RATS; THE WORLDS MOST UNDERRATED PET
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MISUNDERSTOOD
As a life long owner of pet rats, it surprises me how many people still see rats as sewer dwelling, diseased carriers of the Bubonic plague. Quite the contrary, rats are notorious for being clean, social animals that rarely bite. Incredibly smart, rats are easily trained to use use a littler box, do tricks, and even come when you call. The smartest of my personal pet rats aren't even caged. They waltz around with the cat and the dogs. Watching T.V. on the couch, and joining the family for spaghetti dinners served on her own little saucer. These are sweet, loving critters with individual personalities.
WOW!! RAT HEAVEN!!
THE MORE THE MERRIER!!
WHEN MISCHIEF IS BEST
Often mistakenly called a "pack", a group of rats is called a mischief. Left in the wild, they will stay in groups. Unlike hamsters or gerbils, rats are not content in being alone. They are happiest and behave best when handled regularly by their owners. Even regular interaction between you, wont leave your rat totally satisfied. At least one cage mate is highly recommended. While you don't want to overcrowd a cage intended for one animal, rats are happy to share the space. They amuse, occupy and comfort each other at the times you’re not or can’t be around.
THINK HOUSE, NOT CAGE
EXCELLENT HOMES FOR RATS
A HAPPY HOME
The above pictured is almost perfect in my book. The only changes I would make is a larger water bottle and a few cage mates. Rats are naturally curious and playful. The enjoy climbing and exploring. A wire cage is always best, allowing them to climb around easily. Tubes, tunnels, hammocks, stoops, ladders, and toys are all excellent additions. Water bottle, food dish, and an igloo (or home of some kind) are essential. Avoid Cedar or Pine litters, they cause respiratory disease and can shorten the life of your new friend dramatically.
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CAGE CHOICES
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MULTI LEVEL FERRET, GUINEA PIG CAGE
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NEW! SUPER PET FERRET CAGE MULTI LEVEL Nation Mansion
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A HEALTHY DIET
WHAT RATS EAT
Almost anything! Rats are omnivores and therefore most eat both animal and vegetable derived foods. Adult rats should be given some grains, vegetables and protein every day for optimum health.
Grains could be in the form of wholegrain brown rice, oats, millet or whole meal bread; rats will eat most fresh vegetables and their protein could be provided in the form of lean scraps of meat, fish or even dog food. For snacks you could give them a rodent mix brought from your local pet store.
If you cannot provide them with fresh food they can still have a nutritionally balanced diet by giving them rat food mix brought from the pet store. Although these mixes claim to be ‘complete’ and include all the constituents that make up a healthy diet, they will only be ‘complete’ if your rat eats all of components, which is not very likely, your rat will probably pick out his favorite bits and leave the rest! If this does happen then you need to give fresh vegetables such as potatoes, peas, carrots etc and snacks of fresh fruit such as apples, grapes, strawberries and bananas, also some protein in the form of dog food or they will eat cooked meat. Rats will also enjoy having your table scraps but be wary if these are fatty or full of sugar.
Treats such as sunflower seeds and peanuts should be kept for special treats and not be included in their daily diet..
Rats like to rummage for their food and if you only provide them with complete blocks of rat food they will become bored and won’t have the opportunity to select their favorites!
It is essential that you provide fresh water on a daily basis and that this available for your rat at all times. The easiest way to enable them to drink is by using a drip feed bottle attached securely to the side of the cage, the bottle should be emptied and re-filled every day.
You can give water in a bowl but the chances are it will be knocked over or bedding and food will end up in it, if your rat is unwell he may find it difficult to drink from a drip bottle so then a bowl would be best, you’ll just have to clean the mess up frequently. It is also worth putting a bowl inside the cage occasionally to enable your rat to wash.
BREEDING
ALL THE BABIES!!
Rats have large litters and can reproduce at an incredible rate. Do not mix male and females in one cage unless your prepared for dozens and dozens of cutie pies!! The little pink wigglers get fuzzy and cute in no time. In the first weeks it can be difficult to determine male from female. When separating, look closely, Any oversight can have you running your own pet store! Determining gender is very easy after those first few weeks. See for yourself.
FEMALE
MALE
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
I personally love rats and only want to raise awareness of these tiny little friends. I buy mine from pet stores that sell them as food, and as I get to know them it breaks my heart that other great rats were never given such a chance. You can buy a suitable cage, litter, water bottle, food, toys and accessories plus a couple of rats for around $80.00. If you have a bird cage around already, then you're looking at closer to $25.00. These little guys are stated to live approximately 3 yrs, but I have had many live 5. Its worth taking a closer look, you may be surprised at what your missing. I must add a few more photos that are simply too cute to miss.
