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Rat care: what a family needs to know

Ask your vet about your own pet. This page is general information from the sources below.

Rat care, from PDSA and others on this page. PDSA says rats make a reddish-brown fluid around their eyes that can look like red tears, and there's more of it when they are stressed. PDSA says children should always be watched around rats, and that stroking and handling at ground level is safest. Rats need lots of daily attention from people, so a grown-up must make sure that happens.

Checked October 29, 2026.

By Peabody editors. How we write and check.

How long they live

PDSA says rats usually live about 2 to 3 years.

Home

PDSA suggests a big cage, like ones sold for ferrets or chinchillas, with bars close enough that rats can't squeeze out, several levels, a solid floor, and good airflow. It gives no exact size. About 20 C, indoors, away from drafts, sun, and TVs or speakers. Use paper-based bedding or washable fleece. PDSA says cedar, pine, newspaper, dusty sawdust and cotton wool are unsafe, and rats also need a separate safe room or pen to explore.

Food

PDSA says rat nuggets are the base, measured each day because rats gain weight easily, plus a little fresh fruit and veg. Occasional treats include egg, lentils, peas or beans.

Company

PDSA says rats should not live alone. Keep a pair or small group of the same sex (unless neutered); littermates get along best.

Handling

PDSA says to support the chest with one hand and the back legs with the other, and hold the rat close to your body. Rats can also be scooped into a palm, and many like riding on shoulders.

Is it a good pet for children?

PDSA says children should always be watched around rats, and that stroking and handling at ground level is safest. Rats need lots of daily attention from people, so a grown-up must make sure that happens. CDC says children under 5 are more likely to get very sick from germs small mammals can carry, and bites and scratches can spread germs even when they look small. CDC also links rats to rat-bite fever.

Washing hands

CDC says to wash your hands with soap and running water after you touch the animal, its cage, bedding, food or water. Children should be watched while they wash. Keep the animal and its supplies out of the kitchen and anywhere food is made or eaten, because germs like Salmonella can be on healthy-looking animals and their things.

The vet

PDSA says to see a vet promptly if you notice changes in a rat's behavior or looks, because breathing infections can get worse fast.

Good to know

PDSA says rats make a reddish-brown fluid around their eyes that can look like red tears, and there's more of it when they are stressed.

A job for the children

With a grown-up, sit on the floor and let the rats climb into your hands, then help put out the day's measured food.

"A grown-up is the real carer for rats. Our job is the small, steady part."

Every pet is different, and this is general information from the sources below, not veterinary advice. For a sick or hurt pet, call a vet who knows this kind of animal.

Sources