Rattie Love - Rats Make The Best Pets!
Ranked #409 in Pets & Animals, #11,936 overall
Rats Make Great Pets!
Now a purple star lens. Wow!This may come as a surprise to many people, but rats actually make fantastic pets! They are lots of fun and interactive (both with humans and other rats), and much like little dogs that live in cages (and have much longer tails!). They're extremely intelligent, and very loyal to their humans.
If you're not a rat-lover yourself, I bet most everything you think you know about rats is untrue! Read on for TRUE information about these wonderful animals. Maybe a pair (or more) of ratties is in your future. :)
This lens was originally created for my now-closed rat rescue, Rattie Love Rescue. We were open a few years and re-homed a lot of ratties to fantastic homes. I had to close because of health problems. However, my love of rats (and being a rat owner myself) still remains! I created this lens because I thought Squidoo needs a good rat info lens, to educate the public about the amazing creatures who have a horrible rap for no reason.
Table of Contents
The Wonderful World Of Rats
For Lovers And Newbies, Alike
For rat owners...We know what it means to adore these wonderful creatures. Each one different, like humans! Each one finds their place in our hearts. Though their lives may not be as long as we'd like them to be (ever!), we enjoy each and every second they are with us. Their sweet faces, trusting and playful nature tug at our heartstrings. You know what I mean about those faces, pressed up against the cage bars, begging for love, right? I think they learn that in Rat School. ;)
For the curious...
Rats really do make wonderful pets. For those who are not owners, I beg you to hold a rat and not fall in love with it. If you like dogs, you will like rats, no doubt. They are actually like little dogs that live in cages (unless you want to have free-range rats!). Rats have such a bad rap, with so many myths and misconceptions that simply are not true! Read on...
The Absolute Best Rat Cage
The Critter Nation, Hands Down
The best rat cage used to be the Ferret Nation... but it had a big problem for most rat owners. The bar spacing, since it was made for ferrets, was too big for most females and younger rats. Only bigger girls and boy rats can't escape the 1-inch bar spacing. The only thing you could do was painfully add small-gauge wire to the entire cage, or settle for a different cage.Midwest listened to rat owners and created the best rat cage (and I've tried so many cages - trust me on this), the Critter Nation. This is a must-have cage!
There are two versions, the single and the double. A single holds up to 5-6 rats comfortably. The double holds about 12.
Rat Myths
It Just Simply Isn't True!
There are many myths out there about rats... Nearly all are not true! Here's just a few, with the real truth attached.
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Rats spread the bubonic plague.
Nope! Fleas did. They were carried on the fur of rats... Along with dogs and cats and other animals. It was the fleas, not the rats, that spread the plague. To say that rats were the cause, you'd have to say dogs, cats and other animals were as well. -
Rats are dirty and carry disease.
Not pet rats! Watch a rat sometime... You will see that they are a bit compulsive when it comes to keeping themselves clean! They groom themselves often, and help each other with those hard-to-reach spots, too. (This is just one of MANY reasons why having more than one rat is very important!) Now, male rats DO sometimes "marinate" in pee, but if you keep their cages clean (and you should keep ALL rat cages clean!), there's no problem. ;) -
All rats bite and are dangerous.
Quite untrue! A well-socialized rat is downright friendly and will probably never bite. Rats need to be socialized as babies, just like other rodents (and humans, for that matter!). They love to be with humans, and many enjoy sitting on a person's shoulder or cuddling up in hoodies or sleeves. Even as a rat rescuer, I very rarely encounter rats that do bite, and those that do are often rats that we rescue from abusive or neglectful conditions. We HAVE rehabbed rats, it can be done with a lot of patience! If you are a newbie to rats and are afraid of being bitten, I suggest going with a well-known and respected rat breeder, or a rescue with babies - both will have the experience and will have well-socialized babies (or, retired breeders or very sweet rescued rats!). Pet stores are a gamble. -
Rats aren't too smart.
Quite the opposite. Rats are very smart, and very curious. They can be taught tricks and many learn their names. They very easily figure out how to play games with humans. They are amazing at knowing how to pull at their owner's heartstrings! They remember with good memories, and love to explore and figure everything out. They are so curious, as any rat lover will tell you - they'll get into things if you let them! They can solve "puzzles" (bird toys and whatnot) with relative ease. If that's not smart, I don't know what is!
Happy Birthday Ratties Card
Fantastic (And Cheap) Toys For Rats
Generally... The Cheaper, The Better!
You don't have to spend a lot of money to make your rats happy (unless you want to). Here are some ideas for cheap and fun toys and entertainment.
These are just a few ideas. Look around, and you'll find all sorts of goodies lying around the house that will work. Also, check dollar stores often!
