Before I get to the trigger warning for this post, I would just like to say that I’m sorry for falling behind with my posting. I truly had the best of intentions when it came to posting every day but, of course life unfortunately gets in the way of that sometimes. Especially when it comes with the pain and weight of the loss of a dear and beloved pet, no matter how long that pet was or has been in our lives.
So, don’t be alarmed if you see quite a few posts from me over the next couple of days while I try to catch up, and give you what I promised!
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Trigger/Content Warning: If you are someone who does not like and cannot handle the talk or mention of rats and snakes, please click off this post and try one of my other 12-Days of Critmiss posts!
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So, why pet rats? It’s okay, I ask myself that all the time, especially with being a snake keeper for the past 10+ years. The truth is… I don’t even know why. If you would’ve asked me at the beginning of this year if I thought I would end up with four pet rats, chances are, I would’ve laughed at you. Sure, I’d seen just about every cute Pinterest photo, and read almost every single Buzzfeed article about why rets are great pets but, it just wasn’t for me. At the time, I was just someone who liked all animals, big or small.
Until I met Zero and my Boo-girl that is. Up until that point, I had no idea just how special and loving rats could be, and I didn’t want to. Part of me wanted to see them as nothing but snake food despite how sweet their little faces were, which is part of why I never have, and never will condone the feeding of live prey. Period. That’s all I’m going to say about that on this post, if you have any other questions, go check out my snake post that I did for the 12-Days of Critmiss. Frozen and thawed prey only for this household, thank you.
The funny thing is, my mom did have a rat when she was younger, and I do remember stories that she used to tell me about Magic the Rat and how much she loved him. Sadly, I don’t have any pictures of him but, from what I remember, she told me that he looked like my chonky little Boo-girl, and I think that’s pretty cool. So, I’d like to think that she would like my little mischief of rats because, they honestly make my day infinitely better.
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(Now, I am in no way saying that I don’t love the dog, the snakes, or the sugar gliders. They’re all amazing in their own ways, and I love them dearly, however, they just don’t tolerate as much out of the cage time as the rats. One of my favorite things about the rats in fact, which I’ll get into down below, is that they need and crave their outside of the cage time.)
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So, why do rats make good pets? I’m glad you asked because even if you didn’t, I’m about to tell you anyways!
- Rats are Social and Affectionate!
I know a lot of “why rats are amazing” posts say this but, that’s because it’s true. Rats are very social and loving creatures. Like a lot of other small pets, I’ve owned in the past, rats are actually nocturnal but, unlike hedgehogs (which I have kept in the past, and they too make amazing pets) they never seem to mind if you wake them up during the daytime. They’ll yawn and stretch for a couple minutes but, then they’ll perk right up and be happy and excited that they get to spend time with you. And if they’re really that tired, a lot of the times, they might just find an extra comfy spot with you and go right back to sleep.
Like my new, unnamed girl in the picture, passed out on me after coming home the other day.
Rats will get to know their people and bond with them. That being said, each rat also has their own bright, unique personalities. For example, one of my girls, Bean, has started taking to licking and nibbling my hand all over every time I stop by the cage to say hello, even if I don’t have any snacks to offer her. She, like my other girls, also likes to lick my hands and nibble my long nails, even though I’m trying to teach them not to.
However, this is just them trying to groom me, since rats normally bite and maintain their own nails. So, they just think “mommy” doesn’t know how to keep her own nails clipped right, or stay clean properly. (Haha, very funny, am I right?)
Some rats also like to sit on your shoulder, like a parrot. My baby Zero was always on my shoulders. In fact, it’s my firm belief that she absolutely hated being held in my hands because, the second you’d get her out, she’d race up your arm, and she’d perch on your shoulder. That was her spot, and exactly where she’d stay until you made her move.
RIP, my little Z, 12/20/2020
Since rats are such social little beings, you always need to have at least 2 or more. They need the company of another rat to sleep with, play with, and they’ll even groom each other. No amount of time spent out of the cage, or with their human will be enough to replace their need for a friend. However, make sure that these friends are introduced properly, and that you make sure you’re getting neutered or same-sex couples to try to reduce fighting and oops litters.
