Unique Apartment Pets: Rats

Apartment pets ideally won’t take up a lot of space, don’t require a lot of care and are hygienic animals. The pet rat fits this description perfectly.

Choosing a Pet Rat

Pet rats are different from the common pest or sewer rat and are attractive and cleanly. Rats do best in pairs or small groups because of their social nature. You should look for rats with clear eyes, ears and noses (discharge is a sign of illness) and without a limp. Select rats of the same gender; never mix genders or you’ll wind up with a lot more apartment pets than you planned for. Unlike other rodents, male rats do tend to get along, especially if they’ve been raised together since birth. The main differences between the genders is that the males are slightly larger and usually more laidback and the females are smaller and more playful. The females will also go into heat every 4 to 5 days for about a day, during which time they are fidgety and unsettled but still safe to handle.

Your Pet Rats’ Home

Rats need to be kept in cages while unsupervised, although they do require daily exercise outside of their cages for about an hour each day. Select a large, tall wire rat cage with plastic or wooden horizontal bars for climbing and rodent wheels for running. If the wire rat cage you select has wire flooring or platforms, cover them with a plank of wood to avoid foot injury. Line the bottom of the cage with aspen shavings (never use pine or cedar), wood pulp, shredded newspapers or other rodent litter and bedding mixtures. Also include nesting materials-such as shredded paper, tissue, cardboard and paper towel-to keep your rats active. Clean the rat cage thoroughly at least once a week.

Feeding Your Rats

Feeding apartment pets like rats is easy, as they require only a nutritional pellet formulated specifically for rats. Try to look for soy-based pellets as opposed to corn-based. You can supplement your rats’ diet with foods such as small pieces of whole grain bread or rice, fruits and vegetables (except potatoes, raw beans, cabbage and brussels sprouts) and small amounts of yogurt. Avoid feeding your rats junk food.

Nails and Teeth

Rats require nail trimming every month or every other month so that their nails don’t get caught on furniture, toys or their owners. Grab your rats gently with both hands (do not grab them by the tails) and use a nail clipper to trim. Rats’ teeth may also grow too long, causing potential medical problems. Offer your rat wooden blocks to chew on so that the teeth are gradually filed down.

Scent Marking

Be aware that of all apartment pets, rats are the most likely to leave drops of urine around their cage and your apartment. These urine drops are for mating purposes (and you can’t safely spay or neuter a rat) and are generally odorless. However, when your pets are out of their rat cage, you may want to cover furniture or surfaces with a plastic sheet to avoid messes.

Rats make loving apartment pets and companions. Their small size and relatively easy care make them perfect for small apartments.