Ratproofing Your Home


Before taking your new rats home you have to decide where to put the cage. You will need a large, accessible area so that you can clean and feed with ease. You must keep the cage away from draughts, direct heat and sunlight.

*Don't put your rats in a room where people smoke, or where there is a smoky coal fire - both can affect your rats' breathing as their lungs are very small.

*Make sure the room is safe for your rats to come out, although you must never leave them alone.

*You MUST cover all cable wire with aquarium tubing or cable tidies. We prefer white overflow pipe - the wire can be easily threaded through and then stapled with overflow brackets to the wall. The pipe is £1 per metre - the brackets are £2 for 20. The end result is very neat, tidy and safe.

*Cover your furniture with throws or old blankets. Rats love to chew and pee on things that they shouldn't. You can just pop the covers into the washing machine.

*Litter trays are handy for their droppings, but it can be a bit hit-or-miss sometimes.

*Household plants can be poisonous. Make sure your rats have no access to them.

*Make sure that you cover any holes in the floor or skirting boards - rats love dark places.

*Always secure doors and windows.

*Move any valuable ornaments into another room.
Not only will they damage your ornaments, they 
will also hurt themselves.

*Always keep the toilet lid down - a rat cannot get 
back out again after climbing in to investigate.

*Beanbags can be dangerous as rats choke on the
polystyrene pieces.

*Clear books, CD's, pens, pencils etc, rats love to chew!

*Waste paper bins can also be hazardous. Keep a lid on them or remove them completely.

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