- Rats are Really Smart! (They Can Even Learn Tricks!)
No, really.
Rats are one of the smartest rodents are probably one of the smartest rodents out there, and you’ve probably heard about scientists studying how they learn to navigate mazes for various reasons. It’s also been proven that when offered the choice between a tasty treat of chocolate and saving a friend, they’ll sooner save their friend, and I think that’s amazing.
You can teach your rats their names, to come when called, stand up on their back feet, spin around, jump through hoops, etc. You can also check out some pretty cool YouTube videos about rats and teaching them tricks.
As for my girls, right now, I’m working on teaching them their names, and I’m also trying to teach them not to chew on my nails like I said. I’m sure they’ll learn their names and just about everything else before I teach them to stop biting my nails. You can’t always go against nature, am I right?
- Rats are Clean! (And Remotely Easy to Care For)
Rats are very clean animals, maybe even cleaner than cats. (No. Really.)
In fact, like cats, rats like to groom themselves several times a day! Rats believe it or not, just like other pets can be litter trained. You can put a small litter tray in their cage, and they’ll learn to use it, which makes cleaning their cages a lot easier!
This is something that I would love to get into sooner rather than later because, while it isn’t that hard to clean the rat cage a couple times a week, especially when I’m already doing the same thing for the sugar gliders, I think everyone would just be a little happier with a cleaner home.
- Rats are Curious & Love to Play!
Rats can be very active (usually, and especially females!) So, you should get them the biggest cage you can, one big enough that you can have a large exercise wheel and as many toys as you possibly can for them to play with. They also love coming out of their cage to play and explore.
Occasionally, I’ll let my girls out into their playpen, or I’ll take them out one at a time and let them roam and explore my desk, or the couch in my bedroom. I’ll also sit on my bed watching a show, and I’ll let them run around and explore that too.
Rats are very curious, which also makes them incredible escape artists!
Even my little brother will tell you that if the girls are in their pop-up playpen, you’d better be watching them carefully because they are little jumping beans, and they will boing their way right out of there if they get bored or restless!
I’ve also started making my own rat toys because, like cats, they would rather play with the box than the $30 toy that came INSIDE the box. For this reason, and many others, Pinterest has become my best friend. You can find all kinds of cool, cute, and fun things to do with your rats on Pinterest, like pea fishing!
- Rats are Easy to Feed.
Rats are omnivores, which means, they’re able to eat a variety of different things. However, you want to make sure you feed them a staple died of good quality rat pellets and from there, you can supplement with various other fruits and veggies that you have laying around!
That being said, you also need to do a ton of research because, there are some foods that rats just should not and cannot have, like citrus. Too much citrus could make your rats sick, so its best to just avoid it as a whole.
- Rats are Pretty Quiet:
Now, I say this but, I have a group of rowdy, squeaky girls.
For the most part however, rats are pretty quiet, so they make great apartment pets as they won’t bark, squawk, or terrorize your neighbors for the most parts, unless they’re afraid of rats.
They can however be pretty active at night though, so if you’re a light sleeper, and you plan to share a bedroom, rats may not be the best pets for you. The same, however, can be said for sugar gliders, hamsters, and just about every other little pet though.
- Each Rat Has Their Own Personality
I think this goes for just about any pet out there. No two rats will be the same in the same way that no two dogs will be the same!
As you get to know your pet rats, you’ll start to see that each one has its own likes and dislikes. They may have different favorite foods, napping spots, toys, or like to be petted differently. Some might be more cuddly while others might be more active and playful.
In general, female rats are typically seen as more playful than males, and males are seen as being more cuddly.
My rat Zero for example, wants nothing more from life than little mouthfuls of cheese and to sit on my shoulder all the time.
Boo is a little bit different, she doesn’t always like to be held, in fact she would much rather sit in your hoodie pocket or make a nest for herself in the crick of your arm.
Pumpkin likes to lick and nibble your hands and fingernails. She also likes to play with feathers, and one of her favorite things in the whole world are green beans.
Bean is a lot like her sister Pumpkin- in fact, the two of them come from the same litter. She likes to sit on your shoulder, just like Zero, go pea fishing, wrestle with her sisters, and snuggle.