RATS HAVING FUN
TRAINED RATS
RAT KISSES
BASKETBALL FUN
CUTIE PIE
GAMBLING MAN
MUSICAL
WHO SAID DOG WAS MANS BEST FRIEND?
SHOW A RAT SOME LOVE TODAY
AN EXCELLENT RAT SUPPLY ONLINE STORE
RATS AS PETS?
AFTER READING THIS, ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO BUY A PET RAT?
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They do grow fast! I have had rats since I was 14 and as many as 40 at one time, though that was not planned. :) I try to limit myself to 3 or 4 rats per cage depending on the size of each cage. I have found that as long as theyhave a place to "get away" when hogging special treats they are happy. :) Between hammoks, igloos, tent shelters, and play tubes my 3'x3'x2' cage easily accomidates 6. Glad to hear of your two rescues! They are amazing animals. :)
I used to keep rats -- yeah, thanks for reminding me; they were a lot of fun. We used to just let them out to roam the apartment. Cute photos!
Thanks! Maybe now you can get a few more! :)
Oh god I miss my babies so much!!!! Cutest things in the world. Gorgeous! Fantastic info. Thanks!
I got my first rat for my birthday, I must have been 9 or 10. They are the most wonderfull little friends. It breaks my heart that they dont live very long. I have had rats most of my life. I even got my wife to fall in love with them.
I have been very lucky there. Experts say they live live about 3 years, but many of mine have reached 5. :) I just lost my 5 year old rat Arrabelle last week. She was amazing. I will be welcoming 4 or 5 more into my home next week. :)
"...hamsters or gerbils, rats are not content in being alone..."
Oh so true! I keep two rats per cage, and I've two cages.
I knew there was a reason I liked you. :)
I wrote a Hub quite recently covering the whole rodentia species as a general whole. Rats are awesome, but people often forget they're the cousins of chipmunks and squirrels and the likes. =)
Sincerely,
G|M
P.S.
Don't forget to take your rodent friends for a shoulder walk. They'll be bruxing like there's no tomorrow!
Rats are great. I used to feed the rats that lived in the yard next door to our house when I was a kid. If my father had known that he would have killed me! To him they were just dirty pests. I found them facinating to watch and most would come right up to me. Great photos to go with your hub!
I still have no clue why people always tend to think that a rat is an unhealthy creature to have around. Have they ever tried to look up actual infomation about the animal? I mean come on when I wanted to get a pet and got my pet Sammy from a pet shop I asked a bunch of questions and found out a lot of the myths about them were false. I never was bitten, only lightly nipped, only scratched once because I neglected to see that his back paws had gotten sharper and he was very gentle and pretty smart. Sammy was one of the best pets I ever had when I was a little kid. I still have the scar Sammy left me on the bottom of my right wrist on the top part of my arm away from any veins. I wish people would just see the light and think rats are an awesome pet and not just snake food.
Another brilliant hub of yours! This just goes to show something I am well aware of that every animal (not just rats) is an amazing creature and that people cannot see this!
I love rats! They're awesome and smart pets, thanks for printing this hub, very well done. I liked the video's. Are the rats in the video being fed a banana yours? That is *a lot* of rats!
Nicile Winter - No the rats int he banana video are not mine. I would LOVE to have a set up like that, but I currently only have 4 rats, all female. Juniper, Fara, Chi-chi, and Fantiasha. The latter 2 my newest. :) I hope this hub gives at least one person a differant point of veiw of the big personalities this little guys have. Very loving animals. :)
Love the hub. I used to have rats, but living around UC Davis I always ended up with a rat that got a tumor or went nuts - really disheartening. My first rats were fantastic, and I even bred my Siamese with a big Hooded male. Got the most beautiful babies with the softest fur and THE sweetest disposition you had to see to believe. The female I kept was almost all black with a white stripe down her belly and silver streaks in her fur. Thelma, (the mother), was pretty intelligent as most rats are, and I left her bird cage door open at night, and when she got older, I would hear the door opening and closing at night, and one morning, she greeted me by walking on my chest to say hello. To think I almost got a hamster.
I absolutely love the idea of rescuing food rats, do you ever have any complications from that? The next time I have rats, I won't use the cedar chips anymore, but set up the cage the way you have them. I love all the stuff attached on the inside so they can climb or hang out. I will stay away from those cages that are supposedly especially designed for rodents since little rat feet have a habit of getting caught in them. I was pretty ignorant then - these miracles of God deserve better!
