What I've found to be the best:

1) Food: Nutro Natural Choice® Lite

A lot of people make the Suebee mix but I don't have the tolerance for mixing or cooking or trying to find all the things needed for it. So I sought out something that would give them all they need without leaving me miserably frustrated. This has been a Godsend for me. My rats became very shiny, they LIKED (and still do) the food, and I never have to worry about them picking out just what they like and potentially leaving them hungry trying to get them to eat the rest of the food. Overall it makes me more comfortable and is definately good for them. I tend to just keep the food dish full to the brim at all times so they have more than enough to eat.

Any kind of bowl is fine for food. I prefer the ones that look like this myself and are made of DURABLE plastic:

Other people like to have heavyweight ceramic as that is harder to tip over.

As for water containers I like water bottles. Bowls of water get litter and urine in them easily as rats don't always watch where they are going to the bathroom. Water bottles take care of that problem. :) Get the ones with the little ball in the stainless steel tube at the bottom. They aren't prone to leaking as much. I get mine at Walmart. They are white with a thick black top and black writting all over them. I think they are REALLY generic but I've had trouble with the ones I buy at PetCo and will swear by these WalMart water bottles that they don't leak. I'm not sure what anyone else gets. I tried to find a picture but couldn't. So these from PetCo will have to do as an example.

For those interested here is the SueBee Mix:

1/2 to 1 lb. dry rolled oats
Quaker is fine, but may be more expensive. Keep in mind that oatmeal is binding, so too much can cause constipation problems.

(1) 5.3 oz. box puffed wheat cereal
Malt-O-Meal, Quaker or Kashi, which is available in natural food stores. Cheerios are also a viable alternative, if the other two are not available, but keep in mind that there may be added sugar. The Quakerhas no sugar content. The exact oz. amount between brands is not a big deal. The 5.3 oz is the weight of the Quaker box.

(1) 6.4 oz. box puffed rice cereal
Quaker is the best brand, because it contains no sugar. Rice Krispies really are not recommended, because of salt and sugar content.

1 12 oz. box Total Cereal
Highly recommended by The Rat Fan Club and my veterinarian for its exceptional nutritional content, due to added vitamins and minerals. It's only available in the United States. If you can't get Total, you can add a children's vitamin/mineral tablet to their diet, or use small animal vitamins.

1/4 to 1/2 lb. roasted, unsalted soy nuts
These are somewhat high in protein, but contain valuable cancer-preventing agents, so they are a good addition to the mix. Not all rats like them. They may also be called roasted soy beans. If you can't find them, you can work soy into their diet in other ways, such as soy milk, tofu, soy crumbles and soy yogurt. You can also purchase Just Soy Nuts online.

1/2 lb dried fruits (optional)
Dried bananas and cranberries. The bananas offer potassium, and cranberries are good for the urinary tract. Banana chipsare fried so try to avoid them. Instead there is a brand name called Just Bananas, which are nothing more than dried bananas. They also have a lot of other fruits and veggies that make great treats, or additions to the mix.

You can also substitue dried fruit with fresh, but remember if you do to serve it seperately. Frsh fruit can, obviously, not be stored with the rest of the mix as it'll go bad a lot sooner than the rest will.

1/2 lb dry pasta
The tri-colored elbows, with spinach and tomato flavor. Nice and crunchy for the teeth, and a good source of carbohydrates, which helps balance the protein in the soy nuts. 12 oz. is a little more than 1/2 lb and will work fine. Whole wheat pasta is also a good choice.

1/4 lb sunflower seeds
The large sunflower seeds for birds (the black and white ones) are best. Keep in mind that too many sunflower seeds can add too much fat and protein to the diet. Use common sense.

1/4 lb muesli (optional)
Sometimes (especially in winter), getting the rolled oats in bulk is difficult. This is a good substitute. It offers a nice variety, but I would use it sparingly due to sugar content.

