I reeeeaaallllly want a pet rat. There's only one at the petstore and she is a female all white rat with a black head. She is just adorable and I've been doing some research on rats for a while now. I've convince my mom over, but my dad still doesn't like the idea of having a pet rat in the house. UGH! I already have a dog, two cats, and two gerbils. But the gerbil's are actually my sisters so that doesn't matter much, right? My cats really don't mind the gerbies, so I'm assuming they'll leave the rat alone. I already know everything to buy if I do end up buying her, but how can I convince my dad!?!? Please give me all the information you know and and how to convince him. Thanks a bunch this really helps!
2007-10-10 11:27:46 · 15 answers · asked by Joelle 2 in Pets ➔ Rodents
I used to have a rat and she was the most awesome pet I've ever had!! Before I got her my mom really didn't want one but my brother and I conviced her by showing her how easy to take care of they are. Their cages are easy to clean and they don't require much of anything except well the essentials (food, cage, etc.) and maybe some wood blocks to chew on to keep their teeth trimmed. They're really inexpensive and you can even make homemade toys for them such as toilet paper and paper towel rolls and they really seem to like those. You can make lots of different things with cardboard and things like that. I would suggest getting a ball though and make sure it's big enough because they really like to run around. They don't smell bad as long as you clean their cages every week or so depending on the particular animal. My rat was always very easy to get along with, she never bit anyone unless they stuck their finger through the cage bars (which I doubt will be a problem with you). But yeah, if you want any more tips just message me. I hope I was able to help you. : )
2007-10-10 12:50:01 · answer #1 · answered by suzieq0023 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What I would do is take all of the positive answers about rats and copy and paste them on to a Word document. Show your Dad that. Also, are the cats and the dogs yours? Or are they family pets or you parents pets. If they are not yours, tell your Dad that if your sister can have 2 gerbils, then you really don't see the problem with a teeny, tiny, friendly rat. Thats what I did and it worked for me. You see, my sister had a hamster, and I really missed my 2 rats after they passed away on my birthday. I wasn't allowed to get any more rats, but a hamster was okay. Well I don't know why but I really don't like hamsters (I think it is because they don't have tails- I love mice, rats, gerbils, degus, ferrets, chinchillas, etc but I wouldn't want to own a hamster) Well anyways I made this huge power point about gerbils. This is how it was formated>>>>
-The title page said "Gerbil 411" and had a really cute picture of two baby gerbils
-The next 5 or so pages contained information on rats, their diet, personality, etc and several comments from yahoo on why gerbils were a favorite pet to own (it is a lot easier to find those on rats)
-I ended with a couple paragraphs explaining how I saved up enough money and that gerbils aren't that bad
Eventually on a non planned trip to Pet Emporium "just to look" we came across a tank full of adorable baby gerbils. After she said she thought they were cute I knew I had scored, and that is how I got my two twin gerbils, Chip and Dale.
Also, ask your Dad why he won't allow rats if he allows gerbils? The main reason I had to convince my step mom is because when she was really little a gerbil bit her really had. (By the way, my two kiddos have never bitten a single person)
BUT PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, (get the point)
Get 2 rats!!! 2 rats aren't much more work than one at all, and just like gerbils, rats NEED company. They need a sleeping buddy!!! So PLEASE GET 2!!!!!!!!!!
Hope This Helps!!!!
Good Luck!!!!
Rats are amazing and even though I love my gerbies, rats are so much more fun and social.
2007-10-10 13:44:02 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should do as much research as you can to show your parents that you understand what an enormous commitment owning rats is.
You should never buy only one rat and you should avoid buying them from pet shops and either go to a reputable breeder or to a rescue.
They will need a very very large cage (at least 4 times the size of the average large hamster cage), daily time out free-ranging in your bedroom, daily feeds and change of water, thorough cage clean every week and spot cleaning during the week.
They are incredibly intelligent and social animals and make fantastic pets. But you have to be prepared to give them at least an hour of your time each and every day.
They can also be very expensive, needing a large cage, lots of toys and hammocks which they will chew and need replacing regulalry, and vets bills can soon add up due to the number of illnesses common in pet rats due to indiscriminate breeding. You must be prepared to pay for all of this for the next 2 years. You must also be prepared that rats can go downhill very quickly which can be very upsetting and in their old age (average life span is only 22 months) they often need a lot of additional care to help them keep well and happy.
