Care Guide

Rats are NEVER fully potty trained, especially boys! The most you can be successful with is having them poop in one place. But rats leave little drops of pee on things. Get a litterbox and fill it with different bedding, then put a few flat rocks in it to encourage them to do their business

Wash your rat's hammocks/fleece! This keeps the smell out, and it prevents respiratory issues

If you are sensitive to smells, get an air purifier and put it by your rat's cage, this also helps with preventing URIs (upper respiratory infections) 

Your rat's nails will get sharp, and the best way to clip their nails is with human nail clippers, you can buy lava ledges and it will sort of wear the nails down, but not much. If you noticed cuts on your rats, it could be because their nails are too long, and they accidentally cut themselves while grooming

Rats get ZOOMIES, they also play fight, which sometimes you might think they’re actually fighting, if no blood is drawn, they are okay, if seriously concerned with a behavior a loud clap or yell will distract the rat altercation

Rats do this really WEIRD thing we call “boggling” They do it when they are very happy, their eyes pop in and out, weird, but totally normal

Your baby rats will be energetic, they are little babies. They will become calmer once they get older. But they shouldn’t be so crazy that you can’t handle them, and if that is the case, contact me

Rats do shed, not much but you’ll see hairs, it is completely normal

Rats love to “fish for peas”. This involves filling up a dish with lukewarm water and putting peas in it, it’s very fun to watch!

A red crust (porphyrin) is normal, in small amounts. It is NOT blood, it is like how we have eye crust, rats do too. It usually comes off when they groom themselves. An excessive amount, followed by sneezing, wheezing are symptoms of a URI, which can be treated holistically or by a vet with antibiotics, I am very well versed in dosing and giving antibiotics so I can help with treating the rats as well

Rats DO have a smell, while it's minimal, it's there. I think it smells kind of sweet-but I really only smell the bedding

While I am here to advise and support you, please reach out to a qualified vet in case of an emergency. 

Bucks have yellower skin, this is called "buck grease" and is completely normal

Please use caution when letting your rats outside on the ground, doing this can increase the risk of disease, and ectoparasites like fleas and mites, I personally do not let my rats run around outside on the ground

Free roaming is not something that NEEDS to be done in order for your rats to be happy, free roaming should be evaluated with the individual rat, some are more confident than others and enjoy it. But please know, if you cannot create a safe space for them to free roam, do not let them. Rats can easily get lost or hurt

Do not feed your rats through the bars of the cage, this will teach them that anything that comes through the bar of the cage is food-which means your fingers can be bitten!