Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You have gotten some excellent advice. Yes, rats do make wonderful pets! Moderator cut: orphaned . I will say in defense of hamsters, that our little Black Bear has been the sweetest little guy. Not all hamsters are mean. Their cage set up is also cheaper. Sometimes you can find used cages on Craigslist. If and when you do get a rat, please post some pics.
Last edited by SouthernBelleInUtah; 02-17-2010 at 11:31 AM..
You have received excellent advice already, so I will only add one *con* to the list.
If they DO get a respiratory illness it can be a heart-breaking experience. We adopted ours from one of the kid's classrooms and she was already ill.
Despite visits to the Vet, antibiotics and special breathing treatments she lasted less than a year and it was so hard to watch her gasp for breath when she had a flare-up.
Still we adored her and her sweet little kisses... Looking back on the expense and heartbreak, we'd do it again in an instant. She was worth it.
My mom worked in a lab when I was a kid and I had three pet rats (sequentially, not all at once). It all started when my mom and some of her co-workers adopted a rat with a lot of personality that they named "Trubble". He was their pet at the lab for years. I'll never forget the day when my mom came home from work with "something" in her purse. It was my first rat, Warren. I was so excited!
They were great pets, intelligent and gentle. Never once got bit. I would say they lived between 2-3 years. I had a huge dollhouse, handed down to me by some wealthy family friends, and my rats had a great time running around in that. I used to also let them run around in my bed, where they'd leave little hard poops and chew up my sheets (not recommended, but hey, I was a kid).
They lived in a wire cage and we fed them pellets. They liked people food, as well. Our cat was afraid of them, but we never took a chance on leaving them alone together. My friends would say, "Ewww! You have a rat!" but liked them once they got to know them. White rats really are much nicer pets, IMO, than hamsters or gerbils.
I had a huge dollhouse, handed down to me by some wealthy family friends, and my rats had a great time running around in that. I used to also let them run around in my bed, where they'd leave little hard poops and chew up my sheets (not recommended, but hey, I was a kid).
Oh yeah! Children's toy houses/garages, whatever make great toys for the rats! I look for them at thrift stores and garage sales.
Follow Steelstress example:
The bigger the 'playground' the happier the rat.....many climbing areas. many cross bars to run across........many little hide-outs......maybe even some small toys.
The same goes for hamsters, gerbils, etc, etc......even rabbits
I also put in a bird perch (simple wooden dowels, really) on each floor of the cage and put a roll of paper towels or toilet paper on there, and they pull all that they want to make their "nest." I get it all free from work. The janitor pulls out the rolls in the dispensers that don't have enough for a complete work day, and brings them to me.
god, I have a mess of rats now, 9 boys. one rat con for me regards female rats. I LOVED my girlie rats, and many find them more pleasing to look at (not boy goolies!), but I had bad experiences w/ my girls all getting mammary tumors and dying very young. on the other hand, my boys lived for 2+ years (not to say they had n health issues, but less than my girls). this of course could have just been my bad luck, since my girls originated from a pet store rat. this issue could be solved by getting females from a reputable breeder w/ good health records, or by getting the females spayed. I'm personally squeamish about having such a small animal go under the knife (had a few girls not make it post surgery), but again, could just be my bad luck.
I also had hamsters in the past, some not that social, a couple that were darlings, but the rats topped them all. I've had rats for nearly 6 years and the only time I've been bitten was when I was stupid enough to try to pick up a newborn baby from the cage (mama was NOT happy. rat mothers can vary on this willingness for you to touch their litters). rats are just wicked friendly, trainable (my boys are about 90% litter boxed train- one boy, don't know who, keeps missing!), and are very dog like in that they do enjoy your company. I always say that a lot of small pets lie hamsters and gerbils are just furry goldfish, fun to watch, not all that great to play w/. rats are different. my boys play w/ feather wands, wrestle with my hands, groom me, etc.
as mentioned, avoid tanks and enclosed cages. wire cages only (Martin's cages and the Critter Nation are very popular rat cages). also avoid cedar and pine shavings and also most cat litters (aspen is okay. ditto pelleted paper cat litter). you can find online sources for food for barely $2/lb (rats need about 1lb/month/rat, I think). avoid cheap pet store seed mixes. homemade rat food can be made using dried fruits/veggies, cereals, and lite dog food, but the recipe needs to be exact and it's always best to use lab blocks instead
also avoid pet stores. either get young rats via a rescue or find a reputable breeder. it's amazing the variety that exists (not as grand as mouse varieties, but still awesome). w/ a good breeder, you can choose from rats that are blue, Siamese marked, Dalmatian spotted, masked, rex (curly) haired, Dumbo ears, dwarf, Manx/tailless, hairless, etc. of course, a "regular" old black and white or albino rat will be just as loving, but some people like the exotic kinds
forgot to add, the biggest con to owning a pet rat: they only live for 2-3 years. too short for such a fun little pet, but in that short time, they do a LOT of living, so it's worth enduring the grief of a short life span for the time you do get
One thing I have to bring up, because it's really bugging me...
My sisters & I got our first pet rats at a pet shop in Colorado when we were kids. We were told they lived 5+ years, and the woman who owned the shop had one that she claimed was 6 1/2... our own rats lived to be about 4-5... Mine passed away first out of the three because she was a bit older when I got her. Then years ago, I went to the pet shop here in WY to get a rat. They told me the rats they sold were not "pet quality", they were feeders, and so they would only live about two years. Sure enough, my little Mia that I bought died almost exactly two years after I had gotten her.
I see everyone here is posting that they live about 2-3 years... I'm wondering what on earth type of rat did I get when I lived in Colorado that had nearly double the lifespan of these other rats?? Has anyone ever herd of a particular breed with a longer lifespan?? All I remember is that they were hooded rats... mine was black & white, & my sisters were brown & white and blond & white. I know that's just in ref. to the markings, not the breed... This is really bugging me! If I ever get a rat again, I'd like to get the same kind I got way back when, because not only did they live about 5 years, they also seemed smarter & friendlier than Mia, the feeder rat I had here in WY...
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,808,548 times
Reputation: 7185
A piece of antler makes an excellent gnawing block for rats. They are generally pretty low maintenance critters but make sure you stay on top of cleanliness - a neglected rat cage will get really nasty very quickly.
They are actually fairly clever when it comes to escaping an enclosure, so be sure your cage is secure unless you like searching for rats in your house.
The cons: It's a rat. People make jokes about chihuahuas being rats, actual rats are a little more difficult for some people to accept.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
