Rats make GREAT pets! (I promise!)
Jul 09 '00
I have had many different types of animals throughout my life (cats, dogs, rabbits, iguanas, turtles, fish, newts, crabs, etc...). I'm a certified "softie," willing to take in any stray I find. As a child this caused some problems and as an adult I realize that one person can only take care of so many critters, but there's one animal I will always make room for: a pet rat. I've had three rats: two boys and a girl. My current rat, Toby is a girl. (Well, she was supposed to be a "he". Hence the male name...)
Now many people will stop reading right now. they're thinking, "A rat!? That's disgusting! Who could love those ugly, smelly, plague-infested vermin?" Unfortunately, those people have fallen prey to bad stereotyping. The pet rats you find in the local pet store are anything but plague-carrying, fang-bearing, monsters. In fact, they are one of the most intelligent and clean pets you could possibly own.
Why choose a rat for your pet?
"Tricks"
Rats are highly intelligent and easily trainable. All three of my rats knew/know simple "tricks" like "fetch", "climb up", and "stay". I use a combination of word commands and hand signals and it only took a couple of weeks for the rats to learn each trick. Some tricks are a bit harder than others, so the time will vary. For instance, it's easier to get a rat to pick up a thrown item than to bring it back. But some tricks are very easily learned; Toby and my husband play a game where she runs from one tip of his outstretched arm to the other - and she picked this up in less than a day.
Acknowledgement
Your rat will know you. Unlike some pets, rats truly bond with their owners. Toby knows both my husband and I, she knows my coworkers, and she knows how to behave around each of us. For instance, she knows she can con a cheese cracker out of my boss if she stands up and begs. The more love and attention you give rat, the sweeter it is - to everyone it meets. All of my rats eagerly greet(ed) me on my arrival home by anxiously tapping on their cage and they know/knew how to guilt me into treats when I've been gone too long.
Training
Once a rat feels comfortable in its home (cage) and knows that it can get food there, it will always gravitate towards it. Why is this a plus? Well (keeping in mind the fact that rats are very smart and can easily learn how to manipulate latches and lids), if your rat gets out by accident, odds are good that it will find its way home when it gets hungry.
With my second rat (Joey), I didn't even need a lid. He would stay in his cage until I called him out. Since I didn't have inquisitive cats at the time, I didn't mind leaving his cage "topless." Another example: I have a travel cage for Toby, so that I can take her to work with me. (I work for a very open company!) She knows her travel cage is "her place" and it's the only place she'll go potty. No rat mess to clean up on my desk.
They are very clean!
I know that when most people think of rats, they think of the Black Plague - giant wharf rats with fangs, fleas and disease running amok trying to bite people. Here's a not-so-secret secret: rats, like most mammals, prefer to be clean. Only a sick rat would allow itself to become dirty. Rats are fastidious about their grooming. They habitually clean themselves many, many times in the course of a day. They will choose a specific part of their cage to go potty; they don't potty where they eat/sleep/play.
If you're still worried about dirt: give the critter a bath. Most rats like water and many like to swim. Just make sure that the water isn't too deep and that it's a tepid temperature. I give my rattie baths (I give the cats baths too!) and, in fact, Toby really likes getting a bath.
The only time that a rat will smell really badly is when you forget to clean out its cage. And you'll want to clean the cage out because a stinky rat is an unhappy rat.
They are good first-pets.
If you're looking for a pet for a child, a rat is a great choice. Since they are much larger than a hamster, mouse or gerbil (and much less high-strung), they are easier for children to handle. They are docile by nature and do not bite unless severely neglected or provoked. Rats are highly inquisitive and won't just "sit there" like a turtle - rats are very interactive pets. And if the child neglects to feed or water the rat one day (it's bound to happen with a kid), since rats are hardy animals, it won't turn up its toes instantly.
Other Info
Illness
Rats are prone to tumors. It's a sad fact, but most rats will die from complications with a tumor (be it trauma or health). These tumors are not indicative of a disease that can be transmitted to humans. However, the tumors can sometimes be very unsightly and painful for the rat. My two previous rats both died from tumor complications.
You also need to watch out for bronchial infections. The quickest way to circumvent this problem is to listen to the rats before you buy one. If any of the rats in the pet store's cage are weezing, don't get any of them. This is a problem that requires medical attention (and getting a vet to look at a pet rat can be difficult and costly). To prevent your rat from having bronchial problems, just keep its cage out of drafts and make sure it's always warm enough. Other signs to look for: runny noses, "teary" eyes.
Life Span
Most pet rats will live to be 3 years old. They're small critters which accounts for the shortness of their lives.
