hi everyone! i’ve been a big fan of rats since high school and now i’m finally able to get some! i’ve been doing a lot of research but i get some conflicting advice. so, i have a few questions about bedding, recreation/enrichment and food?

i saw separate things saying having plain newspaper is fine for bedding as long as it’s not used for the bathroom, and then i saw some people say to not use it under any circumstance. same thing with fleece.

with recreation i definitely will be getting a playpen (bar spacing of 1/2 inch) but i was wondering if it would be necessary for there to be a burrowing area? i was planning on getting a decently sized box/storage container but i might not have the space.

for food i also keep seeing conflicting things? some places say that citrus/avocado/chocolate is fine in small amounts and other places say not to feed them it at all. i was planning on feeding my rats mainly oxbow lab blocks, but also mostly veggies (broccoli, peas, carrots, bok choy) and some protein (boiled eggs and chicken) and fruit (apples and bananas).

what have you guys had the most luck with in the past/what do your rats seems to thrive most with? i’d love to know before i get them!