We recommend reading about what bedding works best in your home environment for comfort and respiratory health. For example, our rats here are not experiencing "common" health issues that we have read about in rat care forums, and we use what we recommend below.

Some rats may experience "new home sneezes," a term popular in internet searches, but finding the right combination of your home's unique environment to the rats' bedding is critically important.

Some people are turning to higher-heated than kiln-dried pine bedding for rat comfort and freshness. Our favorite is as described above or Aspen shavings for absorbency, safety, and pet comfort.

We recommend what we do, unless a health specialist recommends differently for any individual rat. We maintain a balanced diet for our rats of 85-90% Mazuri rat food and 10-15% fresh vegetables to ensure they receive optimal nutrition. Proper nutrition is key to keeping your rats healthy and happy.

Rats should have access to fresh water at all times. We all know that Florida's summer heat can test air conditioners, and your rats' ability to access clean water helps them to stay healthy and refreshed.

Check your rats' food twice a day to make sure that everything is clean around it and that the food they are eating is fresh. Some rats will hide or even hoard food at times, so you will want to regularly check through their whole habitat too.

In order to ensure healthy living, access to veterinary care funds is critical. This becomes especially necessary if pets have medical emergency situations, need to be neutered, or otherwise need help in making sure that they are physically comfortable and happy pets.