Everyday I spend hours with the animals.  I remove soiled bedding and litter and replace it.  I feed them fresh food and fill up water bottles.  The rats are allowed to play in their play area in groups. 

       I feed the rats Mazuri rat blocks, my own "fiesta" mixture (grains, pasta, dry cereals, dried fruit, dog food, and other "seasonal" ingredients), fresh veggies like dark leafy greens, carrots, peas, etc., and small amounts fruits. 

      I use aspen shavings as litter and shredded paper as bedding.  Boxes and tubes are suddenly houses and highways in my house.  Tiny boxes and crumpled paper become toys.  Old pant legs make great hammocks for lounging on.  I make little hammocks for the rats out of fleece.  Every cage gets a hammock. 

     I believe in breeding rats to be healthy, happy pets.  I truly strive for the "perfect" rat.  In my mind "the perfect rat" would be healthy, affectionate, and attractive.  I want my rats to make other people happy.   I also want other people to make my rats happy at the same time.  Owning pets is a symbiotic relationship.  You give a pet love and care and in return that pet gives you unconditional love. 

This picture does not do this awesome cage justice.  This is my rattie apartment building :o)  Each cage is much bigger than it looks in the picture.  Two guinea pigs can live in each cage.  It was originally a guinea pig breeder cage but I have modified it to house rats by doing things like adding bungee cords to hold the drawers in and adding hammocks, shelves and toys.  This cage houses all of my resident rats.  Smaller cages and aquariums are used to hold rats in quarantine, rat families or young weaned rats.