I'm seriously considering adopting a pair of rats this side of next year. Have done some reasearch already, but was wondering about well everything really, such as.... What would their weekly expenses be? (I'm a poor student) Which are better, boys or girls? (for a first time rat Mama) How well would they adjust to moving house? (odds are I'd move out during their lifetime and they will have to come too) Any other knowledge/experience you care to share? TIA *My only experience of rodents was a pet hamster that died about 5 years ago (RIP Harriet) and of course we have the rabbits, but they technically don't count.
Rats are some of the coolest and cheapest pets. They are incredibly intelligent and low maintenance. My friend in art school had a rat named Nigel that rode on his back with his head up under the back of his collar. And my sister's rat LUcky, was initially meant for the snake but the snake could never catch him, so she kept the rat as a pet and he was so sweet. Just have a good place to keep them because they are very good at escaping.
That's cool. My friend Fish* used to take his pet rat to the park. Kind of ispired me to adopt one myself. Though my mother insists the rats can't leave my room (she'll just have to learn to love them ) Sounds a very lucky rat to me Thanks for the tip, I'll probably have a look at cages in the big pet store on Sunday. They will probably live on my chest of drawers (will hold a fairly large cage) *Long story, which I probably don't know.
I used to have rats. I loved them. I had both a boy and a girl (and babies soon after). The male had a better disposition, mellower, didn't bite... The female was a bit more skittish and she would bite once in a while. But, they were great pets. Though, they don't live very long...
Rats are very good pets. I used to work in a pet store, and every set of parents that came in looking for a hamster for their kids left with a rat if I had anything to do with it. They don't bite near as much as hamsters, gerbils, or mice. They can learn their name, learn tricks, and you can feed them whatever you are snacking on. They learn fast that you are their buddy. If you don't mind the HUGE balls the male rats get then I would get a male rat, they seem to be less skittish, like autumn said.
Hey Sera, or anyone else who knows... My rats were kept in a cage... But, would they enjoy a habitrail? My son is wanting a pet and he wants to get a hamster and one of those habitrail environments. But, if a rat would enjoy a habitrail, I think that would be a better idea... I thought you might know, since you worked in a pet store... Thanks!
rats make good easy pets. my mom had several male rats, which didn't fight with each other, and were very tame. my only complaint is that a couple of them died apparently of cancer. it was horrifying to watch. my mom eventually took one and had it put to sleep, as it was very ill, but wouldn't die. i'm not sure if that is common for rats, or just a freak occurance, but it was a bummer.
my sister had rats, they were gorgeous- black hooded. But they also died of cancer; by the end they were covered with horrible tumors. It is very, very common in rats, but don't let that put you off! I'm getting some in a couple of weeks!
Oh How I Love Rats!! Yes There Easy To Maintain, Keep There Bedding Dry, I Use Aspen, No Pine Its Bad For Them. Water Bottle Not A Bowl They Will Tip It, And A Little House Or Bed Wich Ever You Prefer. They Go Through About A Bag Of Food Every 3 Weeks Depending On The Size Of The Bag, But Cheap Compared To Any Other Animal Ive Owned. No I Guess My Cockateil Is About The Same Amount, But You Get The Drift. I Love Fem Rats But Males Are Also Sweet, Its Up To You, Cant Really Go On Spunky Or Tame, Either Sex Can Be Tame Depends On The Rat. Like Flower My Old Fem Rat Was Wild At First Than Became Super Tame And Little Man My Male Was Tame Of The Bat. You Never Really Can Tell. Just Make Sure Their Same Sexes. They Breed Like You Would Not Beleive. I Made A Mistake One Day And Let Flower Play With The Other Ones For Too Long And She Had Babies Weeks Later And They Can Have Up To 9 Babies At A Time. They Also Love Water, I Fill My Bathtub Up About 3 Inches High And Than Put Plastic Cups In Upside Down For Them To Stand On And Clean Themselves, Their Excellent Swimmers. Its The Cutest Thing. You Can Use Any Sort Of Habitat You Want, Aquarium, Wire Cage, As Long As They Have Space And Cant Get Out, Their Crafty. Sorry Look At Me Rambling On So,lol. Good Luck, Keep Us Posted K
rats are fun pets. males do tend to be a bit more outgoing than females, but their are exceptions to this rule. i recommend petfinders.com or your local shelter or humane society for obtaining one (or more). you can usually find out more about the animals temprament if aquired through some type of rescue organization vs. a pet store (shudder). as for food, commercially available food is really cheap in bulk or in small quantities. it can be supplimented with fresh veggies and fruits as well as other things you may be eating. be careful about giving foods high in sugar or salt (as with any animal). remember, RATS LIKE TO CHEW. i do not recommend plastic or wood enclosures of any kind. they will chew right through. if you use anaquarium, get a large one with a hevy mesh top. my andy chewed all the plastic lip off the top of her aquarium. provide lots of things to chew on like toilet paper tubes (or those tubes fro inside tinfoil or saran wrap are even better). and wood blocks. avoid pine or cedar litter as the fumes can be harmful. care fresh and aspen are both nice and fairly easy to clean up. remember the water botlle - fresh clean water every day. also, remove any day old fresh veggies or soiled litter daily. this will make your deep cleaning easier as well as helping to keep your rat healthy. also, daily love and handling are important. the more you handle them, the friendlier most rats seem to get.
Oh I had two little boys- Ratti and Rexus. Rats make the coolest pets, plus they aren't hard or expensive to keep. Food isn't expensive, becuase they can eat seeds and vegtables that you already have. The only thing that's kind of a pain with rats is that they get bored really fast, and they demand attention at night. But seeing people's faces when you walk down the street with them on your shoulders makes it all worth it. Mine lived for a few years..four and a half I think. But that's old for rats. Really fatty nuts and foods tend to give them tumors.
