Food and Water

The rat should be fed a basic rat mix each evening as it wakes and can also be fed additional supplements. If your rat wakes very late it can be encouraged to wake earlier by feeding earlier in the evening and tapping on the side of the cage to wake the rat. After a few days the rat will learn when it is feeding time.

Fresh water should always be available from a position your rat can reach comfortably. Pet Shops also sell vitamin drops which can be added to water and are beneficial to the rat. The rat should never be without access to water.

Grooming

Rats do not generally need grooming or bathing as they clean themselves.

Cage Cleaning

The cage should be cleaned weekly by removing the rat from the cage and throwing away all old woodshavings and food. Any fresh food that may not be eaten by the rat should be removed after a couple of days to avoid it rotting. The rat will appreciate it if some of its old bedding is placed in the clean cage along with some fresh bedding.

Health Checks

When you clean the cage you should check the rat over for any signs of illness. This is an ideal time to check that the droppings in the cage look normal: soft droppings could indicate diarrhoea, lack of droppings could indicate constipation.