These are just a few ideas. Look around, and you'll find all sorts of goodies lying around the house that will work. Also, check dollar stores often!
- Paper towel or toilet paper tubes, stuffed with treats and folded on the sides. They love chewing up the tubes to get to the goodies!
- Bird toys - wooden are best. Better yet, make your own! We've done this and it's lots of fun, using hemp rope, pre-drilled parts for bird toys, tissue paper (a HUGE hit!) and more!
- Dryer tube or PVC piping. Cheap alternative to ferret tunnels! You can also get the SuperPet brand plastic funnels.
- Small balls - cat balls (especially with bells inside), mini wiffle balls, ping pong balls, etc!
- Boxes! Collect all sorts of boxes. Put some holes in them, tape them together into a maze, etc. Rats LOVE boxes. They'll chew em up, play and sleep in them until they collapse.
- Ratties love paper! Shred some paper for them to play with, nest with, etc. Try tissue paper for extra fun, or toss in some balled-up newspaper (with safe dyes), they'll love it!
- Branches are fun and great for the teeth. apple or willow branches are the best. Make sure all wood is untreated, or buy some in the pet department.
- Kid's toys are fantastic... Dollhouses and whatnot are the perfect size for rats. Go crazy at the thrift store, you'll find a lot of fantastic, used things in the baby and kid sections. Also check the dollar store for gems!
- You! Lay down and let your rats explore you. Or, chase them with a hand and let them chase you back. Another fun game is to put a blanket over you, with the ratties underneath. Blankets make things more fun and make skittish rats feel safer!
- The best thing for rats is other rats! :D Always, always have at least 2 rats!
One is never enough!
Answer This, Please!
Rats can be addicting, that's for sure. Let us know how many furkids you've got.
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I Heart Rats Coffee Mug
Get Rattie Products
Find 'Em At Amazon
I am addicted to Amazon (really, I'd be ashamed if I didn't love it so much) and get nearly all of my rat (and other pet) supplies there. You can either check out the Rattie Love Amazon Store, in which I've put together my favorite rat supplies and goodies for easy finding (and with a lot of experience, thanks to having run a rescue!), or you can search Amazon yourself!
Rat Speak
What's that mean?
The rat community has some of it's own words you may not find anywhere else. Here's some of it...
GGMR
Gotta Get More Rats
GGMC
Gotta Get More Cages
Ritten
A baby rat.
Pinkie
A newborn rat without hair.
GGMR
Gotta Get More Rats
GGMC
Gotta Get More Cages
Ritten
A baby rat.
Pinkie
A newborn rat without hair.
Furs Rhyme With Rats T-Shirt
Important!
At Least 2!
Rats are VERY social creatures. They really need the companionship of at least one other rat. Rats without friends can become depressed and lonely. They can stop eating, or even die (seriously). Beyond that, having more than one rat makes things more fun for you, too!
Having 2 rats is no more work than having one.
Having 2 rats is no more work than having one.
Why It's Important To Have Two Or More Rats
In Case My Blurb Wasn't Enough...
curated content from YouTube
Please Rescue!
When looking for rats (or any animals) as pets, please consider rescuing instead of buying. There are rats (and all kinds of pets) waiting for homes in shelters and rescues across the world. By supporting rescue, you're allowing our work to continue!
Be sure to check out Petfinder to find the perfect friend(s) for you.
Talk About Your Furkids!
Here's Your Chance... Take It!
Here's your chance to babble on about your ratties. Many owners find that some people just don't understand why we love to chat rat. Talk to us, instead.
Share how many you have, how long you've had rats, if you have boys, girls or both. Tell us a funny story about your silly rats. Anything (rat-related) goes!
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Frankster
Jan 28, 2012 @ 6:02 pm | delete
- Sorry all I have are cats but your lens makes rats really appealing. I love the intro photo and the video of the rats playing basketball is amazing. Sorry to hear you had to close down your rescue. Excellent lens. Blessed. Bear hugs, Frankster aka Cat-Woman aka Bearmeister
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Lenskeeper
Jan 28, 2012 @ 6:13 am | delete
- Rats are great! There are so many misconceptions about rats out there that many people give you strange looks when you say that you have one as a pet. Thanks for the lens and the great info about rats.
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JessyGene
Jan 27, 2012 @ 9:24 pm | delete
- I have 2 rats right now, but I've had 9 in total. My first 2 rats I had 10 years ago. I LOVE rats! This lens is awesome!