Alexander mark - Unfortunatly, tumors are pretty common for rats. I have been very lucky to have little exposer to it myself, but my "number 1" baby girl got one, and I spend $300.00 having it removed. Thats too much to spend on a $6.00 pet some would say, but not too much to save a dear friend. :)
I never have had any issues with the feeder rats I have recued. In fact the only "unhealthy" rat I have ever purchased was from a well known pet store. She has respitory disease and a skin condition that leaves her covered with tiny scabs. :(
ASPEN litter helps alot with both issues. (preventing and relieving).
Bird cages with hammocks and perches give your rats lots of fun options for playing and excersizing! Its a shame so many stores pass off aquariums as an acceptable housing. I guess its ACCEPTABLE, but far from ideal. :)
Thanks for your comments! :)
Oof, 300 bucks? If I had that money to spend - I wouldn't hesitate. You'll probably be horrified to know that I ended Thelma's life when she got to old and sick. I did it with a bibi gun and tears in my eyes. It was the most awful thing I did, but it was right to end her suffering - I loved her that much. Later, I had another rat that was beyond help - the crazy one, and a friend who was a vet gave her a shot in the stomach. I think the bibi was more humane, but much more traumatic for me.
But you're right, usually rats get tumors when they are otherwise perfectly healthy. Thanks for the info about your success rate with feeder rats. I'm not sure about aquariums, but it feels sterile and they can't get decent airflow, so I won't do it. Rats need lots of love.
Alexander Mark - Oh I didn't have the money. lol Bills were very late that month, but it was a small price to in my book. :) Your right, I'm horrified. I could NEVER do it. I have thought more than once that it would be best to end suffering, but cant bring myself to do it. I fear the first attempt would fail and then I'd have to kill myself. lol Just cant do it, but understand why you did.
I wont use aquariums either, but if I knew a rat had a choice of an aquarium or to be snake food, I'd say the aquarium would win! :) Not as good as a bird cage, but far better than no life at all.
I understand that snakes have to eat too, but if you look close when you go to select the doomed meal, there definatly are some that are more friendly and sweet. LEAVE THOSE FOR PETS. They run right up to the handler and often go first. So sad.
Lots of critters out there with so much to offer... if this hub means that any one of them gets a home and friend, then I am totally satisfied!
Well, if I am looking to buy a house right now and one of my first goals is to get a dog, but sooner or later I'll get a rat and I'll let you know how that goes :-)
Sorry not a big rat fan myself. I have to say though when I did purchase food rats they are already dead. I don't feed captive snakes live food. However the rats I buy are put to sleep in a humane manner. Whether I like it or not if they are bred to feed another animal they should at least die with a bit of dignity. Nice hub though. Changed my mind slightly ut definately not a pet for me.
Phoenix - They may primarily be bred as feeders, but there are many breeders that would NEVER sell their babies as food. I do purchase mine from those that sell them as food, saving a few here and there is all I can do. :) When you see rats in a pet store, make a little kissing sound next to the cage, the one that runs to you is the one you should take home.
I have 2 rats and they are so loveable and i just love them...
I love the dumbo rats. Never had much luck with NOT getting bit tho. Anyone wanna shed some light on that as they are adorable and I do love them but how do I keep from being bit! It really does not feel good at all.
They are cute, but most people still think of them as rats. We need a new name. :)
Hi my name Raquel James and i love rats.Every since i saw the movie Ratatouille,i then fell in love.I love rats and i can't wait to get two of my own.My mom says its ok.So ill be able to get my first rats.One is going to be a boy and the other ones going to be a girl.Iam so excited. I can't wait to get them.Thank you Sincerly Raquel.
Hello all! I have not been on here for awhile and I was sincerely shocked at the volume of comments received! I apologies that I cannot reply to them all individually, but do want to say thank you for those with kind words and to those with...less than kind words, I left your comments as long as no profanity was used. :)
To Marie: Rats biting is often a sign of fear, if they bite they feel threatened generally. I suggest moving their cage to a low-traffic area of the house and giving them a few days to acclimate. :) When you do open the cage door, use the same sound (kissing sound or like to call a cat) to get them to venture to you. If you do reach in the cage, offer the back of your wrist for them to smell. They have nothing to bite, but can check you out. Also wear an old tee shirt or gloves and add them to the cage so they become more familiar and comfortable with your smell. :) A giant hand closing down on them can make them nervous. :)
Best wishes and keep loving these special animals!!
