Pet rats...?

Question

I want a pet rat. My parents are saying I can't have one. If i have some information I am sure I can get them to say yes.

Firstly, how do you train them?

Second, are they OK in a hamster cage thing, or do they need a "rat" cage, and either way, how much do they cost and where from (UK only plz, no internet sites!)

Third, do they bite

Four, do they smell

Five, what do they eat?

Six, any more general information or decent sites

seven, final question, promise - are they OK on their own or do you need to have them as a pair, and how much do they cost to keep, and what bedding etc do you use.

thanks!-!-!

alex s, are you trying to say that I have got a dirty house with rats. I want a nice, clean, friendly pet rat, not a vermin minger.

thanks for all the answers so far, you are really convincing meinto getting one.

just wondering where i could keep him now.

i already have 2 cats, 2 gerbils (kept in the porch lol), a guinea pig and a rabbit, one cat which is scared of gerbils, and the rabbit!

would he be OK in my bedroom? but, obviously, there is the occasional session of loud music in there, sprays, hoovering, and shouting, but I could cover him up when spraying things?

Answer 1

Kudos to you for doing your homework on pet rats before you get them :)

Rat Behavior and Biology:
http://www.ratbehavior.org/

The first thing you need to do is to show your parents that you can responsibly take care of the pets that you have now, and that you are not getting a rat because you have become bored with your other pets.

I'm going to keep my answers brief, but I would like to talk to you more on keeping rats as pets if you would like to e-mail me.
I have people on my rat-only Forum who joined the group to learn about rats and their care before they got their's and stayed on the forum to continue to learn about their new pets. Holistarat is a two-way conversational help and rat-care group.

Rats do make awesome pets. Scientists have been able to prove that with training done in the lab, rats can achieve the intelligence level of a three year child. Rats combine the behaviors of cats, dogs, monkies, and rodents, in a small furry package. In the Rat Fancy we call rats "palm-dogs" because they are like little dogs that can fit in the palm of your hand.

Yes, rats can be trained. They can learn to use a litterbox, they can be taught to come when they are called, they can be taught many tricks due to their natural behaviors and abilities...............

Bonding with your rats:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=bonding+with+your+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAscYqL80.x8jy71l3_Mj6BgazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAsuRZXHyX3jz_HHQlFel4xgazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=bonding+with+your+rats

Of all the rodents that are kept as pets, rats are the most intelligent. Because of this rats need stimulation, activity, and interaction with you, or they will become bored and destructive.

Rats live 2 to 3 years, and their most prominate diseases are Mycoplasmosis, and mammary tumors.........................

No, a rat will go stir-crazy being kept in a hamster cage. A guinea pig cage would be the minimum size for 2 rats. Of all the rodents I have had over the years (gerbils, hamsters, mice) I have found rats to be the most contented animals in their cages. BUT, if they find a way out of the cage, they will become escape artists.

Rats are both predators and prey animals. They can be attacked and killed by your cats, and they can kill your gerbils if given the chance. Rats can be seriously hurt by your Rabbit and Guinea Pig. Please do not let the diffent species interact with the Rats.

Rats are crepuscular. That is they are most active at dusk and at dawn, but they can easily adapt to your lifestyle and be ready to play whenever you are.

In general rats do not bite. They are not even cranky or nippy when you wake them up to play. To give you an idea I've had over 200 rats so far and only 2 were real biters. If you allow your new rats to choose you at the pet store or breeder's home there is very little chance they will be biters..................

Male rats smell like warm corn chips and females smell like grape soda, and they will coninue to have those delicious aromas if you keep the cage clean. Rats are such clean animals that they groom themselves more often then cats do, up to 20 times a day.

Rats can be bathed, though not too often, and with a pH- appropriate shampoo. Most rats hate water, hate to swim, and turn into big babies resulting in whining, whimpering, and sometimes screaming, but they do get used to it.

Experts in rat-keeping do not like commercial rat foods. These foods contain too many ingredients that rats should not eat (dried corn), that are hard on the rats' digestive system (alfalfa pellets), and they contain preservatives (BHT, ethoxyquin) that are dangerous. Homemade diets are natural for rats, inexpensive, and fun to make. Rats are omnivorous and will eat the healthy foods that you choose to eat. I feed my rats foods from the grocery store, and foods that rodents, cats, and dogs would eat....................

I would like to start by giving you my website and forum and from there you can check out the many links listed. There are so many websites that I trust and recommend that there are too many to list here.
Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats (Rattery, Rescue, and Rat-Care Expert)
http://spazrats.tripod.com
Holistarat
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat

Experts in rat keeping would tell you that rats do best in same-sex pairs. It costs no more to keep two rats as it does for one. And two rats can help each other out in ways that you can't. E-mail me for more info on keeping a single rat if it is the only way you can get a rat as a pet.

The cost of getting a rat, the initial cost of the basic essentials, and the rats' upkeep cannot be determined by others. Cost will depend on the price of stuff in your area. The cost of the rat varies so much that I have paid $2.99 for a feeder rat (kept as a pet), $5.00 to $13.00 for a fancy rat from pet stores and breeders, and $25.00 for a pedigree rat from a breeder.

