I'm mildly interested and am perfectly capable of researching them on my own, however, the one thing researching DOESN'T get you is an owners personal experiences and opinions.
So...is have a rat/rats working out for you?
2007-07-03 11:27:57 · 21 answers · asked by ? 6 in Pets ➔ Rodents
Personally, I would not be without rats...............rats are like potato chips, you can't have just one.
I have fallen head over heels in love with these animals that combine the intelligence and activities of a human child, a dog, a cat, and a monkey all rolled into one small furball. I've had other rodents as pets over the years, but once I found rats I can't see myself enjoying this lifestyle I have now with any other critter.
Of course my rat-keeping opinion is going to be different then those who keep one to six rats, as I have chosen to live with more then 50 rats at any given time. And I admit, I have gone beyond the call of duty with my love and devotion to pet rats......
http://spazrats.tripod.com
A couple of rats are very easy to keep, not expensive, very gentle, and delightfully funny. I swear these rodents have a sense of humor. The biggest difference with rats is that they crave your company, they want you around. I've never known any other rodent that will actually fall asleep in your arms while you pet it, much like a cat or dog would.
Check out my profile, I have answered hundreds of questions and you might find some of your research questions answered by doing so.
You want the big scoop on keeping rats as pets? Start your research at my group Holistarat, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat and talk to other rat-experts on a rat-only forum.
I suggest a rat-only forum because here at Y!A I have come across the most rude, cruel, and inappropriate answers when it comes to pet rats.
These are the most important websites you can bookmark.
The search for healthy rats:
http://www.ratster.com/
The care of rats:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=caring+for+your+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAmrLvrRZp8SXPzB.OHL0vAIazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ij0r52u%2FEXP%3D1183590510%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAjxFo9BLape1bXCUKlhunhIazKIX%2FSIG%3D121u72jed%2FEXP%3D1183590510%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=caring+for+your+rats
Housing pet rats:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Housing+pet+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAmrLvrRZp8SXPzB.OHL0vAIazKIX%2FSIG%3D11i6vmupv%2FEXP%3D1183590883%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAjxFo9BLape1bXCUKlhunhIazKIX%2FSIG%3D121qu54vh%2FEXP%3D1183590883%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Housing+pet+rats
Feeding pet rats:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Feeding+pet+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAmrLvrRZp8SXPzB.OHL0vAIazKIX%2FSIG%3D11i6vmupv%2FEXP%3D1183590883%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAjxFo9BLape1bXCUKlhunhIazKIX%2FSIG%3D121qu54vh%2FEXP%3D1183590883%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Feeding+pet+rats
Toys for pet rats:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Toys+for+pet+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAmrLvrRZp8SXPzB.OHL0vAIazKIX%2FSIG%3D11i6vmupv%2FEXP%3D1183590883%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAjxFo9BLape1bXCUKlhunhIazKIX%2FSIG%3D121qu54vh%2FEXP%3D1183590883%2F*-http%253A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Toys+for+pet+rats
The health of your rat:
http://ratguide.com/
The behavior of your rat:
http://www.ratbehavior.org/
And of course, you can always e-mail me and we can talk about rats:
spazrats@yahoo.ca
I promise, I'll get you hooked on rats in no time.
spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"
2007-07-03 11:56:03 · answer #1 · answered by spazrats 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Owning a rat is like owning a little dog or cat. You can train them to listen to commands and if they have the right temperment they'll sit quietly on your lap while you pet them. I had one that used to fetch. I've never had one bite me or scratch me which I can't say the same for owning a cat or dog.
They require a lot of attention and loving everyday though, so if you don't have the time for that I would suggest getting a different pet. The females tend to act more excited and run around like crazy while the males I had acted more sedated and calm.
Have fun with your rattie if you get one.
