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There is no such thing as a "breed" of rat. Rats are rats are rats. There are different varieties, which means the colors and markings as well as coat, ear, and body type. It doesn't break down any further than “rat”. Each rat can have individual personalities regardless of the variety. The best type of rat is a happy and loved rat.

Rats are very social and require companions of their own species for their happiness and wellbeing. Being kept alone can be harmful to a rat, as they can experience grief much like humans, as well as develop health issues like depression, anxiety and illnesses. Human companionship is not the same as same-species companionship.

To put it into perspective, imagine that your only friend in the entire world spoke an entirely different language than you. Even if you spend all of your time with them, it would still be a pretty lonely life, wouldn’t it?

Even if you have rats at home, rats need same age company when they're young. They'll be more active than a more mature rat, and having a friend of the same age gives them somewhere to put that excess energy. Three same-sex rats is our favorite number for getting new rats. Groups of 3+ encourage more natural behaviors, including forming "best friends" for grooming and playing, rather than being forced to interact with only one other individual. This goes for both males and females.

Per my policy, I only adopt out rats in pairs or more. We prefer rehoming in groups of 3 or more. When deciding how many rats to adopt, it's important to recognize their social nature and prioritize their well-being. Rats are highly social animals and require the company of their own kind to engage in natural behaviors like grooming and playing, which are crucial for their mental and emotional health.

For new rat owners, it's recommended to start with two rats as to not get overwhelmed, but having a small group of 3 to 4 can provide even better social interaction and support for each other. Having more than two rats can also offer resilience in case one passes away unexpectedly, ensuring the remaining rats still have companionship. Three rats also requires similar cage space as a pair, with only slightly more food and cleaning needed.

Ultimately, the number of rats you adopt should depends on your ability to care for them properly and commit time to meeting their social and environmental needs. As you become more experienced in rat care, you can consider adopting more if you have the resources and space to accommodate them responsibly.

While there are distinct differences between the behaviors and physical traits of does and bucks, each rat possesses its own unique personality, temperament, and idiosyncrasies. However, there are some general characteristics to consider:

Males: Typically larger and heavier than females. Display more obvious physical features (such as large testicles). They are more likely to enjoy cuddling and physical affection.

Females: Generally smaller and lighter than males. Retain a playful and lively demeanor well into middle age. Can be just as affectionate and cuddly as males, though less commonly, especially if handled and worked with regularly.

Other behavioral and physical traits, such as scent marking, are more individualized and not strictly tied to gender. While male rats may have a slightly stronger scent, both sexes engage in scent marking, which involves rubbing scent glands along surfaces and dribbling urine. The frequency of scent marking is not significantly more common in either sex.

Avoid cages advertised for "rats and mice," as they are typically too small for rats. Wooden cages and those lacking proper ventilation, such as plastic enclosures or glass tanks, are also unsuitable as rats love to chew, and glass does not allow for the proper ventilation that their sensitive respiratory systems need.

Since rats spend a significant portion of their time, up to 22-23 hours a day, within their cage, it's important for it to be spacious, engaging, and sufficiently large to support their active lives. They will utilize the height of a cage if provided, as they love to climb. We always recommend “Critter Nation” cages, if budget isn’t an issue. These can also be found commonly second hand on places like Facebook Marketplace, and if sanitized correctly, are just as good as a new cage! It can comfortably house up to 4-6 rats, and can be expanded easily for more.

If you already have a cage, we recommend utilizing a rat cage calculator like this website has. This tool will help in assessing how many rats can be comfortably accommodated in a given cage. Pay attention to cage bar spacing. Bars spaced between 0.4-0.6 inches apart are suitable for most rats, while anything 1 inch or wider is likely to not contain your rats.

There are many commercially available substrates for rats. Safe bedding include Aspen, Kiln-Dried Pine, CornCob, Unscented Paper bedding, or Hemp bedding. Most small pet bedding options will neutralize the ammonia in rat urine, keeping your cage smelling fresh longer, so do not fall for the advertising of “scented” beddings as they can cause respiratory problems in your rats.

You can also use shredded newspaper, shredded white paper, or fleece or other cloth that can be washed and reused, though these choices do not neutralize the rat urine smell and your cage will need to be cleaned a few times a week, if not every day.

At ALOE Rattery, we use Kiln-Dried Pine and Aspen Shavings interchangeably for bedding for our rats. Non-Kiln Dried Pine and Cedar wood chips, or scented bedding should NOT be used in cages for rats. Pine and Cedar contain phenols, which can irritate the sensitive respiratory system of a rat, and may cause respiratory infections. MBLU says "if you can't hold it to your nose and breath it for 5 minutes, don't expect your rats to live in it".

Providing your rat with a varied diet is crucial for meeting their nutritional needs and promoting enrichment. Similar to hamsters and gerbils, a significant portion of a rat's diet should consist of a well-balanced, uniform, fortified pellet or rodent block free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. These pellets serve as the foundation of the diet, ensuring that your rat receives essential nutrients and calories. We use Mazuri 6F Rat and Mouse food and Kalmbach 18% Protein Rat food interchangeably, as well as a variety of fresh vegetables.

