Do Rats make good pets for Kids and what kind of cages and toys do they need?
Rats make excellent pets, although I wouldn’t recommend them for super young children, who might not be able to hold them securely. Rats don’t need to be held tightly but they don’t feel secure in little arms and hands, especially the big ones. Females and young rats may also be too active for young children, as they are fast-moving and love to explore. They are extremely friendly and will be very curious about people, but they will also enjoy investigating their surroundings. I would suggest a pair of older males, 6 months to a year old, if you can find some at a shelter. They would be more laid-back than younger or female rats and a good introduction to the animal. 
Rats need big cages. They must be kept in pairs, and need 2 cubic feet per rat, so 4 cubic feet for a pair. The cages should be wire for good ventilation and have horizontal bars for climbing. They should be tall. They need to have solid shelves. If they don’t, you must cover the shelves with a pad or something, because wire is very bad for their little feet.
Martin’s cages and CritterNation are both good. You may also wish to look at bird and ferret cages, as many rat cages are not large enough. http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml Use this to check the dimensions of a cage before you buy.
Rats enjoy a hiding place high up in the cage. Hammocks, tubes, tunnels and even lunchboxes make great beds. A cardboard box stuffed with tissues will keep them amused for a while. They are highly intelligent, so it is generally better to get cheap, easily replaced toys for when they get ignored or destroyed. http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm This link provides many such that will be fun to make with children.
Rats will time their days to be in sync with yours, to an extent, and will be awake and ready to play when they know that the children are. Playtime will be a massive source of fun to them, as well being allowed to explore different parts of the house, such as the bathroom (easy to wipe tiles, few wires, etc…perfect). My boys explore the kitchen. They can be litter trained and trained to come when called, so it’s a fairly low-risk venture as long as they are supervised.
I hope this helps! Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Cages, Toys, and Automesses.flv
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