Believe it or Not, Rats Make Great Pets

Some stars have bad images. The rat is just one such star. Unlike many, there isn't a wide knowledge or acceptance of this great pet. It seems, you are either a rat lover or a rat hater, and usually the rat haters are those with the following images in mind. First there is the rat that is riding along on the ship, disease ridden and hiding there, lurking in hopes of stealing what meager food supply those traveling on the ship have. Then there is that rat with the red eyes that is gigantic and available at so many stores during Halloween. This rat happens to be the star of the movie Ratz, and a few other horror films based on the fear of this particular rodent. But a pat rat, is nothing like this, he or she is a star for other reasons.

Pet rats, mans best friend (though not as famous as the larger, louder varieties):

Contrary to some opinions, rats make great pets. They are friendly, fun, and love playing and loving with humans (after they get to know you of course). They love to learn to do new things and play new games (one rat I know has played the where is "Charlie" game since he was really tiny. He used to hide his whole body in the hand of one of his human friends and he would get all excited and reappear when he heard them ask, "where is Charlie", now he is large and hides just his head, but gets just as excited!). There are many rodents that are acceptable pets in today's society: guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, and gerbils, but none of these rodents really truly likes having human playmates. Rats do.

Additionally they are good with children, even young children. My first rat would make visits to my Sunday school class where she would get mauled by three and four year olds, she was always great with them, loving and sweet. Now, Charlie gets poked at and "loved" by my fifteen month old son. He is always great with Marcus, even when Marcus puts treats in between the bars and then takes them back. No, matter what the age, rats are great with children.

Rats are easier to take care of then cats, dogs, or birds. Dogs have to be walked and/or their wastes must be picked up, cats have a litter box that must be changed which is never fun, and birds are often messy and hard to clean up after. Rats on the other hand can have their bedding changed easily and with little effort and little cost (after the initial cost of set up). They also take up a small amount of space making them a great pet for small houses, full houses, or even apartments.

Things to know:

-Rats can be found at pet stores. Some of these are sold as fancy rats (usually at Petco or PetSmart), while they cost more then at smaller pet stores they are bread for pets, usually you find great personalities, and healthy rats. Smaller pet stores might have rats for a few dollars each. They are usually all grouped together (males and females) which means you need to be careful about the gender, pregnancy, and these rats are usually "feeder" rats bread for feeding to snakes. Sometimes they aren't treated right and they aren't always healthy. You can still buy rats here but there are several things to know (if the rat is timid, scared, or tries to bite, don't try and take it home to "rehabilitate it". It could have a social issue or a health issue and it is best to avoid adding it as your problem. If you buy a rat from here to add to your other rats make sure it has a nice long period of time separate from the other rats to check for illness, and introduce slowly. Last, if some look sick, avoid the whole lot.) It is best to buy a rat from a breeder, but it usually takes longer, takes finding a breeder, and cost more.

-A power coated wire cage with 3/4" spacing is recommended. Larger spacing means that your smaller rat(s) may be able to get through (they flatten themselves really good) and smaller spacing means they could get their feet stuck while climbing. They should always have solid shelves and a solid bottom. Without a solid space to walk you can cause injury to their feet and legs. Play toys (everything from chew type toys to hammocks designed for ferrets to bird toys can be fun for rats) should be added. Bedding should be chosen with care. Cedar, while it smells nice should be avoided at all cost since it causes respiratory problems, pine isn't recommended by all breeders (I use pine and have never had a problem), there are also recycled products out there, some smell bad, others are expensive and need to be changed more often.

-Make sure you are ready to play with your rats. This means talking to them, petting them, taking them out, and giving them things to play with. They should have at least one hour a day out of their cage (exceptions can be made for vacations and such).

The biggest thing to know about having rats as pets is to have fun! Have fun and enjoy this little creature who desires to enjoy life and have fun!