Anyone here got pet rats?

[thelittlemermaid83]

I have promised DD that after Christmas i will buy her a pet, she wants a guinea pig which is easy enough but i want a pet of my own aswell I really want a rat, i love watching them in pet stores and they look so cute and adorable.

BUT i was wondering how easy are they to keep? Do they bite etc....? I want to get a fairly large cage where i can house 2 of them as i read they perfer to live in pairs. Will they do a runner if i let them out for a play?

I'm a rat novice, got the guinea pig part covered though

 

[Snowy-girls]

I will post a few things-but if there is anything specific then please ask .I kept rats for aprox 7yrs and i absolutley adored them .

Yes,they do like to live in pairs,also when getting 2 rats it is ideal to get them from the same litter.Be aware that they breed from a very early age,so unless you want litter after litter of babies then same sex rats are ideal.

All animals bite+rats are no exception,BUT if taken out of there cage at regular intervals EVERY day,stroked,petted,cuddle etc..they will become adorable+lovable+won't have any need to bite you.The younger you get them,which is aprox 6-8weeks the better chance of 'training' them.If they bite say 'no' and put them back in there cage-they are VERY intelligent animals and will learn to associate that it is wrong to bite.

When getting a cage,try to get a glass fishtank with a wire mesh lid,this is much more practical+safer than a wired cage(like what a hamster/gerbil would go in).It is very easy for a rat to get there tail caught in the gaps,and can easily break there tail.Wheels are also not suitable for rats because of there tail.They love toys+wooden gnaw sticks,also toilet roll tubes to tear up.

They are so easy to keep,they do tend to smell,especially boys-i used to clean mine out fully 2 times per week,and there messy area every other day to keep the smell at bay.Place newspaper on the bottom of the tank then put sawdust shavings on top.Then down one end of the tank you can buy hamster/rat bedding-it looks like shredded jay cloths.

I am about to dish dinner up ,but will add more to my post later if need be-any questions just ask.x.

NEVER pick a rat up by the tail. DON'T go to pick them up from behind,let them see you-or they could feel threatened+bite.

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

Thanks Michelle!

Is is true rats will come to know there own name?

My mum was not impressed when i said i wanted a rat, its a shame people think of them as just pure vermin.

If i get 2 males will they fight or is it better to get 2 females?

 

[Snowy-girls]

Thanks Michelle!

Is is true rats will come to know there own name?

My mum was not impressed when i said i wanted a rat, its a shame people think of them as just pure vermin.

If i get 2 males will they fight or is it better to get 2 females?

You're welcome .Cats+Rats are a big love of mine .
My Ben the first rat i owned certainly knew his name+knew the theme tune to Corrie ,he knew then it was time to come out of his tank and sit with me whilst it was on.
I could trust my Ben 100% and leave his lid off for him to come+go as he please for about an hour-if i was having a bath etc..half the time he would curl up on my sofa on the blanket+wait for me.I took him everywhere,even to the local shop on my shoulder or in my coat pocket(i went on to have 2 other rats after he passed away+i could'nt do this with them-they would deffinatley leg it ).He would also sit in my dressing gown pocket as i hoovered .

The old wives tale is not to have boys together-this COULD become true as they suffer highly with there hormones+tend to get 'funny/narky' with the other,but usually it is only if they can smell a female around.But 2 boys-from the same litter should 99% be fine.
Apparantly boys are supposed to be more affectionate,i think it depends on the owner to be honest,my Ben was a diamond+very loving,Jazz,she was also loving,Billy-did'nt like to be handled as much as the others,did'nt like to snuggle with me,no matter how much attenton i paid him.x.

now i must dish up-be back later,i could talk all night about rats .x.

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

You're welcome .Cats+Rats are a big love of mine .
My Ben the first rat i owned certainly knew his name+knew the theme tune to Corrie ,he knew then it was time to come out of his tank and sit with me whilst it was on.
I could trust my Ben 100% and leave his lid off for him to come+go as he please for about an hour-if i was having a bath etc..half the time he would curl up on my sofa on the blanket+wait for me.I took him everywhere,even to the local shop on my shoulder or in my coat pocket(i went on to have 2 other rats after he passed away+i could'nt do this with them-they would deffinatley leg it ).He would also sit in my dressing gown pocket as i hoovered .

The old wives tale is not to have boys together-this COULD become true as they suffer highly with there hormones+tend to get 'funny/narky' with the other,but usually it is only if they can smell a female around.But 2 boys-from the same litter should 99% be fine.
Apparantly boys are supposed to be more affectionate,i think it depends on the owner to be honest,my Ben was a diamond+very loving,Jazz,she was also loving,Billy-did'nt like to be handled as much as the others,did'nt like to snuggle with me,no matter how much attenton i paid him.x.

now i must dish up-be back later,i could talk all night about rats .x.