Using a uniform pellet or block may seem boring, but it ensures your rats get a balanced diet. This helps prevent selective eating of high-fat and high-calorie items, which rats may naturally prefer, and will choose to pick out of the medley style foods. By controlling caloric intake and encouraging stimulating activities, you can support your rat's overall health and well-being, which can lead to various negative secondary effects.

Treats like cereals, fruits and veggies are encouraged, but only in small amounts.

Simply to keep my hands cleaner while taking photos and handling my animals and equipment.

While I take the pictures of my mice and rats you see on this site, I can handle up to 30+ animals at a time, all of which are bound to poop or pee on me while I am moving or posing them. While I don’t mind if it happens because poop and pee is totally normal to get on you when handling rodents, gloves just make my life much easier and allow me to stay more sanitary.

Without gloves, I would need to stop to wash my hands a lot more often, which can make delay the photo session, making everything take a lot longer overall. With gloves, I can easily and quickly just wipe them off, or swap them if needed, and be on to the next!

Pet stores typically charge for rats that will be fed to reptiles. As such, they are not bred for health/temperament/type, and you will get what you pay for. A rat that bites, and likely won’t live very long because they are prone to health issues, organ problems, and tumors.

I have put more than 10 years into working with my rats. Keeping track of lineages, cleaning, filling food and water...it's more time consuming than you can imagine. I also put a lot of money into my rats. Medicine, cages, enrichment, and their tailored diets are not cheap.

Even with prices higher than a pet store, I still don't turn a profit on my rats. I do this as a passion project, not a business, but the adoption fees help me keep things running as well as insuring that ALOE Rats aren't on the menu for reptiles, or just going to irresponsible breeders just looking to profit off of my work. If you feel the adoption fees are too steep, you may not be ready to adopt rats and provide them with the care they deserve. Yes, rats are small pets, but they are not cheap pets by any means when properly cared for.

We have some varieties of rats not found anywhere else for miles, that we have traveled and worked with breeders in other states simply to obtain. We have also worked extensively on breeding out some of the health issues some colors/coats are prone to having to only offer healthy rats that we hope you’ll have for years to come.

Our prices are directly related to the genetics that makes up each rat, and the rarity of those genetics in our rattery. This has nothing to do with their personalities, so one rat won’t make a better pet than another just because it’s priced higher. It just means our rarer typed rats tend to be a harder to produce (recessive genetics and smaller litters), or are more sought after, so the demand makes them harder to keep in stock.

We also want to give more common/plain coated rats a higher chance to find homes by making them have more affordable fees, as they are just as sweet and deserving of love as any of our other rats, even if they lack a fancy paint job!

A new rat sneezing is often called "new home sneezes," which is actually super normal and to be expected when bringing home a new rat. Rats have very sensitive respiratory systems, and a new environment may cause them to sneeze as they are exposed to and adjust to the new air, smells, and bedding in their new homes.

That being said, rats are naturally carriers of a species-specific (meaning humans cannot get it) bacteria called mycoplasma pulmonis. Virtually all rats in the US are carriers of Mycoplasma unless bred in a specific pathogen free lab colony and delivered via c-section, as it is spread from mother to offspring at birth and is not curable. Some rats live their whole lives without a "breakout" and some suffer with it chronically, and may vary between individuals.

A new rat may experience a stress-induced mycoplasma flare-up before they can fully adjust to their new environment, and it can then progress into a respiratory infection if it doesn’t resolve on it’s own. For the first two weeks, you should monitor your new rat for…

• Lethargy

• Weight loss

• Labored breathing or a "rattle" or "grinding" sound when they breathe.

• Porphyrin build up around the nose/eyes. (Porphyrin is a rust colored liquid that rats excrete instead of mucus.)

While we can't really prevent the disease, there are things we can do to lower the chances of a breakout.

• Don't smoke around your rats.

• Sift your bedding before using if it is dusty, as that that can cause a breakout if it is constantly being breathed in and irritating the lungs.

• Keep your rat’s enclosure clean and well ventilated. Ammonia odor can build up in poor air circulated or dirty cages and can irritate airways, leaving the tissue of the respiratory tract exposed to bacterial and viral pathogens.

• Make sure you are feeding your rat a healthy rat diet, and that they get plenty of exercise. Overweight rats seem to have a harder time fighting off the breakout.

• Be aware of your rats, check their breathing, notice sneezing, etc.

If you believe your ALOE rat has progressed to a respiratory infection, please reach out to your vet! The faster they get treatment, the less severe their symptoms will likely be. If a vet is not an option, please reach out to us! We carry antibiotics and can help you treat your rat at home in the case of emergencies, but it’s always best to establish a relationship with your local vet in the case of a breakout.