do rats make good pets?

Question

i am a little hesitant about getting one. i've had a hamster b4 but never a rat and there are lik those horror movies about rats and what not. but then everyone was like omg they are so sweet they come wen called ect. so do they really make good pets? and also are fancy rats just as sweet as regular rats. and is there a diffrance between a rat and a mouse??

Answer 1

Yes, they make wonderful pets, but get at least TWO of the SAME gender! If you get a male and a female, the female will be dead very soon from having litter after litter non-stop. Rats are very social, and will be miserable kept on their own. "Fancy rat" is just a term for a domesticated rat (like from a breeder). Rats are sweet, affectionate, friendly, smart, playful, and relatively cheap to own (not counting the vet bills). Be prepared for the idea that your rats will likely have to go to the vet at least once in their lifetime.

All rats carry mycoplasma (myco), which is a rodent-specific bacteria that YOU can't get sick from. Not every rat will get sick from it, but it's triggered by stress or unhygienic conditions (not cleaning the cage for two weeks will do this). http://ratguide.com/health/bacteria/mycoplasma_mycoplasmosis.php
http://rmca.org/Articles/myco.htm
Active myco needs antibiotics - it can't be treated with anything over the counter or from the pet shop - and don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise. Untreated active myco can lead to pneumonia, lung scarring, and other secondary infections.

Those horror movies are complete BS. Watch a calm, comfortable pet rat at play with his/her friends, and you'll be hard pressed to associate this rat with the ones in those films.

You need at least two cubic feet of cage space per rat - females need a tall cage because they like to climb, and male rats need more floor space.

Female rats are hyper, constantly on the go - in general, that is. My Smokey was a complete lap rat almost from day one (five weeks). They usually start slowing down as they age, and by two years, most girls will have turned into lap rats. Adult (6 months on) males are more mellow, and would rather sleep in your lap than run around and play. Almost all babies are hyper.

Answer 2

Rats are awesome little companions. They're smart, affectionate & playful, & much less likely to bite than hamsters are. The horror movies just play on ppl's paranoia.
Rats are much larger than mice & usually more interactive toward humans (although we've lived with some very friendly mice, too).
If you decide to adopt, please get 2 (or 3) of the same sex. They are much happier & actually more fun for you when they can hang out with their own species. Rescues & breeders are the best places to go, but some pet shops are fine.

Answer 3

Lab Rats are excellent pets: Domesticated rats are excellent pets: Wild rats are not!
One major difference is that rats are usually larger then mice ..
My niece had several lab rats as pets and I hated them prior to her showing me hers, now I really like them ...
The horror films are nonsense created to scare people, there are horror films about killer tomatoes but I do not fear tomatoes. Lab rats are Intelligent and believe it or not can be very affectionate, be sure you get them medically check out by a Vet before you get one though they can have common illnesses just like any other pet, and my nieces ones were prone to cysts (do not know how common that is, but it was quite serious for her rats, they eventually died from the cysts they had). Good Luck!

Answer 4

Lol, difference between a rat and a mouse:
Rats are built at least a few inches thicker and longer, have longer tails and can actually break skin if they bite you. Mice are tiny and can sometimes be used as snake food. (Rats cannot, unless you have a particularly HUGE snake..)
Both species love to live in groups, and its probably best if you get a pair of either.
Both species eat basically the same thing, and require the same bedding.
The only down side is that the bedding can be hard to clean, but you said you've had hamsters before so you probably are used to that by now.

All in all, rats can make wonderful pets! My sister has kept rats as pets for years and they have turned out to be faithful friends to her. She takes them out and holds them on her shoulder and they're so comfortable with her they'll just sit there and allow themselves to be petted.
Make sure they have a paper towel roll, or something long and dark they can play and hide in, and you'll need to give them a chewing block so they can file down their front teeth as well.

If you'd like your rats to be friendly like my sisters, just be sure to interact with them alot! They'll gradually get used to you picking them up and holding them.

Another downside I just thought of is that not everyone else might like your pets. We have to cover up the rat cage with a sheet when our grandmother comes for the holidays, since she thinks rats are disease ridden and evil. -_-;

Anyway, hope this helped!

Answer 5

Domestic rats do , they r great pets because i had 1 b4

Answer 6

If you like Hamsters and Gerbils, you'll like Rats (well, domestic ones - don't go taking them off of the streets!)

Sweet little creatures

Answer 7

Domestic rats do. I have had 3 and they make wonderful pets

Answer 8

Rats make wonderful pets, i had one and her name was chi chi. We went everywhere together, well, just about, lol. she knew her name, was potty trained, was playful and never bit anyone. just be sure to get one at a very young age so you can train it to being handled and you will have a real sweet pet. good luck to ya

Answer 9

Nah, most rats are cute and friendly. Very smart and curious. They should run about $10 anywhere you get one.

Answer 10

yes rats are lovely they just have a bad stereotype. they are extreemly friendly and clean rodents
and are much nicer and less nippy than mice.
Good Luck!
xx