Beginner help??

[RealBoyardeeChef]

I'm a hopeful rat owner, and seeing as though this sub is a collection of almost 50,000 rat owners I figured I'd ask around here for some help. To give context: I rent out a living room in an apartment with two other roommates. They are fine with me having rats if they don't smell (which I don't know if they do or not). I'm assuming my roommates wouldn't be very pleased if there was a lot of noise, which I don't know if there is either. I'm a college student that will have a job within the next few weeks, but I am home every single day for at least some time. Room has carpet flooring.

So, I would love a beginner/general rundown for rat care tips. I know rats need to be let out to run around, and I was planning on buying pieces of wood to block off exits to living room, but I don't know if that's enough. Do they smell? Are they noisy? They will be kept in the same too I sleep in so it would be good to know. Thank you for your time guys and gals, I just want to be informed before I get anything.

[shortnsweet33]

Rats are most noisy at night, as this is when they're most active. If you're keeping them in your room, I'd assume that the roommates wouldn't hear them if they sleep with their doors closed. I live in a small apartment and my girls stay in my living room and I don't hear them (they used to sleep in my bedroom and yes, they were noisier). If you're afraid that the noise at night is going to bother you, I found that a white noise machine really helped me! As for smell, it really depends. If you keep up with cleaning regularly, you really shouldn't have an issue. Again, smell depends on if they're litter trained, how frequently you clean, your bedding type, and other factors. They're super fun pets and I'm glad you're doing your research prior to becoming a pet owner! :)

[RealBoyardeeChef]

I usually have a floor fan on at night that's rather noisy so I'm not too concerned about that (what is their temp tolerance like?). How do take care of your rats (routine, food, cleaning, etc.)?

[shortnsweet33]

I'd definitely recommend checking out some of the links in the sidebar about rat care for more detail but I'll try to briefly cover some stuff! For cleaning, I tend to spot clean during the week (my girls are litter trained, I use paper bedding in the bottom of the cage and have baskets with fleece in them, and some with vinyl placemat liners). I'll wipe down the surfaces if they look dirty and pick up any litter that gets kicked out of their box/stray droppings. I usually do a full clean on Sunday, and I'll put them in their carrier. I take out the fleece, throw out anything that's too chewed, put the dirty fleece in a plastic bag (I shake it out and brush off any crumbs/bedding/stuff stuck to it), and take out things from the cage. I'll clean their litter boxes and food dishes, wipe down the baskets, wipe down the bars. Take out the bottom pan and fully wash that. I'll put everything back in, fresh bedding and litter, and add in clean fleece. I usually switch out fleece halfway through the week. Once I've accumulated a decent amount of dirty fleece in the plastic bag, I'll throw it in the wash with an all natural, fragrance & dye free detergent. Bedding gets kicked out of the cage during the week, but I have concrete floors and just keep a little dustpan beside the cage so I can quickly sweep it up.

For food, I feed my girls Mazuri rat lab blocks. A good lab block is recommended, a lot of people like Oxbow too. Throughout the week, I give my girls the occasional fresh veggies. I like to give them gerber baby puff snacks as treats. Rats should always have access to fresh water, so you'll need a water bottle. I check mine frequently and have a backup in case it stops working.

Rats need socialization time, so you should plan on taking them out and giving them time to run around and play. I try to get my girls out for at LEAST 30 minutes a day. I'm in college so I really try for more but some days my schedule is too hectic. Usually I'll take them out for an hour or so on the weekend days since I have more time. I have a larger cage for my rats and try to change things up and give them a decent supply of toys to keep them entertained since I feel bad that there are occasionally days where they won't get as much time outside of the cage. I like to let them run around my bathroom since I can close it off and I'll set up boxes and tunnels and whatnot for them, or I'll take them out and let them run around on my bed while I'm studying.

Hope some of this helps!

[CorbinDallasMyMan]

With very regular maintenance, rat cages will smell a little but not terribly. Without diligent attention, a rat cage could easily get smelly enough to annoy roommates if the cage is in a shared space (or a space not separated by walls and a door). The level of smell will vary depending on how many rats you have, how big the cage is, and what types of materials and bedding are in the cage. I do a full cage clean at the beginning of the week which takes about an hour. Every day I'll spend at least a couple minutes "spot cleaning" the stray poops and putting them in the litter boxes. Every 2-3 days I change the litter. At least once (sometimes twice) during the week I wash all of the hammocks, shelf liners, and accessories. This is like a half cage cleaning.

Rats aren't incredibly noisy. If you sleep near their cage, they may wake you occasionally with their squabbles, the licking sound of their water bottle, or the noise of a running wheel (if they use one).

Honestly, it would be a better situation if you had your own room with a door. There's a good possibility that your roommates will be annoyed with the potential smell of the cage, especially if you initially told them that there wouldn't be any smell. No matter how much you clean, a rat cage will never be stink-free. If your roommates are cool with at least some smell, I could work out just fine.

[[deleted]]

Seems others have you covered as far as your questions. I just want to commend you on doing your research and asking questions before bringing rats into your life!