Meet My Pet Rats

Last weekend I went on vacation to Michigan to visit my grandparents. I felt so bad for leaving my rats so soon after I got them, but fortunately my sister was a wonderful ratsitter and I was only gone for 3 days. There were a few things I had to think about before I left, and these are things any rat owner should think about before leaving their rats with someone else.

1. Food - Make sure to leave enough food to last the duration of your trip. Also give detailed instructions on how much to feed, when to feed, and what not to feed.

2. Water - Let the rat sitter know how often to check the water bottle/bowl and how full to fill it. Since my ratties are in a temporary cage and I can’t use a real water bottle with it, I had to make sure Ronnie checked the water bowl twice a day because the ratties kick litter into it.

3. Litter - If you are going to be gone long enough that the litter needs to be changed, leave instructions on how to do it. You may need to write them out.

4. Play time - If your ratsitter is comfortable with your ratties and vice-versa, let her know what is acceptable play and what toys the rats like to play with. Also make sure she knows what items might not make good play toys.

5. Other Animals - Find out if there are other animals in the house that your rats will be staying at. Ronnie has 3 cats, so we had to pick a cat-free room to put the cage in. Animals like dogs and cats that aren’t used to rats should be kept away from them.

Hopefully this list gets you thinking about what to do if you have to leave your babies with a sitter. Don’t forget to call and check-in!