Why Rats!
A world wide obsession?
I have no doubt in my mind why I love rats as pets but read what some other rat lovers say about their wonderful furry friends.
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Cathy, Connecticut, USA
Why Rats? I started on a whim -- I saw a cute rat in a pet store and took her home. By that night I realized how special she was and I've been hooked ever since. How many rats currently? Three, hopefully getting 2 more soon. What is the best thing you like about rats as pets?
Rats are just so TAME. They don't run away from you, they don't try to
escape, they want to be WITH you! They are clean, smart, funny, loving -- a
perfect pet!
Rats don't live long but they bring so much joy in their short
lives, that they are worth the sadness of losing them. I can't imagine my
life without rats.
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| Janet Girard,
California, USA Why Rats? Rats chose me. A wild baby rattus was caught by a cat on my front porch and I rescued her. This was my introduction to rats. I truly believe little Ikeola was sent to be in my life and initiate profound changes. How many rats currently ? 16 What is the best thing you like about rats as pets? They are such characters and always make me smile. What is the least thing you like about rats? The short life span How do they compare with other pets like dogs and cats? They are very much like puppies that never grow up. What are the things you do especially for your rats? Prepare fresh veggies/fruits nightly. Buy them toys & hammocks. Always on the look out for something they might like. What is the most humorous event with any or one of your rats? When Monkey can't climb into the trash bag, she jumps straight into the air and lands inside! These positive things would never have happened without them! Thank you my Ikeola- RIP Momma's baby :*)
Slicea a rattus rattus. |
Liisa Vesik, Estonia Why Rats? I've wondered about that myself. I mean, why I got rats in the first
place. But now that I have them, I have no inclination of giving up. They
seem to be perfect for me - in how much attention they need, what
they give in return, how much money it takes, how much room it takes. Any
aspect I can think of. 8 I can have several! In the same cage. :) Their life span is long enough to give me countless memorable moments to remember and when they pass I can give a home to another little buddy. So over the course of my life, I will have many-many good friends to remember. What is the least thing you like about rats? The fact they aren't litter trained. Makes me clean the shelves twice
daily. I know, I should have trained them. Shop for baby food, fruits. Set up a digging box with seeds and replace
that every 3 weeks. Wash rat laundry of cut-up jeans they like in their
nests. Read online about rat care. I tried, on suggestion, toilet paper as bedding. Cleaned out the cage,
rolled two rolls of TP into the cage bottom. Rearranged cage as usual.
Half an hour of furious activity later, all the toilet paper was piled on Rats may not be the pet for everyone. But out of the many small companion
animals, I'd tell people to give them a try. My experience with rats has
been positive. I'll stick with them. They do provide me the companionship
I need. And in some senses, they are more exotic than any pet that's hot
for just a moment. |
| Jane Adamo
NYC, NY, USA Why Rats: If
you love dogs, you'll love rats: they're
smart and affectionate! 3 You can teach them how to live with you:
come when you call, use a litter box, make parfaits. Short life span They have the best of both: like
dogs, they're smart and affectionate. They like
people and want to be with them, they're not
stand-offish. Like cats, they're clean, can learn to
use a litter box, don't have to be walked, and you can
leave them alone for the weekend. Share my dinner with them, give them the time they
wish to interact with me: scratch them, etc. Give Unlike hamsters, you won't lose a rat. If he escapes in the middle of the night, he'll wind up jumping into bed with you! I've even kept orphaned un-releasable wild rats in captivity! I'll always have rats! I love 'em!
