I need to know a little about rats! Can you help?

Question

I was thinking about getting two pet rats, but I don't know very much about them. Here are some of the questions I have. All opinions and suggestions are welcome!

Do rats smell?

Do they escape easily?

Are they expensive to take care of (long term)?

Can they carry diseases?

Are they a better alternative to a hamster?

Thx and God bless!

Answer 1

they smell if you dont clean them out enough. if you have a secure cage, then they wont escape. they can be expensive if they become ill and you need to get them treated at the vets. not sure if they have any diseases. they are way better than a hamster. main reason THEY WILL HARDLY BITE. meaning they will only bite you if they are hurt, scared or they can smell food on your hand. but if my rat Emile can smell food on my hand he will just l**k it

Answer 2

Here are some answers to your questions...

Rats do not smell, unless you don't clean out the cage for two weeks or something!

The don't escape easily unless the cage is rubbish. They are very cheap to take care of and don't carry diseases. They are a much better alternative to hamsters. (I know, I've had both!)  They are friendly and adoreable and love being around humans. If you can, get them from a rat breeder and not a pet shop, as they will probably come from rodent farms and may be ill. The will probably not have been handled very much, and so may be a bit more nippy when you first get them than rats from a breeder.

If you live in or near Falkirk, Scotland, here is a link to a great breeder who I got my rats from.

http://www.mana.vinix.co.uk/mana/Welcome...

This site is also great.

http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/home/

Answer 3

1. Depends how often you clean them out

2. They might just be able to so be sure you get a secure cage (rats can be little escape artists!)

3.Not really they don't eat much and what they do eat isn't very much

4.They can do depends were you get them from(like a pet shop you can trust)

5.Depends what you prefer!!!

Answer 4

Rats are only stinky if you dont clean up after them. They pee and p**p in only one spot of their living area-and are pretty clean. They are very smart and trainable, so if you have a cage where they can escape, they will probably figure out how.

here is a good site to look at

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/pets/rat.htm

Answer 5

Smell?:- Yes, apparently they do.

Escape?:- If you have a secure cage, it should be fine.

Expensive?:- Yes, they need a big cage, Plenty of food and things to do!

Carry Dieases?:- If they are ill they would get dieases.

Alternative?:- I would prefer a Hamter.

Sorry, if i cant help you enough!!

Karen.

Answer 6

I have 5 rats, myself, and wouldn't replace them for the WORLD. They make wonderful pets. I'll answer your questions one at a time. ;P

1. Do rats smell?

Not as bad as people think. Contrary to popular belief, they don't really smell any worse than any other rodent. As long as their cage is spot cleaned daily and cleaned weekly, they don't smell bad. In fact, my boys' fur smells a bit like corn chips. ;P

2. Do they escape easily?

They can be little escape artists.. You just have to make sure the bar spacing on the cage is small enough that your rats can't squeeze through. And when you take them out, make sure to keep them in a rat-proofed room, or somewhere without places they can get out of. But honestly, most rats don't WANT to escape from their owners. They like to play with you! I've kept my boys on the couch with me, and they are CAPABLE of jumping off and running away, they never have.

3. Are they expensive to take care of?

Sort of. Rats are prone to tumors and respiratory infections, so you'll likely end up taking them to the vet at least once. Mites and lice and things like that are also a possibility. They also need a larger cage than most small pets, and of course the cost of food and bedding is constant. You'll also probably want to buy them toys and things for them to play with, which can add up. But they aren't TOO expensive. You just need to be prepared and have money set aside in case of illness.

4. Can they carry diseases?

Even wild rats rarely have any diseases, and pet rats have virtually none. It's extraordinarily unlikely that your rats would carry any diseases that could be transferred to you. They're very clean animals. It is possible, though, as I said, for them to have tumors, respiratory infections, and parasites like lice or mites. Rat mites generally don't bite humans, though. As others said, a breeder is better because they usually have healthier rats.

5. Are they a better alternative to a hamster?

Well, that's a matter of opinion. Rats need much more social time with you than a hamster would, so if you're very busy they may not be the right pet for you. But they are much more friendly than hamsters, and very much enjoy being with you. They rarely bite, and they are hilarious to watch! They're smart and like to figure things out and play. After owning rats, I wouldn't want to go back to hamsters. They are very cute and I like them, but I'm just a rat person now. ;P

Also, there are plenty of websites you can visit to get you up to speed on caring for them, diet, toy ideas, health care, etc.

http://www.ratsrule.com

http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk

http://www.afrma.com

http://www.petratscanada.com

Here's a forum you should definitely think about joining. LOTS of informed "rat people" here!

http://www.ratforum.com

If you have any more questions, feel free to message me! I'd love to help you out. :] Good luck!

