Housing
An aquarium with a screen top is a good choice. Wire cages at least 24L x 14W x 12H with a removable tray for cleaning is also a good choice, just be sure the space of your wires is not bigger than 1"x 1". The only caution with an aquarium is in hot weather it should be in an air conditioned room as they do not have a lot of ventilation and these animals can not tolerate extreme heat (over 85 degrees).

Any wire flooring should be removed as it is a potential danger to your rat's feet. It can, however, be used as shelves for them to climb on as long as it is no larger than ½" x ½"
There are all types of boxes and 'nests' that you can purchase for your pet to sleep in. Be sure you judge the size correctly and get on larger than your pet so they can grow into it! Many pet stores are now carrying items made specifically for rats! Items for ferrets are alittle large, but work quite well for rats. Tubes and Hammocks are quite a favorite with rats as well! There are plenty of items available for your mice. Check your local pet store!

Cages can be cleaned once or twice a week depending on how many animals you have. Cages should be disinfected once a month. Cedar shavings should NEVER be used! It has an oil that can be toxic to your pet. Pine shavings are not recommended as its use can lead to respiratory problems. The ideal bedding is paper bedding such as CareFresh, or Aspen shavings. Corn cob bedding and crushed walnut shells (found in the bird department) are some other alternatives. These may be alittle expensive, but can be scooped. Other recommended bedding is Yesterday's News - a paper based bedding. Cell-Sorb Plus is a new bedding on the market & comes highly recommended for length of time between cleaning & odor control!

Feeding
These animals are omnivorous and can eat pretty much as we would if we were health conscious. As a main diet, the best food for your rat is a completely balanced pellet food often referred to as 'Lab Chow', 'Rodent Chow', or 'Lab Blox'. You can supplement this with a good quality grain mixture given afew times a week.

Don't feed fatty or spicy foods, chips, salt, sugar, candy, and other people "junk" food. They love it just like we do, but it is far worse for them than it is for us! Good treats are fresh or dried fruits and vegetables, whole grain bread, rice or pasta (dry or cooked) in small quantities a few times a week. Too much fat and protein can lead to obesity and skin troubles. Throw away any leftover fresh food each day.

You will need a double ball-type dispensing water bottle. Water bowls get spilled easily and get contaminated. You can find a wide variety of these water bottles along with hangers at any pet store. The size you need will depend on how many animals you have.

Cleaning your feed dish and water bottle are essential to keeping your pocket pets in good health. The water bottle should be cleaned at every refill. If you are feeding fresh foods, the dish should be cleaned daily, otherwise you will probably only need to clean it twice a week.

Martin's Cages