I am thinking of getting a pet rat. My mom doesn't want me to, but she had one as a kid so I thinks she just doesnt think im not responsible enough :$ But I was wondering if they are actualy are good pets. Anyone have some tips?
My friend got 2 female rats living in his house. They aren't dirty and they are so ''sweet'' to us. They can be verry good friends if you take care and time for them.
rats are THE best small mammal pets!!! I have four males. They are friendly, loving, tame, and very smart! and so cute. they will love you alot, and they actually act like little dogs.. they will cuddle with you, go places with you, and even lick you. hehe.. i love rats. get one!
rats are brilliant, pefect pets. we have kept rats for years. pets don't get any better. i would take them for walks with me, they would sleep on my stomach while i was watching tv, reading, working. they need attention and love and they give it right back to you. i would advise you get more than one, so they can keep it each other company. poppy, my first rat, she liked to sleep in a big chest of drawers, she was too cute, lol.
Make sure that if you get a rat, you get two. Rats are very social and need the companionship of other rats -- without it, a rat will become lonely, depressed, and may even die. I have rats -- they are awesome pets. I wouldn't be without one. They are very intelligent (mine know tricks) and funny little clowns. They are great companions. Do remember though, that they are not the easiest nor the cheapest pets in the world to take care of. There are many dietary and medical concerns. A rat in it's lifetime will most definatly need alot of medical care -- they are generally not healthy pets. My rats have the uttermost care taken in nutrition and exersise, but bad breeding has completely dwindled their immune systems, as with atleast 95% of rats. My rats have gone through surgeries, medications, etc. All of these things cost monety. In the past 5 years I've owned rats, I've probably spent nearly $600 on them. Rats also need atleast an hour outside their cage per day, more is better. You may also be required to bathe, clip nails, scrub tails, etc. The food you buy the the store is not good for them, so you have to prepare your own. Are you sure you're ready to do all of this?
I used to have rats, and they are awesome pets! They are way smarter than other small rodents and are really affectionate. Just make sure that your cage has really close together bars (mine used to squeeze out when I wasn't home). Oh and take them out of the cage lots(noone likes to be locked up)
I have 3 rats. one is albino and two are hooded. They are kept in seperate cages (the albino and the hooded rats ) the albino Georgie is old (they usually live 2-5 years) sick and has a tumor, and the two new ones bug her so she is seperated. Anyways they make beautiful pets. Georgie is trained to come to her name and we are working on the new ones. At first they pissed all over everything, when they do this you want to pinch the tip of their tails. You can train them to come to their names fairly easily using yogurt drops. They are very smart and social animals. They make wonderful pets!!!!
my pet rat ded recently, he was so purty! he used to ride around in my sleeve and in the bib on my dungarees. my god i miss him theres so smart and there really not dirty at all. trick is they dont last too long. and fancy rats are prone to tumours. x x x
I was horrified to read what you said about pinching the tips of their tails! YOU DO NOT DO THAT! Rats pee alot and rats usually will not pee outside of their territory unless frightened! You do NOT punish them or hurt them for being scared! What a very cruel thing to do! A rat's tail is very sensitive and if you pick them up by the tail, there is a chance of the skin coming right off of their tail! Rats cannot support their weight when lifted by the tail...I suggest you do some more research on them... Also the average lifespan is 2-3 yrs...with the rare case of 4.
Rats are really good pets...they are alot like little dogs.Very clean and affectionate and smart. They need a good diet, a large cage and lots of stimulation.They like to climb and do other little tasks and things.They also love riding around on your shoulder.They bond with their owners too.But you should have at least 2.Also you should have a good vet that specializes in rats nearby. If you are going to get a rat, go to a reputable breeder or a rescue.Avoid pet stores...
Coming into this subject late, and glad to see Lisa has already been here with her knowledge! lol I have had rats for about 5 years now and love them!! They are very smart and trainable when treated well. They can be prone to respiratory infections and tumours sadly...so you may want to consider making sure the vets near you care for rats.... also please research them as much as possible...this will also show your mom you are very serious about caring for them and want to know as much as possible to be responsible for them.... Good luck if you're still trying to convince her, I went out with a friend and got mine behind my mom's back and she loved them...lol
I dont mind pet rats which arent from the sewer lol. Its jus the sewer rats I hate. filthy disease carrying vermin thingz.. Urgh!
Yes rats are very smart and social animals and make wonderful pets....they are also animals that feel pain. Did you know if one of your rats tried to run while you were pinching it's tail, that you could deglove it, which means you could strip the skin off the end of the tail. Pinching the tail is cruel, as is any form of punishment and negative reinforcement. Would you like it if someone 20 times the size of you pinched the tip of your ear or nose like you do your rats? If you actually cared about them, you wouldn't be so cruel to them. Unbelievable.
"Sewer rats" are actually not filthy by choice...they are clean animals,but because of humans they are abit dirty.We leave garbage and waste everywhere and that attracts "sewer rats" which are actually black rats or norway rats. They don't carry disease either.If your thinking of the plague well that has been proven that the fleas on the rats carried that disease.The parasites are the disease carrying things. Oh and by the way you shouldn't stereotype an animal without researching it.You cannot really say you hate them,unless you had a bad experiance.Rats are portrayed as dangerous,dirty animals by Hollywood and so many people believe what they see on TV...unfortunatly.
ohhh man. i have to meet her!! we haven't actually hung out since BEFORE you got her! hahaha, doobie is so cool.
Just found this thread (yes, I do use the search button before opening a new thread! ), I'm reading everything I can about rats atm ... Would SO love to have at least 2 rats, but Mum refuses ("Rats are disgusting. They smell. And you've got guinea pigs already."), so I'll have to wait till I move out (and earn some money, rats seem to be quite expensive for their size ).
rats make great pets, as long as you spend lots of time with them. That may be your mother's concern, that you aren't responsible enough to clean their cage every other day or take them out and teach them tricks and keep them socialized. Female rats don't stink at all, and males only stink if you don't keep their cage good and clean. Like most rodents, the stink is a result of not changing the cage litter often enough. And like most rodents, they will pick one corner to use as a bathroom and you can just scoop out that part every day or every other day, and then change the entire cage litter once a week. They will not get along with your guinea pigs, and might even kill them if given half a chance. Rats, just like other furry pets, do become jealous if they feel you are not paying them enough attention or if they think another animal is getting too much of your attention.
I wouldn't let the rats and the guinea pigs get together! As for responsibility, I care well for my guinea pigs, I guess it's mostly the "Eeeeeeeeeeeeew" factor for my Mum. I guess as I will finish school next year and will probably go to another town for my FSJ (a kind of "voluntary civil service") it won't be too long till I can decide about my pets on my own. Actually, waiting this year might be a good idea so I can see whether I still want rats then or whether it's just a fad.
