5 Reasons Why Pet Rats Make Wonderful Pets

Pet rats are nothing like their notorious ancestors that brought the plague to Europe in the 14^th Century. Considered the best of all caged rodents by animal experts, pet rats make wonder pets, far more wonderful than the more popular gerbils and hamsters. For one thing, pet rats never bite their owners (like hamsters), nor do they shun human touch (like gerbils). Curious and responsive to their environment, pet rats love to be petted and played with. Even so, people who have never owned a pet rat are reluctant to do so. Well, it's time for someone to set the record straight-so here are 5 reasons why pet rats make wonderful pets.

#1. Pet Rats Love to Leave Their Cage

Unlike shy gerbils or aggressive hamsters, pet rats just love to leave their cage and play with the family. They sit on the shoulder of their owner and go with him everywhere. They'll enjoy eating with their human and doing household chores together. To own a pet rat is to own a cheerful, tiny companion that always wants to join in the fun.

#2. Pet Rats Love to Groom Their Human

Perhaps the most endearing display of affection pet rats display is to groom their human. This tendency, so common in dogs and cats, is rare in rodents and only rats are known to show such a level of affection for their humans. A rat will comb his human's hair, wipe his face with his tiny paw, and try to lick his human dry after a shower.

#3. Pet Rats Are the Most Intelligent Pet Rodents

Far smarter than gerbils or hamsters, pet rats make wonderful play pets. Easy to teach, pet rats will use their smallness and agility to perform all sorts of tricks, from finding their way out of intricate mazes to obeying "Sit" or "Come" commands typically reserved for dogs.

#4. Pet Rats Are Super Clean Pets

Though known as dirty animals, pet rats are actually a lot like cats, who are famous for their cleanliness. Pet rats lick themselves clean often, as cats do, maintaining the cleanliness of their bodies. Inside their cage, pet rats will build themselves a little shelter from newspaper or wood chips or anything else their pet owner provides. Inside this dwelling pet rats will never urinate or defecate, a quality that takes long to teach to dogs who are considered far smarter than rats. In fact, pet rats have been known to use a litter box when one was placed in their cage.

#5. Pet Rats Are Super Friendly to Other Rats

Pet rats are friendly beings, pure and simple. For this reason, pet rats are best raised in company of at least one other rat-to prevent them feeling lonely in their human's absence. From the pet owner's perspective, watching pet rats interacting can prove as much fun as playing with a pet rat yourself. Just be sure to pair same sex rats unless you wish to breed baby rats (called "kittens") yourself.

If you would like to adopt a pet rat, you can do so from a reputable rat breeder, a reputable store that sells domesticated pet rats, or a local rescue organization for domesticated pet rats, which typically come from families whose pet rats reproduced in large numbers. Always verify that your pet rat is domesticated-that he comes from a line of friendly, domesticated parents and that time was taken to domesticate the kittens from birth.

The National Fancy Rat Society in the United Kingdom offers excellent information for pet rat owners, from rat shows to best rat care tips. The Humane Society of the United States offers helpful information on pet rats from food recommendations to rat care.

And for a new perspective on exotic animals, here are 7 lovely exotic animals that you can safely adopt without getting nasty looks from the neighbors.

References:

Wise Geek: Do Rats Make Good Pets

PetRat.info