Pet Rat Care: Every Guide, Tool and Chart
Bruxlings rat care library · updated November 2026
Pet rats live best in pairs or groups, in a roomy cage with levels, hides and soft bedding, on a complete rat food with small amounts of fresh food, with time out every day and a vet who knows rats. Every guide, chart and tool we have made for UK rat keepers is below, free.
Start here
Free tools
Type a food, get a yes, sometimes or never.Rat cage size calculator
Enter your cage measurements and see how many rats it suits.Rat name generator
Names for your new mischief, by colour and personality.Enrichment idea picker
A new boredom-buster for tonight, from things you already have.
Free to print, share and link
- Printable rat food card · Free to print and share. Rescues are welcome to hand it out.
- Free rat care charts to copy · Food, health, cage, body language and cleaning charts. Copy them into your care sheet with a credit link.
- Pet rat facts and figures · Sourced numbers for care sheets, school projects and articles.
Everything here is free for rescues, vets, clubs, schools and bloggers to print, hand out or link to. A credit link back to the page you used is kindly appreciated.
This season
- Gifts for rat lovers · Christmas ideas for the rat person in your life.
Every guide, by topic
Food and diet
- What to feed a rat: food chart and foods to avoid · The full diet guide.
- Rat food checker · Quick yes or no for one food.
- Printable rat food card · Free A4 card for the fridge.
- Rat Drinking Water: Bottles, Bowls and Daily Checks · Bottle function, contamination, access and daily checks.
Can rats eat it? One answer per food
- Can Rats Eat Apples?
- Can Rats Eat Carrots?
- Can Rats Eat Chocolate?
- Can Rats Eat Grapes?
- Can Rats Eat Guinea Pig Food?
- Can Rats Eat Hamster Food?
- Can Rats Eat Lettuce?
- Can Rats Eat Marshmallows?
- Can Rats Eat Pak Choi?
- Can Rats Eat Peaches?
- Can Rats Eat Rabbit Food?
- Can Rats Eat Raisins?
- Can Rats Eat Squash?
- Can Rats Eat Watermelon?
- Can Rats Eat Weetabix?
Cages and setup
- The complete rat cage setup guide
- What should a rat cage have in it?
- How to choose rat cage accessories
- Rat cage cleaning routine · Daily, weekly and deep clean.
- Rat bedding compared
- Rat hammocks
- Rat hides for every theme
- Rat cage themes
- Rat cage aesthetic ideas
- Gothic rat cage accessories
- Free-roam area safety
- Setting up a quarantine cage
Health and life stages
- Is my rat sick? Signs to call a vet
- Rat health problems: what to watch
- Rat breathing and respiratory signs
- Caring for rats at every age
- My rat lost their cage mate
- Bathing Pet Rats: When Cleaning Help Is Really Needed · Routine grooming, help for a rat that needs it and voluntary water play.
- Rat Hiccups or Breathing Changes? What to Record · Describe unexplained movements and recognise urgent breathing concerns.
- Rat Teeth Care: Eating Changes and When to Call a Vet · Watch normal eating and know when dental changes need a vet.
Behaviour, bonding and new rats
- Your first 30 days with pet rats
- Introducing new rats: the carrier method
- Rat body language, visual guide
- Reading the whole situation
- What can rats see?
- Male or Female Rats: Choosing a Compatible Group · Choose a compatible group rather than relying on sex stereotypes.
- Pet Rat Biting: Context, Safer Handling and Vet Checks · Record the context and use considerate handling rather than punishment.
- Rat Sleeping Positions: What to Observe · Observe sleep without assigning a fixed meaning to a pose.
Enrichment and play
- 35 rat enrichment ideas
- Rat toys that keep rats busy
- Why is my rat bored?
- Enrichment idea picker
- How to Train Pet Rats: Three Useful First Skills · Reward-based approaches, target touches and stepping onto scales.
- Rat Digging Box: A Simple, Supervised Setup · Offer an accessible digging activity and observe your own rats.
- Rat Exercise Wheels: Fit, Choice and Alternatives · Assess fit, posture and alternatives without a one-size promise.
- Safe Rat Shredding Toys: Paper and Cardboard Checks · Practical checks for simple paper and cardboard activities.
- Safe Wood for Rats: Branches, Chews and Dental Care · Check wood identity and history without treating a chew as dental treatment.
Shop the collection
All rat cage accessories · Rat hides and houses · Shelves and climbing · Foraging toys · Cage kits
Questions people ask
Can a pet rat live alone?
Rats are social animals, and UK welfare charities such as the RSPCA advise keeping them in pairs or groups. If your rat has lost a cage mate, our guide on what to do next walks through the options.
What do pet rats eat?
A complete food made for rats as the main diet, with small amounts of suitable fresh foods taken from the daily allowance, and fresh water at all times. Our food chart lists everyday, sometimes and never foods.
How big should a rat cage be?
Big enough for climbing, levels and separate areas for sleeping, eating and toileting. Our cage size calculator turns your cage measurements into a suggested number of rats.
When should I take my rat to the vet?
Straight away for laboured breathing, a rat that stops eating, bleeding or a sudden change in behaviour. Find an exotics vet who sees rats before you need one.
Is this information free to use?
Yes. Link to any page, or print the food card for adopters and members. A credit link back to the page you used is kindly appreciated.
Care facts follow UK welfare guidance from the RSPCA and PDSA. For anything health-related, see an exotics vet.