My fiance and I are looking into rats. He loves them, but I am not a huge fan. I was wondering how others out have delt with rats and how they are as pets.
We have two hampsters now and they are alright. I don't mind the hampsters, but rats... I think it has to do with pervious appearences ingrained into my mind of how slimey and disease spreading rats are.
2007-02-25 03:13:02 · 8 answers · asked by amanda w 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
I have had hamsters, mice and gerbils as pets, and when I had them, I loved them dearly and spoiled them rotten. They are all wonderful pets.
I got my first rat in 1997, and since then I have found rats to be far superior in intelligence, personality, and personability to any other rodent.
As responsible pet owners it is our duty to take care of our pets by providing them with a clean home, food, water, and handling. Rats are the only rodents that I have found to actually reciprocate that affection. They want to be around us, interact with us, whereas my other rodents didn't really seem to want me to be with them. They didn't need me, like the rats need me.
Hamsters, Gerbils and Mice are entertaining and amusing, but Rats are ENTERTAINING and AMUSING! Rats combine the behaviors of cats, dogs, monkies, children, and rodents, all rolled up into one furry little one pound ball.
Rat Behavior:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=rat+behavior&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=rat+behavior
Rat Health:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=rat+health&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=rat+health
Rat Care:
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
You're not alone in how you perceive wild rats, but please know that some of what you have heard is dredged up with myths and misconceptions of what wild rats are really like. It's not all true. Pet rats have none of those zoonostic diseases that wild rats have. Here's how I answered, "Are Rats Really Gross?",
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Arrj0L4WD55dsssdir4.slXsy6IX?qid=20070218103437AAHretI&show=7#profile-info-In7wfQPOaa
And here's my website page on wild rats, http://spazrats.tripod.com/wildcousins.html (sorry I haven't updated the page for some time).
I have to admit, meeting up with other pet rat keepers on the many Yahoo rat forums, helped my love of rats to blossom. Talking to these same people will help you learn and understand what rats are really like. I would like to invite you to my most active rat-only forum, Holistarat,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat
And of course I would love to talk to you anyday about rat-keeping.
Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
(Rattery, Rescue, and Rat-care Expert)
http://spazrats.tripod.com
"my life has gone to the rats"
2007-02-25 13:27:11 · answer #1 · answered by spazrats 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have two female rats right now that are about 6mos old. I love them! They're really clean (and litter trained), they don't spread disease or anything like that, only wild rats do that, domestic rats have been breed seperatly. They're very social, and really smart too. I would highly recommend rats, mine have never bit me, or chewed up anything other than a sweatshirt string when I had one of them on my shoulder. Let me know if you have any other questions!
2007-02-25 03:37:24 · answer #2 · answered by blue_angel_1400 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a pet rat, once. He was a white lab rat. I used to walk him on a leash. I really tried to like him, but I never did. My roommate couldn't stand him. My roommate really couldn't stand his tail, which, I must admit, was quite revolting to me, as well. My roommate wanted to paint his tail, blue -- he thought that would make him more acceptable.
My rat bit me once. Even though I know it was a mistake, I knew this was the end of our relationship. The bite was quite painful. I just never could get attached to this rat in a meaningful way. It wasn't the rat's fault. It was my fault.
I gave him to another friend.
I don't know if you'll ever get over your dislike of rats. You fiance' may just have to accept that and respect it, as you respect his love of rats.
Good Luck!
2007-02-25 03:19:52 · answer #3 · answered by Amish Rebel 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I had a black & white rate for about half a year. Then I gave her to my cousin.
The rat was sweet, she never bit or anything like that...
I had trained her (if she was on the floor) to come when called. At first it worked, then she figured out she could just run away. After that she was always trying to get away which was a little depressing. I don't like an animal that is always trying to escape.
(Of course, I tried training her with food treats, but she really wanted to escape!)
I wouldn't get another rat.
2007-02-25 03:21:58 · answer #4 · answered by lexi m 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Excellent pets! Rats are the sweetest and smartest out of all the usual pet rodents. Handle them often when they are young and they get really attached to you. My daughter used to walk around with hers on her shoulder and head.
2007-02-25 03:47:57 · answer #5 · answered by KathyS 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i was petrified of rats due to childhood trauma to help with this and face my fear i bought a huge male rat named Ernie at the pet shop that had once been in a classroom he was 6 years old and going to be snake food the next day,best thing i ever did,he was the sweetest smartest and most loving guy,he would bang his water bottle to tell me he wanted food,if he was making too much noise in his cage at night and keeping me up all i had to do was tell him to go to bed and he actually did,he would squeal at me when i walked by if he wanted out,he would then follow me all over the house(pretty un-nerving at first having a huge rat chase you around),he loved baths,and to sit on my shoulder and groom me endlessly ,he bit everyone but me and attacked our cats,so he was a little naughty but i really grew to love him he was a great pet,he died at the age of 10,i thought i would die with him i now have a tiny 10 week old female dumbo rat,she is turning out to be just as sweet as Ernie and just as smart
you just have to get over that ingrained feeling of ickyness about them and give one a chance,they do really make good pets,and they give as much as you put into them,if you just feed and water it everyday it is just going to be a regular everyday rodent,but if you spend plenty of time handling and showing affection to your rat it will give it back
2007-02-25 03:53:47 · answer #6 · answered by onyxpryzm 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if you're going to get this rat from a pet store then i guess you don't have to worry about disease. you should just think of your rat as a hampster.
2007-02-25 03:34:35 · answer #7 · answered by Mrs. Fernando Torres 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I wouldn't to tell you the truth. If it gets loose, they become wild very quickly, they are very difficult to catch. and start chewing on everything. If you do catch it, they will draw blood on you. I had rats before, and I put a new rat in with the old rat, and the old rats ate the new rat. I was so grossed out by that, I will never have them as pets again.
2007-02-25 03:24:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