Pet rats are highly intelligent, curious, and social animals that thrive on interaction and mental stimulation. They require a consistently enriched environment to maintain their physical and psychological well-being. Providing varied activities is necessary to prevent boredom, which can otherwise lead to destructive behaviors or lethargy. Play should cater to their natural instincts for gnawing, foraging, climbing, and social bonding.
Instinctual Play: Chewing and Shredding Materials
Rats possess incisor teeth that grow continuously, making chewing a biological necessity for dental maintenance. Offering appropriate materials allows them to wear down their teeth naturally, preventing painful overgrowth. Inexpensive, disposable items like toilet paper tubes, small cardboard boxes, and plain newsprint are excellent for satisfying the urge to shred and destroy.
These materials can be used for simple destruction or torn apart for nesting material. Wood is another important component, but it must be untreated and sourced from safe species to avoid toxicity. Acceptable options include apple, pear, willow, and birch wood, which provide a durable chewing surface.
Avoid softwoods like cedar and fresh pine, as these contain aromatic oils called phenols that can irritate a rat’s respiratory system or cause liver damage. If pine is used, it must be kiln-dried. Hard-shelled nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, can also be offered occasionally as a challenging chew item that requires effort to access the reward.
Mental Enrichment: Foraging and Puzzle Activities
The intelligence of pet rats means they benefit from activities that challenge their problem-solving skills and mimic foraging behaviors. Instead of simply placing food in a bowl, owners can use puzzle feeders designed for birds or dogs. Simple, homemade puzzles can be created by stuffing treats inside an empty toilet paper roll and folding the ends closed, forcing the rat to chew or tear the cardboard to get the reward.
Creating a digging or burrow box taps into their instinct to excavate for food. This can be a simple container filled with a safe substrate like shredded paper, coconut coir, or sterilized potting soil, with treats buried at various depths. This encourages the rat to use its sense of smell and paws to work for its meal.
“Pea fishing” involves placing a shallow dish of water with floating frozen peas inside. Rats must use their paws or mouths to retrieve the peas. The water should be shallow enough for the rat to stand in comfortably, and some rats will even dunk their entire heads to grab the treat.
Physical Activity: Climbing and Hiding Structures
Rats are climbers and explorers, and their habitat should provide ample opportunity for vertical movement and secure resting spots. Structures like ropes, ladders, and branches encourage them to use their full range of motion, helping to maintain muscle tone and physical fitness. These climbing elements can be rotated regularly to keep the cage environment novel and encourage continuous exploration.
Rats have a strong instinct to seek out dark, enclosed spaces where they feel safe. Providing multiple hideaways, such as fabric hammocks, hanging cubes, or plastic “space pods,” satisfies this need for security. Tunnels made from PVC piping, cardboard, or fabric offer both a secure pathway and an element for running and chasing.
The placement of these structures is important, as rats prefer to have multiple options for sleeping and retreating throughout their cage. Changing the arrangement of these items during routine cleaning helps to prevent boredom by presenting a slightly new landscape to navigate.
Interactive Games with Owners
Play that involves the owner is important for strengthening the human-animal bond. Rats are highly social and enjoy one-on-one time outside of their cage, especially when it involves gentle physical interaction. Many rats respond well to gentle hand-wrestling or chase games, where the owner’s hand mimics playful dominance.
Their intelligence makes them suitable for positive reinforcement training, allowing them to learn simple tricks like spinning, coming when called, or navigating a small maze. Using small, high-value treats as rewards during these sessions provides mental focus and a rewarding outcome. Supervised free-roam time in a rat-proofed area is also a form of interactive play, allowing the rat to explore a larger space while the owner monitors safety.