Rat — AEMV Exotic Companion Care Guide
Source: Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV), *Exotics Companion Care Series* "How to Keep Your Rat Happy, Healthy and Safe" / "Common Disorders of Rats" / "About Your Rat". PDF landed at pdf-raw/aemv/rat.pdf. Consolidated husbandry-and-health manual from that single veterinary-association source; figures and disease names quoted from the PDF, narrative paraphrased.
Species overview
The most common rat species kept as a pet is the Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus. Free-ranging Norway (brown) rats live around human habitations worldwide and are naturalized by commerce. Pet rats are fully domesticated descendants. Rats are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal foods, and are social (free-ranging rats live communally).
Housing & environment
- Enclosure should be at least 14" x 24" x 12" (35 x 60 x 30 cm)—the bigger the better—made of safe, cleanable, escape-proof material with solid flooring of plastic or metal. Provide substrate 1/4–1/2 inch deep; maintain at room temperature (65–80ºF [18–26°C]) with 40–70% humidity. Place off the floor, away from windows and vents.
- Substrates: shredded paper, recycled newspaper composite materials or pellets, compressed wheat straw; avoid pine, cedar and corn cob for bedding. Avoid temperatures over 85ºF (29ºC).
Diet & nutrition
- Feed a fresh, high-quality pelleted diet formulated specifically for rats (rat blocks offered free choice). Avoid foods high in sugar and fat (obesity). Tree nuts may be offered in very small amounts once or twice weekly. Fresh water always available via drinking bottle, cleaned / refilled at least twice weekly.
Social & behavior
- Because rats are so social, it is best for at least two same-sex or neutered rats to live together; single rats need more attention. Rats are prolific breeders: unless you plan to have on average 3–18 pups every 21–23 days, do not keep a male and female together unless one or both are neutered. Handle gently from birth (especially 2–4 weeks) to bond.
Common disorders
AEMV lists: cardiac (Congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, hypertension); dental (fractured incisors, Malocclusion, periodontitis); dermatologic (abscesses, bacterial infections, bite wounds, cutaneous lymphoma, fleas, lice, mites, pododermatitis); endocrine / nervous (seizures, stroke, Pituitary tumors); ocular (cataracts, conjunctivitis, corneal ulcer, keratitis, retinal degeneration, "red tears"); reproductive (infertility, Mammary gland tumors, uterine prolapse); respiratory (allergic, bacterial, neoplastic, viral); urinary (hydronephrosis, kidney inflammation / infection); musculoskeletal (fractures, osteoarthritis).
Veterinary care
- Schedule frequent physical examinations (an annual exam is recommended) to quickly note and treat impending health problems; nutritional and husbandry counseling can prevent many issues.
Resources (per AEMV trifold)
Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV.com); Lafeber Emeraid (lafeber.com/vet/mammal-medicine); Oxbow Animal Health (oxbowanimalhealth.com).
Honest scope note
Single-source manual from one veterinary-association trifold; a general care overview, not a substitute for species-specific veterinary advice or for the per-aspect topics already in this dataset. Figures and disease names are quoted from the AEMV PDF; no NRC-style nutrient-requirement percentages are provided by this source.