Experience with a pet rat?

Question

If you have had a pet rat, would you recommend it as a first pet. How about for young kids (that really want a pet, and I think would treat it respectfully).

Answer 1

Rats do make great pets for kids who can be responsible around them. They are very social creatures that need a lot of attention and interaction. YOU are their society. Rats are also very smart and can learn their name, to come when called, etc. I've had three rats and have trained all three. The first one, we would let wonder the house. When we'd call her, she's come running. All three loved to sit on my sholders. Just remember how social they are. If you can't give these animals the attention they need, they can become problems too. There are many websites on rats as pets too.

Answer 2

You THINK they would treat it respectfully???

I think you'd better rethink the pet issue.

Until you KNOW, for absolute certain, that your kids are old enough not to harm an animal, it would be very unwise to get a pet. I mean, ALL animals have teeth and they know how to use them.

Besides, YOU will undoubtably be doing the work, so I hope YOU want this pet too!

About rats... I've had many pet rats (in fact, I have two baby rats sitting inside my shirt as I type this!) and yes, they make WONDERFUL pets. But they are NOT EASY and they are NOT CHEAP.

First of all, you need to get TWO. This shouldn't affect your wilingness to get rats, almost ALL pets are much, much better off if they have a friend, so no matter what pet you get you should get two. Of the SAME GENDER, please! You really don't want to have 100 or so baby rats (or gerbils or hamsters) do you?

Rats are VERY intelligent and friendly, they are as sweet as can be. They almost never bite -- but they CAN bite. Rats need a big cage and lots of mental stimulation -- they need to be played with every day. You will need to keep the cage clean (every other day) and provide good quality food, plus toys, a house, a hammock, a wheel and treats.

You must never, ever, EVER pick a rat up by his tail. This can result in an agonizing injury -- you can litterally pull the skin off the bone.

The saddest thing about rats is their short life span. They only live about 2 years -- 3 if you're very lucky. Rats can and do get ill, sometimes frequently, and they do need to see a veterinarian. Vets are EXPENSIVE, so if you can't afford vet care, rats are not right for you.

So, although rats do make excellent pets, I would encourage you to think very carefully about this. And never let your kids play with the rats unsupervised.

Answer 3

I had a pet rat as a kid, and it was a great pet. We kept ours in a large glass aquarium with a wire screen top, and he seemed pretty happy in there. He was a really sweet pet, he liked being held and played with, and never bit hard (but would occasionally 'taste' our fingers). Rats have much better temperments than hamsters, from my experience. They're also fairly easy for kids to help care for. Owning a pet can be a great way for kids to learn responsibility. At the school where I work, the 3rd grade class has a rat, and she's an awesome rat too.

I think a rat would make a great first pet.

Answer 4

You THINK they would treat it respectfully? That's not really good enough. Young children should only be allowed to interact with animals under strict supervision.

Rats made great pets, but maybe not as a first pet for a young child. Although they are very friendly and easy to train, they don't like to be held tightly and can give quite a nasty bite if they are scared or hurt. Most rats would never bite unless under severe duress, but the odd one will nip. They also have very sharp claws and, as they are quite heavy when they are full grown, the claws can dig into a child's skin when the rat walks on them.

You may be better to consider something like a guinea pig. GPs never bite, and are quite happy to sit in your lap once they have got used to you. They are not as intelligent as rats, but they do interact very well with people, and will "talk" to you whenever you come into the room, particularly if they think it will get them food! If you do get a GP, please bear in mind that they should only be fed on a food made for guinea pigs as, although they will happily eat rabbit food, it does not contain enough vitamins. They also need lots of fresh food and/or fruit.

Guinea pigs are also good for kids as they are easier to hold, don't jump and love to snuggle. They like to be groomed, and can be brushed with a soft cat brush. Their nails should be clipped every couple of weeks but, other than that, they're pretty maintenance-free.

Whatever pet you get, please make sure your kids realise that it is a little animal, not a toy. It needs feeding and watering daily, and its cage will need cleaning out at least once a week. It needs company and attention. A rat can live for up to four years and a guinea pig can last as long as seven years - that's a long time for a child, so are you, as the responsible adult, willing to supervise the care of the pet and, if necessary, take it over if the kids become bored with it?

As long as you yourself actually want to have a pet, you should go ahead and get one. But if you're just doing it because the kids want it, I would say that you should give it some more thought.

Answer 5

Ditto to all above recommending a rat as a first pet.

Also, if it poops on you, it is either terrified or you have held it so long that it was not allowed to back to it's cage to use the preferred spot. They know exactly when they need to go and have regular spots in the cage.

Mine only poop on the bottom level where the litter is. They pee in certain corners on the upper levels (wire floors are lined with shop towels and work well to absorb). They do let a few drops of urine when they are out and about - marking territory and they are so tiny that you should be able to get over that fast enough. Males are more mellow but they also have no qualms of leaving several drops along the way.

Answer 6

I have had a pet rat before. They are actually pretty clean. As long as you take care of the rat well it would be a good for a pet. I would suggest getting a baby rat so the rat will grow up used to it's surroundings. I do not belive it would be harmfull for children. A fun pet

Answer 7

Our family has a pet rat, and other than the fact that rats have no control over their bowels, it isn't a problem. It likes to crawl around, sit on your shoulder, paw your hair, curl up in your pockets, and lick your skin (for some odd reason), but doesn't have problems with chewing, making noise, getting into things it's not supposed to (dresser drawers, vent ducts, hard-to-reach places), or smelling bad. The only complaint that I have is that it'll just be walking along whatever surface it's on (the bed, the floor, your arm) and leave a stream of pee whenever it gets the urge, and the pee has a very strong odor of ammonia.

Answer 8

Rats are intelligent. I had two females that were so smart, they were trained to do a rat agility course up the stairs. They wiggle a little bit so not good for VERY young children but otherwise, great pets!

Answer 9

yes! I have had many rescued pet rats. they are wonderful! they don't bit nor scratch. I had them when I was young and would recommend them as a first pet to anyone. the only thing is that you are going to want to make sure you keep its home clean. they can smell if left unclean. You might want to adopt two, as they are social animals and like to have a buddy around (make sure its the same sex, because they breed fast.. the shelter i volunteer for just radded a home where there was over 120 rats, its crazy!) also I would recommend adopting one from a shelter or rescue organization. there are hundreds looking for homes, and hopefully yours will be there next home. try www.petfinder.com. good luck

Answer 10

pet rats are so much fun!!! i would definately reccomend it for kids. they are so sweet, and they dont bite a lot. and you can train them!!! i had an albino rat, and he was the sweetest rat!! i trained him to walk up my arm, around my shoulders and down the other arm. the sad thing is they dont live a long time. they live 3-5 years. they arent very hard to take care of either. you have to change the cage every few days and give them fresh water and food. thats all! and you can get leashes fo them♥ i hope this helped, and good luck!!!