Clivia, Switzerland (
http://www.mousini.com)
What is the best thing you like about rats as
pets? What are the things you do especially for your rats? I love them all :)
Lestat and Louis |
| John Bailey Living
in SE London Why Rats? Partly by accident. About 12 years ago, my ex girlfriend decided to bring home a male rat from a rescue near where she worked. I wasn't too sure about it at first, but he took about one night to become part of the family. Pepper was a rat that refused to be ignored. When we split up, she got custody of him. A few years later, I convinced a neighbor's son to get rats instead of a snake, and after his parents got tired of looking after his pets, I inherited them. I've always tried to get rescue rats where possible. The current two are a pair of Dumbo girls from someone who raised them very well. We bonded within hours and they are incredibly friendly little creatures. They adore meeting new people and are very good about going to bed when its time. How many rats currently ? Two female Dumbos. What is the best thing you like about rats as pets? The amazing variation in personality and their willingness to be friends
with an animal so many times bigger than them. Their short life spans.
How do they compare with other pets like dogs and
cats? Rats are incredibly rewarding companions. Like with anything else, you get out what you put in. They live such a short time, but they pack every minute of life they can into this. And leave such wonderful memories behind.
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| Alissa
Oostenbroek, Queensland, Australia.
Why Rats? How many rats currently? What is the best thing you like
about rats as a pet? What is the least thing you like
about rats? How do they compare with
other pets like dogs and cats? What are the things you do
especially for your rats? What is the most humorous
event with any or one of your rats?
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Ann & Emma Morgan
Central QLD, Australia
(
http://www.rockabyeratties.com/)
Why Rats? Can't remember. I think friends at school had rats and I thought they would be a nifty pet (says Emma).
How many rats currently ?
19 (16 and three quarters, really...........if you count the new babies!)
What is the best thing you like
about rats as pets?
They're good for de-stressing. It's hard to stay annoyed or worried when they are being naughty or funny...........they keep you alert!
What is the least thing you
like about rats?
Nothing is truly rat-proof.
They like to sleep on their backs,
completely still. I'm sure they do it deliberately.
The girls ALWAYS tip their milk over! It
drives us CRAZY.
How do they compare with other
pets like dogs and cats?
CLEANER. Who would ever kiss a cat or dog belly?. More portable.. ever tried putting a doberman on your shoulder? If 15 of them jump on you, you don't get crushed (unlike with dogs)
Their food smells better!
What are the things you do
especially for your rats?
Buy them special friends! What is the most humorous event with any or one of your rats? The Pumpkin Soup Incident (http://www.dapper.com.au/mischief.htm) Look for pumpkin soup revisited.
The waterbed incident/s
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Vicky Wilson - England
Why Rats? I dunno. I read a book in my library and they seemed an interesting pet. How many rats currently ? 4 Boys. 2 fat and squishy 2 lively youngster What is the best thing you like about rats as pets? There so fun, cuddly and cheer you up when you have a bad day. What is the least thing you like about rats? There a real distraction when you trying to work (but I don't think its a bad thing really?) How do they compare with other pets like dogs and cats? I think they are just like dogs but smaller. What are the things you do especially for your rats? When my mams not looking they get to eat of my plate. My mam doesn't like my rats What is the most humorous event with any or one of your rats? I got my new rats Flash and Bailey. I has them out playing on the bed with the other and Flash just decided all of a sudden to launch himself off my window sill. I had to dive of the bed to catch him and he gave me a look to say "what's the problem?" I love them to bits and would never be without them. When I get my own house I'm having more!!!!!!! Their the best! As everyone knows RATS backwards is STAR
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| Karen, USA. CA Why Rats? They are affectionate, sociable, and for the most part self sufficient. How many rats currently? 11. What is the best thing you like about rats? How they interact with one another and humans. How do they compare with other pets like cats and dogs? I find they are similar in some ways, they show unconditional affection like dogs and are self sufficient like cats. What are the things you do especially for your rats? Indulge them in every sort of color and style hammock they want to cram into. Provide them with all sorts of toys and amusing objects to play in and around. Buy them all sorts of goodies and treats that they like. Take them on family vacations. ( and yes they have their own little suitcases) What is the most humorous event with one or any of your rats? When one of the boys decide he needed to protect the family from the family cat by becoming "a flying squirrel." and diving off the coffee table to chase him out the room. I don't think I have ever seen my dear old cat run so fast as he did that evening! Naturally we had to praise him for being the hero rat, while comforting the dear old cat who could not understand why he was being chased by a "rat" of all things. Rats are special creatures, intelligent, affectionate, endearing and fun loving. They wrap themselves around your heart and are forever intertwined. Caring for pet rats should never be taken lightly for they are truly special.
