Domestic rats are highly social, intelligent animals whose welfare is frequently compromised by solitary housing and failure to provide veterinary care for common respiratory and tumor conditions.
Rat welfare is routinely compromised by misunderstanding of their social needs and failure to provide veterinary care. A rat kept alone suffers social deprivation in an animal whose natural state involves constant group living, play, and mutual grooming. Respiratory disease causes chronic breathing difficulties that become progressively worse without veterinary management. Mammary tumors are so common that female rats should be monitored routinely and treated when tumors are small. Despite their short lifespan, rats form deep social bonds and are capable of considerable complexity in their social and cognitive lives.