Water bottle for rats: always fresh water, even high up in the cage

Rats need access to fresh, clean drinking water all day long. In a rat cage, a water bottle on the bars is the handiest solution for this. Rats are strong and curious: an open water bowl is soon knocked over, filled with bedding or used as a play area. A bottle keeps the water clean and the base dry. That is extra important with rats, because wet bedding soon starts to smell of ammonia, and that puts a strain on their sensitive airways.

In this category you will find glass and plastic drinking bottles, bottle holders, coolers for warm days and a cleaning brush. From Zooply, our own premium brand, there is an aluminium bottle holder with magnets for glass enclosures.

At a glance

• ✓ Refresh the water every day and clean the bottle thoroughly at least once a week.
• ✓ With a group of rats, preferably hang two bottles, in different places or on different levels.
• ✓ For rats, choose a bottle of 250 ml or larger; the 75 and 150 ml bottles are for mice and hamsters.
• ✓ Hang the bottle so the spout stays out of reach of the bedding, but your rats can reach it comfortably.
• ✓ Rats gnaw plastic: hang the bottle on the outside of the bars or choose glass.

What will you find in the Water Bottles category?

Zooply aluminium bottle holder with magnets

The Zooply aluminium bottle holder is made for glass enclosures. The holder attaches to the glass with magnets, so the bottle sits firmly in place without drilling or fiddling with suction cups. According to the product information, it is designed for hamsters, gerbils and other small rodents in a terrarium. If you keep your rats in a glass enclosure, the holder makes sure the bottle hangs neatly and stably there too. Aluminium is also unappealing to gnaw on, which is an advantage with rats. In a normal wire cage you do not need the holder; there you hang the bottle on the bars with the bracket.

Glass water bottles

The Trixie glass water bottles come in 250 ml and 500 ml. They hang from the bars with a bracket and have a float, so you can see at a glance how full the bottle still is. Glass absorbs odour and residue less quickly and cannot be gnawed. For a small group of rats, the 500 ml is a practical size. The 250 ml is handy as a second bottle on a higher level.

Classic plastic water bottles

The Classic drinking bottles made of transparent plastic are light and unbreakable. For rats, the 320 ml and the 600 ml are suitable; for a larger group the 600 ml is the most practical choice. Rats love gnawing on plastic. So preferably hang these bottles on the outside of the cage, with only the spout poking in. There are also 75 and 150 ml Classic bottles in this category, but those are intended for mice and hamsters.

Bottle holder, coolers and cleaning brush

The Trixie bottle holder (ø 18 × 30 cm) is made of bark wood and gives a bottle a standing place on the floor. Rats gnaw wood, so check the holder regularly. You first put the Beeztees Drinking Bottle Cooler (18 × 8.5 × 8.5 cm) in the freezer and then slide it around the bottle; according to the product information it fits around 600 ml bottles. With the Savic cleaning brush you can reach right down to the bottom of the bottle.

How many drinking spots does a group of rats need?

Rats should live at least in pairs, and in a group there is almost always one rat that takes the lead. If there is only one bottle, that rat can block the drinking spot or chase the others away. With two or more rats it is therefore wise to hang two bottles, in different places. In a tall cage with several levels, you can hang one at the bottom and one at the top, so rats do not have to keep going down to the floor.

A second bottle is also a safety measure. If one spout gets blocked or a bottle runs dry, your rats still have water.

Hanging a water bottle in the rat cage

Hang the spout at a height your rats can reach comfortably, sitting on their hind legs or standing on a platform. If the spout hangs too low, it touches the bedding and the bottle empties into the base. Do not hang it above a hammock or the food bowl either, so leaking drops do not fall into them.

Hang plastic bottles on the outside of the bars. Inside the cage, rats gnaw holes in them or pull the bottle loose. A glass bottle can also go on the inside, but then fix it firmly, so a climbing rat cannot push it off the bracket.

If you bring young rats home, hang a bottle a little lower for the first few weeks, so even the smallest can reach it easily. Press the ball a few times so a drop hangs from the spout; most rats work out how the bottle works within a day.

Keep the bottle out of full sun and away from the radiator. Warm water goes stale more quickly and algae grow faster in light and warmth.

Cleaning and checking

Refresh the water every day, even if the bottle is still half full. When refilling, press the ball in the spout: a drop should come out, but not a stream. Rats sometimes play with the spout and can make the bottle drip empty that way. So also check that the bedding under the bottle stays dry.

Clean the bottle thoroughly at least once a week with warm water and a bottle brush. Do not forget the spout; residue from saliva and food often builds up there, because rats regularly drink with food in their mouths. Rinse thoroughly so no soap or smell is left behind. Do not use strongly scented products; rats drink less from a bottle that smells strange.

Water in summer

Rats cope poorly with heat. They do not sweat and quickly overheat on warm days. Move the cage to the coolest spot in the house, out of the sun, and make sure there is always cool water. A Beeztees cooler around the bottle keeps the water cool for longer. On warm days, check more often whether the bottle is still full enough. If a rat is panting, lying stretched out flat and lethargic, or responding poorly, move it to a cooler spot and contact a vet with experience of rodents straight away.

Useful combinations

• Food bowls: a heavy food bowl next to the drinking spot, for a fixed place to eat.
• Rat food: Zooply Rat Food as the daily foundation alongside fresh water.
• Bedding: low-dust, absorbent Zooply bedding keeps the base dry if a drop does fall.
• Cages: a cage with levels where you can hang a bottle at several heights.
• Terrariums: glass enclosures that the Zooply bottle holder with magnets fits.

Frequently asked questions about water bottles for rats

How much does a rat drink per day?

That varies per rat and depends on size, temperature and what your rat eats. Rats that get plenty of vegetables drink less from the bottle. More important than an exact figure is that you know what is normal for your group. If a rat suddenly drinks much more or much less, and also eats differently or is quieter than usual, contact a vet with experience of rodents.

My rats are gnawing the water bottle to pieces. What now?

That often happens with plastic bottles that hang inside the cage. Hang the bottle on the outside, with only the metal spout poking in, or choose a glass bottle. A broken bottle leaks into the base and can have sharp edges; replace it straight away.

Glass or plastic: which is better for rats?

Glass cannot be gnawed, absorbs less odour and is easy to clean thoroughly. It is heavier, though, and can break if it falls. Plastic is light and unbreakable, but rats love gnawing it. If the bottle hangs outside the cage, both are fine.

The bottle keeps leaking. Why?

Often the cap is not screwed on properly, the bottle hangs at an angle or your rats are playing with the spout. Fill the bottle completely, screw the cap on tightly and hang it straight. If it keeps leaking, replace the bottle. With rats, you want to avoid a wet cage.

Can I use a water bowl as well?

Yes, as an addition, for example a heavy ceramic bowl on a platform. Bear in mind that rats throw bedding and food into it and that a bowl gets dirty more quickly. So refresh the water in a bowl more often. In a rat cage, a bottle remains the most reliable foundation.

What is the Zooply bottle holder for?

The Zooply aluminium bottle holder is made for glass enclosures, such as a terrarium. You attach the bottle to the glass with the magnets. In a normal wire cage you simply hang the bottle on the bars with the bracket and do not need the holder.

Buying water bottles for rats at Knaagplaza

At Knaagplaza, the webshop of 't Knaagplein, you will find water bottles and accessories for a rat cage that always has fresh water. Combine them with Zooply, our own premium brand: rat food, low-dust bedding and the aluminium bottle holder, products we use every day for our own animals.