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Robyn Arthur Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Why Rats? They're hilariously naughty little fuzzy beasts... but I wouldn't
have them any other way. |
| Claire, Auckland, New
Zealand Why Rats? Answer: Because my husband is allergic to cats, and we don't have the time during the day, or the right kind of section for a dog. How many rats currently ? Four What is the best thing you like about rats as pets? They sleep while I am at work, they are loving and funny and good entertainment. What is the least thing you like about rats? Their short life span and propensity towards respiratory disorders and tumours. How do they compare with other pets like dogs and cats? I haven't owned either, so can't make a comparison. What are the things you do especially for your rats?
Freeze bottles of water for hot days, buy special grocery items
(like yoghurt covered raisins, cook them special things, make them hammocks
and cage linen.
For someone who works all day, rats are great in that they are lively in the
evenings and mornings, and because they are confined, you don't have to
worry about them being run over by a car while you're at work or asleep! |
| Nathalie
Baldwin (verbose responder) and Andrew Waltz, OH/KY, US Why Rats? My family wasn't much of a "pet" type family. No cats, no dogs. Occasionally my father would save a wandering turtle from certain death (crossing a busy road, for example) so we'd have a temporary pet and, when I was older, I did end up becoming mom to an unwanted chinchilla as well as a plethora of guppies, but that was about the extent of it. Really, I was fascinated with gerbils. I should have known better: I used to gerbil-sit my neighbor's gerbils when she was out of town and the wheel made me crazy, but I guess I figured it would be different if they were mine. Rolling ahead a few years, I met Andy and after awhile we decided to bring some pets into our lives. I got 3 gerbils and approx. $100 in cages and accessories. He got 2 female rats (because the boys had those, you know, big parts, and...eww!) and his $10 worth of cages and accessories and we went home. Going in I neither hated nor loved rats. I remembered the classroom rat when I was in kindergarten - the guy would always leap from the top of his aquarium onto my shoulder and stick those, you know, big parts...eww... in my face. But it wasn't a bad experience (or a good experience, really). Andy's girls (Freud and Skinner) were incredible. I'd never known that a pet could want to be with you, to spend time with you, to interact with you. I figured pets were something you watched (in their cages) for fear of having them run loose in the heating system. The rats really changed my views, and in all respects. Anyway, we went back within the week and I got, for myself, 2 boys (Rattus and LJB), icky-ewws and all. And they were the most wonderful friends :o)
How many rats currently ? What is the best thing you like about rats as pets? Everything, really. I think their furry faces are
adorable, of course, but I really don't need to see that in them anymore. I
just see big personalities in little furry packages. They are my friends,
my therapists, my educators. Everything I know about life, about death,
about interaction, about love, about coping...about everything...I learned
from rats. What is the least thing you like about rats? The possibility of 14 surprises... How do they compare with other pets
like dogs and cats? What are the things you do
especially for your rats? What is the most humorous event with
any or one of your rats?
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Charlotte Stanley, Toronto Canada
They were the first rodents I ever had as pets, starting age 18. I was curious about other rodents, but rats had everything I could ask for and more, so I never kept others except as rescues.
How many rats currently ? 13, not including rescues.
What is the best thing you like about rats as pets? Oooh! Physically, their cute whiskery snoots and lovely fur on the rexes especially. They are extremely cuddly for such small fellows I love their gentle, sensitive personalities, so sweet and vulnerable. They are so very attentive and loyal, and make interactive and amusing companions.
