What to look for in a pet rat?

Question

I am going to PetSmart tomorrow to get 2 rats. But what should I look for when I buy them? And I have searched for rats to adopt but there isnt any in my state and the closet rat breeder is a ways away. So this is my only choice.

So please help me out and tell me what I should look for. Thanks!

Answer 1

Check the eyes and nose to make sure they're clean. Make sure their coats are shiny and not matted (although male rats tend to have coarser coats, so don't worry too much if the males' coats aren't super-soft).
Handle them if you can to see if they're aggressive or extremely timid--some rats tend to be a little jumpy at first, but they shouldn't be leaping out of your hands if you're gentle :). The rats should be curious and try to sniff you/come up to you rather than sit in a corner ignoring you.
If they nibble your finger a little, I wouldn't worry--they're still young, and my rat did this while she was at the store, but hasn't done it since then.


Good luck, and have fun with your rats!

Answer 2

-smiles- Well, you tried getting a rescue. That counts for something. I know what you mean. All but two of my ratties were from petstores. Those two were from a rescue facility (and most likely originally came from a petstore)

It should have bright eyes with no redness or puffiness around the edges. The rat should be alert when the cage is opened, and come forward interested.

The skin should be whitish or pink (or dark, depending on rat's fur color) If the skin is orange, it means the liver is shutting down.

There should NOT be any sores or bumps on the rat's feet or skin. It should not make any wheezing sounds (respiratory infections usually will develop in rats at some point and time and should be treated by a vet so they don't turn into something worse) The hair should not be matted. It should be sheen and clean. (hehe it rhymed!)

Either get two females or two males. (they love having cagemates) Males tend to have a slight body odor, but are usually more laid-back and cuddly. Females tend to be more hyper. This is not always the case though. I had two rescue ratty brothers who I swear had caffeine in their blood or something. ^.^; LOL)

Good luck! If you have any questions, feel free to email me any time!

Answer 3

If Petsmart is your only option, get the youngest rats they have, as they're usually easier to socialize. Ask to hold them before you decide who you're going to take home with you, this will give you an idea of how social they are to begin with & you'll also be able to check them for runny eyes or other problems.
Get either 2 boys or 2 girls. Boys are *in general* more relaxed & cuddly, girls *tend* to be more hyper & nosy. If possible, watch them interact with each other for awhile so you might notice 2 that are good friends to adopt together.
Our local Petsmarts have only males or only females in their stores, so it's highly unlikely you'll have a surprise litter on your hands. Also, the Petsmarts I've been to usually have only a few animals in each enclosure & everyone I've adopted from them has been pretty healthy. They try to handle them regularly, from what I've been told, but there's only a certain amount of free time they have for this & not all employees are comfortable with handling rodents. I learned this when we adopted our little hooded girl-- the person I asked first had to go find another employee to help us. We only adopted 1 b/c we were looking for a young female as a companion for our other girls.
Good luck with your little ones when you get them.

Answer 4

Ask to go inside the little hut to pick out your pets. Pick the first two that come to your hand. I made the mistake of picking one because she was friendly (not the mistake) and the other because she was the cutest, and the cute one is not at all social and bites a lot. She gave me this one gorgeous scar. Get two that are pretty much the same size, otherwise the bigger one will beat up the smaller one. Rats are usually good about not seriously hurting one another, but even displays of dominance over a smaller rat can result in minor injuries, so it's best to have them equally matched size wise.

Also, check and make sure they're healthy by checking their noses (not runny, but a little red discharge is fine, but beware of any other colors) and her eyes are clear and bright. Also, check to make sure that they are both the same sex. It's very simple to check if a rat is male because they're testicles are very noticeable and look like baboon butts, and they show at a very young age. Petsmart is usually good about not mixing sexes.

Answer 5

Well the few things you can look out for is clean and clear eyes, no mucus coming out of the rats nose and clean and clear anal gland you should be ok to look out for that and have some nice rats. Rats are very smart and can be trained to do so many things.

Answer 6

Rats are great pets, the best thing to watch out for is if they are well handled. If they are they will be very friendly and wont mind being held and touched. Good on you for getting two of them as they are happiest in twos. If they are young rats they will be slightly bitie as they are still learning.

Answer 7

You will love having rats. So much fun. Here are a few helpful websites.

http://www.dapper.com.au/

http://www.petrat.info/

http://ratguide.com/

Good Luck.

Answer 8

You couldn't find any ratteries at all? No animal shelters? Please look into these before you buy from petsmart. Please don't support petsmart or petco if you can help it. But, if you must, buy a rat that looks healthy: has clear eyes, no sneezing, sleek fur, and one that comes up to you (although that's rare in petsmart since they don't even bother to socialize their animals).

Answer 9

Just pick the freindliest one & look to yourself to not get a male & female!Look to yourself to always keep them in a secure cage & fed,watered & clean!
Believe me!If they get loose in your home,it will be ARMAGADDON!
You won't have an appliance left that works & your cabinets & linen clothsets will be filled with rags & rat pellets & little pink,wriggling babies!

Answer 10

A shot gun! A RAT trap, what ever works to rid yourself of them. Why would you want to bring a RAT into the home? Wait until Winter, they'll come in all by then selves!