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darciefrench
Jan 27, 2012 @ 2:23 pm | delete
- We just adopted our second rattie boy. We took our first little guy to the vet yesterday, just for a check-up and to learn more about taking care of rats. He's in perfect health. On the way home we thought, let's go back to the SPCA where we got the first rat, just to see if there's another male in need of a home. Sure, enough, there was Mr Snuggles. We put them together in a combination of two cages, bigger one on the bottom, smaller one on the top. They got along right off the bat, they're all snuggled up in their rat condo as I type. I adore them, and they are indeed like tiny little doggies in the way they interact with humans.
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kitty222
Jan 26, 2012 @ 12:00 am | delete
- This is a cute idea for a pet. Considering some of the pets we've had (rabbits, fish, a turtle, and a frog for a while), having a rat doesn't seem so weird.
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ShandiGP
Jan 25, 2012 @ 2:53 pm | delete
- What a nice lens! Fun to see it on the front page, too. *blessed*
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TravelingRae
Jan 25, 2012 @ 2:41 pm | delete
- Rats don't fit in with my lifestyle, but I do think they make great pets. I had a stepbrother growing up who had a rat. It would sit on my shoulder as I went about my day, very curious and content with his perch. Totally changed my mind about rats. Now, the wild kind still makes me shudder, but pet rats are cute!
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KathyT
Jan 25, 2012 @ 10:04 am | delete
- A friend of mine once had a rat, and that was the first time I had ever heard of having them as pets. Your lens was very educational, and I am so glad that I stumbled onto it today! I can definitely see that they are smart, and that they surely do need companionship - Thank you so much for taking the time to produce this excellent, informative lens! *Blessed* :) Kath
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BoyScoutPopcorn
Jan 25, 2012 @ 9:55 am | delete
- I had two rats when I was in middle school. They were great pets and lots of fun. One developed cancer and the other appeared to have a stroke a few weeks after the first one passed away.
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cleanyoucar
Jan 24, 2012 @ 8:00 pm | delete
- My brother had a pet hamster before :D But I never really though of a rat (those big dark colored rats that grows as big as a cat) as a pet, over here they cause a lot of destruction in the homes.
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davidangel
Jan 24, 2012 @ 1:04 pm | delete
- Our family has a pet rat, his name is biscuit and he loves to dole out the rat-love. He is a real home-body too, we leave his cage door open but he stays in his home.
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kajohu
Jan 24, 2012 @ 12:54 pm | delete
- What a fun lens :-) I was laughing at the laughing tickled rats video. When my kids were little and ready for their first pet, I took them to the pet store to buy gerbils, but the shop keeper said we should get a rat because they're smarter and more fun. And he was right. My boys adored "Rachel the Rat" and she enjoyed our company too. She liked to chase toes and hide in the couch corners and steal low-hanging Christmas tree ornaments.
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BunnyFabulous
Jan 23, 2012 @ 9:27 pm | delete
- I had hamsters growing up and liked them a lot. I've always heard that rats were great pets, and my daughter likes Remy in Ratatouille. We get wild citrus rats in our garage sometimes and they're incredibly messy (urine and feces everywhere), so I'd guessed that pet rats were dirtier too. Glad to hear that they're not. :) The pet ones are much cuter too.
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grnidlady
Jan 23, 2012 @ 2:05 pm | delete
- my kids always had rats as pets. they are very lovable. great lens!
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mommafox
Jan 23, 2012 @ 11:53 am | delete
- I loved my rats. They've all passed away years ago, but they stay in my hearts. Initially, I was a ratphob. I'd purchased two little guys for my sister, but it didn't take long for them to make me feel comfortable around them and steal my heart. The only reason I haven't gotten another is because they don't live long. It was so hard to keep saying goodbye after forming such sweet bonds with each of them. I still recommend them to people though. They're the best pets I've owned! Nice page!
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Rats Elsewhere Online
Where To Go Now?
Here are some wonderful sites you'll want to visit.
- Rat Info Packet
- The BEST site for learning all you can about rats.
- The Dapper Rat
- One of the BEST sites about rats. They take such wonderful rat photos as well.
- Scamperats Scamper Art
- Art... by rats. Yes, that's right... Rattie paintings. Too cool!
- Raticons by Angelrat Designs
- Free rat graphics. These are too cute!
- Rats Rule
- A huge resource for all things rats, by none other then the infamous Suebee.
- Ratty Corner
- "In Celebration of Rats as Pets". Lots of great information here.
- Better Holes and Garbage
- LOL, great site. "Your Rat Housekeeping Resource", they say!
- Fancy Rats
- Huge site all about rats. Has a community, tons of information, and more.
by kimmiekins
kimmiekins
Hello. :) I'm a happy Squid Angel, which is how we may "meet".
Call me Kimmie.
I'm 31, in Cincinnati, OH. Christian, animal lover, all-around ge...
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