List of what you will need:
Rats
Cage
Bedding
Food dishes
Water bottle
Hidey Hut
Hammock
Extra shelves (makes more floor space in the cage?
Toys/chew materials
And then when you get hooked on rats you can spoil them as rotten as your money will allow.

Rats don't need wheels. Wheels make rats neurotic. They would much prefer exercising outside of their cage and interacting with you.

Do not use cedar or pine bedding as both are dangerous for small animals to live in continuously. Carefresh has been reported to cause much sneezing in pet rats. I use Yesterday's News, Aspen shavings, torn bedsheets, fleece, pillow cases, and t-shirts for my rats.

That's the gist of rat-keeping. I'll be happy to talk to you again.

Caring for your rats:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Caring+for+your+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAscYqL80.x8jy71l3_Mj6BgazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAsuRZXHyX3jz_HHQlFel4xgazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Caring+for+your+rats

Suggestion: Keep the rat in your bedroom until such time as something is going on in your room that is loud and active. Have a temporary place to keep him during these times.


spazrats

Answer 2

Rats make very nice pets, actually. I always had them when I was a kid.

Training: I don't really know that you can...I mean, I'm sure it can be done, but it would be a lot of wasted energy.

Cage: If it's a relatively small rat and a pretty big cage. You'll have to do research to see how much room is recommended but rats can get pretty big. I would not advise those tunnel things because the rat would outgrow those rather quickly.

Bite? Depends on the rat and the mood and the handler. Those pet store rats are domesticated just like cats so they don't tend to bite much but they can take a chomp if in the given mood or if they feel threatened.

Smell: Not at all if you keep the cage clean

Eat: Rats will eat just about anything! But they make pet food for them just like the hamster food and guinea pig food. A nice veggie snack is good sometimes!

Google "pet rat care" for more information on what it takes to take care of them. They are a low maintenance pet. Bedding and food are inexpensive. You can use wood shavings (not cedar) for bedding. I found that they like having company more than being alone.

Good luck convincing your parents. Hey, they're easier to care for than a cat or dog. And they're charming and smart and entertaining little creatures. A very nice starter pet I think!!! Tell your parents I said so!! lol

Answer 3

1. Training any animal is simply rewarding the behaviors you want. You can train them to do several tricks, but that is not really the stuff you should be worried about right now. First- get the basic cares solid, then give it time to adjust to the situation before trying to train it.

2. Any good rodent-proof cage will work, including a lot of styles of bird cages. A rodent-proof cage has closely spaced bars, nothing a rat can gnaw through (wood, plastic, etc.), a good door and access for cleaning, and some room to explore.

3. Yes, they will bite if mishandled, and may taste you to see if you are edible. Some rats bite more easily than others but most almost never bite.

4. There is a certain odor, but it can be controlled by using a good bedding and changing it as needed.

5. You can start with 'lab blocks'- the thick pellets sold for rats. You can supplement it in a million ways.

6. See the end of the list

7a. They are better if kept in a small group but can be alone.

7b. They are pretty cheap to keep if you buy the litter and food in bulk.

7c. Although there is a debate about it, pine shavings are still good. Some people use pelleted newspaper, etc. Aim for a nice thick layer they can dig into.

Good websites: There are a LOT of good rat sites, but start with these:
http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/
http://www.afrma.org/rminfo1.htm

Rats are, in my opinion, THE best small caged pet you can have. Simple, well-understood needs, intelligent, enjoy being handled nicely, curious, etc.

Answer 4

We used to keep rats - they are THE best small pet for children, they are not difficult or expensive to keep

Training them means handling them lots - my daughter ended up with one that used to sleep in her pocket ! They are very intelligent and curious -endearing creatures. They like baths if you introduce them gently and make excellent swimmers.
A hamster cage would be too small for a full grown rat but would be ok for a start with a young one. They do tend to chew the plastic in the corners though. If you get a multi level cage they will have fun running up and down the stairs. They can use a wheel but you have to get a rat one as an ordinary hamster wheel will be too small.
A lot of people I know have kept them in fish tanks ( this has the added bonus that they can't post bedding through the bars or chew anything that gets against the side of the cage- one of ours ate the curtain because the cage was too far back) But it must have a lid as they are good jumpers and climbers.
They do have a smell but as long as the cage is kept clean (and the rat too) it is not unpleasant. For bedding you can use woodshavings, sawdust, woodbased cat litter, newspaper etc.
They eat ratfood - you can get a generic rat food from most pet shops or you can buy Suparat ( made by the same people who do supadog- I think it's Burgess ) or there is another from the makers of Russell Rabbit but I can't remember the name of that one - It's called Reggie Rat. You should give them this complete food but they will eat almost anything as well including dog food. Too much extras will mess up the cage ( they sometimes try to hide leftovers for later) and try to avoid stuff like beans, cheese and eggs or you will have a smelly rat! They need fresh water but can easily cope with a drinking bottle like a rabbit has.
They usually live for about 3 years but we did have one that lasted 5.
One rat will be fine - do not get a pair ( male/female) or you will very soon have lots of them.
You should be able to get a rat from a local petshop- I think they are about £5

Answer 5

Rats are great pets, and are also fairly cheap.

