Pet Rat Food.
A pet rat’s diet should consist mostly of fruit and vegetables. Rat pellets are available at Pet Stores. They need a small amount of protein each day. This is where the rat pellets can come in handy.
Food for rats includes:-
Apples, Pear, Bananas, Stone and citrus fruits, Broccoli, Cabbage (not red), Carrots, Bok choy, Celery, Parsley, Berries, Peas, and Corn in small quantities only.
Danger Foods. Avoid if possible:-
Raw Peanuts, Blue cheese, Green Potatoes skins, Liquorice, Orange juice, Mango, Raw artichokes, Raw Dried beans, Raw Red cabbage, Raw Brussel Sprouts, Raw Sweet Potatoes, Avocado, Rhubarb, Lollies/Candy and Seaweed.
If not sure, there are a lot of websites that give more information on this topic.
Water
Rats should have clean fresh water at all times; a dip bottle is ideal for this.
Pet Rat Cage
Rats should be provided with a large strong, well-ventilated cage that is chew-proof and has a solid floor. It should also have a small enclosed area that they can use for sleeping in. They also like a sling if there is room for it in the cage as well. Ideally, it should also have multiple levels and some items in it that the rats can climb on.
The Cage should have a solid floor, so the rat’s feet do not get caught in them. It should be lined with sawdust (not pine or cedar)or shredded paper (shredded paper is better and less messy to clean up), but not cat litter because it’s not good for rats. The paper should be changed daily. This will help keep your rat smelling better.
Rats can be toilet trained which could reduce some of the cage cleaning as they do tend to do their business in the same area in the cage. When you work this out, you could make a small litter tray for this area and then reward them for using the tray.
Tip – It is important to keep rats cool on a hot day. A frozen water bottle could be of some help here, as they can curl up beside it to help keep cool.