• Move food and water closer to the ground level of the cage, so its easily accessable. Avoid making them stand up for their food/water bottle. You may have to change food bowls to a shallow, low bowl instead.
• If there are levels, try bring them closer together, so if the rat takes a tumble they wont fall as far as normal.
• Add some cloth or similar to the ladders, to make sure there is ample grip. Lower levels also help ladders not be too steep.
• Cover any exposed wire. Weaker rats are more likely to get their feet or claws caught in the wire.
• Try new beds that are lower to the ground, like boxed filled with tissue/toilet paper instead of hammocks. Climbing in and out of a hammock could add extra strain.
• Keep an eye on the temperature around the cage. Older rats have weakened immune systems and draughts are not good.
• You'll need to clean the cage more regularly, as older rats may not be able to move away to the loo, and their nesting area will get dirty.

• Extra high calorie treats are good to help keep muscle condition.
• Extra vitamins are helpful to be added into the diet.
• Provide soft foods that don't require being held to eat. Also keep an eye that your older rat's food is not being stolen/eaten by other cagemates. If neccessary, take him/her out to eat separately, so you can monitor daily intake. Foods like baby food, soft cooked noodles/pasta, pureed vegetables and fruits, rat blocks soaked in soy milk, "nutrical" high calorie paste, avocado, porridge, yogurt, etc are all good to give.

• A daily wipe down with a damp cloth or wet soft bristled brush can help keep his coat groomed. If you use a damp cloth, make sure the fur is not wet, which could lead to a cold!
• Rats use their feet to clean their ears, so you may need to remove built-up wax. You can roll up a bit of toilet paper and gently wipe inside and around the ear, but do not go too deep as you can damage delicate ear drums.
• Sometimes, a simple thing like holding your rat upright in your lap can allow them to groom using both hands, something which is difficult with hind leg weakness. Although you might find when you try to assist, they think you're offering them something or doing something interesting and they forget all about grooming to inspect what you're doing.
• Regular clipping of his back claws will be necessary as they won't be worn down normally. Do not cut too close to the quick, and if it bleeds, have a look at our Toenail Injuries article on how to handle the situation.
• Old rats may start having bladder control problems. If this happens, keep their belly clean after they urinate, as the urine can burn and irritate the skin.
• Moving his limbs around with gentle range of motion exercises will help keep his joints flexible.