tell me about rats - as pets, not pests

[Britomart]

Though if they make pesty pets, I want to know that too!

 

As you can see by my sig, my kids are pretty young. Because we had four kids so close together, we haven't had any pets yet. My personal rule - and forgive the language - has always been "one species of s--- at a time". I.e., till everyone's potty-trained, I'm not taking on another variety of waste clean-up. :lol:

 

Well, we're almost through with potty-training (I think, I hope), and so I'm starting to think about pets. We probably wouldn't get anything till at least the summer.

 

My husband and I both grew up with pets, so we're familiar with the work involved, but this would be our first time being pet-owners as adults.

 

I'd like to start with an indoor pet, but something smaller than a dog or a cat, at least to start. I've been thinking about getting rats for awhile (I think my husband brought the idea up first), and recently I visited someone who had a pair of them as pets and had nothing but good things to say about them.

 

And, honestly, I thought they were much cuter than any rodent had a right to be.

 

So, I was wondering, what do I need to know about raising rats? I was told I ought to make sure to buy ones that had been hand-raised from birth, and that they do better in pairs and that they live about 1-3 years. What else should I know? Are there any books or websites you'd recommend for doing research on the subject? Is there anyone on here who's raised rats, and if so, was it a good experience or a bad one? What do you wish you'd known before you purchased them?

 

Thanks for the advice!

[nmoira]

Check out the Rat Lady's (Debbie Ducommun) website, the Rat Fan Club. Also her book Rats: Practical Advice from the Expert. A new edition is coming out in July.

[dcurry]

My first exposure to rats as pets was when I taught Kindergarten (right out of college). We had rats for our class pet. They are better in pairs, and males tend to be calmer and I've heard have fewer health issues (tumors, etc). If you hand-raise them, they are very social. We never had trouble with them biting the kids, and they handled them frequently. One child per week was the "pet-keeper" and they were responsible for feeding him and giving him fresh water daily, handling him during free time, and (if the parent allowed) bringing him home for the weekend (and helping to change his cage). They also could give him his fruit & veggie treats daily. It went well, and we only had one issue in the two years I taught kindergarten when a child who had taken the rat home supposedly "loved it to death" and the poor mom spent all weekend driving around to the pet stores to find one that looked exactly like the one that died so as not to upset the rest of the class.

 

There are tons of books and websites about them, you just need to do a google search and visit a pet store & talk to people. Of course, everyone you talk to and the books you read will all have different opinions about almost everything, so you'll have to make up your own mind after reading about them.

 

My daughter (13) currently has a rat for a pet. It is her own- she wanted a pet, and my husband has allergies so we couldn't have a larger animal (and we have no yard for a dog). She researched all the smaller animals, and decided that a rat would make the best pet. They are very social. She wanted babies, and more than one, but didn't have the money for cages, food, bedding, etc. She ended up adopting one from Craigslist that someone couldn't care for anymore. He is a single male, about 2 years old, and came with the large cage, bedding, food, and other stuff. She has the money to keep up with taking care of him. When he dies (though now we are so attached- he is very sweet- we will be REALLY sad when he dies), she will buy two rats to raise from babies (which was her desire in the first place).

 

She has the cage lined with towels and then puts bedding in just one corner to make it easier to clean. He loves to chew on the towels and use them to cover his food and make a bed with in his igloo. Most rats can be trained to use the bathroom in just one area, but he was old when we got him and not trained. She did train him to come when she calls him, though. I've never seen anything like it. I can be holding him, petting him, and talking sweetly to him and when she calls him, he will scramble off my lap and run to her. He looks like a little dog, wagging his behind and scampering onto her lap with his front legs. She trained him by giving him a treat when she called his name, and now he comes to her regardless of whether she has one for him or not. He loves to be scratched & pet.

 

So- if you will love giving him (them) lots of attention, and are willing to clean their cage weekly and do the research, I think they are great pets.

