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Rats
Are you the owner of one of these wonderful critters? If you have an interesting fact about this species or breed, please share with us and we'll add it to the applicable page.
(c) Kitty Roach
Click here to view the free rat webpages our visitors have created!
A rats life expectancy is only 2 - 3 years but some live as long as 5 years if well taken care of.
Rats are very intelligent and loving creatures despite their nasty reputation.
Rats are very clean animals with wonderful dispositions.
They are so intelligent that they can learn to do tricks and will even come when called.
They will require daily fruits and vegetables to keep healthy.
Rats require out of cage exercise daily (at least an hour).
Rats love the company of other rats so it is recommended that you get at least two. There won't be fighting if you introduce them at a young age.
Male rats can be neutered to avoid their marking territories.
They are chewers! If you don't want things chewed on, you'll need to "rat proof" your home before letting them out of their cages.
Rats like to use a litter pan and seem to enjoy the ground walnut shell type litter.
Rats should be kept away from other small animals as they are omnivores.
You need to be prepared to give your rat some live food such as crickets.
Alot of toys that are designed for birds work very well for rats.
If you are still interested in getting a rat, please visit your local library and read up on this wonderful species. Both of you will be much happier because you did.
User Contributed Ideas/Info
I have 2 rats at home, and one thing I learned is to never leave anything small enough for them to pick up around the house.I was missing a hoop earing for a week and eventually found it stashed away under their bedding. They are cleptomaniacs! But very gentle and patient.
Rats clean themselves just as often as cats do.
Our little Rosie loved affection. We took her out of her cage several times a day and she would sit on our shoulders and come for a walk.
I have owned and raised many rats and learned the hard way that rats can get very noisy at night when chewing on their toys so you would probably want to keep them in a room away from sleeping spaces.
My rats eat almost everything i eat and love to swim!
Rats do not need live food. I rescue and at the present have 40 rats. Humans carry more diseases then rats do. Strep can kill a rat. They should be fed a diet "low" in protein. Many people feed lab blocks and a seed diet specifically for rats.. They don't need baths. Males smell musky and females tend to smell like grape. Many vets can do lumpectomies and spays on females. Spaying a female can help in preventing mammary tumors. There is no protocol, yet for cancer in rats. Some professionals (vets, scientists, pathologist) state rats are more prone to cancer, then what the general public believes.
My rat was my best friend when I had no one. Please, don't rule out the idea of a rat for a pet (and friend) just because of their reputation.
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