Rats ..love 'em!!

Just seeing if there are any other rat lovers out there! I have 7 right now, 5 males and two females. What affectionate, gentle, clever pets they are!

Tell me more about the rats. I've had some of the type you want to exterminate and my Golden Retriever, Honey, has killed three in the backyard. I think I hate tails and that's why Gerbils, Mice and Rats don't appeal to me. I love my soft and sweet hamsters.
How do the rats live? Are they happy in their cages? As you and I have noted in an earlier post, my hamsters always seem to want to escape, which makes me think they are unhappy. It is just too bad that two female hamsters can't get along in the same cage. They lasted together about one week. Typical Females, huh? Ha Ha!!!! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

I want a rat but my mom wont let me have one. My teacher had one named Nicodemus and that's when I became in LOVE with them.

i had 2 but they both have passed on know. Rats make wonderful pets. they are very loving. and can learn tricks.

I have heard of cage-escaping rats, but that is the exception rather than the norm. My rat cages are held together with plastic cable ties, and the doors are shut with a single bread tie. Escape would take all of two seconds with those teeth, but they have never bothered to try. I guess they know they'll get play time every night anyhow.

They actually do best in groups of two or more,( even the females:-) ) and often people who have trouble with them chewing the cage only have one rat. They get bored and lonely very easily on their own.

My daughter is 5, and she adores them. They love to be held, and love getting petted. They are very tolerant of her more awkward handling. The males are generally more "lazy" (hee hee)and are better lap pets, while the females like to explore and play.

The tails do seem to be a problem for many people.. so I can understand. There are "Manx" rats which are born tailless but these are very hard to come by.

Ok there is more information then anyone needed to know about rats:-)))) Glad to see there are some other Rat fans, though...

I Have two rats, Rattie the mum and Ruby the daughter. They seem happy in their cage. They like to be handled, and come out once a day or so. They will sit on your shoulder or hide up your sleeve. Food is their favourite thing in the world, and they love all the tidbits we give them. They are very friendly and never ever bite (unless they mistake a finger for a juicy bit of food - they are very embarassed when they find their mistake).

People do hate the tails, and I had thought perhaps you could make little tail pouches for them so they would be more acceptable in public! People tend to either love them or really, really hate them.

They are so intelligent. I swear when you lok into their eyes, there is someone looking back at you...

Alison

I have ratties! 2 males, they are soo cute! One is a Black Capped Blazed (the breed is also known as "baldy") and one is a Himalayan mixed with probably a PEW because he only has a brown nose, ears and part of his rump is somewhat brown, while the rest of him is a brilliant white.

Rats do MUCH better in pairs or groups because they are very social creatures, and usually rats only try to escape when they are living on their own and get bored. I've NEVER noticed any escape attempts, even when I forgot to latch the cage door once and left it WIDE OPEN, no one tried to get out...and they knew the door was open!! :-) What little angels! <:3--}~~~

I currently have 9 rats. I am not planning on getting any more. When they die at 2 years old it is too hard on me and therefore from now on I am only getting animals with longer life expectancies.

Anyway, I have kept rats for 8 years and I have had alot of experiences with them. First of all they love their cage and while they do like to explore their cage is their nest and they want to go back to it.

Rats are such sweet animals. I have never owned a nippy rat. Rats love their owners and attention. Plus they'll do anything for a treat.

I know that lots of people have a rodent phobia. That's ok with me as long as they don't treat me or my animals with disrespect. I don't talk about my rats to strangers but once while I was at the vets with two obviously very sick rats a woman came up to me and asked what they were. When I answered "rats" she freaked out at me and called me a nutcase. She walked away saying "Why would you ever have a RAT". Now this was in a vet hospital. She knew that I was having problems with the rats or they wouldn't be there let alone the LOUD WHEEZING. I just responded to her by saying "You know rats make very good pets". She just walked away. I wanted to scream at her but I kept it in. I don't like people who aren't respectful of other peoples choices in pets. If people keep an open mind but decide that that another persons pet is not the animal for them then that's great!

i totally like rats. i used to have one but became allergic to it and animal bedding. one day i emptied the bedding into the trash and a cloud of wood dust came up at me and burned my face like a sun burn. this was strange sence id had wood bedding w/reptiles for yrs and i had the rat for about a year already. i gave the rat away and tried again a couple years later useing corn cob bedding but i got goopy eyes after just a couple of days. anyway, i wish i could have a rat but cant, you guys are so lucky!

I have 2 ratties and love them to death.
"Tai" is about 1 year and is blind. My husband calls her "the worlds most expensive free rat" (she was found on a busy street by an animal control officer.Someone just dumbed her!!)
Then i had to get Tai a friend and i popped into a pet store one day and came out with "Tres" and i will have to say one thing...baby rats are the greatest. Tres is so much fun!
i do have to agree with you Trisnic on people who are rude with us rattie owners. i get it all the time "EW, a rat for a pet" and i really hate it! it's like they think that you are a dirty person for having a rat live in your house or soemthing. if only they knew what they were missing huh?
My first rat was put to sleep this year (tumors) and i cried for 2 whole days. "Tara" was a black hooded rat and i just fell in love with her the first time i held her at the pet store. i still miss her so much but i will hold her again some day!
glad to see there is people out there that love the ratties as much as i do!
Ducky

I love rats! They really do make wonderful pets, it's just a shame they can't live longer. I have had several rats, the first one was an apricot hooded female and little did I know that she had a tummy full of babies when I bought her. I gave all but one of her babies to friends and I kept her son, a black hooded male and I loved him SO much! He was amazing, he did not even have to be locked in his cage. I had a huge aquarium for him and I did not put a cover on it because he just ran along the lid of it and never jumped off and ran away. He was so sweet and loyal. As soon as the door opened to their room, he'd wake from a sound sleep and jump to the lid of his aquarium and either hang there by his front hands and hope someone'd pick him up, or else he'd run along the lid of the aquarium and jump on someone if they were standing close enough.

I loved those rats.