Mix everything together in a huge bowl (or divide ingredients in half and make two batches if you don't have a bowl big enough for everything -- I actually end up doing three batches!). Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

2) Litter: Purina® - Yesterday's News

I know a lot of people like Aspen and it is safe, but this is my favorite. I tried CareFresh and it did absolutely nothing for my allergies nor for odor so I gave this a shot and found an improvement in both. The pellets are easy to clean up if thrown out of the cage, are nontoxic, easily digested if your rats decide they want to nibble, and are practically dust free. I have nothing but good things to say about this stuff. Also NEVER use pine or cedar. There are chemicals in them that attack and hurt your rat's liver.

3) Cages: Martin's Cages

A little on the expensive side but WELL worth it if you can't make a cage yourself. See if you have enough room in your cage using this cage calculator. I like The Rat Tower (R-690) myself. Anything more is too overwealming for me although I know a lot of people here who like the bigger sizes. I REALLY recommend getting the powder coated stuff as galvanized steel without apowder coating is harder to keep clean. I didn't know that and didn't know how to properly clean it so I ended up paying for two cages (that I got for my male and female sets or rats) and they ended up rusting from the urine.

4) Treats: Everything and anything healthy! I find grapes (frozen or not), whole wheat pasta, yogart, olive oil soaked bread, peas, carots, and just about any other vegetable you can think of, chicken and beef, and even the occasional bite of chocolate makes for happy ratties.

Rats are omnivorous. So they like fruits and vegetables as WELL as that piece of hamburger you are eating. :twisted: Rats should only have about 15% crude protein in their food so for things high in protein try to give only a tiny but and not very often. Males especially have more trouble with higher levels of protein and will start to itch so much they cut themselves and give themselves scabs!

5) Food Myths and Dangers:

Unlike dogs, chocolate is okay for rats. They just can't digest it so it pretty well passes through and takes up space...in addition to giving them a sugar rush. VOOM!

Peanutbutter is a BIG hit among rats, but it is so very thick that rats easily choke to death because they can't breathe through it. I wouldn't give them any unless you spread it INCREDIBLY thin on a cracker or something and even then watch them like a hawk.

Fowl bone are actually okay for rats. Unlike dogs, they have a flap of skin they can shield their mouth and throat with allowing them to chew on even chicken bones without worrying about the splinters. So the bones make for fun chew toys.

Rats can pretty well eat anything you can. If you are worried about something, just write and ask us I'm SURE we can tell you the answer. There are lots of people who could probably add to my list of good and bad foods but these are the ones I know off the top of my head.

Licorice: Neurological poisoning.
Raw Beans: Anti-nutrients that destroy vitamin A and enzymes rats need to digest proteins and starches. Also may cause red blood cells to clump.
Carbonated Drinks: Rats can't burp, causes a significant amount of discomfort. If you HAVE to give it to them let it go flat.
Raw Sweet Potato: Compounds form cyanide in the stomach.
Bleu Cheese: The mold is toxic to rats.
Raw Red Cabbage: Anti-nutrient that destroys thiamin.
Raw Brussel Sprouts: Anti-nutrient that destroys thiamin.
Raw Artichokes: Inhibits protein digestion.
Orange Juice: Can cause kidney cancer in males only. (It's something in the peel)
Green Bananas: Makes it difficult to digest starches.
Green Potato Skin and Eyes: Contains a toxin called solanine.
Rhubarb: Contains high levels of oxalates.

6) Toys: Socks, hammocks, bones, ropes, if you can think it up they would probably like it. Just remember the golden rule: "If it is expensive and SUPPOSED to be a toy rats will often stick their noses up at it. If they AREN'T suppose to have something and it ISN'T supposed to be a toy they want it with vigor." So be creative. Maybe get some silly doll houses from the dollar store. Southern Rat gets her babies those desk sized garbage holders from the dollar store and her rats sleep in them. However mine seem more interested in stealing my Mom's expensive fleese jacket into their cage, the pillows that often get too close, and any bits of clothing still being worn provided it is in reach. :rolleyes: Guess they are more interested in stealing bedding material than anything else. However, many people have had EXCELLENT luck with bird toys. You know the kinds that hang from the cage top. Mine seemed interested in chewing on them more than playing with them though.

