Rats are supposed to be very friendly, but is it possible to get one and find that it isn't friendly at all?

Question

It would be a pity to get one and find that it didn't like me!

Some great answers, thanks folks!

Answer 1

The vast majority of pet rats are very friendly, however, you will find a few who have been harrassed by humans before they were 12 weeks of age and they never learned to trust humans. Animals don't know hate, but they do know fear and distrust.

I had adopted 3 older rats who were biters, but I've had over 200 pet rats so far so 3 is a small percentage.

One of the nippers was Eedie. Here's her story why she was a nipper. Very unique little girl.
http://spazrats.tripod.com/alfabitrats.html

spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"

Answer 2

It is certainly very rare, but, yes, it is possible that you can find a rat that is just not friendly. Generally this will be because of lack of socialization when young, perhaps an accident or mishandling that has led to distrust and on extremely rare occasions just a "bad to the bone" rattie.

When you are looking for a rat your absolute best bet is to get a rat from a breeder or a rescue. These people take the time to ensure the rats in their care are social and friendly before adopting them out. They will usually let you come visit your ratties and hold them/play with them so you will know exactly what they are like with you.

If you don't have a breeder or rescue near you, don't impulse buy the first cute rat you find in the pet stores (which, I know, is MUCH easier said than done :) ). Ask to meet and hold the rat before you take it home. It is understandable if the rat is a bit shy at first (you have to wonder how many strange people hold them or just poke at them through the cage), but should show no sign of aggression.

Something I would like to warn you about ahead of time is that many rats will "taste" you. That is put their mouth around your finger. At first it might seem they are going to bite, but they don't, they just kind of lick you then look at you with those adorable eyes and an accusing look that says "aww...that's not a treat". Mine do it quite frequently and if you aren't expecting it and pull back quickly you can scratch yourself on their teeth. Babies do this a lot when they are exploring new things :). It's also a good idea (always) to make sure your hands are clean and you haven't used soap or lotion that smells too tasty :). I love the smell of the new brown sugar and vanilla soap...but don't dare buy it lol

Good luck in your search for ratties ;). As Spazrats said, it is very rare to find a "mean" rat. In seven years I have only had one rat that was just a mobster, and that is out of a few hundred ratties (between breeding and rescuing).

Answer 3

Others have answered the question really well, and some haven't, sadly.

It's important to go to a responsible source for rats - a responsible breeder will breed for health and temperament first. Petshops mainly get their stock from rodent farms where no attempt at responsible breeding is made - animals from them are often inbred and many have temperament or health issues. They also don't handle rats much if at all before sale, so most rats sourced from petshops will be initially shy and more likely to bite out of fear. Quite often petshop rats aren't separated before they're able to mate (which can be as early as 4.5-5 weeks old), so beware, you may end up with more than you bargained for!

The one thing I really want to say though is that if you do decide on rats as pets, it's imperative that you get more than one (and both the same sex). Rats are social creatures and are not meant to live alone, they absolutely thrive on same sex company.

Best of luck!

Answer 4

Very possible. It all depends on if the rat is inbreed, its enviroment prior to you and how much human interaction they have had. Your best bet to receive a healty friendly rat is to buy the youngest rat you can find, buy from a good company that seperates the male and female rats so you know no inbreeding is happening in the store (and a female is not pregnent), make sure the cage the rats you are thinking about buying are in is clean and not overcrowded. You can usually pick out a certain rat that seems to fit your personality and hold it first. If it doesn't bit you then (baby rat bites do not hurt because their teeth are not strong enough but adult rat bites REALLY hurt and can be very nasty) it probably will not bite once you get it home. Once you pick out the perferct rat (or ratS as they love being around other rats) for you make sure you have proper cagging. The bigger the better and with lots of air flow and plenty of water. Be sure to give your rat lots of attention every day and it will slowly get to know you and know that you love it and will not hurt it. Rats love food and will respond well to treats (fresh veggies, pasta, and a variety of other foods) Stay away from peanut butter and candy (any thing sticky) and fruits (it gives them diareaha). If you do get more then one rat I recommend getting two females. The don't get as big and have less greasy fur. I have had many rats that i trusted and have never bite me and been very very friendly. Just make sure you give them lots of attention so they get to know you.

Answer 5

Wow... there's a lot of people in here who are severely miseducated about rats... and probably pets in general. This scares me (as do all stupid people in large groups). There's a big difference between a wild rat and a domestic one... and even wild ones can be tamed to a certain extent if they're caught early enough (before eyes open).

For those who want to saw EWWWW OMG RAT RATS ARE NASTY EWWWW, you should promptly go play in traffic or throw yourself off of a very high cliff (bonus points for sharp rocks at the bottom). You're too ignorant to live, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Chances are that you'll never be 100% satisfied or competant with any pet you get, because ALL pets have something disgusting about them (cat vomit/litterbox, dog poop, lizard skin, ANY disease your animal may contract, etc.). For the love and benefit of God and everybody around you, don't make comments about things you know nothing about. If you intend to volunteer your deluded, misguided opinion, at least make sure somebody has the satisfaction of beating it out of you first.

Every rat is going to have its own personality, but friendliness has a lot to do with how much contact its had with humans. This is why I'd recommend going to a breeder instead of a pet store. Breeders love on their rats before allowing anybody buy them. They also usually have some rescue animals that originally came from pet stores or excess litters... these would be a good option as well because you know the breeder has loved on them properly. Rats need to be handled from the time their eyes open to achieve maximum sociability potential.

Answer 6

Oh, it's very possible! I bought two rats (one on Saturday, and the second on Monday) last fall, and while the second rat was such a sweetheart, the first one (Templeton) is just nasty! Every time I pick him up or pet him, he'll try to bite me. It started after I bought him, which is why I bought the second one (George). Temps is just not a sociable rat, though; he'd bite George all the time. Now that George is gone (cancer), I'm going to let Temps be an only rat until he goes. Hopefully my next pair will be happy ratties!

Answer 7

Yes, it's possible to get a mean rat. I've seen some really sad cases where a rat was sold as food for a snake, but the snake didn't eat him. The rats were so scared that they never trusted a human again because it was a human who put them in with the snake. It was so sad... Poory rattie... Yes, they are that smart.

Answer 8

Rats are generally great pets, but there can be the occasional grump. It is usually a result of irresponsible breeding. Males occasionally get really territorial and nasty right around the time they really want to start breeding (6-10 months) and they can get nasty anytime they smell anything male. These males should not be bred from! This hormonal temperament issue is inherited. If you want to make sure you will get a nicer rat, get it from a breeder and ask about the temperaments of the parents. Good breeders don't breed aggressive/biting males or females. If you end up with one of these males a lot of time neutering helps, but it can get expensive.

Answer 9

When I was in High School I had a rat. Her name was Spanky. She used to roam all around my room, she would lick my hands, and I would keep her on my shoulder and when I would be eating, I'd let her eat out of my mouth. I used to take her to the elderly homes (along with other animals) for pet therapy.

Answer 10

Rats are just like people ... it takes time to make friends with a rat ... try giving it little treats from your hand and letting it out to 'wander around' on your bed or desk while you are 'studying' ... rats are 'curious' and will want to 'investigate' you and what you are doing ... but if you want to have a 'really good friend' I suggest you get a female rat, since male rats are a bit more 'standoffish' ...