Deciding to adopt a domestic rat as a pet is a choice that needs to be considered. The rat is an animal that needs suitable housing, a balanced diet as well as hygiene and care for its well-being but also to prevent any potential health problem. In any case, at the slightest question, do not hesitate to call your veterinarian who can give you advice on the health of the domestic rat.

The domestic rat, from its Latin name Rattus norvegicus, is a rodent. This Latin name was attributed to it because it probably descends from the Norwegian rat that was domesticated in the 1,5th century. They are generally calm, intelligent and sociable small animals that should be handled with care and gentleness. Its life expectancy is 3 to 350 years. It weighs between 650 and XNUMX g, the males being generally heavier than the females. The domestic rat has many varieties of colors.

The rat is an animal with mixed activity, mainly important at night and at dusk. During the day, most of his time is spent sleeping. In addition, the domestic rat bites very rarely.

For its well-being, the domestic rat must have adequate space. The cage should be spacious and at least 50cm x 30cm x 20cm, more if you have multiple rats. Appropriate absorbent bedding is necessary. Make sure that this litter is clean. The droppings must be removed daily, the litter changed at least twice a week and the cage cleaned at least once a week. Spaces for food, water, nesting and exercise should be placed within the cage. It is important to choose an easily cleanable cage. Wood should be avoided as urine could penetrate it and lead to an accumulation of ammonia which can be responsible for respiratory diseases in rats.

The temperature of the room in which the cage is placed must be between 18 and 26 ° C with a humidity between 30 and 70%. Also, avoid placing the cage in a place exposed to direct sunlight.

It is important to keep in mind that the rat has the ability to gnaw on hard materials, so be careful to watch it if you sometimes let it roam free in a room.

The domestic rat is an omnivorous animal, which means that it can eat both animal and plant foods. Today, several complete rat foods are commercially available. You can also opt for a household ration, that is to say a food prepared by yourself. Be careful, however, that this ration is balanced. If you wish to opt for a household ration, ask your veterinarian for advice who can help you compose a balanced ration for your rat. Fruits and vegetables can be given occasionally as a treat.

It is important to keep in mind that, like in dogs and cats, rats can be overweight or even obese. It is therefore necessary to distribute the right amount of food to your rat daily in order to prevent overweight which can lead to health problems.

Finally, a rat must have access to clean, fresh water at will. A bottle / roll-on bottle is preferable over a container of water that could be knocked over by the rat or even soiled by litter.

In rats, there is currently no annual vaccination program as in dogs and cats. It is therefore necessary to be attentive to any abnormal sign that could signal a health problem. Here are a few warning signs, among others, that deserve a consultation with your veterinarian:

• Loss of appetite / weight loss;
• Discharge from the eyes (especially brown / reddish in color) and / or nose;
• Loss of hair / dull coat or any dermatological abnormality;
• Lameness, sore, injury;
• Mass present in one or more place (s) of the body;
• Abnormal feces, urine: any change in color, odor, consistency or even quantity in urine or feces;
• Head tilted to the side: it can have several origins (infection, tumor, etc.) and it looks like the rat has a crooked neck;
• Difficulty in breathing.

In addition, it is necessary to regularly check your rat’s teeth. Indeed, the incisors of rats are continuously growing teeth. This means that they grow continuously throughout their life and therefore need to wear down. The wear of the teeth is caused by the action of gnawing. It is therefore important that your rat has access to rat gnawing sticks / cookies. You can also opt for pieces of wood, as long as they are not treated. If your rat does not wear down its teeth properly, they will continue to grow and can interfere with the rat when it eats or even injure its mouth. Your veterinarian can trim his incisors if necessary if he is not using them properly on his own.