Awwwww, I can just imagine him poking his head out your dressing gown pocket. So cute!

I really want to get one now

 

[DisdreamerUK]

Hi

A rat is a great pet - we have one at the moment "Kitty" and we had another before her "Ruby". They are great, and really are the best pet rodent to have. We have found that just having one means that she doesn't smell at all, and girls are definitely less smelly than boys!

Having one does mean that you must interact with them every day as they would get lonely. Kitty comes out all the time, she likes dressing gowns too! And loves to get into the kids jumpers/tshirts.

We have friends who we rat-sit for during their holidays - they have 2 girls, so have companionship but they can get a bit smelly after a couple of days - maybe because they scent?

Go for it, you won't regret it.

Jen

PS. Our rats or our friends rats have never bitten, perhaps we've just been lucky but you do have to handle them every day when you first get them.

Oh, and get used to other peoples' reaction when you mention you have rats. They always have a vision of wild sewer rats roaming around your house! It's even better if they visit and you answer the door with a rat on your shoulder!!

 

[Danauk]

Several of our classes at school have had pet rats, I had 2 boys called Tom and Jerry (from the same litter). They were great pets for the kids, easy to handle and very friendly. None of the rats in our school have ever bitten any of the children. They enjoyed sitting on the kids shoulders and running around the tables. We kept the boys in the same cage and never had a problem with them. They could smell quite a bit though so they had to be cleaned out properly and very regularly. Rats make great pets, I would have them again.

 

[Sid74]

I have had rats on and off for over 20 years and have a friend who breeds and shows them.

You do need to have 2 or more together, as they can seem to be fine, but then pine away and die in severe cases, many people are lucky and one is ok, but there can be a big difference in the rats behaviour and wellbeing when they have a friend, they are also supposed to live longer with company.

Males are smellier, and can be a problem if kept in pairs. They can also be more aggressive as they get older.

The best thing to keep them on is the paper based cat litter, as sawdust and shavings aggravate rats lungs with the tiny particles, it can make them cough and actually cause long term health problems.They do love the torn up j cloth bedding stuff, it's really funny to watch them moving it around until it is just so.

You need to treat them like a small child really, give them lots of attention as soon as possible, things to keep them entertained as they are very intelligent and easily bored, and make sure there are no wires or cloth anywhere near them, as they really love to chew,lol.

As snowy girls said earlier they should not be housed in anything with a wire mesh bottom as they can get something called bumblefoot, which makes the bottom pads of their feet swell up and is really painful for them.
I found that other than a large glass fish tank, the best bet is a ferret or chinchilla cage, as they are made with strong teethed animals in mind. They also make accessories for these cages that you can add to stop boredom.

I used to have a lovely rat that lived in my pocket if I went out, and liked to ride around on my shoulder, under my jumper, and poke his head out to look around.They are so friendly if you give them enough time and attention.

My kids are trying to persuade me that we need some more, as it has been a couple of years since the last ones died and they miss having them around, but they are nearly 16 and 17 now, and rats live for a good 3 or 4 years, so I don't think it is fair whilst they don't know what they will be doing next.

Hope this helps, and I look forward to hearing about your new rats.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Rats make ace pets, far far better than gpigs or bunnys, they are diff to drop unlike the others, they are super friendly, I was looking after my friends once and they went up the chimney, I had to get the gas man to disconnect the fire and hubby climbed up for them, they were so dirty, I had to bath them, she thought I was being nice giving them a bath before I went home

Len went mad said never again after I paid the gas man.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I have never personaly kept rats but see lots at work.

Lots of really,really FAT rats, so be warned! they eat everything, esp fatty things, the 2 I looked after LOVED chees and mars bars( a bit like myself)
It is impossible I think to get the wt off them.

Maybe some of the experts on here can tell you more about there experiances?

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

They ate mars bars

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I look forward to purchasing my rats in the new year.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I look forward to purchasing my rats in the new year.

purchase
Try the rspca rtc, they are always looking for homes for babies, cause they breed like, eh ,rats

good luck!!

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

purchase
Try the rspca rtc, they are always looking for homes for babies, cause they breed like, eh ,rats

good luck!!

Never thought of asking there, thanks

 

[Aardvarks]

I have never personaly kept rats but see lots at work.

Lots of really,really FAT rats, so be warned! they eat everything, esp fatty things, the 2 I looked after LOVED chees and mars bars( a bit like myself)
It is impossible I think to get the wt off them.

Maybe some of the experts on here can tell you more about there experiances?

Hmm , this sounds like some work on obesity and brown adipose tissue that was presented back in the 80's.

Cafeteria fed rats will indeed overeat and develop all sorts of human like tendencies.

Rats fed on fresh raw ingredients, raw fruit and grains are able to limit their eating and tend to be fitter, or so as I recall from the science.

Kinda like us really