HELP!! My kids want rats!!!!????

Question

I promised my 2 kids They could have any pet exept from a dog or cat. I don't wanna go back on my word. Anyone know anything about rats. Are they good pets?? My kids are 10 and 12 yrs old.

Answer 1

Yeah rats are awsome. I have to. Mine have learnt their names and like like eating cheerios. They are great pets for kids.

Answer 2

Actually of all the rodents rats are one of the better. RIght now I have a guinea pig, a chinchilla, and 2 rats. THe rats are the cleanest, friendliest, and great if anyone suffers from allergies. They are very sweet loving animals. I would say do a little bit of research and then go for it! The males are much more active and high strung than the females so maybe so with 2 females. Also remember they are nocturnal so they will be very active while the rest of you are sleeping. They also like to be in pairs, I would not get just 1. Good luck!!

Answer 3

Rats are great pets, but depending on your rat they're not always cuddly. Make sure to give them a big enough cage and let them out every day. They need cleaning out once a week. You need to have more than one (here in Switzerland that's actually the law or something). You should be able to buy rat food in a pet shop. Rats can be very playful and they love heights, climbing, boxes and anything else they can explore. Unfortunately not all rats are like that, to mention the downsides, and they are more likely to die of diseases than other pets because they used to be lab rats. On the whole I would recommend them, just make sure they get enough love and care.

Answer 4

Rats are wonderful pets. You'll have better luck if you get them from a good breeder, not a pet shop. I would really avouid "feeder rats" since they're never bred for temperament or health.

Get 2 of the same sex. Be careful with petshops -- they don't always know how to sex rats so they may accidentally have mixed-sex tanks. Males are usually calmer "lap dog" type animals while females are generally more inquisitive and likely to explore.

People not only breed fancy rats, we show them, too.

Rats are clean, intelligent small pets. They're realitively inexpensive to own.

Answer 5

I've had seven pet rats in my life, always as female pairs. They varied in personality. The worst of them were shy, the best of them were like little dogs in their personalities, very sweet and loved being near humans! They would hop to the cage door to be let out every day and licked my hand to show affection :)

You might want to Google the Rat and Mouse Club of America to see if any pet breeders are near you, rather than buying from a pet shop. These breeders are naturally passionate about their rats and bring them up to be very sociable and as a bonus, they are usually very prettily colored as well.

They love a multi level wire cage with lots of space. They don't smell as long as the cage is kept clean, expect to clean 1-2x a week. It is actually their smaller cousins MICE that have a very strong smell.

The downside to rats is that they only live 2-3 years. However, since your kids are getting ready to enter that pre teen stage that might be a good thing. Just as they are starting to have interests in other things the rats will have passed on.

Answer 6

RATS ROCK! They are soooooo cool! I have 4 (2 sterilised boys, 2 girls) and they are just great! They do need to be cleaned every couple of days though because they can smell. Rats only bite when they are frightened, or if you are too close to their babies (trust me, my daughter learnt this one!!) Our rats are actually litter trained, they are cute and cuddly. I have mine sitting on my shoulder as I do housework, I take them into town with me and even walk to school with one on my shoulder. (to the teachers and parents dismay, but the kids love them!) Rats are very easy to train. They cost very little to feed too. Mine have a constant supply of rat and mouse mix that you can get from the pet shop, but they eat literally every thing and anything. Don't give them a lot of sunflower seeds, no fish and chips or things that have been cooked in fat, lots of fresh fruit and veges and grains. they only have a life span of 2 - 4 years. Sometimes they can live to 5, but this is rare.

Your kids are the perfect age: old enough to help look after them.

Hope I've been of some help. GOOD LUCK!
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Answer 7

i think there good pets i have one and i love her just make sure the ones you get are well handled and are picked up everyday to get used 2 there smell and such i have a neice that is 12 and she likes 2 play with her so it should be an easy pet to take care of but id recommend looking uo things on the net and rat recipes 4 making your own food and things of that nature b4 u decide because they only live for about 2 years

hope this helps

Answer 8

I just wanted to correct a couple of comments. You should NEVER pick a rat up by its tail. You can cause major damage to it as rats are too heavy. The best way to pick up a rat is to slide one hand under its body and use the other over the top and lift it up that way. A good way to restrain a rat is to use the scruff of its neck(the same as cats).

As for being good with allergies, I disagree. My asthma flared up really bad when one of my rats got ill a couple of years ago and it has stayed bad. I also suffer from itchy eyes, sneezing and where their nails touch me I get itchy lumps. I solve the problem by taking antihistamines when I clean the cage out and use antihistamine cream on my skin. Some people say that girls are better than boys for allergies, but again I disagree, my girls had the same effect on me.

Rats do make wonderful pets though. I currently have 10. They love human interaction, mine all know their names and will come everytime I call them. I think they would make good pets for kids as they rarely bite and yes it hurts when they do, but at least they dont hang on like other rodents. The only downsides to rats are that they dont live very long(2-3 years) and that they are very prone to breathing problems and tumours. Keeping them out of drafts and using correct bedding can help with the breathing, as can keeping the cage cleaned regularly. Only use cages, never use tanks as the ammonia in their wee builds up very quickly in tanks and will cause serious problems. Get the biggest cage you can as rats love to climb and explore. Always get at least two rats as they are very social animals and need the company of another rat. We cant be with them 24/7 or do what another rat would do. Get the same sex unless you want to have up to 20+ babies. If you need any more info you can visit http://www.fancyrats.co.uk it has lots of info about rats, including how to tame them, how to make toys as well as a very active forum where you can ask any rat question you want.

Answer 9

Rats are excellent pets. The rats you think of are poisonous wild rats. The kind they will get are the pet rats. Rats are very smart too, they can learn they're name and come to the caller's hand, they can be litter trained and many simple tricks (spin, go on wheel, and dont escape.) Rats are very cute, so don't be scared of them.
More info:
www.petsmart.com

Answer 10

Rats make excellent pets. I have 4. Get 2 females or 2 males . Unless you don't mind breeding.

Answer 11

I use to have two pet rats, and they were great. Rats are a better pet than a hamster because they tend to have better temperments. My rats never bit, unlike a hamster is almost sure to do. As long as their cages are kept clean, they do not stink and in other ways are as inexpensive pet.