Dental disease Overgrown incisor teeth (particular the lower incisors) are the most common oral problem in rats as their incisors continuously grow. With only the incisors continuously growing in rats, dental disease affecting the cheek teeth is much less common than in some other rodents such as guinea pigs whose…
Rats need the company of other rats and usually coexist happily together as long as they have enough space, resources, and opportunities to engage in behaviours they find rewarding, especially chewing and hiding/burrowing. Here are some guidelines to help you create a harmonious group of rats (also called a ‘swarm’…
You can learn the most about your rats through their behaviour, appearance, and body language. It’s important to continually observe for abrupt and subtle changes happening with your rats. Because they are a prey species, they will try and hide signs of illness – so when they look sick, they’re…
What is environmental enrichment? Environmental enrichment describes the provision of physical and social opportunities to promote rat behaviour that is important, valuable, and specific to them. It encourages and allows rats to do things that matter to them, resulting in positive experiences based on their individual interests, which underpins good…
Rats are generally best protected in their enclosure, as this limits their access to potential dangers and keeps them safe. However, even when they are in their enclosure, there are still potential dangers – the danger may come to them, or they might escape. When they have time out of…
Mice mature and can breed at a young age (even as young as four weeks of age), breed prolifically, and have large litter sizes. They will come into season every 4-5 days unless pregnant; their pregnancy duration is 19-21 days; their litter size is 7-11 pups; and they can be…
Rats are very clean and usually do a great job of grooming themselves. Washing your rat Because of their cleanliness, rats rarely need a wash. The exceptions are elderly or arthritic pets who can’t wash themselves, or pets who have somehow gotten really dirty and can’t clean themselves. You must…
Their curious nature and friendly disposition generally make rats relatively easy to handle and their intelligence makes them easy to train. You should only use positive reinforcement (reward-based training using food treats and other things they value) to train them and they must never be punished. Rats should be given…
Mice may find handling very stressful if they not used to positive, predictable human interactions and gentle handling. They have a curious nature and can be habituated to human interactions and handling using positive reinforcement (reward-based training using food treats and other things they value). They must always be treated…
It is not uncommon for mice to be affected by infestations of external parasites such as fur mites. Clinical signs of infestation include bald patches, thinning of hair (especially in areas which they find hard to reach and groom like the head and trunk), a greasy appearance to their hair/coat,…