Burgess Pet Care

If you own or are considering owning pet rats then there are a few things to bear in mind when it comes to their living accommodation. Firstly, do not assume that a hamster or gerbil house is suitable. Your rats will need a larger home with plenty of space to climb and explore.

Ideally the cage should be made of wire. A wooden cage may look attractive, but your rats will quickly munch through this. Your wire cage should then incorporate lots of tunnels and spaces to explore, hide and play. Keep the cage indoors ideally and make sure the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold (so away from a draught or radiator). To avoid startling your pets keep the rats away from high traffic areas and areas of noise, i.e. close to the stairs or TV.

Bedding

When it comes to bedding you should line the floor of the cage with wood or paper based litter. Avoid wooden shavings and sawdust; they can cause injury to the paws and can irritate the rats, even causing allergy.

Sleeping

Your rats will appreciate a separate bedroom area packed full of lovely soft bedding. Shredded tissue paper makes nice bedding, but if you want to splash out you could try a rat hammock from a specialist pet shop. Straw is not a good bedding material because it can be sharp and could cause damage to the rat’s eyes and mouth.

Cleaning

Many people do not realise that rats are very clean creatures and a good level of hygiene is vital to their overall health. As a responsible owner you should clean the cage thoroughly at least once a week with a rat friendly disinfectant. Sweep up droppings as often as possible.

Companionship

Rats are social creatures and don’t generally like living alone; they can quickly become bored and unhappy. Rats will happily live in groups of two or more (the more the merrier really) but unless you want lots of baby rats you should always try and pair them up in a same-sex group.  When introducing a new rat to a group of rats the trick is to go slowly. Let him get to know the other rats on neutral ground ideally before placing the group back into the cage.

Burgess Suparat Royale

Did you know that Burgess Pet Care make a specialist rat food, Suparat Royale? This food is specifically formulated to meet the needs of your rat’s diet as an omnivore. Each nugget contains the perfect combination of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Just because rats are small, don’t go thinking that you can give them any less care, commitment and love than you would give to a bigger pet. The more you get to know your rat (Latin name Rattus norvegicus) the better.

Rats make excellent pets, especially for older children and adults. They are clean, intelligent, friendly and inquisitive. They love a bit of problem solving and you can even teach them tricks and agility. They bond well with people and rarely bite.

Although rats are sleepy-heads all day long they are usually up in the late afternoon and evening. Bright eyed, long tailed and ready for action.

Wild rats can be found all over Europe and the USA although they originated in Asia. The population spread across the world when the rats were sneaky stowaways on merchant ships – or so it is widely believed.

Domesticated rats are very clean, intelligent animals – not like their wild cousins. There are many colour variations among rats, and three types of coat – smooth haired, rex and hairless.

If you own a pet rat why not give Burgess Suparat Ray Royal a try. It is a complete rat food created especially for pet rats and each delicious nugget contains the perfect combination of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Unlike muesli style food, Burgess Suparat Royal is designed to prevent selective feeding.