Pet rats make great pets. It is estimated in the UK alone 200,000 rats are kept as pets. They are inquisitive, playful and highly intelligent animals that love to explore their environment. This is why enrichment is so important for pet rats.

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What is enrichment?

The definition of ‘enrichment’ according to the Oxford Languages dictionary is ‘the action of improving or enhancing the quality or value of something’.

When we talk about enrichment for our pets, what we are talking about is normally environmental enrichment. This is when we take action to improve the quality of their environment; to make it more stimulating and attractive to the animal.

Why is enrichment important?

Enrichment is essential for all pets and especially for our small furries such as pet rats. Providing environmental enrichment encourages our pets to use their brains in new ways, solve puzzles and explore. With no enrichment our pets environment doesn’t change. This means they become less engaged and interested, and their quality of life is reduced. 

Imagine living in your home day in, day out, never leaving, with no-one visiting, the same food every day, the same routine every day, no new objects, nothing changing. You would inevitably get very bored quickly and your mental health would likely suffer. 

This is the same for our pet rats. If we don’t provide them with enrichment to keep their environment and life interesting they can become very miserable and disinterested. They are incredibly clever animals so it doesn’t take long for them to become very familiar with their environment – much like people. You may be surprised to know that one of the five domains of animal welfare is ‘mental state’. Not providing enrichment negatively impacts our pets mental state and their overall welfare and quality of life as a result. 

So now we understand the importance of enrichment, what can we do to provide enrichment for our pet rats?

Examples of environmental enrichment for pet rats include:

  • providing new toys to play with
  • changing the position of cage furniture 
  • spreading food out within the enclosure to encourage foraging behaviour 
  • providing external play areas outside of their cage where they can explore such as building a DIY maze and changing the layout each time they use it so they have to learn a new path and explore a new route.

What toys are best for rats?

The main thing to remember when purchasing new toys for rats is that they need to be safe for pet rats. Importantly they should not be made from any material that would be toxic or harmful if eaten. For example, certain types of wood can be toxic to rats as can certain paints and wood treatments used to coat some toys. It is important to make sure you know what material the toy is made from. And check that it is safe before giving it to your pet rat. It is also important to remember they need to be kept clean and regularly disinfected with a pet rat safe disinfectant. This is to prevent bacteria building up on them. 

A good way of providing safe toys for enrichment for your pet rat is to use a recommended pet shop that provides items specifically designed for pet rats. Examples of toys which would provide good environmental enrichment for rats are included in the list below. But many other options are available and you should take your time to explore the options out there and pick toys that best suit your pet rats.

Examples of toys:

  • Tubes – tunnels and tubes are great for exploring and linking different areas together, you can get ones that connect to each other or ones that hang individually in the cage like this one.
  • Climbing frames and ropes – these are great for encouraging your pet to use the height of the enclosure and again great for linking areas together like this one. Always make sure you check the condition of the toy and replace it if it is broken or                  destroyed by your pet!
  • Food puzzles and gnawing toys – rats love to chew and gnaw and it is important they do this to wear their teeth down. Toys like this food maze allow you to place their normal food in hidden compartments to encourage exploring. The maze itself is also edible and encourages gnawing.

These are only a few examples of the wide array of toys available. Remember that rotating toys in and out; positioning them in new locations in the environment; and changing the layout of the enclosure are all good ways of reusing enrichment you already have to keep the environment stimulating for your pet rat. The aim of toys is to stimulate your rat to use their brain and enjoy their environment. And there are many ways you can achieve this. 

Summary:

  • Enrichment is essential for all pets including pet rats 
  • Enrichment keeps your pet rat stimulated and using their brain, which improves their mental state and overall welfare 
  • There are many ways to provide enrichment to your pet rat and it is important you check any items you are giving your pet rat are safe before adding them to their environment

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