Well, I take the rats out at 4:00 in the afternoon, and I keep them out until night time. They usually go back when there is a show on that I want to watch but they would distract me from, or if I have to do some chores or something, but they always come out right aferwards. I always feel like that isn't enough, but I have to remember all the poor rats that get stuck in their cgaes all day with nothing but seed mix, and then I feel muchly better.