This is how my rats live

[Mindibun]

I can never decide whether to put my rat topics in the "rat breeding" section or the "small mammals" section because my rats aren't breeders. But anyway, rats are rats so here's my girls and their crib.

I devised a new system tonight to make feeding them easier. Each week on my day off I'm going to make all of their food for the rest of the week and put it in storage containers for refridgeration. Then, each day of the week, I just grab a container from the fridge. I also came up with the idea of sticking their mansion down into a huge sterilite container and taking the bottom tray out. The grate is still there, so they aren't down in their feces and all I do is dump the tub once a week. It makes things much easier.

Their cage setup


Same cage, before it was put in the bin:


Food prep:


Dexi-girl:


I know a lot of people are against feeding rats so much human food, but they've eaten this way since they were babies fed from a bottle. The last time we went to the vet, he said they were healthier than his rats. They're both about 2 years old and they're definitely healthy and happy. The Beak-Appetite is marketed as bird food, but the ingredients are cous cous, steamed veggies, and a few herbs. The rats love it. They also get fresh berries, cooked pasta, granola, cheerios, apples, their lab blocks (Mazuri) and whatever else I might be eating that night. The packing peanuts you see in the pictures came from an organic bird food company. They are made from rice by-products and are completely edible, biodegradable, and eco-friendly. The rats use them for nesting.

[JLC]

Looks like a ratty sort of utopia to me! Very nice!

And I think PET rat threads can go into the small mammal forum if you like.

[spk329]

I'm coming over for lunch
Is that rat smiling?

[cobweb2000]

Very nice! I get so excited when I see other people on this forum to keep rats in things other than cat litter pans.

I think most people who keep rats for pets approve of giving them a variety of human foods (provided it's not junk foods).
I do something similiar to what you're doing for my pet rats, only I don't have the space in the fridge to keep their food in little dishes. I combine mostly leafy greens, veggies and some fruits and blend them into a slurry and then freeze it into small portions. I then defrost it in the morning and serve it to them over their morning oatmeal. I also give them some of whatever I'm eating for dinner that night, provided it's nothing on the 'forbidden food' list.

Don't know if you're on it or not, but www.goosemoose.com is a nice forum for pet rats.

[Jerhart]

Your rats have a nicer place to live in than where I currently reside.

[rabernet]

I want to come back in my next life as one of your rats!

Do you ever offer them uncooked pasta? Mine LOVE nibbling at the hard pasta.

[Mindibun]

Thanks for all the positive feed back guys. I have offered uncooked pasta before, but they didn't like it. They LOVE cooked pasta, though. I haven't been on that rat forum yet. It's impossible to find a good pet rat forum so I'll give that one a look.

[b8g8]

"Mansion" was a very, very apt description! I had two pet fancy rats too, but they passed on. That was high school, back in the day. *wistful sigh.*

[snakelady]

Very cool. I think they are eatting better than me at the moment. lol.

[Muskrat24]

Nice. I have a similar set up but mine is homemade. They are definately eating better than I am.