Rats...Do they make good pets?

Abcynthia

Hi there
I've had about 18 rats over my lifetime (I'm only 22!) so I'm sure you can tell I love them. For anyone wanting to learn about rats or get involved in general rat chat I really recommend you head over to fancy-rats.co.uk

Their forum is amazing and a lot of the reputable breeders frequent it. Everyone is happy to help and they give great advice. They also have a marketplace bit where everyone sells and trades their unwanted rat stuff so it can help with the money saving aspect too!

Doom_and_Gloom

I adore rats as pets. My partner and I got up to 6 (3 sets of sisters) but over time we have lost 4 of them and are now down to 2 over 2 year old rats who are sisters. Although I adore them I can not handle their rather short life spans and we won't be getting any more for a long time . We have settled on getting chinchillas next as they live so long.

I agree with Mupette about getting a big cage. We have the explorer cage which is big enough for about 12 rats :rotfl:. We got it at a very good price (£125 inculding P&P but now £139.99). If you have the space I would certainly recommend this cage (it's like the Ferret Nation and the Savic Suite 95 but cheaper!). Much better than paying around £100 for the likes of a Jenny that some places want that is only suitable for 4! - my money saving tip to do with cages there .

A nice big cage is also good incase you decide you want to go on to a different animal after (degus, ferrets, chinchillas etc) due to life span.

keys_2

Yes I had 3 when I got them { all boys } , I unfortunately I only have 1 now , I have a huge cage , for freedom and I let him out regulary . I plan to get anothe rone for him soon to keep him company again as he is quite lonely now , but I am searching around for the perfect one in rat rescues so I can find one around the same adult age as him so they can get on

Mupette

awwww have a look at these http://www.fuzzbutt.co.uk/

Rat hammocks, i had them for my last 2, but these look so much better :rotfl::rotfl:

Mankysteve

i used to use old genes trouser legs as hammocks as they would tear them to pieces much cheaper if you go to a charity shop.

Person_one

Mankysteve wrote: »

i used to use old genes trouser legs as hammocks as they would tear them to pieces much cheaper if you go to a charity shop.

Ooh that's a good idea! My first two loved their hammock and didn't chew it at all, it lasted 18 months with a wash once a week. But the current lot destroy them in about 5 days, I'll be bankrupt if I keep buying them but they're just not happy without one.

Jellicat

Rats are amazing pets and pretty much the pet I'd first recommend for kids...they have more appeal than hamsters IMO because they are just so friendly. Great little critters. Important to get them from the right place though, my friend had a really vicious rat and I think its the most painful bite I've recieved from an animal...including dog bites!

~Chameleon~

Rats are the perfect pet for children and adults alike. Intelligent, inquisitive, friendly, clean and love to snuggle up in a pocket or hitch a ride on your shoulder!

I would certainly recommend a minimum of three same sex rats per cage (the large ones recommended above are ideal) so when the inevitable time comes and one dies there will be two left to keep each other company. Rats can become very lonely & depressed if they're kept on their own, even despite lots of human attention.

Never had any problems interacting with other animals in the household, including dogs, cats, rabbits & guinea pigs. They frequently curled up to sleep with the cats. I only stopped keeping rats when I started keeping snakes, for obvious reasons

skintstudentbabe

well iv had 2 hamsters in the past (pebbles died b4 xmas and harvey was pts wen i was a 1st yr student) and as im missin pebbles a lot i want to get another pet...im tempted by a couple rats but so far i dnt no much bout how to care for them....where wud b the best place to get a cage etc for them??? wat kind of bedding shud i use????wat shud i put on the base of the cage....shud i go to a pet shop or a breeder???? wat bout food and treats??? and how much will all this cost me???? sorry bout all the questions but i no very little bout rats and im anxious to get it right 1st time!!!!!

Jellicat

Some good sites:

http://www.rattycorner.com/
http://www.dapper.com.au/
http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk

All the questions can be answered by some research. Good rat cages can often be bought for peanuts second hand on Ebay or Gumtree, give them a good disinfect first. A decent new rat cage usually costs at least 60 quid and can easily reach a hundred, but I find there's no need to be buying new ones if you bide your time. The other bits and bobs cause very little. Rats can prove expensive at the vet though, so put a little away each week just in case. ALWAYS go to a good breeder or a rescue. Pet shops generally buy from mass breeders, the rats are seldom handled and are not bred for good health.