[ElaineJ]

I used to have pet rats in high school. They are extremely social. They are also very smart and make good escape artists, so you have to make sure you have an appropriate cage. For little kids, I think guinea pigs make nice pets. They actually like being in their cage, so I don't feel so bad about keeping them as caged animals.

 

ElaineJ

[snipsnsnailsx5]

I did a lot of research on rats as pets. I went to rat owner message boards and talked to friends who were rat enthusiasts.

 

Everything was so positive!

 

So we got a pair of them, males (because males are lazier and slower apparently LOL).

 

Everyone said NO to the pet store rats...but I couldn't find a breeder of rats locally and I couldn't justify spending 3X as much (including gas, etc.) when Petco had them just down the road for $5 each. ;)

 

So maybe that was mistake number one. Hey, I was just saving them from snake food, right? lol

 

They are nice and cute. They were a little skittish at first but got used to us fast. They bit a little at first, but now only nibble our fingers through the cage if they think we have a treat.

 

The biggest problem is how STINKY they are. We bathe them and clean their cage, but honestly, I just can't keep up with all these kids, homeschooling, the house, my school work, etc. and clean a rat cage once a week. My kids are 12, 9, 7, 4, and 2....at least the older two should be able to clean the cage, right?

Well its like pulling teeth, and then they don't even do as thorough of a job as I'd like to see. So it still stinks.

Rats just pee everywhere. So it drips all over the cage and down the sides...UGGH!

 

Also...the cancer/tumor issue that is common in rats. One of our male rats has a large tumor on the side of his face. Its probably cancerous. We had our vet look at it. But not many vets know a lot about rats, unless you're lucky to live near a vet that does.

Sorry, but I can't spend hundreds of dollar on a rat that only lives 2-3 yrs on average anyway. :(

So as long as he's eating good, running around, and normal acting then we'll keep him around. Otherwise, the vet said he'd humanely euthanize him. (Yes I checked with the rat owner message board and they all said that is the best thing to do. You can't really treat cancer like this in a rat, not the type he has. :( )

 

THEN we got a female rat from the school because the kids squished her cagemate. :( The rats are in seperate areas of the house, so no worry of babies.

But I noticed my female rat now has a lump in her groin area. From what I read, its probably some sort of normal ovarian cyst type thing. I'll keep an eye on it.

 

I just never realized how many medical problems rats can get. It can be hard to deal with for the little ones. :(

 

Next time...I wouldn't go for the rats...I think we'd do a hamster or guinea pig. lol I've had those as pets when I was a kid and I loved it.

[Devotional Soul]

Over half of the rodents where I am have leptospirosis, which can make people very sick and die, and it comes from rodent urine getting into cuts and openings in the body (usually through water). So, the idea of having a rat as a pet is unheard of here! I wish we had lepto-free rats!

[5LittleMonkeys]

We love our rats! We have 2 female Dumbo rats and they are so sweet and affectionate! We got them when they were babies so they are very attached to my girls. They love to be with people and spend a good 6 -8 hours out of the cage sitting on my girls' laps or shoulders or playing with them on the floor. They come when either of my girls call them but they definitely seem to be more attached to the girl they "belong" to. If they are at the top of the stairs and the girls sit at the bottom and call them, they will each always go to their girl. It's so cute to see them scurrying to get to them and then diving down the front of the girls' shirts and then poking their heads back out.:D

 

Do a lot of research before you get them to learn all about the best bedding and food. Make sure that you will have the time for your dc to spend atleast 4 hours or more playing and interacting with them daily.

 

We have had the whole range of rodent pets and I can honestly say that the rats have been the favorite and we will be sticking with them as the pet of choice from now on.

[Britomart]

Check out the Rat Lady's (Debbie Ducommun) website, the Rat Fan Club. Also her book Rats: Practical Advice from the Expert. A new edition is coming out in July.

 

Thank you very much; those sound like exactly the sorts of resources I need.

