Annie's Rodents
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| Radical Rats |
Home Sweet Home!
You've found your perfect rattie match and have brought him home. But now what?
Where are you going to keep your new little pet?
There are several environments you can keep your rat in.
Wire cages -- Cages can be one of the best choices to keep rats in. It offers the
best ventilation and fairly easy cleaning. When choosing a wire cage for your pet,
make sure there is minimal space between the bars. Do NOT use a cage
designed for rabbits, ferrets, or guinea pigs! The space between the bars is far
too wide and you will soon find yourself playing hide and seek with your rat friends!
Do not use a wire bottom cage as it can cause your rats to develop bumble foot.
Aquariums -- These are very easy to clean with either a small dust pan and broom
or a shop vac. Aquariums don't offer the best ventilation, so placing a small fan on
the top of the tank during the summer will help move the air better and also help
keep your rats cool. Rats are excellent jumpers, so a good fitting lid will be
necessary.
Home-Made Cages -- Some people like to build their own cages. These can be
cheaper than the store bought cages and are usually fun to design and build.
Some people use an old kiddie wading pool as the bottom and go from there.
Whatever you decide to use, make sure you keep in mind that rats love to chew, so
try to keep away from wood, unless you plan to cover it with wire or some other
non-chewable material.
How much space? -- When it comes to room, bigger is definitely better! A
minimum cage for two rats is 24" x 24" and at least 12" high. For aquariums, the
smallest would be a 20 gallon. Many people live in apartments and don't have a
lot of floor space, but remember, you can always go up. Rats love to climb and
even young rats aren't afraid to climb up as high as they can. If you have an
aquarium, you can put a cage over the top to give them some climbing room.
You've got your rats settled in their new home, but now they are peeking out at you
and wondering what's on the menu.
You've found your perfect rattie match and have brought him home. But now what?
Where are you going to keep your new little pet?
There are several environments you can keep your rat in.
Wire cages -- Cages can be one of the best choices to keep rats in. It offers the
best ventilation and fairly easy cleaning. When choosing a wire cage for your pet,
make sure there is minimal space between the bars. Do NOT use a cage
designed for rabbits, ferrets, or guinea pigs! The space between the bars is far
too wide and you will soon find yourself playing hide and seek with your rat friends!
Do not use a wire bottom cage as it can cause your rats to develop bumble foot.
Aquariums -- These are very easy to clean with either a small dust pan and broom
or a shop vac. Aquariums don't offer the best ventilation, so placing a small fan on
the top of the tank during the summer will help move the air better and also help
keep your rats cool. Rats are excellent jumpers, so a good fitting lid will be
necessary.
Home-Made Cages -- Some people like to build their own cages. These can be
cheaper than the store bought cages and are usually fun to design and build.
Some people use an old kiddie wading pool as the bottom and go from there.
Whatever you decide to use, make sure you keep in mind that rats love to chew, so
try to keep away from wood, unless you plan to cover it with wire or some other
non-chewable material.
How much space? -- When it comes to room, bigger is definitely better! A
minimum cage for two rats is 24" x 24" and at least 12" high. For aquariums, the
smallest would be a 20 gallon. Many people live in apartments and don't have a
lot of floor space, but remember, you can always go up. Rats love to climb and
even young rats aren't afraid to climb up as high as they can. If you have an
aquarium, you can put a cage over the top to give them some climbing room.
You've got your rats settled in their new home, but now they are peeking out at you
and wondering what's on the menu.