2006-09-25 15:04:23 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
I'd go with a Female if you are newer at having an animal like a rat. There are several different varieties, and I do NOT recommend getting a hairless right off the bat. I'd look for a brown or black hooded or an albino rat. Those guys are pretty common. When you go to the pet store, look at the area that the rats are kept. Is there a lot of poo in the cage? Do the rats have enough water? How fresh does the food look?
Baby rats are ready to be sold at 5-6 weeks. When they eat completely on their own. They are generally between two and three inches in length and somewhat chubby (and cute!)
Before you actually purchase a new kid, hold the rat. Let it run up and down your arm and hide in the hair on your neck. Dark areas make them feel safe. They will not jump from your shoulder. Rats will naturally travel to the highest point, so be prepared to have a rat nose in your ear tickling it.
Rats are naturally curious animals and love to be stimulated with new toys. They are also extremely near-sighted and probably won't see you if you are further away than about two feet. But they sure will hear you.
Be CAREFUL with their tails. They are extremely sensitive and it is PAINFUL for them to be picked up by their tails. The tail is primarily used for balance and becomes stronger the heavier a rat becomes. I always had wheels for my kids. Some would use them, some would not. I digress. I picked up my rats by holding them under their arms (frt legs) with my thumb and pointer finger...and then get my other hand under their back feet as quickly as I could so that they felt safe.
A couple of things I want to strongly suggest: Keep their cage CLEAN. If you do not, your rat will get lice and that is not fun at all. What I did was completely cleaned the cage (wiping the sides and bottom, inside and out with an animal safe cleaner). Give your new friend FRESH water AND food EVERY DAY. I fed my rats with Gerbil food. The rat pellets are good, but the gerbil food is easier to handle and eat. HOLD and HANDLE and PLAY with your rat(s) every day. They love to run on your arms and interact with you. The more you giggle and laugh and talk to them, the brighter they will be as they mature.
Rats, just like cats and dogs, need your care and lots of love. If you need any other questions answered, drop me a line. I bred rats for over four years and the pet stores I dealt with loved to hear that I had another litter. My rats were the friendliest, best behaved and had the most personality than any of their other breeders, they'd tell me. All it takes is a little love.
2006-09-25 19:56:08 · answer #1 · answered by Ebee 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've already suggested to you to buy the book called Rats by Debbie Ducommun, so I'm going to suggest doing that again. Everything you want to know about rats is in that book and it'll help your parents realize just how serious you are about pet rats.
I do highly recommend male rats though, they're the more lap type and like to be petted as well as cuddled. Females are a little bit more active and would prefer to be doing their own thing. Males also get larger though and have less tumor problems as females can get mammory tumors easily. Do not get a mixed pair unless one or both are spayed or nuetered.
Also, get at least two rats because they need to have another rat to socialize with. Rats by themselves can begin to show signs of psychological disorders. Now if you're going to spend 2 to 3 hours with your rat a few times a day or so, you could try to have just one but I wouldn't recommend this at all. Rats need another to groom, socialize, and cuddle with.
2006-09-26 11:05:29 · answer #2 · answered by Animal Lover and Owner 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Rats are excellent pets as long as they weren't raised for snake food. Snake food rats don't live as long because the diet is poor and insecticides are used on them, causing tumors frequently. Male rats have the best temperament. If there is a lot of interaction between owner and pet, the rat will wriggle around when it has to go to the bathroom, just like rabbits and guinea pigs do. Rats can be trained to do tricks and get along with cats and dogs as well. Some tumors on rats can be removed. Rats generally live about 3 years. Proper diet is important, especially feeding fruits, veggies and grains along with a little dog food. Obese rats die younger. A well nourished happy rat will not try to escape or chew its water bottle. Rats are gentler than gerbils or hamsters by far. They usually are not sick until old age and death is approaching. Do not use cedar bedding. Use newspaper beddings to absorb odors better.
Rodents are one of the highest carriers of salmonella, next after reptiles so it is a good idea to keep GermX nearby, no kissing the rat or holding the rat near the face.
