Rats are smart, fun little pets that need lots of time with their owner and with others of their own kind. I always recomend housing same sex pairs and I don't sell babies to people who don't have time for them. Your pet should have 'out time' for atleast one hour a day and needs to be supervised at all times. Anywhere you intend to let your new baby free needs to be 'rodent proofed'. Make sure there's nothing harmful around like chocolate, recliner chairs, plastic bags, etc. For rats a large area like your den is a nice play area. If you don't have a whole room to devote to out time, give them a bed and a desk connected by a two by four. A large bathroom can  be an easy to clean rat area,  but make sure the cabinets are rat proofed! Your pet is smart enough to open them. If none of these ideas are options for you than you can order a small pet play pen from your local pet store.

   A full grown rat will also need a multi-level cage (not a tank) with plenty of space and lots to do. Remember how much time they spend there! Give them some rope or wooden bird toys (with no plastic), a solid wheel ( 12" minimum), a basket or shoe box to shred and to sleep in and, most importantly, shelves, ladders and perches to climb on... contrary to popular belief, rats and mice are climbers more than tunnelers. Just watch how your new critter dangles from the top of his cage! Rats and mice also enjoy rolling and 'fetching' tennis balls and marbles, playing in boxes full of shredded paper, and playing with cat toys, stuffed animals, small animal chew sticks, and anything that makes noise - like bell balls or rattles.  Make sure they have plenty of places to hide and keep warmer or cooler depending on the weather. Hairless and tailess rats overheat even easier than normal rats, and, of course, they get cold easier too. Make sure your hairless rat has a nice warm hammock or 'blanket' to curl up in on one shelf and a peice of tile to lay on somewhere else in the cage. Either place the tile on the bottom of the cage or secure it to keep it from falling and injuring someone! The bottom of the cage should be lined with Carefresh or Yesterdays News, recycled paper products. Never use wood shavings or newspaper for your rat - they could make your baby very sick!

   Most fancy rodent breeders suggest feeding only rat pellets for health, but I always like to give them more variety. Pick a good quality rat and mouse food ( I recommend Hutch Club ) and mix it 50/50 with a high quality pellet food. A good thing to remember when choosing a quality food for almost any pet is 'the less corn, the better'. Make sure you give fresh fruits and veggies several times a week and occasional treats of noodles, rice, dog biscuits, cooked egg, beef bones, or cheese. Remember to give fresh broccoli and red grapes every week to help prevent cancer! Hairless animals need more protein in their diets to produce more body heat.   I would suggest adding a little dog food to their bowl each time you refill it. Hairless pets also need more water for some reason. Provide water in a small animal bottle to avoid evaporation and contamination. Make sure to wash it thoroughly with hot water before every refill... this prevents harmful algeas and bacteria from growing on it. I also recommend adding a half dropper of  liquid echinacea to the water. It's another helpful aid in preventing illness.

   Your new pet is SMART. If you take the time to teach it, your new rat or mouse can learn to: come when it's name is called, play fetch, walk a tight rope, do tricks, wrestle with your hand, chase your feet, and may even learn the word 'no' . Spend lots of time training it with raisins or cat treats for rewards and a sharp clap of the hands or "Psst!" to tell them no. I've heard of people flicking their little pets noses when they nibble too hard or chew on things they shouldn't... NEVER USE PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT ON A  RAT - NO MATTER HOW GENTLE YOU THINK YOU ARE BEING, YOU ARE 50 TIMES THEIR SIZE AND CAN DO SERIOUS DAMAGE !!! Besides that you may make your new pet feel you are his enemy and that just leads to biting every time you try to get near the animal.

Have fun and enjoy learning how to play with your new pet. I hope it will lead you to understand and love little creatures as much as I do!

 *some unstanderdized rat types*

A picture of a satin rat in black self. Satin rats have longer, thinner coats than standard rats and constantly look wet 

And a himilayan harley rat. Harleys also have longer coats but are renowned for their soft texture and curliness!