What Do I Need to be a Rat Guardian? You need to be responsible. You need to be committed. You need to be informed. You need to have the availability of money in case of health concerns. You need to have the time to interact with your rats each and every day for at least 1/2 hour, or more preferably, a whole hour. You also need to buy a basic list of supplies including; a cage, a water bottle, a food container, food, a sleeping den, toys, and litter.