Rats & Mice

Rats and mice make good first time pets for children and for adults who don't have room or are too busy for larger pets. Looking after pets helps to teach children the responsibility of caring for others.

Like all rodents, rats and mice have continually growing teeth that need to be worn down and wooden gnawing blocks should be provided.

Rats
For some people the very thought of rats makes them shiver. In fact rats are generally friendly, clean and intelligent animals that make excellent pets. Rats can be kept in groups if they are brought up together but strangers may fight.

Rats should be housed in a strong wire cage with a wire floor or they will quickly gnaw their way out. Once habituated to their surroundings and their owner however, they can usually be allowed to roam freely in a secure room and will make themsleves at home. They often like nothing better than snoozing in a hammock slung on a warm radiator! Rats are inquisitive and very active and need lots of toys and obstacles to keep them occupied.

A commercially available rat food is ideal but it can be supplemented with a large number of other foods - rats are omnivorous and can eat almost anything. Care should be taken though to make sure that their diet doesn't become unbalanced or that that they don't overeat. Fresh water should be available at all times. It is traditional to line cages with sawdust and woodshavings but in reality, newspaper is cleaner and more convenient and your rat will be kept occupied for a long time busily shredding paper for bedding. Rats are naturally very clean creatures and will often use one place for their toilet area, and do not smell so long as they are cleaned out regularly.

Rats may need worming when first bought but like most other small pets, if they are healthy to start with, are unlikley to catch infectious diseases if they don't come into contact with other rats. They do occasionally suffer from mites which can usually be treated with a special product available from us. Teeth and claws should be regularly checked for signs of overgrowth.

Rat Quick Stats: lifespan 3 - 4 years; weaning at 3 - 4 weeks; sexual maturity 8 - 10 weeks; gestation 20 - 22 days; average litter size 10 (6 - 16).

Mice
Mice are active inquisitive creatures that are easy to keep but may bite if not handled regularly. They can be kept in groups but strangers may fight.

A wire cage is ideal as mice tend to gnaw their way out of plastic cages. A variety of tunnels, climbing apparatus and wheels will keep them occupied. A commercially available mouse food is ideal and fresh water should be provided at all times preferably through a drinking bottle. Newspaper is an excellent cage liner and is a lot less messy than traditionally used sawdust, plus your mice will be kept bust shredding the paper to make bedding. Mice do tend to become rather smelly if not cleaned out regularly and cages should be cleaned twice a week.

Like most small rodents, if they are healthy to start with, mice will be unlikely to suffer from infectious disease if kept in closed groups. Check teeth and claws regularly for signs of overgrowth.

Mouse Quick Stats: lifespan 2 - 3 years; weaning at 3 - 4 weeks; sexual maturity 6 - 7 weeks; gestation period 19 - 21 weeks; average litter size 10 (8 - 12). NB mice may mate again within 12 hours of giving birth so it is important to keep male and females apart.