First time rat owner — what do I need to know before getting rats?
I’m seriously considering getting pet rats and I want to make sure I’m properly prepared before I bring them home. I’ve been doing research, but I’d love advice from people who actually own rats about things you wish you knew before getting them.
I’m especially looking for advice on:
- What size/type of cage is actually best? What cage features should I look for/avoid?
- What bedding do you recommend? How deep should it be and how often should it be changed?
- What should their everyday diet look like? What are the best rat pellets/lab blocks available in Australia? What fresh foods can/can’t they have?
- What toys are genuinely worth buying? What should I have in the cage from day one?
- How many hammocks, ropes, ladders, hides and tunnels should I have?
- Is it worth doing litter training and what litter/setup works best?
- How often should the cage be spot-cleaned vs fully cleaned? What method of cleaning would you recommend?
- What health problems should I be prepared for, and how often do rats generally need vet visits? Are there any emergency signs I should know?
- How do you recommend getting them comfortable with you when you first bring them home?
- How much time outside their cage do they need, and how do you rat proof a room?
- Roughly how much should I budget for setup, food, bedding and unexpected vet bills?
- Are there any particular brands, cages, foods, bedding or supplies available in Australia that you recommend?
Also, what are the things you wish someone had told you BEFORE you got your first rats?
I’d much rather over-prepare than realise I’m missing something once I have them, so literally any advice, product recommendations, warnings, or beginner mistakes to avoid would be appreciated!