Rats--Can you help?

Question

My daughter is interested in buying a rat. My two biggest concerns are 1.) do they stink? (I had guinea pigs as a kid, and they stunk to high heaven), and 2.) do they bite? (I had gerbils, and they bit all the time). However, I have no experience with rats. Can you help?

Answer 1

Hi, I have no idea how old your daughter is: however, I must say that rats are social animals, so a same-sex pair would be ideal.
Best is to find a breeder of pet or "fancy" rats in your area ( Fancy has nothing to do with whether or not they are interesting colours, merely an old English way of saying hobby *G* )
Do they stink? Not if their cage is kept clean - they can be litter trained, which means that you only need to empty their litter tray daily, and clean the cage once a week.
Do they bite? Not as a general rule - obviously they can and will bite if mishandled ( so would you or I ), or startled, but they are not the aggressive creatures that they're made out to be. They may take your finger or part of hand between their teeth, if they mistake you for food, but it's not a bite, and they will release as soon as they realise their mistake.
Unlike male mice, which do stink, male rats can be kept together in social groups ( I once had a "mischief" - collective name for a group of rats - of 31 males! )
However, that's not your intention, so above all, make sure that you can tell the difference between the sexes - it's quite easy. For example <3 )--- Female <3 )3---- Male.
Babies should be a minimum of six weeks old when offered for sale, by which time the difference is obvious; but males can retract the testicles when frightened, so you might need to spend a bit of time holding him to be safe.
If you're buying rats from a pet shop, make sure that the animals are kept in same-sex tanks.
It only takes five seconds to mate, so it pays not to take chances - if you want to be absolutely sure, get two males.
Males tend to grow into snuggle monsters - females are more inquisitive and tend not to stay for cuddles as much; there are exceptions to both rules *G*
This is, perforce, a very short introduction to " The Joy of Rats ", to learn more, see the links below.
Above all, please remember a pet is for life!
with respect,
MadDrummer

Answer 2

I would say rats are probably the least likely rodent to bite - as long as they are handled a lot from a young age, they shouldn't bite.

They are a little more stinky than hamsters, but as long as you clean them out completely and regularly once a week there shouldn't be much of a problem.

Keep 2 rats as they are social creatures - 2 females are better, males are more likely to fight. You need a BIG cage, as big as you can afford - rats are highly intelligent and active and need lots of stimulation.

Feed a proper rat mix/rat nuggets, ideally from Petsmart if you're near one as you can't always guarantee that food from little pet shops is what it says it is. It could just be a random collection of nuts and seeds.

Buy toys and little houses for your ratties! Know that they are very prone to respiratory problems - when choosing a rat, listen to their breathing, if you can hear them making any constant sounds at all, this isn't good. They might even start when you get them home, the stress of moving can make any pre-existing respiratory problems flare up. Take to a vet if so, it is controllable.

Here's some great rat care stuff:
http://www.petsathome.com/pcat/rat

Chalice

Answer 3

rats tend to stink if u dont clean there cage often.AS far as them biting i have owned 7 rats in my life i have had 3 females and 4 males i believe that females are more aggressive then males no matter how much u handle them.all my males have been layed back and loving my nephew would drive them around on the toy trucks and crash into thing and all they did was sit there and enjoy the ride.the females would barley let my nephews touch them.males also will sit on ur shoulder and go any where u go females move around a lot more and sometimes fall off.all in all if u have a younger daughter i would go will a male.they are lovely animals i would get one before i got a guinea pig or hamster or mouse or any other one of them

Answer 4

1. Male rats are smellier tahn females because of their musk, and they also leave urine trails. Females are much cleaner and less smelly.

2. Cleaning them out every two days stops them from "stinking to high heaven".

3. Rats only bite if they are scared or hurt. The more used to being handled they get, the calmer and happier they'll be and the less likely they are to bite.

Rats are the most intelligent rodent - their intelligence is the equivalent of a dog. They are easily trained and are very trusting little animals.

Answer 5

A vet I took my son's rat to told me that rats are the best rodent for inexperienced rodent owners to start with.
The reasons he gave are:
1) They do not bite.
2) They don't take a lot of fussy caring for and are very clean animals.
3) They have a longer life span than smaller animals.
I would add that although I REALLY didn't want my son to get a rat when he first suggested it (and he and his dad waited until I was zonked out recovering from surgery to go get Edgar), I am totally sold on him now. He's sociable and very easy to feed.
I took Edgar to the vet because he was sick and I was nervous about having to give him two oral meds with syringes. He's been really cooperative about it.
In case you can't tell, I really recommend rats as pets for kids, as long as the child is old enough to know that animals are not toys and must be handled with reasonable care.
Edit: I forgot to answer your question about odors and rats. Edgar's cage is cleaned reasonably often and he lives in the diningroom, quite close to the table. No one knows he's there unless we tell him--there is no odor to give his location away.

Answer 6

Rats are wonderful pets. I have three male rats, and they have never bitten me, not even once. The larger the cage, the better. I recommend getting a 18"x24"x24" cage with bars and a plastic basin. For two rats, using carefresh bedding, you would only need to clean the cage once a week to prevent any smell. They have a natural odor, but it is not significant, especially compared to a ferret or guinea pig.

You will not regret getting rats. My wife was skeptical, but has come to love our furry friends. Get a pair, and you will soon be encouraging your friends to invest in a few sewer dwellers themselves.

Answer 7

well rats are the best animal for kids.i breed rats and i am not going to lie to you yes they do stink if they are not kept clean on a regular basis. and yes they can bite that is only if she doesn't handle it everyday when she gets one. there are different rats, like feeders and then there are the pet rats that someone breeds for being sold as pets. if you get her one get one that has been raised as a pet instead of a feeder rat. feeder rats can and will bite and the ones that are raised as pets usually won't bite if they are held everyday. they are not that hard to care for all you would need is:
1) cage
2) food
3) bedding(carefresh)
4) water bottle
5) hiding place
6) and some treats.
7) and also the rat
there are different rats that are being bred now a days and different colors. just look around for a place that breeds them as pets and not feeders. if you do get her one then just keep in mind that all animals will bite and stink, they won't as long as you hold them everyday and keep their cage clean at least once a week. rats keep themselves clean so you won't have to worry about bathing them, but there is stuff that you can use to bathe them. rats can be great pets as long as they are held and paid attention to all the time. i hope this helps and good luck

Answer 8

If the rat is socialized early and handled frequently as a baby, they usually won't bite. I suggest getting a female, also-- they seemed to have better temperaments.

Also, if the cage is kept clean they don't stink. Try to get one that allows for plenty of air circulation, too. They are actually very clean as they are always washing themselves. They do make great pets!

Answer 9

first of all you have to have two or more rats, a lone rat will be very depressed. no, rats do not stink, if their cage stinks, it is your fault for not cleaning it. they can't do it for themselves. no, rats very rarely bite. they are social animals that become very bonded with people. even when a rat gets scared, they usually won't bite. how old is your daughter? if she under 14 years old, please think of it as YOU are getting a pet as you will be doing most of the caring for it.

Answer 10

Rats are one of the greatest pets to have. I had 3. The mayjor concern is they die quickly; 3 year tops life exspectancy. You clean to cage one a week and they smell fine. They don't bite. I'd let her have one; she'll learn a lot about responsibility. Our 3 rats were for that. One for me and my other siblings!