays for cleaning and lots of space for climbing around to keep your rats fit and healthy. The most common types of aviaries used by rat owners seem to be those manufactured by Ferplast. Brio aviaries come in three sizes, the mini (54.5cm W x 43.5cm L x 160cm H), the Medium (64.5cm W x 54.5cm L x 162cm H) and the Maxi (74.5cm W x 54.5cm L x 162cm H), the Mito and Duetto aviaries are both the same size (100cm W x 54.5cm L x 169.5cm H) , but the Duetto comes with dividers so the cage can be split into three, making it ideal for housing three smaller groups.
When using aviaries you have to be aware of the very long drops from top to bottom and shelves and hammocks need to be arranged carefully to avoid your rats falling, with potentially fatal results. You will also need to purchase shelves and all the accessories you need as an aviary only comes with perches! Aviaries are often expensive when compared to ferret or chinchilla cages of a similar size. You also need to ensure the access is good. Ideally you need to be able to reach all corners for ease of cleaning and catching the occupants.
Cavy (Guinea Pig) and Rabbit cages can also be used. However, these are only suitable for large bucks due to the wide bar spacing. They are also generally only one level so make useful 'retirement' homes for old bucks with mobility problems. A variety of sizes are available. Savic make the popular and readily available Nero range that are available in three different widths. Rabbit cages also always have nice big doors.
To work out how many rats a certain cage can hold you can use a cage calculator. There are many available on the internet. I use the fancy-rats cage calculator which uses a guide of 2 cubic feet of space per rat. However, just because a cage calculator says your cage can hold 6 rats doesn't mean you have to fill it up! You will have to take into account the personalities of the individual rats involved. Generally does are happier in larger groups than bucks.
When purchasing a cage for only two or three rats it is worth taking into account that it can be harder to tame skittish rats if they have a large cage - particularly if you have difficulties catching them. In this case, you would be better off starting with a smaller cage then upgrading to something larger once your rats are tame.
DIY cages. If you are handy in the DIY department (or have a partner or parents you can bribe!) you can always make your own cage. Old bookshelves or cupboards are particularly good for this as they already have shelves in for levels. You just need to add a door and you have a cage. You need to work on the same principles when making a cage as when buying one. Ensure it's big enough, allows the rats to see, hear and smell out, has plenty of ventilation and space to put toys, hammocks, beds etc, has easy access and is also easy to clean. If you use wood to make your cage, you will need to coat it as you do hutches to avoid urine soaking in and smelling.
I am unable to personally review all the cages available as potential ratty homes (though I will at some point review those I have), however many rat sites contain reviews. Fancy rats have a cage review page and many of the websites that sell cages have product reviews. Zooplus have reviews on many of the products they sell. Reviews are useful as there is often a limited range of cages available in pet shops and you may have to shop online for a wider choice.
Substrates and Litters
Coming soon!
Bedding
Bedding is the material provided for your rats to make nests to sleep in. Rats like to make nests and provided they are given enough bedding can make mountainous nests! With enough bedding material and an enclosed house a group of rats can keep themselves warm throughout the winter in an unheated shed.
Bedding needs to be soft so it's comfortable for your rats and easily manipulated. There are a number of suitable options
Shredded Paper. Shredded paper is both warm and comfortable for your rats and economical for you. You can shred your unwanted letters and bills or alternatively local schools and offices may be willing to give you sacks of shredded paper. Ensure that all the staples and paper clips are removed though. It has been advised in the past to avoid printed paper, however by law, inks used in printing have to be child safe so are pet safe too. Newspapers are safe but will stain pale coloured rats. It is not recommended to use shredded glossy paper, such as magazines.
Toilet roll and kitchen roll. These make excellent nesting material. It is lovely and soft and also absorbant. It is also fairly cheap to give your rats an economy toilet roll at each clean out. It is extra fun for them to shred their own. Simply give the rats the toilet or kitchen roll and let them make their own bedding.
Hay. Hay is a nice bedding for rats, particularly for those that live outside in sheds. Hay is soft and warm and in my experience, rats like to eat it! When purchasing hay, ensure it is from a reliable source as hay does sometimes harbour mites and get dust extracted hay to avoid making your rats sneeze. Don't use straw as it is too sharp and could cause injury
Commercial Bedding. Commercial bedding available from pet shops is not really required for rats and can work out expensive. The paper wool bedding (chopped up jay cloths, Safe bed etc) is suitable for rats and is nice mixed with shredded paper as it is soft. It makes good nesting material for pregnant and lactating rats. The cotton wool bedding is not suitable for rats as the fibres can wrap around a rat's limbs or neck, cutting off the blood supply or choking it.
Cage Accessories
The list of accessories you could have in your rat cage is very long and can cost as much or as little as you like. Pet shops aren't necessarily a fantastic source of rat toys, though they are getting better, but look out for toys for ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds. With a little imagination you can pick up rat toys in supermarkets, pound shops, charity shops or even hardware shops. Here are a few ideas:
Shelves. Shelves are useful for breaking long falls in a tall cage and putting things such as toys, beds and food bowls on. You can purchase plastic ones. Ferplast's corner shelves that come with the Jenny rat cage fit the majority of cages and are readily available from shops that stock Ferplast items.
