All rats at Little Whiskers Rattery are housed in Midwest Critter Nation units, once they are of age. These housing units are ideal for rats because they provide plenty of room and ventilation, have many options for hanging accessories, hammocks, and toys, and are very easy to clean! They also have appropriate bar spacing, which will insure safety for your pet rats.

These cages are our #1 recommendation for pet rats, but there are plenty of other alternatives to fit you, your family, and your pets lifestyle. Feel free to ask about more recommendations.

We also believe that is important that they have plenty of entertainment and enrichment in their habitats. Even when we have our rats out regularly for play time or free roam, they spend a great amount of their life in their cage, so it is very important for them to have toys and other items in their cage to keep them entertained and engaged each and every day.

When it comes to choosing what items to put in a rats habitat, consider this:

Rats are foragers, climbers, burrowers, and chewers...and are very curious, by nature. Anything to engage these activities are ideal, and will keep them happy, active, and engaged with life!

Our recommendations for items to add to your rats habitat:

Ladders, ledges, hanging bridges, and ropes to climb on and explore
Lava ledges! These are great for climbing on and giving your rat a fun place to sit. They are also great for both chewing, to grind down teeth, and climbing on, to grind down sharp nails.
Hammocks, hammocks, and more hammocks! Rats love to lounge around in a soft, cozy hammock. Fleece hammocks are ideal!
Rat safe wood chews, sticks, and pumice stones
Foraging toys for mental stimulation and engagement
Dig boxes to “hunt” for treats, herbs, or mealworms. Coconut Coir and shredded paper are ideal substrates for dig boxes.
A running wheel for exercise, as long as it is 16” or larger. (Any smaller could bend their spines and cause issues).
Space Pods! These can hang from the top of the cage or sit on the floor. My rats love to snuggle up in them and they are easy to clean.

PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR ACCESSORY SHOP! Adopters get 10% off!

Bedding:

Please do as much research as possible when choosing the proper bedding for your rats habitat. My main recommendation is KILN DRIED ONLY Aspen and Hemp. The main thing to look out for is low dust and low "fragrance". Some brands tend to be dustier than others and some tend to have a smell to them. Rats have a VERY sensitive respiratory system, so high dust and fragrance can cause issues for them and even trigger an Upper Respiratory Infection.(please also be sure to freeze your bedding before using it. This will kill any possible mites, lice, etc that *may* be present)

Here is what you'll find in our habitats at Little Whiskers Rattery:

Aspen, as main substrate
Coco Coir for dig boxes (must be kept moist)
For Nesting: ECO BEDDING FiberCore Natural and Botanical Hay

Don't forget a carrier!

When you pick up your rats from the breeder, you will need a safe, secure carrier to transport them. It's also a good idea to have one on hand anyways, in case you need to take them to the vet or confine them while cleaning their cage. Below are a few recommendations...