2006-09-25 22:34:08 · answer #3 · answered by kriend 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
rat actually have a need for human contact.. there for make very good pets.. we use to own one named mama.. she ran freely around the house like a cat or dog..she would sit on our laps at night and watch us play on the computer.. she was the pack rat kind she had staches all over the house.. u could hand her dog food all day long and she would take it to a caorner and come back for more.. she also sleeped with us in our beds .. she liked getting in your hand for the wormth.. we got really use to her.. but the draw back is that there life span is only 3 years.. so love em while there here becouse there isn't any two the same.. we even had Mama spayed.. she was part of the family
hope this helps...males have more layed back attitudes and loveable and females are more romey and want to move... ans a work of advice.. rat food isn't enough.. always give them some thing else every night.. whatever your eating they should eat. they love raviolies and also peas.. well just about anything u have left over from dinner and ever lunch.. just make sure u take out ehat they dont eat.
2006-09-26 01:11:48 · answer #4 · answered by country_mystyle 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They're cute, they won't eat where they go to the bathroom so if you don't clean their cage they won't eat. Depending on the size of the cage you keep em in they can get big, really big. They don't live very long, 2 - 3 years typically. They'll sit on your shoulder, in your hand, on your lap, of course they'll also poop and pee all over you. I've only had female rats. I'm sure male rats are fine. If you decide to get more than one then make sure you only get males or you only get females. Unless you want a ton of baby rats.
2006-09-25 22:13:42 · answer #5 · answered by Mariah 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rats make amzing pets. You can train them to do alot of tricks, including come to thier name. They are very easy to take care for. You need to clean thier cage once a week and make sure they have food and clean water. You need good bedding and there are a ton to choose from. Any classic rat food mix you can get from a pet store is good. They also enjoy table scraps every now and then. Rats typically live from 2 to 3, but mine usually life untill 4.
Girl: Girl rats are adventurous and like to hang out on you shoulder as you walk around the house. It is best to keep girls with other girls so they can groom and sleep with eachother. They strive on the company of other rats.
Boy: Boy rats like to sit on your lap as you watch you favorite T.V. show. Boy rats tend to get territoral with other males if kept together in a small cage, so if you get two males it is best to keep them in a large guinea pig cage. They do fine by themselves as long as you give them plenty of attention.
Happy rat shopping.
2006-09-26 00:47:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
rats are great pets. it does not make a difference if you get a male of female, the only thing is that people don't like the males because of their big b**ls and then they get a female but it is all up to you. i breed rats and i have all kinds of them,dumbos, hairless, blues, blue hood dumbos, hairless dumbos, curly coats, curly coat dumbos, blue curly coat dumbos, and many more. my kids hold them and they love them for pets. i am not going to tell you that they don't bite ,because they do, any animal will bite if it feels threatened in any way. but i also breed some for my snakes, but those rats are separate from my pets.
well good luck in deciding, and don't listen to people if they say that they are dirty because the only way that they can be dirty is if you keep them that way, all you need to do is clean their cage everyother day and they will not be dirty. don't be afraid to get answers about them because the more questions you ask the more educated you will become about them. you can also go online and look them up just go in the search box and type in pet rats and it should take you to some sites you can get the information from. i just don't have enough time to give you all the info about them, but i will tell you they are not hard animals to care for just give alot of tlc and they will be an excellent pet for you and your family.
2006-09-25 23:26:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are good pets, but only live between 1-3 years...and 3 years is stretching it...Also, they suffer a lot from tumors. Females rat tend to smell better. Males aren't neutered so the testosterone in their systems makes them smell bad when they urinate. Which can cause your whoel room to smell. I have a male mouse and he smells horrible cause of this. But both males and females are very nice to have pets...alone usually. Mice are another option. I have had mine for over 4 years and they usually only live for about 3 years.
2006-09-25 22:11:19 · answer #8 · answered by cherrydevil119 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Rats are good pets, because they don't smell very bad. Mine are really friendly. But I will advise you not to get yours from Petsmart, me and two friends bought 6 rats total. 3 of them died this week two died from tumors and one died from one some unknown sickness.
2006-09-25 22:22:23 · answer #9 · answered by Em 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
great pets very smart we have two males,a;so they get upper respiratory infections very easy and have to keep cage very clean
they DO NOT stink if kept clean and we have had 4 and none have ever bitten. they even come when they are called. if you want them you should get at least two as they need each other for company and warmth when sleeping.... have fun!
2006-09-25 22:08:55 · answer #10 · answered by donna l 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