2007-06-19 15:33:58 · 10 answers · asked by Books books books! 4 in Pets ➔ Rodents
There are many things that people don't know about rats. That's why it's such a struggle to educate the public on the proper care of rats because pet stores have brain-washed people into believing the wrong things on how to care for rats, and vets do not know the medical needs of rats.
Some things you might not know about rats:
- our pet rats and wild rats are the same species, Rattus norvegicus
- rats cannot vomit
- rats can fart
- rats do not have a gall bladder
- rats do not have thumbs
- treat rats like dogs and you'll have a happier pet
- rats are social animals
- rats can achieve the same intelligence level as a three year old child
- rats ARE NOT like other rodents, and should not be treated like other rodents
- rats can sleep with one or both eyes open
- rats are such stoic animals that they can suppress the symptoms of a disease until it is too late to help them
- rats do not need to chew on objects to keep their teeth worn down. They keep their teeth worn down by bruxing. Rats chew because they enjoy chewing, or they need to chew to accomplish something, ie making a hole bigger to get through it
- rats do not need to have a salt block
- rats can eat what we eat
- rats can have chocolate
- rats are banned from Alberta Canada and Anchorage Alaska
- rats can laugh
- rats can mourn for a lost cage-mate or owner
- rats are crepuscular, not nocturnal
- most rats are lactose intolerent
- rats DO NOT LOVE cheese
- Chuck 'e' Cheese is a rat
- rats have a compressable rib cage that allows them to squeeze into small spaces
- pine and cedar are not only dangerous beddings for rats but it's dangerous to all small animals
- rats need more free-range time (time out of their cage to be with you) then other rodents
- rats learn to really LOVE their care-giver
- rats are highly prone to Mycoplasmosis and tumors
- rats get bored easily
- rats do not like wheels or rolly balls
- rats can be taught tricks and do agility
- rats have very few pain receptors in their skin. That's why they can get into fights, sustain horrendous injuries, and bleed to death, without batting an eyelash.
- cat food is too rich for rats. Too high in protein and fat
- there's no such thing as breeds of rats, only types
- Beatrix Potter of Peter Rabbit fame was one of the first young women to have a rat as a pet. Her pet rat's name was Samual Whiskers
- Rattus norvegicus NEVER carried the plague. Rattus rattus, the Black Rat, carried the flea, that carried the plague, and rats suffered the black death just as much as the humans did
- Jack Black, Queen Victoria's rat catcher, was the one who started the rat on it's path to be pets.
- wild rats live to a ripe old age of 6 to 8 months. Domestic rats live 2-3 years, rarely, but sometimes, 5 years.
- there are more pet rat forums and websites on the internet then for any other rodent.
- a healthy rat has yellow to orange teeth. This indicates a good blood flow
- rats have seasonal shedding just like dogs do
Rats are amazing animals!!!!!!!!
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%3DAp7_QKgYQ7rOmm.EMgQzchUazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ijal57l%2FEXP%3D1182398025%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAva3B_YWzs7XPcdrPvh6iy8azKIX%2FSIG%3D1210i4meb%2FEXP%3D1182398025%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=rat+behavior
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=+rat+biology&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAp7_QKgYQ7rOmm.EMgQzchUazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ijal57l%2FEXP%3D1182398025%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAva3B_YWzs7XPcdrPvh6iy8azKIX%2FSIG%3D1210i4meb%2FEXP%3D1182398025%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=+rat+biology
For answerer #2. I gave you a thumbs up because people who own rats really are a different kind of people as you have stated. Since I started keeping rats as pets, they have taught me confidence, they have taught me to stand up for my beliefs no matter what others say, and they have taught me about life and death.
spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"
2007-06-19 16:51:59 · answer #1 · answered by spazrats 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I can't say much more than SPAZRATS- I've seen the site and it is truly amazing. But I think the most significant thing I learned while being owned by rats was the incredible amount of intelligent personality packed into that tiny body. Living with rats was like living with dogs, or roommates. Except that they were cleaner than my dog and much more enjoyable than my roommates. (LOL, but I'm serious!)
People used to walk into my pet store looking for a hamster and I'd send them home with a rat. 9 out of 10 times, they'd come back in a week to get another one!
Thinking of getting a few more myself...I still miss my first, Oscar, who was voice and signal trained (98%) housebroken, harness trained, and an incredibly sweet and enjoyable companion...Died at 3 years of pneumonia and is sorely missed...
2007-06-19 19:25:56 · answer #2 · answered by howldine 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
As others have suggested, rats are social creatures. in case you would be able to provide him *a minimum of* an hour of interest an afternoon, he would be advantageous. yet once you have room and funds for 2, i could exceptionally advise it. My first rat grew to become into already previous once I accompanied him, so we purely had 3 months mutually in the previous he handed on. those 3 months occurred to be in the time of the summer time and that i'm a school scholar, so we had an incredible sort of time mutually. Now I even have 2 and that i'm very relieved to have a pair as a results of fact i understand i won't be in a position to furnish one as a lot interest as he merits now that faculty's in consultation.
2016-09-28 03:30:27 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok well I was going to say how much rats actually love their owner...I know me and my girls are in love...but you got an awesome answer from the person above me and they seemed to cover it all!!! Rats do make awesome pets though!
2007-06-19 18:53:37 · answer #4 · answered by Jellicle Cat 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
They are very susceptable to some disease (can't recall the name of it) but I remember two little girls at the vet bawling their eyes out because they had to have their pet rat put to sleep because it had contracted the disease.
2007-06-19 15:38:26 · answer #5 · answered by tabulator32 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That a rat's owner is REALLY different.
P.S. Don't forget, "Ratatouille" opens 6/29/07!
2007-06-19 15:43:20 · answer #6 · answered by surffsav 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
All rat lovers say that rats never bite.... well BOTH of my rats bit me. They were really shy.
I wanted to get more but I think they will be the same! They are not as nice as rat lovers make them out to be.
I have had 50 guinea pigs though and I've never been bitten by them.
2007-06-19 21:58:41 · answer #7 · answered by Trina 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋
rats are so cool many people think there sick and mean but mine were cool you could hold them and play with them but one let down was they do stink a little...mine had babies and they were so cute and cool looking! lol
2007-06-20 06:37:41 · answer #8 · answered by average joe 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That they are very sociable animals. They will greet you when you come home much like a dog would. They are very smart and they love attention. Also they won't bite like a lot of rodents will
2007-06-19 16:06:09 · answer #9 · answered by nerakian 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
...........they're fuc*ing ugly!!! ZETA
2007-06-20 05:12:51 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