I need as much information on rats as possible.?

Question

I need as much information on rats as possible. I am trying to persuade my parents into letting me get a couple rats and so it you have any ideas on how to persuade them into doing so I would greatly appreciate it.

Answer 1

Have you ever had any other type of rodents before? Hamsters, gerbils, mice, etc? If so, First start off by telling your parents that rats odor is MUCH less than any of those animals. (Usually a big plus,because thats one thing people tend to worry about). If you clean your rats cage once a week, You or your parents will never smell your rat.

They're smart, clean (alot of people who have never owned rats will tell you that theyre dirty and cause disease...not true), super social, and tons of fun to have as pets.

Once you've bought the essentials (big cage, rat wheel, food bowls, water bottle, etc) owning a rat usually wont cost much more than owning a hamster. Unless a vet bill comes along, but you should always be prepared for that, if you own any animal.

Rats get a lot of bad press as dirty, nasty, mean creatures that attack babies, live in sewers, carry diseases, etc etc, and movies dont help that bad rep any, but let your parents know that tame pet rats are NOTHING like that. (the tail grosses a lot of people out too, but its just a tail, and once people get used to it, its not bad at all).

I love hamsters, but rats are much smarter, and more cuddley, and a tame rat can be the best pet ever.

If you decide to get a couple, make sure you get same sex rats, unless you're trying to breed. I bought 4 rats from a pet store once (when I was new to owning rats) and I was told I had all males. It turned out I had 3 males, one female...in a short while I had 3 males, one female, and 22 male/female babies.

People will tell you that male rats are pretty laid back and female ones are more playful, but it really depends on the rat. I've had my share of lazy females and fiesty males. The only drawbacks I've come across when owning rats is they dont live very long (2-4 years usually), and female rats sometimes get tumors that either have to be removed, or you have to have your rat put to sleep. (they dont all get them, though).

Once your rat is tame it'll sit on your shoulder, cuddle with you while you watch tv, play games, etc etc. Theyre like little rodent dogs.

I suggest doing some research online. (search "pet rats" in yahoo or google), gather some other information that maybe we'll forget to tell you, make a list of all the pro's of owning pet rats and show it to your parents so they can see you're really serious about wanting one. (and it's good to know all about rats before you get some) Good luck. I hope they let you get some.

Answer 2

i have 7 rats...they're great pets. debbie the rat lady lives in my town, and is considered to be the formost expert on rats...here's a link to her website:
http://www.ratfanclub.org/ratlady.html

hope this was helpful.

Answer 3

well you will need a big cage, big enough for your rats and small enough to keep it clean. i would suggest females, they smell less. get only one gender, the breed like crazy. any questions fell free to contact me

Answer 4

I could give you a lot of information on rats. More then what I could fit into this answer. I would be very happy to talk to both you and your parents about the joys of rat-keeping via e-mails. Let me help you persuade your parents into allowing you the joy of having 2 lovable ratties as pets. My e-mail address is [e-mail]

Persuading your parents could be as easy as showing them that you are a responsible pet owner. Taking care of your previous pets without any prompting from them. But I do understand the stigma that rats have brought unto themselves:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhXOoMRDeSWZIcen_DtHIgzty6IX?qid=20070311155924AAJik1v&show=7#profile-info-UMaJozBBaa

You may join my group Holistarat, a Yahoo group, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat to talk to other rat-keepers/rat experts, and learn everything you need to know about rats as pets.

You may check out my website, devoted to pet rats, for more information at http://spazrats.tripod.com

The following is Y!A answers I have provided for other questions
The pros and cons of keeping rats as pets:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmuCEo9tYoahSOW7E1gredvsy6IX?qid=20070319175232AAtDUgi&show=7#profile-info-8umGhX1caa

What you will need to get started in rat-keeping:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArohzIQGzxxDGiQ5fIkRGJDty6IX?qid=20070314150434AAZc9sS&show=7#profile-info-vxTsMxOyaa
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aq6u2mc5rlORc7rH.qt_BxDty6IX?qid=20070314092007AAuL8k9&show=7#profile-info-d240e02a32975f16866052239ed04df7aa

Rats are playful little fur-balls, they need toys and activities that will keep them busy:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AobkzViKtDJQCB.wqRyTRqjty6IX?qid=20070315092213AAD7a2m&show=7#profile-info-f1j9m0RPaa

Rats can be litter-trained, which will make your job of keeping the cage clean a lot easier:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvtjPWlI27rEKeW.BpgxIiTty6IX?qid=20070314142829AAgU4a5&show=7#profile-info-ycfRxlTTaa

The following links are resources that will come in very handy
Bonding with your rats and trust-training:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Bonding+with+your+rats+and+trust-training&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAqFmYLsucJ9Ju1A_wytuo5cazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAjrR1DDgyctRMOV346dKZz4azKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Bonding+with+your+rats+and+trust-training
The behavior of pet rats:
http://www.ratbehavior.org
The health of pet rats:
http://ratguide.com/
Finding the best pet rats:
http://www.ratster.com

Oh wow, there's just so much to talk about. E-mail me.

spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"

Answer 5

tell them they are just a smart as a dog but they don't take up as much room