 

My first exposure to rats as pets was when I taught Kindergarten (right out of college). We had rats for our class pet . . . . So- if you will love giving him (them) lots of attention, and are willing to clean their cage weekly and do the research, I think they are great pets.

 

Thank you for sharing your experience (it sounds great) and also for reminding me that cost is something I need to make sure to research too!

 

I used to have pet rats in high school. They are extremely social. They are also very smart and make good escape artists, so you have to make sure you have an appropriate cage. For little kids, I think guinea pigs make nice pets. They actually like being in their cage, so I don't feel so bad about keeping them as caged animals.

 

 

Thank you; I'll certainly think about whether or not we can interact with them as much as they need. I hadn't considered that, so it's a good thing for me to add to the list of things to think about!

 

I did a lot of research on rats as pets. I went to rat owner message boards and talked to friends who were rat enthusiasts . . . The biggest problem is how STINKY they are . . .

Also...the cancer/tumor issue that is common in rats . . .

I just never realized how many medical problems rats can get. It can be hard to deal with for the little ones. :(

 

Aw, I'm so sorry. That sounds awful for the kids. But thanks for sharing your story too; I really appreciate knowing all sides of it as we make our decision.

 

Over half of the rodents where I am have leptospirosis, which can make people very sick and die, and it comes from rodent urine getting into cuts and openings in the body (usually through water). So, the idea of having a rat as a pet is unheard of here! I wish we had lepto-free rats!

 

Oh dear! I'm so sorry!

 

We love our rats! We have 2 female Dumbo rats and they are so sweet and affectionate! We got them when they were babies so they are very attached to my girls.

Do a lot of research before you get them to learn all about the best bedding and food. Make sure that you will have the time for your dc to spend atleast 4 hours or more playing and interacting with them daily.

 

 

Thank you for sharing your story too! Yours sound like perfect pets.

 

Wow! Lots to think about. Thank you all for your help. I'm sure we'll make a better decision because of all the good adice.

[Ferdie]

We had a single male rat that we bought from a breeder. We had him about 3 months but had to return him to the breeder since he bit, (drawing blood) my children and several of their friends.

 

After that we had a female dwarf hamster for 2 years and we now own a female ferret. No problems with biting with either animal.

[KatieJ]

My son and his now wife have had several rats, the first pair lived here as my son still lived at home at the time.

 

I agree they are stinky if you don't keep the cage clean and I got really tired of reminding them.

 

The first pair were very sociable and never bit, only nibbled.

They didn't live long..less than 2 years.

When they got sick, they were beyond saving in a matter of a day or so.

(My Daughter in law worked at a vet clinic and is now in school to be a Vet Tech, so she really did know the disease they had and that it was common and incurable, altho they tried.)

 

The 2nd pair were apparently fed thru the cage before my son got them and they tend to be more biters than nibblers. I felt it necessary to keep the grandkids away from them. They are not as sociable either, but we think it's because they weren't held as much from the get go.

 

We did have one "escape" for a few days. I was beyond upset because I am a seamstress and have fabric on shelves in the same area as the rats were living. However the escape artist never really left the immediate area the cage was in as evidenced by the droppings that were found there. She did do some damage to some N64 controller wires which were in a bookshelf next to the cage, but she did not get into the fabric stashes which were just in the next room.

[The Girls' Mom]

My dd had two pet rats. They were fun and friendly, but honestly, I'll never have them as pets again.

 

First of all, they do STINK. Ours had a very strong odor that permeated my dd's room (and yes, I cleaned daily, or close to it)

 

Second, we were lucky enough to get an escape artist in our pair. One houdinied his way out of every possible lid we could devise for his terrarium. Not funny when you have over night guests that don't know you have pet rats, and a HUGE rat goes scurrying across the floor while they are in bed. :blink:

 

So, if the potential smell does not bother you, and you are better at containment than we were, they do make neat pets.

