It's a good idea to train your rat to get onto your hand voluntarily so you'll know when it wants to come out to play. To start, try to lead your rat onto your hand with a treat. At first, reward it for just putting its feet on your hand, then gradually require it to get on all the way. Move your hand slowly while your rat is aboard, so you don't frighten it.

Once your rat is comfortable in your hand, consider giving it even more freedom. Rats enjoy the opportunity to run around and explore outside their cages. It's not only good exercise but also makes them better pets, allowing them to develop their intelligence and personality. How else can you play hide-and-seek together or watch your pet's amusing antics, such as when it steals pieces of newspaper and carries them back to its cage?

Many people don't let their rats run around on the floor but instead give them access to furniture, such as beds, couches or table tops. Most rats confine their roaming to areas they grew accustomed to while young. So, if you prevent young rats from leaving the furniture, they will have little desire to get down on the floor when older. There are always exceptions, however; some rats are born explorers and escape artists.

Because of their habits of chewing and urine-marking, you may want to protect furniture with a washable throw cover before their excursions. If your rats don't have free access to their cage while out, you should place them back in their cage once every hour to give them the opportunity to relieve themselves.

If you want to give your rats access to the floor, you must first "rat-proof" the rooms they will be allowed to explore. The first step is to seal any holes in the walls or floors where your rats could disappear. Although fully socialized rats won't try to run away, they could get scared and refuse to come out. Next, place all electrical wires out of reach or protect them with chew-resistant covers. Close all toilet lids. You also may want to remove valuable pieces of furniture or keepsakes from the room.

The final step is to offer your rat a litter box or give it access to its cage. While rats can't be housebroken, most will choose to relieve themselves either in their cages or in a protected corner of the room, which is where your should place the litter box. Use the same type of litter or bedding in the litter box as you do in the cage. A plastic drawer organizer measuring 6 by 9 by 2 inches is the perfect size for a rat litter box.

Pet rats are small enough that you can take them with you almost everywhere you go. Rats love to ride on your shoulder where they can look around. You can also let your rat ride in a fanny pack or your shirt pocket. One enterprising young rat owner let his rat ride on top of his head underneath his baseball cap. He turned the cap backwards so the rat could peek out the hole in front.

Once your rat learns to come when you call it, you can let it run around outside on nice days, if you use caution. To be on the safe side, check your local pet store for a tiny harness designed to fit rats. Rats love bounding through the grass and sniffing all the smells, just as dogs do, and it's these doglike qualities that make rats such good pets for children and adults alike.

Author(s): Debbie Ducommun

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