Keeping Rats as Pets

The domestic rat, a smart little rodent, is an easy to breed animal perfectly suitable for someone who seeks a little emotional binding with their little pets.

Starting with some negative; over the centuries, rats have acquired an unpleasant reputation of being aggressive, disease, carrying, and destructive rodents. Such generalization cannot be farther from the actual truth. In reality, these labels are only a few true only for wild rats, which are responsible for considerable economic damage to crops and buildings, but their diseases are primarily the result of parasites they carry. Domestic rats, on the other hand, are not aggressive, destructive or ill, and they make very good pets. When rats are treated well and kept clean, the risk of disease transmission to humans is very low.

Pet rats, those bred in captivity and breed, are the best of all rodents in cages. They are very sociable and curious, and they love human contact. Their cousins, hamsters, gerbils and mice are very popular pets, but tend to be more aggressive and less sensitive than rats for pets. Gerbils often hate to be manipulated by humans, and hamsters tend to bite. Keeping in mind that these animals are often kept by children, rats provide a much more pleasant experience for an experienced master.

Rats love to be outside of their cage and participate in domestic activities. Many rats like to hang on the shoulders of their masters, as they move. Loving animals, rats lick and groom their favorite human companions, and they can easily distinguish between different people.

Rats are also more intelligent than other rodents that are commonly kept as pets. They are fast learners and very agile. Rats can easily be taught to perform tricks like sitting on their legs on command, retrieve objects and come when called. The most common things that fans of rats teach their rats to maneuver quickly through mazes and agility classes.

Despite their reputation as dirty animals, rats are extremely clean. They bath themselves very often, much like a cat. Also, they prefer to keep their cage as clean as possible. A healthy rat will use all available material, such as chips or cedar logs, build a large rat nests for sleeping. Inside the nest, they rarely ever defecate or urinate, reserving a specific area of their cage for these functions. In fact, this instinctive behavior can work to your advantage if you provide a litter, which makes cleaning the cage easier.

Whenever possible, pet rats should be kept in pairs at least. When space permits, rats, fortunately, follow “more guarded” golden rule. However, unless you wish and are able to provide for many rats, make sure your pet rats are the same sex, because they are abundant and successful breeders. If you are only able to take care of a rat, it is important to spend time with your pet to maintain his quality of life.

The only drawback of keeping rats as pets is that they age very quickly. The average lifespan of a pet rat is only two years. Because of their charming temperament, having a pet rat for only two years may be a painful loss for anyone who has become attached.

Why choose a rat as a pet?

Contrary to popular belief, the pet rat (white or even black) is a charming animal, very endearing, which rarely bites. It has nothing to do with wild rats, which actually often carry diseases and are aggressive. The small pet rat will blend with even the most reluctant of the pet masters, because of its many qualities that make him the perfect companion for those who do not want to engage a pet for many years. Life expectancy of a young pet rat is only two or three years. So why choose a rat for your new pet?

The qualities of the rat

Rat is an intelligent animal and an active player who loves the challenges that you lay upon him. Although that is the definition, it is obviously necessary to see the games that you design for your rat. Some balls, cardboard boxes with mazes, and hidden food will be many games that will arouse and stimulate your rat. Among these games, one to two hours per day of running time in a secure room (safe for your rat) will be part of its games to let off its steam. On the other hand, spend your time “wearing” your rat on your shoulder is a bad idea: it will not at all stimulate the little fellow and it will not make any physical exercise.

Rats are cuddly and close to man. When released in a room, they regularly come back to their master and he can snuggle up against you to sleep.

This is a social animal who likes to live in groups, especially with other rats. It is also preferable to acquire two instead of one rat, as your rat can become annoyed if you do not give it enough time.

It is easy to live with: he needs only a cage big enough for him, filled with toys and daily outings to make him happy. It also does not require any special knowledge.

It is a discrete rodent that does not make much noise in the room where he lives unlike other species of rodents such as degus and gerbils who love to munch on wood or cardboard. Don’t get me wrong. Your rat is still a rodent. But it can live without chewing your wooden-ware if you have trained it adequately or rat-proof your furniture.

Feeding your pet rat

There are ready-made mixtures sold at pet stores, but you can also design your own mixture as follows:

• 150 grams of raw lentils
• Muesli 300g of fruit
• 300g of uncooked pasta
• 300 grams of oatmeal
• 100 grams of dry food meant for cats
• 300 grams of mixture for pigeons

It is really important to maintain the protein content between 14% and 16% and fat levels between 4% and 5%.

Treats

• You make your rat happy by occasionally giving a little meat (ham or chicken), or even giving him dairy products (cheese or yogurt) and a small piece of bread or a slice of fruit.
• Avoid all sweet and savory biscuits for humans. They are bad for their health even if they love it.

The above makes healthy feeds for your rat. Feed him to contentment.

The disadvantages of choosing a rat

Despite the many advantages of owning a home rat, keeping a rat can be intimidating for the following reasons:

• It has a short life expectancy, ranging from two to three years.
• The smell of rat urine is very strong. It will therefore require cleaning his cage each day. Tissues should be changed and washed daily. The rat may also suffer from respiratory problems because of his urine which releases ammonia vapors can irritate it.
• The arrival of a rat in a house does not occur unanimously. Your entourage may see a dim view in this new rodent of yours.

Like any acquisition of an animal, the rat has its advantages and disadvantages, but it has far more qualities than defects.

Some wonderful Rat Videos

Fear of rats
Many people cannot understand how one can choose a rat as a pet. But, fact is, there is no half-measure about the rat: we hate it or love it! One thing is certain: those who hate rats hate them because they do not know them! You know that, right? Without knowing anything, it’s scary!

I therefore intend to get people to better understand this new pet.

Diseases of the rat
Many people believe that the rat is a carrier of many diseases, including plague. Rats found in pet stores or from breeders are pets, not wild animals; therefore they are bearers of any disease! You would not fear that your dog or cat will spread the plague, is not it? The domestic rat is no more dangerous than your friendly feline/canine pet!

Why the rat as a pet?
The rat is a popular pet for many reasons: its acquisition cost is not high, it is a very intelligent and affectionate animal, should both children and adults , we can wake up without disturbing it or make it as aggressive hamster, it can spend hours perched faithfully on the shoulder of its master. It is also very clean: indeed, the majority of rats can defecate in a litter.