Where Do You Keep Your Rats?

[SADCAT]

I keep my girls in my bedroom. In fact, I can't sleep unless I hear those ratty noises at night! When I went to stay with my grandparents for a week last summer I had to take them with me or I knew I wouldn't sleep a wink.

[DebW]

The 7 that live  at home live in the computer room.  Their play area is the laundry room during the cold months and the garage when it warms up.

My school rats inhabit the entire counter space that runs across the back of my room.   In the summer, they live in the garage.  I air condition it on really hot days by leaving open the door to the laundry room and running a fan.  Other days they get some fresh air, which they seem to love!

The garage set up consists of 3 cardtables with two 8 foot pieces of plywood stretched across them. A section of the area is for cages and the rest has tons of toys, boxes, tubes, digging boxes, etc. . .

[RatStalker]

Ours were in my son's room until we got dwarf hamsters.  Now the hammies are in Sam's room, and the rats are in ours.

I'd like to keep the rats someplace else because we're not in the bedroom very often, but too many people are freaked out by rats & think a home that has them is "unsanitary" so we keep ours out of sight.  We don't have to explain anything or defend ourselves that way.

[WeeRaffins]

My two ratties are in my bedroom.   I've gotten used to their scrabbly noises.

[mustang_grl143]

I keep mine in the bedroom but after them eating my sheets I keep them on the other side of my bedroom

[Jodi]

I know this sounds obsurd to all u rat lovers, but my

Mum makes me keep my darlings in the shed !!

I hate to think of my darlings in the cold dusty, dark shed. But nothing I say will make a difference to her !!

She thinks they stink and they poop and pee everywhere.

Anyone know anything I could tell her to make her believe that its "normal" and fine to keep rats inside  

Augh! Maddie, do whatever you can to convince her they need to be kept inside! Ratties don't stink as long as they are kept healthy and their cage is kept clean. But they sure won't remain healthy if they're kept in the shed!!!  

Tell us about their cage, what you use for bedding/litter, etc. Maybe we can suggest ways to keep the odor down better so your Mom will be more easily convinced to let them stay inside where they belong! I use covers on all my cage floors/shelves that are easily changed and laundered every other day, and I've managed to get lucky and get all my ratties to use those ferret corner litter pans now for toileting, so we hardly have any odor at all.

Please let us know more about your situation and maybe we can help!

[Yresim]

I keep my rat in my art room ("bed room" on the floor plan).  The room is near the front of the house, and the door is always open, so she sees almost everyone that comes into our home.  This also lets her "talk" to people as they go by (if she is awake).  To make her more visible, the cage door itself faces an odd-angled area that I don't work in very often.  If I go into that area while she is sleeping, she will immediately wake up (expecting a treat or some time in her rolly-ball).  

Due to people-traffic in my house, I cannot let her run around too often.  I do let her wander the house in her purple rolly-ball, as long as no one TOO clumsy is there (I don't want her to get kicked).  She gets to wander around the rat-safe bathroom about 2x/week.  I also occassionally let her wander the art room.

The main reason that they are in the art room, though, is because it is the room in the house with the most stable temperature.  Everything gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer because I live in an eikler (1 step up from a trailer).  However, this room has the least variation.  In addition, I give them extra bedding (fleece, etc) in the winter, and I put gatorade in their water during the summer.

[Dingo-Rat]

My rats live in the living room, except for Dingo and Bronson who stay in my room, (they love to free roam at night and this way i don't have to worry what they might be getting into.  

[Idarat]

Mine are in the bedroom, more out of the habit of living in one bedroom efficiencies or having non rat-loving roomates (who all ended up as converts) Also, currently the bedroom is a loft, which means it is warmer up there than the rest of the house, which is a plus in New England.  Someday when we are rich (or at least not desperately poor) we hope to have a designated "rat room" where the ratties can be free range ratties.  Currently the rats get playtime in the bathroom/hall and spend a lot of time lounging on the couch.  

[Melanie]

Mine have their own room.  

[amymckee]

I keep the big cage in the living room/ family room/ whatever you might call it. It is so big, it is really the centerpiece of the room, not counting the sofa. I keep the little cage on the counter of this little nook/mini bar area in the same room.

Right now my temp. mouse is on my dresser, but I put her in the hallway every night so I can get some sleep. The wheel is really unbalanced, and makes noise even when it is oiled.

[Anmllvr731]

I've got a huge cage with Dale and Muffin in our bedroom.
And another huge cage with Elouise and Maggie in our tv room
I can't go to sleep at night without laying in bed for about 10 or 15 minutes and watching those sillies run around.