What Temperature Do Rats Need?
WouterIf you want to keep your pet rats healthy, it’s important to maintain the proper temperature for your rats. Rats do not thrive at extremes of heat or cold. Ideally, the temperature should range from 18 to 24 degrees Celsius. Rats should also be kept out of direct sunlight to avoid overheating.
Rats do not thrive in high temperatures or humidity levels. High humidity can lead to infections and bacteria growth. You should set the temperature in the cage to a comfortable range for rats (75-78degF). If you have multiple rats, you should clean out the habitat daily or weekly. If you want to buy a rat, you can visit your local Petco.
Rats will overheat easily and will try to cool themselves by licking. A hot rat will often sprawl around the cage to find a cool spot. This is a red flag that they are too hot. They may be monopolizing the cool areas and need to cool down. If you notice this behavior, you should provide your rat with a cool place to lie and cool off.
Rats are nocturnal creatures. As such, they can’t tolerate high temperatures and high humidity. Exposure to these conditions will cause them to suffer heat stress and heart attacks. Rats need temperatures between sixty and seventy degrees to thrive and live. Rats exposed to higher temperatures can suffer heatstroke, heart attacks, and death. Even healthy rats are susceptible to heat stress.