7) Health: If your rat is actually acting sick, rush him or her to the vet IMMEDIATELY. Rats are small creatures who learned early on if they act sick they are attacked by predators more readily. So if they are acting sick they are very well on their deathbed and CAN'T hide they are sick anymore. Rats also don't get colds like you or dogs or cats. They get Upper Respitory Infections (commonly referred to as URI's) that have a lot of the same symptoms but are serious and if left untreated for long WILL cause DEATH. If you think your rat has a cold, again it ISN'T a cold and is a life threatening disease. NOT something he or she will get rid of if given time and rest.

If you find your rat is squeeking constantly while it looks like they are just trying to breathe, if he or she sounds like a guinea pig this isn't normal. Rats will squeek if they feel threatened, if they are stressed, or upset. However it tends to be one very loud, piercing squeek of displeasure. Or possibly three if the hint isn't taken. They are not the loud animals TV portrays them to be. So odds are if your rat is loudly squeeking away when no one is around or bothering him he isn't doing it on purpose but is having trouble with his breathing and lungs. So take him to the vet, it is past time.

On the other hand, rats will grind their teeth together when they are happy. It's kind of like a ratty purr. We call it bruxing and along with it will come eye boggling if they are off the wall happy. Eye boggling looks like their eyes are moving up and down gently in their eye socket at a rapid face and is most definately comical. Your rat isn't sick in this case, just really happy! It means you are doing a good job.

8) Quarenting and Introductions:

The Quarentine (3 week period):

1) Have two cages available to you. One for your new rat(s) and one for your current rats.
2) When you buy your new rat(s), put them in your quarentining cage. This cage should be in a seperate room from your current rat(s) cage if you can. If you are in an apartment with only one room, put them on seperate sides of the room and as far away from eachother as possible or better yet ask a friend if they will take your rats for the 3 weeks of quarentining.
3) After holding the rat(s) from your quarentining cage, change your clothes and preferably take a shower before you hold rat(s) from your current batch. This will help make sure that if they are sick you won't be transmitting the illness. Do the same if you hold your current rat(s) and want to hold the ones in your quarentining cage.
4) Have a place that you play with the rats in your quarentining cage and a different place to play with your current rats. Neither the quarentine rats nor the current rats should come in contact with the same area as eachother to ensure no one will get ill from the other.

Okay! You just got yourself through the 3 weeks of quarentining! None of your rats look sick. None of them died. So now you want to try the introductions!

Introductions:

1) The first step of introductions is to put the quarentining cage and the cage with your current rats side by side. Now make sure they can't get at eachother if they aren't happy. Leave an inch between the cages or so.
2) After a day or so of that, put a bit of litter from the quarentine cage into the current cage and vice versa. For 3 or 4 days.
3) Put rats from cage A into cage B and rats from B to A, so that they are in seperate cages, just not their own cage over night, every other night. For 3 or 4 nights.
4) So now they are used to eachothers scent? Grab a towel and put a rat from the quarentine cage and the current cage in a place together that neither of them ever play. Such as a bathtub. If a fight occurs throw your towel over the agressive rat and get him out of there. Then repeat steps 1 and 2 before trying again. Sometimes it is useful to dab vanilla on their nose so they can't smell anything else for a while. For 3 or 4 days.

IMPORTANT! When doing introductions, you must do them so you only have two rats. Never do an introduction with three or more.

5) Yay! They are getting along great in neutral territory. Now it's time to clean the current rat's cage. Scrub it up good. Clean all of their toys and houses. Have fresh litter in the bottom. Clean the hammocks, food bowls, and anything else you have in there. Even take out their chew toys and give them fresh ones.
6) Whee! Cleaning is all done. Now it's time to put all of your rats together in one big cage. I like to watch them for at LEAST an hour to make sure no one gets aggressive. From then on I keep their cage close to me for the rest of the night, just to be safe. If no one is being agressive, you can go to sleep. Should you wake up in the morning to find them all sleeping in a pile you know you have a bunch of VERY happy rats. If they don't get along, repeat steps 3 and 4. Should 3 go wrong? Go back to step 1 and 2.

Make a note that most rats will live together very happily. However there is always one once in a while that REALLY just doesn't like to be with other rats. They will harm the rats around them no matter how much you try to introduce them. When this happens you just get a new cage for them so they can be alone and make sure to spend EXTRA time with them each day. Just so they won't get lonely.