im getting a pet rat in about a week, im so exited lol im sure my bf feels replaced haha ive been ranting and raving about it for a few days now "help me pick a name, help me put the home together, look at this rat, ISNT IT SOOOO CUTe" lol this will be my first rat tho so if anyone has any advice for me please email me. tori_andrez2607@yahoo.com thank you lol ohhh and name ideas too, she is white and black and im getting her as a baby so i need to pick a name... i was thinking a devious name but idk lol
Victoria, definitely get more than one! At least two is best for the rat to be happiest! :) I dont know if we have the same taste, but some of my rats names are: Fantasia, chi-chi, Poe, Margery Stewart Baxter, Arabelle, Gypsy, Vegas, Malachi, Mortimer, Gargimele, Febo, Peanut, Jinx, Bishop, Fisher, Santana, Juniper, Lastat, Hubert Cumberdale, Star....the list goes on and on...lol I have 58 at the moment, 40 of which are up for adoption if anyone is interested! ;)
What the cute pets, I love it.
Great job showing the awesomeness of rats.
Good Jason! I hope you offer a home to a few! :)
Thank you very much kwade! :)
Thats amazing that you say youve had some rats live till 5. How did you do that? I take great care of my pet rats but Cinder didnt even make it to two because he got pnemonia, and Spark currently has pnemonia as well, and it doesnt look good. Weve taken them to vets and such and bought medicine, but it hasnt worked. Have any of your rats ever suffered with pnemonia or some other mycoplasma related sickness and how did they get better if they did? Thank you. :)
Great hub! Rats make wonderful pets for the young ad old alike. There's only one thing mentioned in this hub that I disagree with and it isn't even about rats lol. You said unlike hamsters and gerbils rats don't like being along. While hamsters are generally solitary gerbils are best kept in pairs or small groups like rats.
I love rat.
This is a brilliant site, I love it!
My husband & I have 5 adult male rats, Smelly, who is the 'granddaddy of them all' & Stinky, Pongy, Badger & Scrat & they are all so gorgeous! We keep the 3 doors of their cage open & they have the run of our flat except the bathroom. Smelly sometimes gets into bed with us! We've had other in the past who have died & it leaves us in tears when that happens!
Thank you all so much! :) I am glad you enjoyed it!
Kat, I have not done anything special to prolong their lives. I just give them fresh water daily, fruits and veggies regularly, square meal and hamster blend Fiesta brand food...just lucky I guess. :)
I have not had much issue with illness either. Of the hundred or so rats I have raised, only about 4 have had tumors (all female) and 2 had respiratory disease, which shortened their life span. It is hard to say what predispositions some rats to illness. I typically get mine from feeder supply stores that intend to sell them as snake food and have no idea of the breeders. Wish I could be of more help.
I'm having trouble teaching my rats to drink for a water bottle. any suggestions, as I'm having to clean the cage twice daily as they spill there bowl of water. I hate the thought of them not having access to water
How Long Do most Rats Live? I have two Rats.... Chico and Chica. Chico is my babyboy but he has lost movement in his legs today! I Cried so much It doesn't seem to hurt him but he just draggs himself, he can push with his back feet IDK What Happened and He's losing weight and not eating.
i love the pics.. i have 2 rats katie and karlee and katies 14 babies (3 weeks old)... rats are wonderful pets.. i love all of mine...
omg these pictures are so cute !!! you are making me want one!!!
thank you for all this info (:
My 2nd hammie just died, the first died from cancer :(
So i am thinkin of getting a rat, I've heard that if they are treated REALLY well they can live up to 5 years!
Maybe i'll show my mom this, and she will change her mind about rats...
I really luv all animals and i want to keep all of them as pets.i also thought of rats because they are really cute but i have some problems 1)i live in india and i dont think anyone sells rats 2)everyone around me and my parents hate animals and are disgusted by small rodents especially rats and mice.i would like everyone to be like you.anyway nice pics
arayti is a good name for a rat "R-A-T" lol
So happy to see that there is such a community of rat lovers! They really are the most beautiful, loving pets and so underrated :) Thanks for this site!
shelly 3 years ago
I have had my 2 female ratties for about 2 months now. I am always looking for ways to make their lives happier, I can't believe how much these little cuties have grown on me. They were actually pets we bought for the kids, but I probably love them more than the kids do. The cats get along really well with them too. Thanks for sharing your photos and thoughts. I got mine from a petstore too that sells them for food, I wish I had room for more.