Did you ever have a pet rat? If so, please share your experience with him or her.?

Answer 1

I've had rats in the past, although not now, because we have cats. Rats are much smarter than hamsters or gerbils. Rats will ride around on your shoulder, which the others do not. however, rats are susceptible to cancer -- I've had two that got big tumors. (There's a REASON rats are used as test animals in cancer research.) Also, their lifespans are relatively short -- only about 4-5 years, so it can be hard to lose a friend so often. But if you can cope with "the circle of life," then rats make very nice pets. You can even teach then tricks,

A story: Several years ago, my grandson Eric, who was five at the time, accidentally released a pet rat down by the chicken coop and we could not find it for literally months. When we finally did find him, he had bred with the wild rats that hang around the coop. We know this because even now, over a decade later, my cats will occasionally drag in a dead hooded rat! Some have also been cream or even pure white. (Not that our place is over-run with rats, but wherever you have poultry, they will show up. One reason we let our cats run loose is to control them without traps or poisons, which are a hazard to pets and kids.) This story goes to show that the rats you buy in the store are the same species as the wild ones. However, the poet rats have been selected for gentleness for generations, so "lab rats" are not as aggressive as their wild cousins.

Answer 2

I've had six rats in my life time, including the two that I have now (I also have eight mice) and I think they are wonderful pets. They are intelligent , social, and playful, as well as very clean.

My only complaint would be that they are very susceptible to tum ours/cancer and that they do not live as long as many other pets. For the time that you do have them though, they are great.

My current two (Mishi and Newt) are a black hooded and a dumbo black Berkshire (both mismarked, but as I don't breed or show them, that doesn't matter). And that's the other cool thing about rats, they come in many varieties and no two are the same in personality and markings.

Mine currently live in a converted ferret cage (the bars are covered in a wire mesh that I cut and attached myself, otherwise the bars were too far apart) with extra levels, a ferret tunnel hanging from the top of the cage, bird ropes, a large wheel (solid wheel, for the sake of their feet and tails) and an "igloo". They come to the door when I open it or when they hear the food bag rustling :D They also like to sit on my shoulders while I clean the cage or am at the computer.

Answer 3

Yes, I have had many over the years! My favorite girl was Marybaby! She was absolutely the sweetest rattie! She would beg on her hind legs and come to our bed at 2 am to play by giving us little kisses on our faces so we would wake up. She would get into the refrigerator on the shelf in the part where the drawers are and beg for veggies. She would jump up on the sofa while you were talking on the phone and give you little nips as to say..hi, I am here! She was the cutest little rattie and I had her since she was born..her mom had her at my house....was always getting out of her cage and teasing her cousin and her mom so I let her stay out! She found a box where there was guinea pig bedding and hollowed herself out a hole. I would clean it out and she would fill it back up! I could call her name and she would come running! Just the sweetest most delighful little rattie I ever had! I have had many others which I loved very much but Marybaby was my favorite!

Answer 4

I had a rat until the frikkin snake broke the screen and ate him and I was feeding him mice that jerk! I would let my baby rat out of the cage and he would sit next to me and run around and let me pet him ,I kept him in a different room, but my snake was strong and fast and one day he did not wanna go back in his cage and he went under my bed and I could not reach him , and had to go ,so when I came home the damage was done, I had to let my snake out, because you never feed them in their cage

Answer 5

Yes, his name was Splinter, he was a cool rat. I was scared to pick him up when I got him but he never bit me. The first one I got had a respiratory problem and I took him back, I didn't want to but I did and they told me to pick out another one. The first ones name was Clovest, he was a baby rat ( gray/white and the older one was silver). And he would attack cats.

Answer 6

Yuck! No!

My cousin had a couple though.... besides looking icky, they use to breed & eat their babies... so gross!

Answer 7

i did it was verry fun do you have one?