Well, there are many different ways of housing one's rats. When I decided I was going to finally get my first rat, I concluded I would house him in an old 10 gallon tank, that had previously been home to a very tiny dwarf hamster by the name of Lance. I wasn't planning on it being his permanent home, but it would do until I built him a truly classy abode. A local pet store a couple blocks down from where I worked had just had a litter born with several wee male blue rats. So, when they were old enough, I brought Justin (who I had already picked out and frequently visited during lunch breaks) home with me. The little tank was perfect for a little rat. He was out whenever I was home, and when he was in his tank, he mainly slept, all tuckered out from hours of play time with mom. As would be expected, as he got older, and bigger, the tank grew smaller, and I started drawing up plans for a rat palace worthy of Justin, who had grown into a very handsome young boy. I also concluded it was time for Justin to get a brother...someone to keep him company during the lonely hours when I was at work. So, Templeton joined the family. Even more reason to build a permanent home.
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Three stories tall, I did what I could to create a home that would be moderately compact, but be a comfortable, and seriously fun pad for two rambunctous young rats. The bottom floor is fairly dark, the place for mounds of bedding and papertowels (one of Justin's favorite activities is hording it away, shredding, and fluffing it), and various boxes for curling up and sleeping. Also downstairs is the place where Blake, my "special friend" who quickly won the heart not just of me, but the boys, places his terribly fun and exciting box and tube creations. The rats do love running through and hiding in these play-structures...and they never know just when there could be little treats hiding inside.
The second floor is accessed through a rat sized hole in the floor, strung through with a heavy blue rope which runs from tip-top ceiling to basement. The second floor is the open play space. Floored in green marbled linoleum (it's done very nicely in protecting against various forms of liquid), with a nice big window for ventilation and begging, it's the place to get treats, play with their oh-so-fun various cat toys, and the location of the water bottle.
The final floor is only a half floor, a bit like a loft, with a nice big window for ventilation and a nice view. It's accessed by the rope, and a ladder from the second floor. This is where they like to go when they're just in the mood to "hang" and take naps.
The solid mesh front door is hinged and has two locks....very necessary when Justin decides he wants to open the door and climb up onto the roof to explore.
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I do know one thing...there are loads of ways you can house a rat. In building a home for my boys, I kept several main concerns in mind. I wanted them to have plenty of space, and different areas for different activities, such as playing, eating, and sleeping. I wanted good ventilation, without them getting too many drafts....thus the open front, and two windows. I also wanted something that would stand up to an average level of rat abuse...which this so far has done pretty well at. Finally, I wanted it to be an environment that would be able to keep them entertained and happily using those rat brains of theirs' while I was away.
Overall, I think I accomplished my goal, which was to build a home for my boys that would be good and safe, and be a stimulating environment for them to live in while mom is busy doing "people" things.
*The above house was my first attempt at building for rats...up next is the big project of building a huge house for the young rats, Edgar and Huxley. This house will be much bigger, and a cage instead of a wooden structure, and as soon as it is completed I'll be sure to add pictures, and perhaps even a how-to page.*
Of course they do still always beg for attention mercilessly no matter how fun their house is...because they know they'll get it :)
Now, I realize not everyone has the time, nor the inclination to build a huge house for their rats by hand. This is in no way bad, as there are very easy ways of getting housing appropriate for rats. If you wish to keep your rats in a glass tank, the absolute smallest it should be is 20 gallons. If possible, I would advise against tanks, they don't have the space and vetilation a cage does.
So, let's talk about cages! Cages are an excellent home for rats, but we're not talking about those little tiny hamster cages. We're talking about a cage that will offer your ratties the space they need. It is very possible to obtain for a decent cost (this may take some looking but is well worth it) a cage that has at least two levels, and has the dimensions of around 18"x18"x30" for starters. The bigger the better, but there are things to watch out for.
Most all cages come with your standard wire mesh ramps and flooring, and this will be harmful to your rat. They get a condition called Bumblefoot from constantly walking on such surfaces, and the result is permanently very painful feet on your little friend, which naturally should be avoided at all costs. Especially since avoiding this problem is so easy to do. If your cage has wire flooring and ramps, you'll just have to cover them with something else. Sheets of plastic cut to fit, pieces of linoleum work very well, and even cardboard will prevent bumblefoot, but because of their marking and going to the bathroom you'll have to replace it frequently.
Once you've gotten your cage, it's time to outfit it for rats! Once your floor coverings are in place, and you've placed their heavy food dish and water bottle, you can hang ropes and toys all over. Another thing to keep in mind is that rats love to snuggle and have cozy dark places to hide. Provide boxes, milk jugs and things of that nature for them to cuddle up in. Another thing they seem to really like are those hammocks made for ferrets, and you may want to pick one of those up.
Click here to see pictures of the little boys' old and new digs.Here are links to a couple sites which manufacture quality cages for all sorts of critters, and have many cages suitable for rats:
Go back to their mainpage or take a look at their unbearably adorable picture page.
You could also check out my home page and meet Blake, or my other pets.