Pet rat facts: the questions owners ask most, answered

The headlines

Five things every rat owner needs to know, with the short answer to each.

1. Food: rat nuggets as the base, a little fresh veg every day, and a short list of foods to avoid.
2. Check the cupboard before you share: the RSPCA says to avoid raisins, and guinea pig food and hamster food are not made for rats.
3. Eyesight: rats see poorly, in the dark or under red light, and lean on their whiskers.
4. Cage set-up: at least 80 x 50 x 80 cm (31.5 x 19.7 x 31.5 in) for up to four rats, with solid floors and one more hide than you have rats.
5. Inside the cage: hammocks, ropes, ladders and shelves for climbing, plus toys to chew and shred.

What owners ask about

Questions fall into seven groups. Each has a short answer and a guide that goes further:

"Can rats eat...?" Ten quick answers

Ten foods owners often check, in A to Z order. Short answers follow the RSPCA, Woodgreen and RSPCA Australia.

For anything not on the list, try the rat food checker or our full list of what rats can eat.

Can rats eat iceberg lettuce?

Yes, a small piece of iceberg lettuce is safe, but it is the weakest choice of salad for a rat. None of the welfare guides we checked names iceberg directly, so this answer comes from what they say about a rat's diet. Iceberg is mostly water and carries little goodness, so it fills a small stomach without adding much. The AFRMA recommends salad greens and calls kale a favourite, and RSPCA Australia names pak choi (bok choy), kale, parsley, beet greens and broccoli as good fresh foods.

• Wash it well and shake it dry.
• Offer a piece about the size of your rat's ear, Woodgreen's guide for fresh food portions.
• Mix it with darker leaves such as romaine, kale or pak choi rather than serving it alone.
• Take out anything uneaten the same day; PetMD says within 10 hours.
• Count it as part of the day's food, not on top of it, as the RSPCA advises.

If your rat gets loose droppings after a lot of watery salad, cut back and reintroduce slowly. Our guide to rats and lettuce compares every type.

Can rats eat Weetabix?

Yes, a small piece of plain, original Weetabix is fine as an occasional treat. It is a wholegrain wheat cereal, and Woodgreen says any cereal you give rats should be under 5% sugar, so check the label on the box you have. The AFRMA lists dry, low-sugar cereals such as shredded wheat and puffed wheat as suitable rat treats.

• Give it dry, not soaked in milk: the RSPCA says to keep dairy to the odd treat.
• A piece about the size of your thumbnail per rat is plenty.
• A few times a week at most, inside the day's food allowance.
• Skip chocolate, honey, banana or other flavoured versions. Chocolate is on the RSPCA's do-not-feed list.
• Crumble it into bedding or a cardboard tube so they forage for it.

Our page on rats and Weetabix covers other breakfast cereals too.

Twenty quick answers

Twenty common questions on food, the cage and the senses, with the answer to each.

What do pet rats eat?

Pet rats eat a complete rat food, either nuggets or pellets made for rats, plus a little fresh food every day. The RSPCA says pellets for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters or other plant-eaters do not give rats what they need. Rats are omnivores, so small amounts of fruit, veg, cooked egg, grains and seeds round the diet out.

The RSPCA says to feed twice a day, morning and evening, because rats eat mainly at dawn and dusk, and to adjust amounts so they finish their food and stay a healthy weight. PetMD and RSPCA Australia both keep treats and extras to no more than 10% of the daily diet. Our rat food chart has the full detail.

Sources disagree on a few foods. Woodgreen lists grapes as an occasional treat while the RSPCA says to avoid them, and the AFRMA allows small amounts of avocado while RSPCA Australia says no. We follow the more careful advice in both cases.

Can rats see in the dark?

Rats are most active at night, dawn and dusk, but they are not seeing their way around: the RSPCA says rats have poor vision and rely on their whiskers to map their surroundings and keep their balance. Smell and hearing do much of the rest. This has real effects on how you keep them:

• Never trim whiskers. The RSPCA is clear on this.
• Keep the cage layout the same and move it only when you have to, so rats can learn their routes.
• Put ledges and shelves within an easy step of each other, especially for older rats.
• Talk to your rats as you approach so you do not startle them.
• Keep the room fairly dim by day and dark at night, as the RSPCA advises.

Our guide to what rats can see covers colour, red light and pink-eyed rats.

How big should a rat cage be, and what goes in it?

For up to four rats, Woodgreen's minimum is 80 cm wide, 50 cm deep and 80 cm high (31.5 x 19.7 x 31.5 in), and for up to ten it is 93 x 63 x 123 cm (36.6 x 24.8 x 48.4 in), both with bars 1 cm (about 1/2 in) apart. The RSPCA asks for a solid floor, not wire mesh, and for the number of shelters to be one more than the number of rats. Keep the cage at 19 to 23°C (66 to 73°F), out of direct sun and draughts.

• A thick layer of dust-free bedding (substrate), with no sawdust, pine or cedar.
• One more hide than you have rats, at different heights.
• Hammocks, ropes, ladders and shelves for climbing.
• Nesting material: plain tissue, shredded paper, dust-extracted hay.
• Heavy ceramic food bowls and two water bottles.
• A dig box and toys to chew and shred, rotated often.

Our guides to the best rat cages and setting up a rat cage go step by step.

Feelings, behaviour and handling

Rats are social, clever and playful. The RSPCA says they need the company of other rats, and Woodgreen recommends a group of at least three of the same sex so no one is left alone if one dies. They can be trained with small rewards to come to their name, fetch and weave through objects. Woodgreen advises letting new rats settle for a day or two before regular handling, and finds females tend to be more active and males more cuddly. To read what each squeak, tooth grind and posture means, see our guide to rat sounds and signals.

Health and lifespan

Pet rats usually live 2 to 3 years. Rats hide pain, so the RSPCA recommends watching them every morning and evening and feeling each rat over for lumps. Woodgreen notes that lumps are very common, especially in females, from about one year old, and that breathing infections are common and made worse by dusty bedding, poor airflow and stress. Ring your vet if a rat stops eating, loses or gains weight fast, sneezes or wheezes, has a hunched or stiff posture, or sleeps through its usual active hours. Our guides to signs a rat is sick and how long rats live go further.

For the cage

Where to go next

• New to rats: the first-time rat owner guide and your first 30 days.
• Food: the rat food checker and the rat diet guide.
• Reading your rats: rat body language.
• Making the cage fun: enrichment that keeps rats busy and our rat cage accessories.
• More surprising facts: our rat facts page, and every guide in one place on our pet rat care hub.