In whatever room you choose to let your rat loose, make sure there are no holes in the floorboards, any open wires that it could chew on or any other pets or animals it would be unfamiliar with. [2] X Research source
Although establishing a schedule is generally a good thing to do, there’s nothing wrong with shaking it up from time to time to keep your rat entertained.
Buying a vertically tall cage is a good idea. Rats love to climb and will scale the inside of a steel cage with ease. [4] X Research source
Letting your rat walk about freely as you clean will help shake up the routine further. It will investigate what you’re doing, keeping it entertained for the duration of the cleaning process.
Change the maze every few weeks so that it won’t get too bored with the same paths.
Dog chew snacks or parrot chew toys work well for rats too. This can be a good source of entertainment, especially if there are several of them that the rat can choose from. Small plastic balls with a bell inside can be great toys for them to chase around a maze.
An exercise wheel is the tried and true method, but if your rat doesn’t use it very much you can also build small circuits in the cage for it to run around.
Rats are intelligent and can be taught all manner of tricks and behaviors, but some may not come naturally.
After many repetitions, try calling for your rat by name. If it responds, give it a treat. Once it has learned its name in the training area, say its name in other areas of the home so that it associates its name with the words you’re saying, not the location you’re saying it in.
This trick is all about confidence and trust, so make sure to reward your rat with plenty of treats as you work. Sit on the floor and place a small amount of treats on your shoulder, let your rat climb up you and onto your shoulder. Encourage it to stay there by petting it. After your rat is comfortable sitting on your shoulder when sitting, slowly rise to your feet, reassuring it the entire away until you are standing with the rat on your shoulder. Do this several times without walking anywhere. Once you feel your rat is confident riding on your shoulder while stationary, slowly walk somewhere when standing up. By now, you should have built up enough trust in the rat that it will be able to ride along on your shoulder.
