Rat as pet

Who said rats are filthy animals? They may have spread diseases by carrying fleas in the past, but that was long time ago and they were wild rats. I believe rats are the most misunderstood pets, and that’s because of its reputation of chewing things and how it looks. I am talking domestic pet rats here. Most of them were bred by professionals to be a domestic pet or specifically for scientific research. You will be surprised how many rat and mouse association and clubs there are over the Internet. Many of them actually hold a Fancy Rat exhibition/ competition where the rats are assessed for their coat type and color just like cat or dog competition.

So, you might be asking yourself what is so great about rats. The tail looks weird at the beginning but you get used to it. It has very fine spiky hairs all over the tail, but it doesn't wiggle like a dog would do. Its main purpose is to keep the balance. The rat itself feels very soft and warm and don’t mind it being touched. But I would not recommend holding it by its tail which can get detached very easily and causes a very serious injury in some cases(and painful one too!). If you really must, make sure you hold the base of the tail. Once you are used to the rats and rats know who you are, you can pick them up from behind by placing your index finger and thumb under the rats armpit. But I would not suggest trying to catch a wild one like this!

Health

Rats can get a respiratory infection and asthma from poor living conditions. They should be kept in an area where the temperature is stable, free from draft and low in humidity. Certain type of woodshaving such as softwood (pine) can also cause chest problem too. Aspen is best recommended. They could develop other illnesses such as tumour, flu, depression, etc. They should be taken to a vet immediately if you find the rat is in a poor condition. You can see it by looking at their eyes and nose especially. Their mucus is red (but it’s not blood) and you can identify it easily.

Rats are generally low maintenance cost pets, however they deserve a lot of attention and love. You need patience with them like you do with any other pet animals. But it is rewarding to see how affectionate they could be. They are just like kittens. As much as they like being fussed by humans, they prefer to have their own little space and may be a company of the same species. But make sure you have a same sex pair unless you intend to breed them.
The rats are very friendly animals once they know you mean no harm to them. They chatter their teeth when they are happy. It’s like the sound that an ALIEN (film) makes when it approaches a human. That’s equivalent to a cat purring. They are very clever, they learn things very quickly especially if it’s food related and they do react when their name is called. They are adventurous and they would explore anywhere around the house. They normally feel comfortable in small, warm, and dark corner. For this reason, an old woolly hat with bedding is an excellent habitat for them, especially in the cold winter.

Rats can breed at such an alarming rate. Also a doe (female rat) over 5 month tend to have higher risk of complication at giving birth. They are fertile possibly from 1-2 month of the age, so even the kitties should be separated by sex at early stage if you don’t want a unexpected pregnancy!

Rats like sweets. To be precise, chocolate. But they should be kept just a supplement or treat on top of the main meals, which are lab blocks or rodent mix purchased from a pet shop. Rats eat anything but the vitamins and minerals should be supplemented by fresh vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, green peas, fine beans, nuts and fruits. Like us humans, they may develop a particular taste. They absolutely adore cheese but such fatty food should be kept to minimum. They could easily get obese and cause a lot of health problems. They also like peanuts, bread and scrambled eggs.