- A Group of Rats is Called a Mischief!
I don’t really have much to say about that other than I think it’s absolutely adorable!
Rightfully so, too, because my girls are definitely little mischief makers.
- Rats Laugh!
Yup. You did read that right, rats can laugh, most of the time however we just can’t hear it. They laugh when they’re being tickled, when they’re playing, and when they’re happy!
- Some Rats are Amazing Swimmers!
While I don’t recommend forcing your rats to swim if they really don’t want to, or if they hate water. But there are some kinds of rats that are really strong swimmers and they even enjoy it. There are even some types of rat that can swim a mile at a time!
- They Don’t Have a Bad Reputation Everywhere
In a lot of places, like where I live in the USA, rats are viewed as bad or dirty. However, that isn’t the case everywhere in the world, in Ancient Rome, rats were actually considered lucky. In places like Ancient Egypt and even the Mayans worshipped rats!
- Rats Have a Fantastic Memory.
Rats are very smart animals, and they have really good memories. This means that they can recognize other rats and humans that they’ve seen before, and once they learn how to get somewhere it’s very rare that they’ll forget the route.
This probably aides them in learning tricks as well because it means that they won’t forget
- African Giant Pouched Rats Can Sniff Out Landmines!
Your average fancy rat cannot but, African giant pouched rats are used to help sniff out landmines. Their excellent sense of smell helps them to detect mines that are buried underground, and they’re so light that they won’t set them off so they can safely alert humans to where they are!
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Bonus: Rats Can Make a Great Pet For a Child
As someone who’s also had hamsters, I can without a doubt say that rats make better pets than hamsters. Pet rats do not bite unless they’re being abused and need to protect themselves. Generally, they’re very kind and loving animals, and they have the ability to bond with all members of your family, and play with everybody since they are such social creatures.
My girls, Zero and Boo, were “feeder bin babies” which means that they should’ve been used to feed another animal, such as snakes. Even though that’s true though, they’re still such loving little souls, and neither one has ever bit me.
Rats are also bigger and sturdier than hamsters, making them easier to hold. You do however, want to make sure that they aren’t being squeezed too hard because they are still a small animal, with smaller bones, and we don’t want them- or your children- getting hurt.
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Now that I’ve taught you a little bit about rats, let me introduce you to my girls.
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Zero.
Zero is honestly my best friend. She was originally in the feeder bin of a semi-local pet shop which means in another world she would’ve ended up as someone or something else’s dinner. When she sees me walking around in my room, or she hears my voice, she’ll come running. When you open the doors to the cage, she’ll run right up your arm, and she’ll perch herself on your shoulder, and that’s her favorite place to be. Her favorite foods are bites of cheese, bites of my morning bagel with cream cheese, and their blueberry Yo Dip treats.
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Boo.
Boo and Zero came from the same place, which means she too was a feeder bin baby. She isn’t as lovey as Zero but, she’s very playful. She loves to hand wrestle, throw pompoms around, and run in her wheel. Her favorite foods are peas and carrots, and while she likes the Yo Dip treats, I think her favorite treats are fresh blackberries!
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Pumpkin.
Pumpkin was my first dumbo rat, which means that she has really big, floppy ears. She’s a lovable little girl with a lot of personality, and instead of running like my other girls, she “boings” and hops around everywhere, especially when she’s excited. She absolutely loves pompoms, and she’s starting to get into the wheel but, her favorite thing to do is wrestle with her sisters. She loves bits of cheese but, her favorite food is corn!
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Bean (Mocha)
Bean and Pumpkin are sisters, which might explain the cute matching fall names. Like her sister, she’s a dumbo rat, with big, beautiful floppy ears. Bean is a lovebug, and if you let her, she’ll lick and nibble your hands, give you lots of kisses, and fall asleep in the palm of your hands. She likes to run on her wheel, wrestle with her sister Boo, and get belly rubs. Her favorite foods are peas, strawberries, and blueberries!
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That’s all for now but, I’ll talk to you all tomorrow!
Stay Safe & Stay Healthy!
-Sky
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