Before you buy
Providing pet rats with everything they need for a healthy, happy life begins before obtaining rats. There are many things to consider, after which you may decide rat keeping is not for you, but it is better to find that out now than a few months after getting rats.

How many rats?
The simple answer is at least two. Rats are social animals, and while they can bond with their human owners, they need social interaction with their own kind. Rats are largely nocturnal, so your ratties’ cage-mates will be available for playing and grooming when you are not. It also means that you don’t feel so guilty, and they don’t get so bored if you leave your rats for a weekend. It has been said that a single rat is more devoted to its owner, but that is because it is bored out of its brain for the 23 hours of the day that its owner does not devote to it. The best to start with is a pair of same-sex siblings - they will already be comfortable with each other and are very unlikely to fight. There is little risk of getting a breeding pair by mistake, as male rats are quite evidently male.

Expense
Rats are not expensive, about £4 each. Food and bedding for a pair of rats will not amount to more than £5 a month. However, a good cage large enough for a pair will cost at least £60. There may also be large vets bills later on, as rats are sadly prone to tumours.

Time
Aim to spend at least half an hour each day with your rats, let them out of their cage to explore a suitably rat-proofed room. Remove droppings and any uneaten food - check their bed as well, rats are hoarders. Change the water. If you do this every day, a full clean of the cage need only be carried out once each month.

Housing and feeding
Taming and ratproofing