A rat for a pet?

Question

I have been looking into getting a rat for a pet. Has anyone else had experiences with a pet rat. Do they make a good pet?

Answer 1

I had one as a kid. They're highly intelligent and very personable. Easy to take care of, inexpensive, gentle, friendly, you can teach them simple tricks. They're also clean, as another poster stated. Be sure you get a wheel to keep him or her occupied and those little fruit flavored chewy sticks. Also you can feed them fruits, veggies, dry cereal (like Cheerios) which is fun.
Try to get one that is still a baby so you can bond with it better and tame it. You might be able to find one that is hand raised, if so, go with that kind. Spend lots of time talking to it in the beginning and stroking it gently and in time, you'll be great friends.

Answer 2

Rats are wonderful companions, probably more so than any other small animal. They're smart, funny, affectionate & simply awesome. Please get 2 of the same sex so they can keep each other company when you're not there. They'll be much happier & it won't make them any less interested in you. In fact, you'll be highly entertained watching how they interact with each other.
Well-socialized rats rarely bite & they love attention. As long as their cages are kept clean, they don't smell bad & they can even be litter trained although success with this is variable. You can find them in lots of different colors & textures of fur & either with normal ears on top of their heads or "dumbo" ears on the side of their heads. If you can, adopt from a rescue or a good breeder before going to a pet store for your little guys. Our 2 boys are from a rescue & they're not only total sweethearts but very healthy. We adopted our hairless girl from a breeder & she is delightful & also in excellent health. We've had a few good experiences with pet store rats but some real heartbreaks as well. On the other paw, our hooded girl is from a pet store & not only was she already well-socialized when we adopted her but she's in decent health & a very loving little girl.

Answer 3

Rats are awsome!! I've had 7!! They are like little dogs...you can train them and their really pretty clean as long as you keep their cage clean! The only thing with rats is that they tumors and respiratory diseases..Ive lost 1 to a tumor and 3 to the respiratory disease but 2 were sick when I got them....make sure you get ur rat from a clean store and make sure they don't look like their sneezing or breathing weird! Both are strong signs of respiratory problems. Anyways, if you have any questions feel free to email me! P.S. If you get a rat, don't use wood chippings, use the paper kind of bedding! The saw dust in the wood bothers the rats lungs and adventually will lead to respiratory problems. Good luck!~Nicole

Answer 4

rats are great pets, i have a hairless rat and a normal rat.
i luv them so much. they are social, good climbers. and if you are thinking about getting a rat it would be better to get to because they like haveing a buddy of the same or oppisit sex. i have two males and they go good together, a good cage would be maybe a tank of somekind, with a levels that go above the tank. if that made since,
but if you dont think a rat would be a good pet consider getting a chinchilla? they can learn there names and be litter trained, and are like fluffy miniature kangaroos, and there are also hedgehogs which are also a bundle of fun
i dont thikn hamsters are mice are that great because they just sleep and dont come out often unless they need to get food. well i hope i helped

Answer 5

rats are awesome pets, i have 7 girls currently and will probably have more by the years end.
rats are very smart and social creatures that should be bought in pairs. they really thrive with a companion when you're not around to play with them.
they can learn there names.
they can be taught how to play fetch.
mine follow me around like little lost puppies.
very cuddly.
its best to get them when there young and from a breeder, although if theres not a breeder in your area (like in my case) pet store rats are fine.
you have to look them over before you buy them.
make sure there eyes are clear, and there coats are clean.
listen to there breathing for any raspy crackling breaths as they MIGHT have a respiratory infection.
check the cage there in to make sure there NOT being kept in wood chips, this can make them extremely ill. if they are in wood chips ask if its aspen bedding, its the only wood bedding that is suitable for rats.
another sign that they MIGHT not be healthy is a red staining on the bedding, this isn't blood, this is the color of their tears when stressed or (snot) its called porphyrin.
also check paws for this "staining" it usually looks very crusty on the paws, kinda like dry blood. another sign the rat is very sick.
bedding should be carefresh, aspen bedding and there are other kinds, but those are the ones that i prefer.
rats NEED to be kept in a CAGE (no tanks) not good for there breathing and no fun to clean.
also, rats need room to run and play....
levels should be in the cage, a wheel and whatever else you can think up.
i know this is more then you asked.... but what can i say, i love rats and want to see them taken care of properly!
i noticed that someone said that they shouldn't have meat, this isn't true.
enough babbling on my par i'll give you some helpful links and be on my way.

Answer 6

Rats make fantastic pets. They are cute, fun and quite easy to take care of, and if treated right will love to sit on your shoulder or play with you. I haven't actually had one as a pet before but some of my friends have them and they are the cutest things!! I am hopefully going to be getting one in a couple of weeks time..! Here is a site with some useful information on caring for them and so on

http://www.petratscanada.com/ratcare.htm

Good luck!! =]

Answer 7

never had one myself, or thought I'd want one, until working with a girl that had one & she was crazy about it. I loved her imitation of how he would dart his head back & forth in excitement when she'd come home from work. Since then I've had another person tell me they are great pets - but check it out further with rat folks to be sure. I now have a new respect for rats! If I didn't have so many cats, I'd want one.

Answer 8

If you get the Rat at a young age, handle it constantly (more than 1x a day), DO NOT feed it any meat products, talk to it and so forth, you will have a friend for life. As with any animal they can bite if they feel they are not being paid enough attention or mishandled.

Answer 9

They are fantastic!
They are clever and clean, and very cute.
Be sure to do your research, though, they arent for everyone, and it sometimes is tricky to find toys and cages for them as most of those things are made for hamsters or ferrets and not really made for critters in between.

As long as you get one from a good place (be it a good pet shop or breeder) and take the time to properly tame and train it...they are wonderful pets. I will never go back to hamsters and gerbils and such. Rats are just too fun.

Answer 10

lol. I never had a rat pet but, I think rat is a good pet, I guess. Just pick a cute one. :)