[Impish]

Rats are illegal here. Yes, illegal.

 

I've heard many ppl who love their pet rats. Not me. Any rodent has me turning into a gibbering idiot.

[clarkacademy]

I have heard about smell from critter cages before but I have never had that issue. I always use the pine bedding you can get in a bag at walmart and it works really well. Also make sure they have fresh water all the time so they don't get any urinary bladder things going on. I have had every kind of rodent you can think of lol. Rats can be wonderful pets you are right about that. I will say the white ones with the red eyes scare me though. I have never had bad times with them it is the eyes, they just freak me out. Good luck with getting your new pet!

[The Girls' Mom]

I have heard about smell from critter cages before but I have never had that issue. I always use the pine bedding you can get in a bag at walmart and it works really well. Also make sure they have fresh water all the time so they don't get any urinary bladder things going on. I have had every kind of rodent you can think of lol. Rats can be wonderful pets you are right about that. I will say the white ones with the red eyes scare me though. I have never had bad times with them it is the eyes, they just freak me out. Good luck with getting your new pet!

 

 

I don't know what the deal was with our rats, but it went beyond critter cage smell (we've also had guinea pigs and hamsters that never had an odor even remotely like this)

[nmoira]

 

I always use the pine bedding you can get in a bag at walmart and it works really well.

Pine and cedar beddings can be toxic to rats, mice, and rabbits -- presumably other small animals as well. Here's an overview of the research.

[KatieJ]

My DIL researched rat bedding and they used the best thing for the rats. On top of that, she always puts fabric scraps in there for them to "nest" with. The rats love it. That is where the smell was..in the fabric they had peed on. When the fabric was fresh, there was no smell.

[clarkacademy]

Pine and cedar beddings can be toxic to rats, mice, and rabbits -- presumably other small animals as well. Here's an overview of the research.

OH MY GOODNESS!!

 

I have always used it and with no problems. That is crazy. It is in my hamster cage right now and it is what the pet shop owner told me to get. i will have to look into something else. I would hate for little one to get sick because I was not responsible. I just listened to the pet shop owner figured he would know. Thanks alot for the heads up though

[clarkacademy]

I don't know what the deal was with our rats, but it went beyond critter cage smell (we've also had guinea pigs and hamsters that never had an odor even remotely like this)

 

Could it be from old water maybe? I know alot of people alot that just fill it when it gets empty. I was warned of this when I was young and bought my own little mice one time. The pet store owner told me it was very important that you change the water every single day and rinse the bottle too because bacteria can grow and cause their urine to stink. Maybe you just had a few dirty rats lol. JK. I am sorry you had to deal with that I cannot stand smelly stuff.

[nmoira]

OH MY GOODNESS!!

 

I have always used it and with no problems. That is crazy. It is in my hamster cage right now and it is what the pet shop owner told me to get. i will have to look into something else. I would hate for little one to get sick because I was not responsible. I just listened to the pet shop owner figured he would know. Thanks alot for the heads up though

You'd think it would be something they'd warn people about in pet shops, maybe by posting a sign by the various bedding choices.

 

If you like the shavings, aspen is safe to use; though cheap brands tend to be much more dusty than pine.

[snipsnsnailsx5]

OH MY GOODNESS!!

 

I have always used it and with no problems. That is crazy. It is in my hamster cage right now and it is what the pet shop owner told me to get. i will have to look into something else. I would hate for little one to get sick because I was not responsible. I just listened to the pet shop owner figured he would know. Thanks alot for the heads up though

 

Yes I had my DH pick me up some bedding for the rat cage one time and he didn't know, so he ended up bringing home pine chip bedding. I thought it would be okay just for a short while until I could go get the paper bedding.

 

The next day one of our rats started bleeding from his eyes and nose and was very lethargic. I thought one of the kids squeezed him too hard or something. He was not barely moving at all. Finally I thought to change his pine bedding just in case...the next day he was back to normal.

That fast! wow