Alternatively you could make your own. Shelves can be made from wire, either a fine mesh or narrow bars. If it isn't coated it will need to be painted so it doesn't go rusty. Child-safe paint is perfect for this but will need to re-applied if your rats chew it. Wire shelves are good as the wee drops straight through so you don't have to wipe puddles off of the shelves every day. The most important thing to remember with wire shelves is to keep the gaps between mesh small so your rats can't get their feet stuck.
If you prefer covered shelves they can be made from wire mesh and then covered with materials such as fablon (similar to sticky back plastic) or perspex.
It is important to ensure your shelves are fitted securely and will take your rats' weight. Cable ties or green garden wire are good ways of attaching them to the cage.
Ladders. Ladders are a great way of creating pathways in a cage from level to level or up to a tube or hammock.
The bird section of a pet shop is the best place to look for ladders. Plastic and wooden ones are available and can normally be hooked over the bars or alternatively can be cable-tied on.
Ladders do not have to go up and down. They can be hung horizontally between hammocks to be used as an extra level or a bridge and can have things hung off them for your rats to chew.
Houses. The range of houses available for small animals is phenominal. The rabbit and Guinea Pig section of a pet shop will have plastic houses ranging in size and shape as well as soft sofa type beds, fabric shoes, hooded beds, soft, fluffy igloos and even tents!! You will most likely find the more expensive the house is to purchase, the softer and fluffier it is and therefore will be destroyed the quickest.
Rats will likely chew plastic houses too, though not to destruction. They'll just add an extra door or two. One of the problems that can occur with plastic houses is condensation. A big pile of rats snuggled in a plastic house will cause condensation to form on the roof of the house which will then drip on the occupants and the bedding making it wet. The bedding will need to be changed daily if you find this occuring.
The cheapest option for a rat house is simply a cardboard box. It costs nothing, you are doing your bit for the environment by recycling and your rats will be just as happy. All you need to do is ensure it's big enough and has a small doorway and your rats will have great fun adding extra doors. Then, after a week when it's trashed and smelly you simply bin it and put in a new one.
Another house my rats enjoy is a Hamster ball. I took the door off and hung it up, stuffed it with bedding, and voila, a ratty bed. They are also easy to clean as they come apart.
It is important for rats to have a house to feel secure if they get spooked suddenly and as somewhere warm and cosy to sleep in. Offer a selection, particularly if you have a large group as they won't always want to sleep together. Some people suggest supplying as many beds as you have rats.
Rats, like most animals, feel safer higher up where they have a good vantage point so put houses on all levels of the cage. You may also find a new house is ignored by your rats. This is because they are naturally suspicious. Normally, they will start using something new within a couple of weeks.
Chew Toys. It is every pet shop's favourite sales tactic - a rat's teeth grows throughout it's life so you need to buy something for it to chew on. Actually as long as your rats eat hard food the grinding action of their teeth on the food will them to the correct level. However, that's not to say your rats won't enjoy something to chew on. They do enjoy a good chew and it is good for their teeth, even if it's not essential.
You will be able to purchase wooden blocks and shapes in pet shops, however in my experience, these are largely ignored. By far the most fun seems to be a parrot toy. Parrot toys are large and come in a variety of shapes and sizes and come with clips so can be easily hung off of cage bars. Some are purely wooden blocks dangling off ropes, others have coconut shells hanging off them, then there are others that contain natural fibres that the rats can pull apart and put in their nests.
An alternative to shop bought chews is to provide a tree branch. Ensure it's not from a tree poisonous to rats - fruit trees are fine. A branch can be used as a climbing frame as well as being chewed to pieces. Do not use tree branches from near busy roads or where pesticides have been used on the trees or in the area.
When putting anything wooden in the cage you need to be aware that wood will soak up urine and will then smell. It is very hard to remove the smell.
Tubes. Tubes are a great addition to a rat cage. They can be used to sleep in, connect areas of the cage or simply sit in and watch the world go by. Tubes come in all shapes and sizes and, again, can be purchased, in both plastic and cardboard from a pet shop.
As always, there are home made alternatives. If you need an excuse to eat Pringles, here's one - the tubes make brilliant ratty tubes. Just wipe them out to get rid of the salt and you have a tube. Be aware that some large male rats may be too big for these. Other savoury snacks, such as Mini Cheddars or Twiglets, are also available in tubes that are wider so these can be used for extra chunky boys.
Drainpipe is also fantastic, being virtually indestructible and readily available. It is relatively expensive though, and you will need a way of cutting it into manageable lengths. Drainpipe does have the advantage of coming with a fantastic range of connectors, enabling you to create elaborate tunnel mazeslimited only by your imagination. The levels in my aviary are joined by drainpipe tubes that my rats love to scoot up and down. We have drilled holes in the pipe for the ratties to use as portholes.
A commercial alternative to drainpipe is the Ferretrail system which is available modually and includes tubes, elbows and t-junctions that all fit together. It has the added advantage of being clear so you can watch your rats playing.