You train them very similarly to the way you train a dog, with positive reinforcement. Although dont expect to be able to train it to the extent that a dog can be trained. Obedience really isn't a rats high point. You can teach them a few tricks but that's about it.

Rats are very resilient, you can keep them in any container you have laying about as long as it is large enough and provides enough light and air.

They aren't know for being biters. This doesn't mean they wont bite though, if they feel threatened it is possible that they will bite(just like almost any animal).

They can smell, but this can be controlled to an extent by keeping the cage clean. Also, it is not the rat that smells, it is its waste which can collect very rapidly in small confinement if not taken care of.

You can buy rodent/rat feed at most pet stores.

Rats are fine on there own. You should take it out of the cage a few times a day though.

Bedding really isn't important you can use anything from wood chips to stones from your back yard(i dont recommend stones though, as it makes it more difficult to clean the cage). You may want to give them a few cotton balls(non-medicated/moisturized) as well.

Answer 6

my son had lots of pet rats . they ate everything but dont give to many treats they have to have good diet to. they live to be about 2 years. they will smell if they are not cleaned each day and they do hide food in the bedding. do not use pine pedding as it causes respitory problems in the lungs. they are very smart and have to be treated gentle. no sudden moves and yes they bite and bite hard. they need hard stuff to gnaw on if you cage them or thier teeth will over grow and they will starve to death so check teeth often. my son didnt keep them in a cage when he was around but they do gnaw and chew so on leaving lock them up and watch because they are smart and escape artists. never hit them they do not forget. be gentle and loving and slow moves and lots and lots of handeling. even people stink when they dont bathe daily and keep themselves clean so keep that in mind. get a small rat and no they are inexpensive. they do need excercise. my son would shut his door and let him run up and down on the bed and under the coversyou can find good rat food at wallmartand also plain bedding. the newspaper kind is best.the compressed kind. theylike hard dog bisquits and they can have a nila bone to help with Gnawing. keep them in a nice cage and out of drafts and cool in the summer. my son died unexpectedly and the rats all went to the pet store which alot of them just put them down so if in a pet store see if they have any in the back room they may be keeping for large snake food.I wish my son was here and we could enjoy them again. Be patient if they nip or bite move slower till they earn your trust that you are not going to hurt them... good luck and patience

Answer 7

Rats make excellent housepets. I have owned at least 3 and loved them very much. oh, and did I mention that they are smarter than dogs and cats. Yes, its true.
Training: you trin them just like dogs. Through repetitive behavior. Ever time they do something right, give them a little treat. Look up Pavlov's Law for behavior if you need specifics.

You could use a Hampster cage, but rats get fairly big, so a little more room is good, if you can get it. Cages are cheap.

They tend to bite only when they smell food on your fingers. Before picking them up, make sure your hands are clean.

they only smell if you neglect to clean their cage. Rats clean their own bodies just like a cat, but an occasional bath never hurts.

A rat will eat almost anything. Get some good rat food from any pet store. tings rats abosultely love and are non-harmful are: cooked spagetti noodles (dangle a noodle near their face and they go bonkers) but only give one per feeding, and Cheesy-puffs.

See the links below for specifics.

They are ok on their own.

Males are generally smaller and are more docile, easier to handle and train.

Females are generally bigger, tougher to train, and are terrain protective.

Cheers!

Answer 8

I've had several rats and the ones that were used to being handled did not bite. They really need at least a 40 gallon tank or similar enclosure. They will only smell if you dont clean the tank. They eat rat food sold in pet stores.

Do NOT use cedar. The chemical used often kills rodents. I use Kaytee total comfort.

Answer 9

rats aren't that expensive to have.

they do smell a little but if you clean out the bedding frequently you won't notice.

you can use cedar chips for bedding.

there's usually a pellet type food you can buy for them at pet stores. though you can occasionally treat them with some vegetables :)

the actual rats should cost between $10-$15 and they're ok alone. Cages might be around $30 and a hampster cage is fine. Just ask the people at the pet store if it's big enough.

You can train rats, I'm not sure how, but it's possible! They can bite but most of the time they don't. As long as you keep them calm and don't stress them out you should be fine. It might also depend on the rat's personality.

Rats are really fun pets to have, I had 2 for a few years. Hope you get one!

Answer 10

Sprays are toxic to all animals.

My Friend breeds rats at £5 each.

They are always having hugs so they are tame and don't bite.

They cost around £4 every 3months to look after.

For bedding you can use shedded paper or kitchen roll paper.

They don't smell

They eat everything but lettuce is bad for them
They love yogurts and pasta best.

They can be fine on their own but if you aren't there much then get two.

A rat cage would be better.

http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/