Answer 7

Do rats smell?

Yes, their poo does but the rat itself doesn't smell. Clean their cage daily and it's not so bad.

Do they escape easily?

From their cages? No. They are very docile and like to explore - for example daughter used to take hers out and watch TV on the coulch with it. It would crawl under the cushions and all around, but eventually come out and back to her. You DO have to watch them to make sure they don't start chewing on stuff.

Are they expensive to take care of (long term)?

No. Pellet feed.

Can they carry diseases?

Not likely for domestic rats from a pet store. They ARE susceptible to tumors when they get older.

Are they a better alternative to a hamster?

Absolutely. Hamsters are not all that cuddly and like to bite, rats seldom bite unless frightened or they are nesting.

Answer 8

Rats don't smell particularly bad, but it is essential you clean their cage once a week.

Rats are sometimes like escape artists! Make sure you have a very secure cage with a strong lock.

Rats are not terribly expensive to take care of, though the vet visits can add up.

Like any living creature (even humans) domestic rats can carry disease. I suggest you DO NOT get one from a pet store, they can have numerous health problems and adopt instead. Here is a website you can use to find a rat:http://www.petfinder.com/

In my experience, rats are better then hamsters. They live longer, are more intelligent, and a better companion.

Here are some websites with info on rats:

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pag...

http://www.petratscanada.com/ratcare.htm

http://ratguide.com/care/

Thanks for being a responsible pet owner and doing your research.

God bless you too!♥

Answer 9

Hey for plenty of amazing information on that and other rodents check out

http://guineapigsfriends.blogspot.com/

Answer 10

I highly suggest you get as much info about rats as you can before you get the rats although I am glad to hear you are getting 2 :-)

If the cage is cleaned regularly, no, rats do not smell, they are very clean creatures.

Depends on where they are, mine do not escape and seem quite content, but ever rat is different.

No, I do not think they are very expensive to care for. I spent more money on the cage than I did the rats food and bedding.

Diseases, I don't know about...

I think they are much better than hamsters!

Hope I helped!  

Answer 11

rats dont smell much at all. they can escape only if the cage bar spaces are to big. they arent to expensive though they like more toys than hamsters(most can be homemade anyway) they dont carry diseases, those are wild rats. they are way better than hamsters.         more facts...... they ride on your shoulder and they can eat most human food but watch out for junk food. they love cuddling and napping in your laps. they love games and they always love you.                   good luck!!!

Answer 12

Rats are grat as an alternitive to hammies! They do need more space. I was gonna suggest guinea pig, but they need very very large cages! So rats it is!

Rats only smell if you do not clean the cage often enough. Rats only escape if the bars between each other are to wide ot if the dorr slides open, but no, they do not =escape very easily.

Long term..once your rats are set up....you will need to buy carefresh every 2-4 weeks when you clean the cage, and more food every time you run out. Remember, they need pellets, hay, and fresh fuitrs and veggies. So long term, not very much. Here is what I have to say is the best rat cage!! All you need to do is repleace the wheel with a solid one that will not hurt the rats foot, and a few toys.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

Pet rats you get from a pet store do not carry disease, as long as you look for a healthy one. If you get a sick one or 2, make sure you know how to nurse it back to health. I think they are better than hammies. Also, your right to get 2, 2 is better than one, hammies are the only small animal that does not enjoy company!

Answer 13

Rats are one of the cleanest pets I've ever had!

As for the escaping part, my Zac would sit calmly on my shoulder all day and not move an inch, I could walk down the street with her and she'd not move!!

They are very clever. The thing that puts many people off is the tail.

I was bitten by my rat once (I thought she was dead, but she was sleeping and I poked her!) and haven't caught any diseases, but I did bleed quite a bit... my advice is... don't poke it!!

It'll be the best pet you ever have, and they're no more expensive than a hamster... you can use empty toilet roll tubes as toys!

We made a maze out of wood for her and she loved it, we would put some chocolate rat drops at one end and put her in the other and she would find her way through the maze!! She was really clever!

Only bad point is that she chewed my mum's hearing aid... but I guess she shouldn't have had it lying around her cage!

Answer 14

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH  xox