Pet rats???

Question

Who has pet rats here. How close are you to them? Do you cuddle with them or anything

Answer 1

Mine are in the attic, so I seldom see 'em. Nope, NEVER cuddle wif th ratz!!!
...jj

Answer 2

I have had numerous pet rats, and bred some as well. They thrive on human contact, but some males can have a little attitude problem. Females are best, but if you must have a male go for a lighter coloured one, e.g. a white one. I know there is no real science in this, but all the male rats I have had problems with have been dark-coats, particulary Agouti coats. Don't keep males together in the same cage, they can kill each other, females are quite happy together, and if they are going to have long periods on their own, then two females is best. Leaving a single rat without company, human or otherwise, is terribly hard for them. They love company. The more you handle them, the more they will love it. Be kind, considerate, and watch out for escape tricks, they can get into crazy spaces and through tiny holes. Wonderful animals, if you allow for the few (very few) males that can be a bit 'offish'. Also be warned that rat life-span is pretty short, I have had them die at 18 months old through 'old age'. Their metabolism runs about 40 times faster than ours. Oldest rat so far has been 3 years and 2 months, and she was very 'geriatric'. Extremely intelligent, clean and rewarding pets. It's possible to build a real bond with a rat, a couple of mine even used to come out for a drive in the car with me, sitting on the dash, quite happily. Love them, keep their cages spotlessly clean, plenty of bona-fide rat mix food and clean water, and a few treats, like a little cooked chicken or a small amount of chocolate or a biscuit, and they will love you always.

Answer 3

I LOVE my pet rats, and they LOVE people. They are super smart, and if you feed them good food and handle them regularly, they will like to cuddle usually. They are so smart that I keep them in a Rubbermaid tub and we don't even have to keep the lid on - they won't run away, they like to stay where they're safe and have plenty of food. A guy at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio has studied rats extensively and discovered that they "laugh" when tickled (kind of like bat noises, humans can't hear but can detect with electronic equip). Further, they seek out the tickling actively, so you know they enjoy it.
A couple of things to watch out for: Rats are social, so you should have at least two. If you have one, it's no biggie to have two. Also, make sure the two are the same sex, or you will end up with your own rat colony in a very short time. Females are not supposed to be as cuddly as boys, but I've always owned females, and as long as you pet them and pick them up often, any sex will be very friendly.
They are very clean and groom themselves obsessively - they will groom you too if they love you, which feels a little like being nibbled. The only obstacle they have to their cleanliness is how often you change their litter, if you do this once a week or every few days, they don't smell at all. Don't use pine or cedar shavings, they will make your rats sick...use carefresh or something similar. We feed them rat food from the pet store, and any and all kind of leftovers. They are kind of like little garbage disposals. Go figure, rats, who knew?
Rats are very intelligent and realize that they have a symbiotic relationship with humans, they not afraid of us or mean at all.

Answer 4

I have about 30-40 rats. One in particular I let have full run of the house. It's almost like having a dog or cat around... Usually during the day he sleeps (being nocturnal and all of course), but he gets up once in awhile to grab a quick snack. Most of the time, he wakes up a little after the sun starts going down. The first thing he does is hop up on my shoulder to greet me. Next, he'll go get some water and food. After that, it's no telling what he's up to for that night. Sometimes he'll hop around and go nuts around my hands to get me to play with him, other times he just sits on my shoulder watching whatever I'm doing. lol I could go on and on about him... If you have any questions about him, feel free to e-mail me.

Also, my rats aren't from a pet store; these are wild rats, so I'm not sure if there's much difference behavior-wise with them. My rat that roams in my house I found when he was no smaller than my pinky. Since I disturbed the nest, I played it safe and took the babies just in case the mama rat wouldn't take them anymore. It was hard work keeping up with the feedings and requirements they needed, but it was well worth it. I wouldn't trade my rat for the world. Oh and do I cuddle with my rats? Yep, I take out some of the ones in the cage and hold them awhile. And the one that's out of the cage usually goes to sleep with me at least until I fall asleep. Then he takes off and does his own little thing until it's time for him to go back to sleep. =) I also let him go in the cage to mingle with the rest of the rats too since it's only fair to him.

I'll include a link to the site I usually go to when I need advice on rats.

Answer 5

I have 6 rats at the moment and I love nothing more than when all 5 of my boys are climbing on me, kissing me and trying to get under my hair. It can be a struggle trying to fit that many on my shoulders, but its easier than when I had 10 boys! I wanted to have cuddles with my girls, but they were too active. All they would do is run around and hide behind me if I moved in anyway. They would also take it in turn to climb up me, nip me on the chin and run off before I could respond! I'm very close to my last remaining girl. Even though she wont let me touch her or pick her up, I still spend time talking to her and playing with her through the bars and that must be enough for her cos she could easily escape if she wanted to. As for my boys, I love them all, but I have to admit I have different levels of closeness with each one. I tend to get closer to them when they are ill, which means that it hits me harder when they pass away. I still miss one of my rats, I dont think I'll ever have such a special bond with one again. He was special. I can still sometimes feel him sitting on my shoulder, grooming my hair and kissing my neck.

Answer 6

i have 10 rats and they are the baest type of pets. my kids love to hold them and some ride around on the shoulders of my kids. i have 2 dumbos, 3 hairless, 2 blk/wht hooded,and 3 hairless/dumbos.they are so fun to have around. have fun with your little rats.

Answer 7

i have 13 pet hamsters! well 7 of them are still babies who were just born today. you can train them love them a dn cuddle them and they will never bite unless u scare the living **** out of them!

Answer 8

I have a rat. He's on my shoulder right now. He's so cute.

Answer 9

rats are nice

Answer 10

well i had mice when i was a kid. i loved 'em. no i didn't cuddle with them. my mother was terrified of them and didn't let me touch them much. *shrugs* thinking of getting some?