Wednesday, February 3, 2010

RAT OWNERS! What ae the ups and downs of having rats as pets?

All of the ups and all of the downs that you can think of.





Please don't just say one thing, give me a lot of information.RAT OWNERS! What ae the ups and downs of having rats as pets?
Advantages:


Rats, when raised properly, are friendly, love to be handled, and do not bite.


They have a low odor compared to other rodents.


They keep themselves very clean, and tend to urinate in one corner of the cage.


Rats can easily be trained to come when called, as well as other tricks.


They are an inexpensive pet to care for.


They come in many different colors, coat types, and body types.


They are a good pet for children.





Disadvantages:


They chew on anything within reach.


They are prone to respiratory infections and mammary tumors.


They have a short lifespan, averaging 2-3 years.


They require time and attention that not all pet owners are able to provide.





Other Considerations


To own a rat, you must have enough time to clean the cage, provide food, and spend time with your pet rats. You need to have a good, safe location to put their cage, away from temperature extremes and out of reach of small children and other animals which may harm them. You will need enough money for food and bedding, the most common recurring expenses, as well as medical bills should they occur (note that there are pet insurance plans that cover rats and can cost as little as $8 per month).





Rats and Other Pets


Rats should never be allowed to live in the same cage as another animal of a different species, as they would not be compatible and would very likely fight, resulting in injuries to the rat or the other animal. Though most rats enjoy cats and dogs and are not frightened of them, it is never a good idea to allow them to interact, as even the nicest tempered cats and dogs are still predators and it is their natural instinct to prey on creatures like rats. Even if they would only play with them, it is possible they could hurt your rats by accident. A dog or cat's sharp teeth and strong jaws can easily injure or even kill a rat with a single bite.





Rats and Small Children


Very young children, generally younger than 6 or 7, should be very careful when handling a rat, and should only do so with adult supervision. Rats are small and fragile and can easily be injured if they are squeezed too hard, hit, dropped, or stepped on. Children also often have food residue on their hands, or drool in the case of very young children, and rats may find this appetizing and may nip at their fingers thinking it is food. Children also like to poke their fingers through the cage bars, and can be bitten as a result by rats who cannot tell at first glance if it is a finger or a treat.





For more information about rats please visit my website (link in profile) or feel free to email or IM me by clicking the link in my profile.RAT OWNERS! What ae the ups and downs of having rats as pets?
Rats are very clean


Rats are good fun


They are very cute!


You can give them cuddles


You can play with them


They are a good family pet


They don't smell


They can be funny


You can wash them


You can brush them


They do not bite


They are friendly


They are playful


Hope this helped!
hi, well there are no downs... i had 3 and had no trouble with any of them. i had 2 of them since they were babies and they became part of the family, rats are very intelligent and social creatures, they love attention and to climb and mooch around rooms ( when you allow them a little more space of course)


if you want to, they do like a little more freedom than a cage or tank. i kept mine in very large tanks as they are clever at mastering escapes!


like any other pet they need handling every day and build a bond with you. they are sweet despite what some people think, but i think there are worse people in this world than rats.


a health diet of dry food like rabbit mix or hamster, fresh fruit and veg too. rats love to eat but be care full they put weight on quickly and can get pretty over weight if you feed them on the wrong foods.


probably best to have just one rat..


i kept mine apart due to squabbles plus the fact that i didn't want more babies!


they do make great pets, hope you have fun if you get one.
Rats are sociable,loving, intelligent and clean. They are sort of like dogs except there smaller.


Housing/Cleaning:


You have to choose the appropriate bedding for the rat and don't use cedar and pine shavings it will effect their respiratory system and to other small pets. You have to clean the cage once a week or maybe even twice. Not hard at all.


Food:


Feeding a rat is pretty simple. Give them vegetables but don't over feed them. You can also just buy the rat food at any pet store.


Cages:


Don't buy a small cage because that is terrible. They need space to move around and have some fun. Buy them a cage that will be suitable for them to exercise and sleep in comfortably. You can also buy rat toys...


Friends:


If your busy, try buying another rat the same gender so they can both play with each other then being all alone.


Health:


Rats live up to 2 years or more if you treat it well. Rats can get tumors,infections, diseases, so that's the bad thing. Another bad thing is that if you don't give them something to chew there teeth will grow so much it can rip through the top. Also, they'll chew on the cage.


Breeding:


Female+Male=makes babies. A bit of work because when the babies start to grow you have to separate the males from the females so they don't go breeding again. If you want them to breed,its up to you...





No worries, treat them well, you'll have a friend for life.
The ups are that they are like mini dogs. Playful, lovable, smart, easy to train. They're also very clean despite the disease carrying stereotype. Very fun to watch





Cons: they need a big cage which can be pretty expensive unless you make one which isn't that hard. Also they get sick kinda easy and often time if you get them from a pet store because they are so ill handled get sick as soon as you get them home due to stress.
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