Rat or Rabbit?

Question

I'm getting a pet and I have to choose between a rat or rabbit. Which one is better? When I say better, I mean easier to take care of, not as smelly, nicer. Please help.

Answer 1

I have both, and by far rats are friendlier, less smelly, cleaner, easier to take care of.

Rat Care:

One or Two?
Rats are social and enjoy company. While you are away(work, school, etc) they can play, groom, and sleep together. Lone rats can get lonely and need more interaction from thier owners.

Cage:
Wire cages are best. Amonia can build up in the tanks and cause burning of the lungs, respiratory problems, etc. Tanks are also harder to clean, they are heavier, etc. Wire cages usually have a tray that pulls out and the litter can be dumped. ire cages have shelves for more space to roam. Since the wire cages have shelves they are not as long(they take up less floor space) Rats need 2ft of cubic feet per rat for floor space.

Bedding
Rats require aspen, or paper based bedding. Pine and cedar are toxic and cause respiratory infections, etc.

Interaction
Rats are very social and enjoy being with their human companions. They need at least a few hours out of thier cage per day with quality interaction(preferably at night). My rats used to free roam my bedroom and when I got home from work they would all come running to greet me.

Vet Care
Rats do require vet care in emergency situations. Some will get respiratory infections, or even tumors. There are many vets that are able to remove tumors from rats(you just have to look).

Rabbit Care:

Rabbits are high maintanance pets. They are not the cute nose twitching fluff balls that people think. There are many things to consider when purchasing a pet.

The start up for a rabbit will be around 500 dollars, and you should always have about $1000 set aside for emergencies. You need cage, bedding, waterbottle, bowls, hay, veggies, pellets, toys(expect these to be ruined, I replace toys once a month), litter boxes, etc.

Not all rabbits are friendly. Most do not like to be held or cuddled. They freak out if they are picked up incorrectly and kick with thier back legs.

They are farily independant when they are out of thier cage. I consider mine pretty friendly, tolerates being picked up, pet in cage, but even she will not let me pet her once she is out. If you don't mind watching a rabbit run and hop, then they make good pets.Rabbits have a specific diet. Under one year they need alphalpha hay, and pellets, with veggies introduced one at a time. After one year they need mostly veggies(mine gets two cups of assorted veggies, half cup pellets and timothy hay),no more alphalpha past one year. Weight needs to be maintained, as over weight rabbits will have health issues.

Rabbits need to be spayed/neutered. Males will have sexual agression, and females can get cancers if not altered.

Rabbits need a cage large enough to hop around and should be out of thier cage for several hours per day. They must be supervised as they chew wires, books, carpet, etc. They are destructive, I knew a person whose rabbit ripped the wallpaper off the wall. Be prepared to have bare spots in your carpet from chewing and furniture ruined.

Keeping a rabbit outside is not advised as they can be killed by predators. No hutch is completely secure against dogs, raccons, etc. Your rabbit will need to be kept inside.

They most certainly smell, the urine is very potent. They urinate frequently, my rabbit can sometimes drink an entire water bottle(32 oz) in one day. There poo gets everywhere. They can be litter trained, but are not like cats that will seek out the litter box. You need several boxes all over and even then they might not use it when out of the cage.

Rabbits are messy, they like to dig and throw out litter, I find poo pellet everywhere around the cage.

I have a rabbit and love her, but that is because I respect and understand the kind of pet a rabbit is. Rabbits are not for everyone, and it depends on what you are looking for. If you don't mind a pet that is not too cuddly, does thier own thing, than a rabbit may work for you. Reversely if you are looking for a pet that can be held and pet that you may want to go in a different direction.

I love both my rabbit and my rats, but is it came down to it and I had to choose I would go with the rats. They are great pets.

Answer 2

Q: Does your rat have a short, fluffy bobtail? Long ears? Does she hop? If the answer is no, you cannot keep your rat on rabbit food with nothing else. There are home-made diets that are BASED on rabbit food out there, but they have many other ingredients in them too. For the sake of simplicity, your rat should be eating rat food. Rabbit food can be a treat if you like, but rabbits and rats are evolved for entirely different diets and feeding your rat off rabbit food will cause deficiences and eventually health problems. Treats are different, they are not a staple diet. Also, why is your rat alone? Are you aware its like shoving a human in a locked room with no human company for life? Rats need the company of other rats. If you dont want your rat to get sick (because of depression), get another cage, another rat, and introduce them slowly.

Answer 3

I'd say get rats. Two or more in fact since they are very social creatures. But they do not cost less then a rabbit! For a rat you need to buy a decent sized cage which can run up to $200, invest in the right food (the best block advaible is Herlan Trelad, next best is Muzri (sp?) but you can use a vegitarian dog food with 18% crude fat or less), toys to keep them entertained such as hammocks and stuff.

Answer 4

both make very good pets. a rat is much more friendly and easier to hold. they can be trained and have very unique personalities. a rat will sit on your shoulder even when you walk around. a rabbit on the other hand, is has a much more tempermental mind set. they enjoy staying in their cage and are much harder to hold. the smell on both is not bad. if you get proper bedding from a pet store, it won't be bad at all. if i were you, i'd choose the rat. they stay a smaller size are easier to maintain. be sure that you hold and handle the either one before you buy it.

Answer 5

Rats can be amazing companions. We live with 6 & each one has a distinct personality. It's best to get @ least 2 of the same sex so they won't be lonely when you're not with them. Keeping them together won't make them less friendly toward you, and will make them so much happier. They're fairly easy to care for, don't take up a lot of space & you can find them with different colors or textures of fur, or even no fur @ all (one of our girls is hairless). One of my best friends has rabbits & they are cute to watch, but don't really cuddle or play with people much (rats do). Also, rabbits need lots of room & a fair amount of money & effort goes into their care.

Answer 6

Rat all the way i have a baby rat and my brother has one (they are sisters) and they are sweeties they are so cute and nice i say rats all the way and they are smarter and nicer (well most are) just dont get a rat from a big pet store like petco and pet smart i got mine from a little store called paws-n-claws in Michigan

Answer 7

I say rabbits because they live longer and they are cuter and have softer fur. Plus, you won't have to deal with everyone saying "Eww, you have a pet RAT?" Lots of people don't like rats but just about everyone loves rabbits.

Answer 8

id say a rat there really smart and i think there cleaner than rabbits but i have a rabbit who i love that loves to be pet and who is aslo litter box trained. hes very good about using the litter box. i also think rats are less costly but i think both are great pets when given enough attention. so i dunno i dont think you can really go wrong as long as you take your time to pick out a good rat or rabbit

Answer 9

After having both in the past I would say get a rat. Their cage is smaller, making it easier to clean and if you handle them everyday they are really friendly.
When I had a rabbit....well he was cute when he was small but as he got bigger he got smellier and I had to take him to the vet every couple of months to get his teeth cut down.
After saying all that.......get a cat :)

Answer 10

Rats are pretty clean and rabbits can be kinda messy.