The General Care of Pet Rats and Mice

As urban sprawl continues to limit the necessary space needed to keep dogs and cats, rats and mice as pets are gradually emerging as an ideal substitute. Easy to keep, with minimal space and care requirements, they provide all the pleasure and satisfaction of a warm, cuddly, intelligent, and friendly pet companion. They are also very inexpensive to obtain along with the required accessories needed to make them happy.

Domesticated rats make excellent pets for children and adults alike. They are highly intelligent (being the most used in studies for intelligence and psychology research), clean, and very sociable. They interact with their owners the same as dogs and cats do and may be easily trained. Although rodents are nocturnal (sleeping during the day and active at night), rats will quickly learn to adjust their schedule and be ready to come out and play when you get home from school or work. Pet rats and mice require no vaccinations and carry no diseases. The Plague of the twelfth century Europe was caused by the flea carried by the rat and other species of animals including man. Because of the rats close proximity to man throughout history, they have been unfairly blamed for this catastrophe. They also do not make any noise nor need to be walked every day (although they love to go out with you when you visit friends!). Watching mice play can be a lot of fun. They are great stress reducers and are equivalent to having a tank of fish.

Once a person understands that rats and mice bite rarely and then out of fear and not anger, and learns how easy it is to handle and care for them, master and pet are about to begin a most delightful relationship. Occasionally a mother protecting her babies, fingers poked in through the wire, or fingers that smell like food are about the only instances when a rat may bite. Remembering these things and taking precautions such as washing your hands before reaching in for your pet and being careful around a mother rat will ensure a safe experience.

Rats and mice are rodents belonging to the gnawing family. Their teeth grow continuously throughout their life and, therefore, the animal must constantly keep them worn down by chewing on things. Because of this, rats should not be left to run loose in the house as they can chew on things such as electrical cords, furniture, bedding, etc.

When choosing your pet, the most important things to look for are health and personality. Some signs that indicate ill health are sneezing, wheezing, rattling, thin condition, ruffled stand-up coat, hunched posture, listlessness, discharge from the eyes or nose, diarrhea, bloated belly (not from being pregnant), and cuts or open wounds. A healthy rat or mouse will be curious, active, have a sleek, glossy coat, and be in good body weight. Pick out an animal that is curious and inquisitive when you put your hand in the cage and seems friendly towards you. They should be calm and friendly when you pick them up. Any prospective pet should never bite. Baby rats will nibble on your fingers and this should not be confused with biting. If you find a rat that “kisses” (licks), you have found yourself a very special friend. Try to buy from a reputable pet shop or breeder that knows their animals, has healthy stock, and plays with the youngsters from birth to socialize them to people. The best age to obtain your future pet is at the age of 4–6 weeks (females older then 6 weeks may be pregnant if housed in community cages) so they grow up with you.

The average life span of rats is 2–3 years; mice 1–2 years. The average body length of adult rats is 9–11 inches; mice 3–4 inches; with an average tail length of 7–9 inches in rats and 3–4 inches in mice. The average body weight for rats is 350–450 grams for a female, 450–650 grams for a male; mice 30 grams each sex. There have been a few adult male rats that weighed 2 pounds!

Meeting the basic needs of a pet rat or mouse is neither complicated, time consuming nor expensive.

Rats and mice, although looking very similar except for size, cannot be housed with each other or other species of rodents. Rats can learn to get along with other family pets such as dogs and cats, but care should be given when introducing them. Don’t stress your pets by trying to get them to get along if they are clearly frightened. Any time spent together should always be supervised. There are many instances where a rat and a dog or cat are the best of friends. Mice on the other hand are too easy for most cats to grab for a snack and, therefore, should not be put together.

Allow your new pet about one week to become adjusted to his new home and family members. Hand feed your new pet as much as possible for the first few days. This means that every time you handle or approach your pet, it will have a positive reward waiting from you. Start with placing your hand inside the cage and letting your pet approach on its own, smelling and walking around. Be gentle and talk softly to it. Don’t be surprised if it doesn’t take the food right away. Sometimes you may have to leave your hand in the cage for several minutes, but eventually your pet will come to you. The next step is holding your treat just outside the cage so that your pet must reach out and get it.

To teach your rat his name, call him by name whenever you take him out to play and give a treat such as a Cheerio. Rats also respond to a razberry/kissy/tsk sound, and you may do this each time you call your pet. Hand him the Cheerio the first couple of times and after that say, “Timmy, come,” and hold the Cheerio a little bit away, increasing the distance each time and your rat will not only learn his name, but also “Come”! Remember to give a treat when he comes to you! Each time you end a training session, your rat should have gone a little farther than before. Eventually when you make your noise or call his name, your rat will try to go to you wherever you are. At this point, it is best not to reward with food every time, but trade off with lots of hugs and kisses.

Rats will soon learn to shoulder sit and make that their second home when out with you. This is useful if you plan to take your rat with you to different places. Some people also use a hip-pack to put their rat in when visiting friends. Place your rat on your shoulder for short amounts of time at first; you can try giving small treats while he is there. Sit quietly by his cage in the beginning and gradually increase the time he spends on your shoulder. After a few days you can start walking around a little with him. When he is comfortable, then you can start taking him places with you!

You can also do something like this with your pet mouse, but instead of your shoulder, use a pocket!

Your rat will also housebreak himself if you don’t keep him out too long at a time. If he starts to fidget and get nervous, it’s a good indication he needs to potty. Place him back in his cage; after he relieves himself give him a treat. Many rats have been known to housebreak themselves without any training.

Some rats will not eat a treat while out with you, preferring instead to eat in their cage. Don’t be offended if your rat is this way. When they feel completely safe and secure, then they will eat while out of their cage. Others will take their treat and run to their cage, drop it, and come back for more! Some are natural pack rats and will try to steal just about anything and hoard in their nest. Some people have found many unusual items stashed in their rat’s cage, or hiding place because they were allowed to run loose in the house. Remember, they should always be supervised when let out to run in the house. Not only will they find things to chew on they should not, they could get stepped on by an unsuspecting person.

They should be thoroughly socialized and trained so they won’t become frightened when let out on the floor for the first time. Sit on the floor with the rat in your lap and he will naturally want to explore the surrounding area. As he gets braver he will wander farther from you, but if something startles him, he will come running back to the safety of your lap! It is a good idea to just confine their play area to a bed, couch or chair. Mice should not be allowed on the floor as they become too easily frightened and will try to run to a safe hiding place.

Some of the more exotic colors and markings in Rats are Siamese, Blue, Silver Black, Silver Fawn, Lilac, Cinnamon, Black-eyed White, Cinnamon Pearl, Lynx, Silver Agouti, Silver Lilac, Blue Point Siamese, Capped, Variegated, and Blaze. Rex rats have a curly coat, Tailless are born with no tails, and Hairless have no fur! Most rats that you find in the pet shops are Hooded, Self (all one solid color), and Irish/Berkshire (solid color top with white on the belly) in Agouti (brown, the color most often seen in the wild rats and mice), Fawn (looks orange with dark eyes), Beige (tan with dark eyes), Black, and Pink-eyed White (albino).

Some of the fancier colors, markings, and coat types in Mice are Fawn/Orange, Beige, Coffee (a darker version of Beige), Cream, Silver, Siamese/Himalayan, Silver Black/Silver Grey, Dutch (marked like a Dutch rabbit), Variegated (small splashes over the entire body), and Spotted Tan (sometimes confused as being Tri-color) in Satin (very shiny), Long Haired, Frizzie (curly coat), Hairless, or a combination of the above.

AFRMA
Home Page