What are the bad things about rats?

I want a rat but I want to learn a little about them first like is their something bad about them like odor or health problems?What are the bad things about rats?
For experienced rat-keepers who love our pet rats it's really hard to find anything bad about them :)





But with that said, every pet animal has it's quirks and behaviors. When you have done your research on how rats behave, and you can accept their behaviors, then a rat is the right pet for you. Just the same as accepting that a cat will scratch your furniture, but getting the cat anyways knowing that you either accept this behavior or get him a scratching post. Or choosing to not get the cat because you can't accept the behavior.





Rat Behavior


http://www.ratbehavior.org/





Rats have health issues just like every other pet. Rats are prone to two major health issues, Mycoplasmosis and Benign Mammary Tumors.


Mycoplasmosis in rats:


http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=My鈥?/a>


Both males and females are prone to Mycoplasmosis





Benign Mammary Tumors in rats:


http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Be鈥?/a>


Female rats are more prone to these tumors, but males can get them too. Sadly, a male's mammary tumors are usually malignant.





Rat Health:


http://ratguide.com/





And it's because that they have such short life-spans that some people choose not to have them as pets. The average age of a rat is 2 to 3 years.


http://spazrats.tripod.com/o2cdd.html


http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatYears.htm





Rats generally do not smell like feces or urine when you have just a small number and you can litterbox train them which will allow you to keep their cage cleaner. But that's not saying that rats don't have their own unique odor. Female rats can smell like something sweet like cotton candy, caramel, or grape soda, grass, or hay. Males have a mustier odor like corn chips or tortias.





Litterbox training rats:


http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Li鈥?/a>





Some people are allergic to their rats. If you are allergic to cats and dogs, don't get a rat. I found I was allergic to the bedding I was using and not the rats. When I switched bedding the allergy cleared up.





Some people are allergic to the rat's claw scratches. An itchy welt forms for a few minutes. It doesn't bother me when I get these welts, they just go away.





And lastly, some people don't like the idea that they should get two rats and not just one because rats like the company of their own kind.


http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=+r鈥?/a>





So now that we have the bad out of the way, how about asking, ';What are the good things about rats?'; so that we can sing their praises. :D





spazrats


';my life has gone to the rats';What are the bad things about rats?
Pet ones kept by humans can be fine. They are very smart pets, probably the smartest rodents and can be trained. They can make good pets.





Wild rats carry disease, destroy crops, do damage to houses and can bite. To me, wild rats are disgusting. I can deal with pet rats though.
Yes, rat can have meny health problems!!!!!! but they are soo sweet and nice
Male rats can have a stronger scent, but to smell a female rat, you'd have to stick your nose quite close--and even then, she'd just smell warm, like a barn or like hay.


This is assuming that the cage is cleaned often enough, of course--any rat can smell if it's living in filth :).


Older rats are prone to health problems, such as tumours, and rats tend to live short lives--4 years is the maximum, but 2 years is much more likely.


Also, they should be kept in pairs (two females or two males), unless you're willing to play with them a few hours every day, and even then, they'd be happier with a same-sex cagemate. They're very social, so they need companionship.
They are prone to cancer. They don't smell if you give them a bath. Overall they are great pets and since they only live a few years they are not long term commitments like a dog or cat.
i got my x bf a rat and lost the cage on the way to his house.....at first I was scared to touch it but I had to because I did not want it to escape and get hurt.....I realized that rats are the sweetest cutest animal! they do have poop that is hard to clean up......but they seem to control it good enough not to poop on you like a hampster or something....
no not really


they are just gross


%26gt;=P


no offence


guinea pigs are better
Claws are sharp but other than that, nothing.
Pet rats can be one of the best pets you have ever come by. Very intelligent, very social, loving, and even playful. As long as they are cared for correctly.





The worst thing about rats is mainly in the males. They're testicles. They hang free and low and everyone can see them. Also, when you go to pick up the male rat you MUSt pick it up by his family jewels or it can hurt him.





Other then that, if you don't keep the cage clean they tend to smell., but a cage cleaning of atleast 3 times a week will keep that smell at bay.





Other then that, I see no reason to not own a rat.
Rats are wonderfull pets..I have had mine for about 7 months . Right now i am trying to litter train him so it will make cage cleaning easier plus cutting back on bedding costs. Sometimes he smells and i just give him a bath, that takes a few minutes. I am very happy with my rat and I'm adopting a baby in a few weeks. If you had to ask me one thing i did not like about my rat i would have to say...he pees on me alot. He is male and marks his territory everywhere so my suggestion is get a female i wish i did.
Female rats seem to have the most problems as they get mammary tumors. I have two females and two males. My females are sweeter than the males, but this may not always be typical. The females are generally more active, and males will be more likely to sit on your lap. I would always put a dish towel on my lap before, though, as rats do seem to dribble pee a little especially when they're excited.





If you do buy rats, make sure to buy them very young 8 - 12 weeks old. They will adapt to you and your household much more quickly if you adopt them young. You'll need to start trimming their nails when they're babies so they'll get used to holding still. Just clip the very ends of the nails where they curve under, away from the quick, and that will decrease your chances of being scratched. You'll need to handle them every day for 10 - 30 minutes if you want them to adjust to you. Keep handling them as they grow if you want them to like being handled.





By the way, scoop the poo out of the cages every day or it will be very smelly. Clean the cages out and replace with fresh bedding at least weekly. You may notice that the male's poo is much stinkier than the female's. Other than that, there is not an overwhelming amount of upkeep. They are sweet animals, and are very social.





The link below is very good and informative.
well they are a lot of work and smell,hard to take care of, have to spend a lot of money on them,long hairy tails, bite, can get away in your house and cause a racket, so annoying at night
why pay for one, go into the city and get one
to me there not so cute but thats just an opinion. well one other thing may be that some people dont like them so much. like my mom would cry if she saw a rat in our house. They did carry the plague but i dont know if thats bad since the plagues gone..... and they have a bad reputation. Like other pets they chew on alot of things.