The most important thing to consider when adding tubes to a cage is that they are big enough for an adult rat to easily fit through. Anything desgined for hamsters will be too small.
Hammocks. Hammocks seem to be cage essentials amongst pet rat owners and there is nothing cuter than a big pile of rats asleep in a heap in a sagging hammock. Hammocks are generally rectangular or square, with fixings in each corner, that are suspended from the cage bars. They can be as simple as a tea towel folded in half then attached to the cage using paperclips pierced through each corner to fleece lined, made with funky fabrics with eyelets in each corner and hung on the cage with neat chains.
For fantastic, original hammocks with a twist try Fuzzbut Cage Comforts. Savic also make standard hammocks that are widely available in pet shops.
Hammocks can be made from any material, just bear in mind it will probably get chewed. Towels make excellent hammocks and you can also recycle old clothes - cut up shirts and hang the sleeves up or hang up legs cut off of old jeans.
You can go professional and put eyelets in the corners to put your cage clips through or simply stick paper clips straight through the fabric. Paperclips make excellent chains to hang your hammocks up with. You can also use short lengths of chain and carabina style clips or dog lead type clips. Ebay is a great place to get fittings and fixings from.
Hammocks can be hung so they sag or so they are tight. You will find there is rarely only one rat in a hammock at one time so they will naturally sag quite a lot anyway! If you simply use folded tea towels as hammocks (like I do) fold them so the lower half sags slightly lower than the top half so you have a two tier hammock. There is something incredibly cute about a pile of smug, happy rats happily led on top of another pile of happy rats snuggled in the lower tier!
Baskets. I have plastic baskets in my cages that were originally put in empty, then my girls decided to use them as litter trays, so I put litter in and now both boys and girls use them to sleep in.
They are relatively easy to attach to the cage due to handles and holes in the sides. They can be put on shelves or hung from the bars and can be used as another level or route to a shelf or the door. Plastic baskets are available from supermarkets or pound shops and often come in little bundles of three. Baskets made to put clothes pegs in are quite good, though normally have holes in so aren't so good as litter trays!
Wicker baskets are also available, somethimes in interesting shapes but they will absorb urine and be hard to clean so will smell quickly.
Litter Trays. Rats can be taught to use a litter tray though not all will pick it up quickly. If you have open meshed shelves it is useful to put a litter tray beneath the shelves. Litter trays are available from most pet shops in a variety of shapes and sizes. Small animal trays tend to be triangular so they can fit in a corner. You could also use solid bottomed baskets or anything with sides that is easy to attach to the cage and easy to clean. Plastic is the best material to use if you are using something recycled or home-made.
Ropes. Ropes are a great way for rats to get from one part of their cage to another whilst encouraging them to be agile and keep fit. They can be threaded through holes in bases to join levels or just from side to side or top to bottom.
You can purchase rope bridges for small animals that are wide enough in the middle to sit on. My girls in particular love their ropes. You could also plait cheap dog leads together to make a rope bridge and these already have clips attached. Rope can also be purchased from hardware stores.
General rules with ropes are to make sure they're thick enough for your rats to walk on easily and ensure it's not got fibres that could come loose and irritate your rats' nasal passges. Sisal rope should be avoided for this reason. When you put ropes in your cage make sure they are positioned so that if your rats should fall they won't injure themselves.
Wheels. Rats don't generally use a wheel with the same enthusiasm as a hamster does, however babies or active does may make good use of one.
If you do decide to purchase a wheel ensure it is suitable for rats. A Hamster wheel is too small and some that are marketed as suitable for rats aren't. You will need a wheel at least 12" in diameter, possibly larger to accomodate adult bucks. Don't use a wheel that is made of meash or rungs as these could trap your rat's feet or tail causing injury.
A solid plastic wheel is best. Wodent Wheels and Silent Spinners are recommende for rats. Wodent wheels are enclosed with little holes for the rats to peer out of so these are great for rats that feel safer in an enclosed area. Silent Spinners are, as you might expect, designed to be quieter than normal wheels (though I wouldn't guarantee them silent!) so are best if your rats are housed in a bedroom. Silent Spinners also come with a stand so can be used free standing or attached to the cage.
As you can see all you need is a little imagination to create an interesting environment for your rats to live in.
Your rats will enjoy you changing the layout of their home from time to time and adding new toys. If you have nervous rats leave a couple of familiar hidey holes so they don't get too worried by anything unfamiliar. There are no hard and fast rules about how full your rats' cage should be. Just remember they do need to play and run around so leave them a bit of floor space. When laying out your cage make sure you create access to sleeping areas, food and water and different levels. If you have young agile rats you can make it a bit more difficult and do away with ramps so they have to climb around. This will help keep them fit. If you have elderly rats or rats with reduced mobility you will have to provide ramps and ladders to help them move around and make sure that food and water are in easy reach of their favourite sleeping area. If you have a tall cage use hammocks and shelves to break up the height to avoid long falls. Large bucks in particular can be seriously injured falling.
When attaching accessories to cages cable ties, green garden wire and paper clips are all very useful as well as being cheap and easy to get hold of.