Start With the Mischief, Not Just the Rat
Rats are never a single-pet story, so the top of the page names every rat in the cage, with ages, colours described in words, and who is confident, who is shy, and who must be watched at food time. A photo of the whole group helps a sitter do the daily headcount that matters — a missing rat is usually asleep in a hammock, but the profile should say where each one typically hides so the count takes seconds. Add neutering status where it applies, since it shapes behaviour a sitter might otherwise misread, then your contact number, a backup person, and your vet's details.
Cage Layout and Daily Housekeeping
Map the cage in a few lines: which levels hold the water bottles, where the litter tray sits, which hammocks are favourites, and what gets spot-cleaned daily. Rats mark and rearrange constantly, so tell the sitter what "normal messy" looks like and what is actually wrong — a tipped bottle, a chewed-through hammock strap, a door clip left loose. Name the bedding and litter you use and the ones to avoid, especially anything strongly scented, since rat lungs are sensitive. If the cage has a door that sticks or a latch one particular rat has learned to test, that belongs on the page in plain language.
Food, Treats and the Free-Roam Routine
Write down the staple mix or blocks, the amount per rat, and the fresh foods in rotation — rats thrive on variety, so list what yours get across the week and anything individual rats cannot have. Note the treat that works as a recall bribe, because the page also needs the free-roam section: when he comes out, for how long, in which room, and what has been rat-proofed — cables lifted, gaps blocked, doors shut. A rat who expects an hour out each evening will tell a sitter about it loudly if it is missed, so the routine belongs on the page like any feeding time.
Handling and Personality Notes
Describe how your rat is picked up: two hands scooped around the body, supported, never by the tail. Say where he likes to ride — shoulder, sleeve, hood — and whether he comes when called or shakes a treat tub. Personality lines earn their space here: the rat who greets everyone at the bars, the elderly one who needs a lift down from the top shelf, the youngster who bolts for the sofa cushions. Note any handling limits, like a rat who is still learning to trust hands after a rescue start, so a sitter works at his pace.
Health History and the Signs That Matter
Keep a compact health block: past vet visits and what they were for, any ongoing watch points, and current weights if you track them. Then the call-you signs, in rat terms: breathing you can hear, sneezing that goes on all day, a head tilt, porphyrin staining around eyes and nose that is heavier than his usual morning amount, a lump anywhere, or a rat who stops bruxing and boggling and sits hunched in a corner. Rats are prone to chest problems that worsen quickly, so the page should push the reader to phone early. Kept current, that single sheet does the job of a KinsLe Pet Passport — your rat's records in one packet, ready for the vet or sitter who needs them.