The Rattery

My rattery is located in my home, my rats are treated as members of the family.  I do not have a rat room.  Rats cages are located in the bedroom and living rooms.  In use at my rattery are mainly Martin's rat and ferret cages as well as a double Critter Nation.  The rats are a treasured part of the family in this house!  I use different sized igloos, toys, cardboard boxes, tunnels, and other obstacles to make both free range and cage time as fun and stimulating as possible.  I have a large collection of different shaped, color and size hammocks and other bedding for my rats to keep them comfortable and entertained.  The boys have a Wobust Wodent Wheel to run on while the girls enjoy their Senior Wodent Wheel.  I use unscented Yesterdays News or Cellsorb newspaper beddings Along with fleece and fabric to lay on and hammocks in every cage.

 I am very diligent and methodical in my cleaning.  I believe it is very important to keep rats' environments as clean of urine and feces as possible.  I change the hammocks, bedding and liners in the cages every few days.  The rats' cages are cleaned out completely and scrubbed down with a vinegar and warm water solution every week.  I used to litter box train my rats but have moved back towards the martin's pan style cages with litter at the bottom and material to walk on.  I put all my cages that will fit into my shower to give them a really good soaking every 2 weeks or so.

My rats are fed a varied diet that is based on a staple of Harlan Teklad 2018/Native Earth lab blocks.  My rats get their lab blocks in the evening, about 3 blocks per rat.  The block is their staple diet and makes up at least half of their daily intake.  I also chop up vegetables and occasional fruits and serve these at night as well.  In the morning, my rats receive a dry cereal/nut/dried fruit/seed/pasta mix.  I also give them daily treats of healthy, homemade human food (I always make a little extra for them when I cook!)  My rats always have fresh food available to them in their cages.  I am careful to remove any uneaten food before serving the next meal.

Here is a picture of my rattery:

The cage on the left is a Martin's R-690

The cage on the middle bottom is a Martin's F-475

The cage on the upper middle is a Martin's, unsure of the number.

The cage on the right is a double Critter Nation cage.

(An updated pic is needed as we now have some new cage additions, 2 Martin's R-690s and a Super pet cage.)