2007-07-03 18:41:22 · answer #2 · answered by Violet R 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've never had a rat.But I know muckh about them
THINGS NOT TO LIKE ABOUT RATS:
they don't live very long(2-3- years)
female rats go into the the heat evry 4 to 5 days,they seem very restless at this time
most are very active at night
maintenance pets
THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT RATS:
very cuddlely
easily tamed
very intellingent
very social animals(to other rats which will make most people happy to have 2 or more rats)
easy to care for
require a fair amount of attention
wants exercise out of the cage(about an hour)
sex (male or female) pairs are wonderful together
This is what I think and knoew about rats,
hope this helps!
2007-07-03 19:00:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Rats make great pets! They are very smart and for the most part they are very tame. They one and only time I have ever been bit by a rat is when I accidently cornered a female with babies when I put her food dish in her cage.
They live longer than your average hamster or gerbil also.
2007-07-03 20:24:02 · answer #4 · answered by galapagos6 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have four and I love them. They each have their own distinct personality. Max likes to be petted and waits for treats. Flash runs around like a puppy dog and loves attention. Scruffy is independent but likes to explore. Cary is a wild one- she loves to climb and explore, and has a strong spirit (she suffered a major injury when she was young).
I like them. I never would have considered them until my girlfriend introduced me to rats. I have never been bitten, just nipped as they learn to get treats. They are very gentle animals as far as I am concerned. Smart, and aware of us and what we are doing and how we feel.
If you get some, make sure to get at least two (same sex) so they have company. Get rat blocks for the majority of their diet, and fresh fruits and veggies for treats. And let them out and clean their cage on a regular basis. Good luck.
2007-07-03 18:35:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
My son had several rats when he was in high school. They are very nice pets! They will let you hold them, pet them and they'll cuddle with you. I never got bit by one and they are easy to feed. He had one for a few years and when I noticed it dying, I held it and pet it until it died. My vote is yes, get a rat and give it a nice home!
2007-07-03 18:33:31 · answer #6 · answered by reindeer dippin 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I had pet rats and they were awesome! The only bad things about them are
1) if they crawl on you they will accidentally scratch you (just little scratches) unless you trim their nails
2) at first they will pee and poo outside of their cage when you play with them but not always (their poo is small like rabbit poo and mine stopped doing this on their own just don't let them go on your bed with out something covering it!)
3) they get tumors (I've only had one with this problem out of the 4 I've had)
otherwise they are very smart and become very attached to you. I used to cuddle with mine all the time and they love sitting on your shoulder or crawling under your clothes where its dark and warm. They're very sweet little things and I want one again so bad!
2007-07-03 18:50:37 · answer #7 · answered by just some one else 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I do not have a rat but a friend of mine in college did. He loved his rat. He set up this really elaborate tubing system that he suspended from his ceiling. She would run through it and poke her head out every now and then. I personally and freaked out by rats but apparently they can be great pets.
2007-07-03 18:30:48 · answer #8 · answered by -- 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They're great!
I have one female and she's terriffic. She's a little picky though. Not in a bad way. She just likes certain types of fruit.
Anyway, she's very friendly. She likes to run around the bed and is great with my sheperd/sheep dog cross.
I totally think you should go for it.
One thing, I had a male before. He was not as sociable or energetic as my female.
2007-07-03 20:43:18 · answer #9 · answered by Liz L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rats are the best small animals ever!
In my time i have had gerbils, guinea pigs and hamsters......
A rat easily beats all of them!
They are cute, loving and you can actually train them to do things.
i am currently teaching my 4 month old buck to stand on his hind legs and jump through a small hoop (which is actually a cellotape hoop!)
They are easy to handle and love to ride around on your shoulder.....
Bascially; they are amazing animals! If you get one then you will understand what i mean!
; ]
Hope this helped you!
x
2007-07-04 11:43:50 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have a hairless full grown female dumbo rat
shes my lil pink ball of love
i love her to death!!
very sweet and affectionet
loves to b around ppl 24/7
never has bitten me or n e one els
she loves to go where ever i go
not trained at all and loves sitting on my shoulders
and easy to care for
yes its working out great!! i still love my gerbil (is now dead) but my rat is much more nicer.....
have a great day
2007-07-03 19:29:07 · answer #11 · answered by She's Batty 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