Their destructive capabilities.
Equally satisfying, but a better choice if you have limited space or unsuitable environment for larger animals.
Cook their food every day. Shop for toys in thrift shops to build or populate their free range area.
What is the most humorous event with any or one of your rats?
Healthy young rats rarely sneeze, and sneezes are usually the onset of respiratory disease. A few sneezes may be normal in older rats if they have had a rough start in life. Avoid using pine and cedar as bedding because the oils sear the delicate tissue of the respiratory tract and lead to their early demise. Aquariums have poor air circulation and trap ammonia. Keep the temperature as consistent as possible, and avoid drafts.
Feed a good quality diet if you want to keep your rat as
healthy as possible. Feed as little extruded foods (blocks, kibble) as
possible. Vitamin enriched "sawdust" doesn't do the immune system much
good, though it's fine to leave in the cage at all times to snack on.
If children are not an issue, and you have a charitable
heart and some money to burn, consider saving a life and
adopting rescues. All animals are potentially high vet bills, but rescues
are more so because of their unknown origins. Poorly bred rats may
also have hormonal aggression issues, which are often curable with a
simple neuter, or possibly spay. Otherwise, rats rarely bite unless they
have been formerly abused or traumatized. Try giving these guys a chance
with patience and trust-training.
Rats are social, and need to live in at least a pair. A
lone rat is a poor eater, depressed and neurotic. 3 is best because a
pair becomes so strongly bonded that one often grieves to death if the
other dies. They also fight more, because they tend to fixate on each
other. A third rat is a mediator! If you have a pair and one dies, try
to introduce a baby. Adult rats may not be able to be socialized to
another adult rat, and even babies require careful introductions over a
period of time.
A lot of important up-to-date rat information can be found online. Make good use of this important resource when starting out, to avoid inadvertently hurting your pets.
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| Louisa,
Perth, Western Australia Why Rats? I am on a few pet forums online and I really chat to everyone there. Starting from the mouse fans all the way over to the frog, fish and hamster fans. I was chatting to my friends at the Rat forum one day and, hearing all the great things about rats and seeing all the cute pictures, I got my first two girls- Violet and Merlin. How many rats currently? Four. Wallace the beige hooded. Roscoe the black hooded. Vincent the Agouti hooded, and Quinn the Champagne hooded. What is the best thing you like about rats as pets? Rats are wonderful! They are so easy to care for, yet a million times better than something like a goldfish. I find my rats are tamer than my cat! They also want to be with you all the time and they always come up to the side of the cage to say hello! What is the least thing you like about rats? Like everyone else, the short lifespan. Also I find it bad how rats are have such a bad reputation when in fact they are absolutely gorgeous and sweet! How do they compare with other pets like dogs and cats? They are just as loyal as a pet dog, to be honest. Roscoe was being his beautiful self just after 30 minutes at home! I think mice and rats tie, I love them both. Mice for their cuteness, and the rats for being so loyal. What are the things you do especially for your rats? Cages upon cages! I also burn huge holes in my pockets on these little guys! What is the most humorous event with any or one of your rats? My two babies, Quinn and Vince were just hopping about as usual. I gave them a tiny taste of a lolly and they went berzerk! Hopping around and tumbling from head to toe! Rats are beautiful animals and if everyone will just give them a chance, they will soon see the beauty within!
Roscoe and Wallace
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| Candice Collins. South
Africa E-mail: cazcollins@gmail.com Why Rats?My boyfriend always used to tell me about a rat he
used to have named Kerrigan. One day I was sitting thinking that I would
love to buy him something special and surprise him. The choice was a
rat or a dog. I went to the local pet store that afternoon and saw the 2
most beautiful beige hooded rats. Two little brothers. When I decided to
take them, the owner of the pet store showed me her back room. She has
got a whole room full of rats. And she spoke of each one so lovingly. I
knew I had made the right choice getting rats. I love my boys!
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