The Rat Lady's Rescue Rats

#1 2 Rats Are Better Than 1, But At Least 3 Is Best

Rats are sociable and become depressed when alone. Except for very rare circumstances, rats need the company of other rats regardless of how much you spend time with them. They bond with their owners, but people can’t “speak rat”. A same-sex pair is ideal, but if you can manage 3-4 (or more if you have a big cage) that’s even better due to varying personalities and energy levels.

#2 Rats Can Breed As Young As 5 Months Old

No matter how tiny a rat may seem, they can mate as early as 5 months old. It’s best to separate males and females once they reach 5 months (If you have a litter or adopt baby rats). Do not house males and females together unless they are all fixed. Make sure that males and females have separate free roam times as well – rats are escape artists and smart opportunists. If they want to mate and there’s a rat of the opposite sex around, they will explore all possibilties!

#3 Rats Don’t See That Well

Albino rats are almost blind due to lack of pigment in their eyes, but even rats with black eyes don’t have very good eyesight. Rats rely on their whiskers and sense of smell to get around. Be careful to approach slowly and talk softly to them when handling or giving treats.

#4 Most Rats Need Free Roaming

With a few exceptions where rats prefer not to leave their cage, most rats want to explore outside of their cage. Even if they find a place to snooze for an hour, it’s still nice for them to have a choice of where they can go outside of their cage for a while.

#5 Rats Are Prone To Respiratory Infections

Sadly, rats have very sensitive respiratory systems. It is very important to select a low-dust substrate like aspen shavings or fleece so that they don’t have breathing issues. Stress can aggravate polyphorin that’s naturally in their body and can lead to infections and eventually pnemonia. Not all respiratory irritation is bacterial, but it’s important to seek a vet’s advice for the best round of treatment.

Antibiotic treatment tends be for 2-4 weeks and you can easily mix the dosage in some tasty food (a small amount) to make sure the rat gets their treatment.

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