Diet
Rats will eat just about anything, so it's a good thing to watch what's available when they're out. I used to make my own rat food by combining sun flower seeds, alfalfa-pellets (like rabbit food), dried beans and unsalted nuts. Now, I buy Kaytee Premium small mammal food (various types: rat, rodent, hamster). It has lots of nutritional goods like unshelled peanuts, dried carrots and dried bananas. Toby is a big fan of the hamster diet, which has pumpkin seeds and kidney beans in it. (Another plus about Kaytee Premium brands: a portion of the proceeds goes to help save birds and their habitats.)
I have found that my rats also like fresh carrots, grapes, raisins, Triscuts, cheese, and virtually anything I eat. My rat Sidney loved maccaroni and cheese, but disliked strawberries. Joey would go crazy for a piece of shortbread cookie. Toby's favorite treat is a commercial small animal products called "Carrot Drops." They're a yogurt-based "candy" made with bananas and carrots.
Handling
Never pick up a rat by its tail. This is the cardinal rule of owning a rat. You can break a tail by doing that. Scoop up your rat with both hands if you need to pick it up.
Habitat
Either a wire cage with a solid (not mesh) bottom or a glass tank with an open mesh lid. It's not a god idea to force a pet rat to walk around on caging or mesh; it will cause foot problems. The negatives with a glass cage is lack of ventilation though. I keep Toby in a long glass aquarium with a mesh lid. However, since her home is on top of the entertainment center, we live the lid of for her to crawl around as long as we're home.
For bedding, never use cedar chips. It often causes breathing problems. I currently use a commercially-available brand of recycled paper bedding. It works out great and Toby loves playing in it. Sidney would only live with regular newspaper though; anything else was to frou-frou for him, I guess. Some people I know use white pine shavings, but I've never tried them.
Toys
Bird toys work great for rats - we currently have a bird ladder in Toby's cage so that she can climb out instead of jumping. We also have a dangling wood toy that she plays on.
Give your rat something to hide in/under and to use as a den. When your critter gets frightened, it needs to have a place to go to feel safe.we have a large "half dome" for Toby. She used it a lot when she was younger, but she rarely uses it at all now, except when she's playing "bulldozer" in the bedding.
Every rat needs a blankie. Give your rat a small piece of cloth (about the size for your hand), rats like to sleep (and hide) under soft things. You'll also find that they like to chew on them, so you'll have to replace this item every do often.
Toilet paper tubes are a great and inexpensive plaything for your rattie. Not only is it something they'll love to chew on, but you'll find that it will be moved, positioned, removed and repositioned constantly.(My rats have all enjoyed "playing house".)
No matter what you get for your rat to play with, the most important toy it can have is you. The more you play and interact with your rat, the more bonded and tame your critter will become. I like to play tug of war with Toby - and sometimes she lets me win. It's fun for me and her and it helps to keep her close to me.
Choosing a pet rat
Gender
I've heard that female rats are more docile than males. I disagree. My girl Toby is much more active than my rat Joey ever was and I don't think she's any less active than Sidney was. I think the main decided factor for most people is an aesthetic one. I'll say it plainly: Male rats have gigantic testicles. I'm not exaggerating; they're huge. This never bothered me though, and with a female rat,t here's always a chance of getting a pregnant one if (like the place we got Toby) the store doesn't understand how to properly sex young rats. I would suggest just finding one that seems particularly friendly to you, regardless of sex.
Size
When you go to the pet store, you'll see cages with different sized rats. Usually the labels are small, medium, large and extra-large. My rats have all been either small (Toby) or medium (Sidney and Joey). I prefer to get my rats younger because I think it's easier to bond with them. The positives with a small rat is that the bond more quickly. The positive with a medium rat it that they are large enough to be sexed properly.
Fancy or Plain
I buy "plain" rats (also referred to as domestic white or hooded.) Mine have all been hooded: brown head, white bodies. However, many pet stores offer "fancy rats," which are sort of like pedigreed animals. Personally, I don't see the big deal for the price difference. Plain rats are usually half the price of fancy rats. (But, then again, I prefer mutts and moggies too...)
Personality
This is the most important thing: make sure the rat isn't too skittish. It probably won't come to you right away, but it should interested in you when it sees you outside its cage.
In the end...
Owning a rat is not for everyone, but I think they would fit into more people's lives than society realizes. If you are thinking about getting a hamster, mouse or other rodent, don't neglect considering a rat simple because of false stereotypes. Rats make wonderful, intelligent, loving pets. Don't be fooled by the "sewer rat" image!
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Location: Frisco, TX
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