Generally people find that if the parent does not like the pet then they will not be willing to take them to the vets, pay for expensive treatment or an emergency call out etc. You should bear this in mind as it would be cruel to buy an animal when you cannot guarantee being able to provide it with medical care.
If you do end up with rats then good luck and have fun as as I said they are fantastic pets. But please do thorough research first. See the link below for a great website full of information.
2007-10-10 21:26:16 · answer #3 · answered by Thedafftone 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Everyone has had good ideas, so I'm not really going to say anything different. I do agree with everyone, though, you really need to get two as they love company. If you only get the one rat, then be prepared to spend every waking spare minute with her!
Rats are so easy to look after, as everyone has already mentioned. My favourite HoneyBear was an absolute riot! She got sick once, so the vet suggested I keep her by herself in my room, so she could get better. Ever tried sharing your room with a rat? She took over. She slept in my cupboard with my clothes, chewed all my shorts to shreds (I am not joking, literally!) and used to nick off with my pens and hide them under the bed (I used to lay on the floor and do a cross word while she ran around the place). She would jump in the shower with me (ever wondered where the expression "Looked like a drowned rat" came from.?) and would just follow me everywhere. When she eventually got better, she didn't like being in the cage with the other rats, so I had to live with the fact that she was my new 'room mate', she lived in my room until she passed away last year. (yes, of course she had food, water, kitty litter tray and her own play things in there!) She was an absolute to joy. Most people look forward to going home to their dog/cat, but I really looked forward to going home to see my little HoneyBear. How I miss her so much now!
Good luck! I hope you have a chance to get lots of sweet memories like me and others here who have answered you!
Mel
2007-10-11 04:03:51 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
rats r really friendly and fun and they arent too hard to look after u should know that girls are more active but boys will be quite happy just sitting o your shoulder. anyway rats rule so if u do get a rat ill love u 4eva! lol :P u should be able to handle the rat in the shop before you buy it make sure you do coz the last thing you want is to get your rat home and find out its really unfriendly not that thats likely.
2007-10-11 00:30:10 · answer #5 · answered by samiDEE 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't beg your parents. They'll only get madder. What I did was a bought a stuffed rat and a rat cage. I fed it everyday and watered it. I changed the bedding. I did this for two years and one day I came home and a champayne hooded rat was in the cage. A REAL one!. Do you know about rats? Dumbo, rexes, hairless, hooded, capped, agautio (spelled wrong I know). Do your research. Rats are social and need space. Can you provide that?
2007-10-10 17:19:26 · answer #6 · answered by LilliSeptember 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
PLEASE don't buy just the one rat! rats need companionship of their own kind so you always need to buy 2 :) otherwise they'll be depressed and depressed ratties get sicker easier. if you really think you're prepared to spend all the time you need to on them, then here's a few facts lol: the rat you want to buy sounds like a hooded rat. they're the breed most commonly sold at pet stores, but there are tons of other recognized breeds (even siamese and dalmation) that can compete in shows, just like cats or dogs. female rats tend to be more active and playful but male rats are more often lazy and cuddly. domesticated rats are all rattus norvegicus (commonly known as brown rats) but the rats that spread the bubonic plague were rattus rattus, or black rats. rats do make awesome pets if you take care of them properly! they're very friendly and smart, they almost never bite without fair warning, and they almost always learn their names (don't expect them to listen though ;) hope that helps!
2007-10-10 13:16:28 · answer #7 · answered by miki 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
my rats name was beans, she also was white with a black head, and she was the smartest girl I knew. the only rat I ever had, she played with the dog and the cat, rode on my shoulder, she was an opportunistic eater, so she ate anything I gave her, never marked territory [males do] and chose her own treats at petsmart. i
loved her very much and had her her entire little life. when she passed I hd her cremated and she now sits ont he mantle. I think of her every day.
2007-10-10 11:55:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
all I know is that as pets, rats are extra clean. They're also friendly and love playing. this shouldn't be needed, tho, cause if she's that cute she would have already won ur dad over.
2007-10-10 11:34:29 · answer #9 · answered by hotgurl101:) 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's all pretty much been said. But I must stress, don't get just one rat, get two. They need to have a friend to cuddle with when you're not playing with it or it'll be depressed. Please don't get just one. It's cruel.
2007-10-10 16:46:46 · answer #10 · answered by alecya 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