My mom checked with Petco?

Question

She said that the petco woman said i can get one rat. I just have to spend all the time in the world on it. Which isn't a problem. I would love to walk my new rat. Train he/she. Love He/She. Play with he/she. My cats wouldn't be a problem. Tiger would probably just hiss for a week then theyll be just frinds. Tiger just plays with rodents. he doesnt hurt them. Is it okay. I have lots of free time.

Answer 1

Though it's always nice for most animals to have a pal, there's nothing wrong in just having the one. You need to give it a lot of care and attention. Plenty of play time and some treats now and then. Just be very careful to begin with where your cat is concerned. You say he'll be fine with the rat, but the rat may not be fine with the cat. I hope you enjoy your new pet and i hope all your pets get on together well. Don't forget to do some research. Get some books and check out on line. You need to find out as much as you can about your new pet

Answer 2

Just because someone works at petco does not mean they know what they are talking about.  In fact, most of the employees do NOT know, and have very little if any experience with animals.  I bought a parakeet from them before and when Petco had clipped him they broke his wings.  Apparently that is a common thing at Petco.  If you want an answer you can trust try calling a local family-owned pet shop.  They have been dealing with animals for years and have seen it all and could give you an answer based on experience, not personal opinion.

Answer 3

You need at least two no matter how much time you spend with it!!!! Petco is stupid, and there animals are sick, check out petfinder and adopt!

Answer 4

well,id put it in a room that your cats arent allowd in.rodents and cats dont have good relaton

Answer 5

I would still get two because rats are nocturnal. When you are asleep, they will be playing with eachother. And it would also be good if there is someone there who speaks your own language! hehe.

Also, what would it do while your out?

Please get two!!

Answer 6

The Petco woman is quite incorrect.

Your rat won't die or anything.. but your rat WILL be much less happy than if they had a friend. Rats are social animals, and do much better in groups. Even if you spend a lot of time with the rat, it's not CONSTANT companionship like the rat would have from another of its species. They groom each other, sleep together, play.. Humans just aren't the same. They'll still bond to you if there are more than one, they'll just be happier for it. Please get 2.. same s*x! :P

Answer 7

so this is about everything you need to know about rats. i do have a cat aslo and he hasnt officailly met because they are scared of him but he just wants to play...i would just be VERY VERY VERY careful. ur cat mite not want to hurt it but your rat mite freak out and claw and bite...which will end up making it more timid to be with ANYONE cuz it doesnt know what to expect and will be very fearful. just make sure if you do let them meet that its in a calm enviroment and keep a very good eye on both of them. even if it seems like there getting along....just dont ever leave them alone. animals can be very unpredictable.

choosing you rats s*x:

males: they are more calm and layed back but smell worse and make more of mess then females. males also have their man parts hanging down. [[think of this incase it gross's you out]]

females: more hyper then males [[but some are very calm]] and much cleaner and not as smelly. they do act very motherly though.

choosing breed/color of rat:

breed: it all depends on the rats personality. you MUST hold it and interact with it BEFORE you buy it. buy the one that you think you will enjoy most. this means playing with at least a few of them before deciding which one you want.

color: DONT choose one buy its color choose it buy its personality!! it wil be very difficult to take care of a rat that doesnt connect with you well. the color doesnt interfier with its personality...niether does the breed.

each rat has its own personality. choose the best one for you.

playmates:

always try and get 2 rats at the same time of the same s*x. [[2 males, 2 females]]

rats need company and a cleaning buddy.

dont get a male and female or you WILL have baby rats and they have between 8-14 and are very difficult to take care of.

[[if you happen to get a pregnant rat message me and ill help you out!]]

getting them at the same time means less territorial issues. [[males usually have this problem but so can females.]]

housing:

get a VERY large cage.

get the biggest cage you can afford.

the more room the better.

rats also love to climb so try and get 1 with multiple levels.

you can make a cage but i wouldnt recomend it for your first cage.

bedding:

do not, i repeat, DO NOT get bedding made from wood chips or aspen.

this will cause lung issues for the rest of there life.

get Carefresh if you can.

it look like sogged paper thats dreid.

[[they have diff colors]]

toys:

get lots and lots of toys.

they get bored easy and need to be entertained.

they also need lots of things to chew on to help shave down thier teeth and keep them straight.

like i said they love to climb so keep that in mind.

rats are also very intellegant so get complicated things.

also a rock or brick to put under there water spout helps keep their nails filed down.

food:

any bag of food for them works [[sold at the pet store]]

NEVER give ur rat meat.

and dont give them artifcial things [[candy soda pizza ect...]]

do give them treats like fruits and veggies.

they also sell some treats at the pet store but fresh stuff is better for them.

dont give them anything with sugar or salt or anything you think could be bad for them.

if you have to question it..its probably not good.

cleaning:

u must give them clean water EVERY day.

they must always have food.

and there cage needs to be cleaned once to twice a week.

[[depending on how much they p**p]] lol

also wipe down the surface of the cage with a ret rag so make sure you get the pee off.

rats CAN get a bath but the MOST once a month and NO more then that.

if they do smell usually there cage needs to be cleaned.

rats are VERY clean and clean themselves and eachother.

interacting:

the more you play with them the better they will be with u.

the first few days are crucial!! they need the most time cuz they are in a new invroment.

try and play with them at least 4 hours a day but the least 1 hour.

the more you play with the more comfortable they are with you.

tricks:

rats are very smart and quick learners.

they can learn there names and come when you call...

sit on your shoulder...

jump through hoops..

be potty trained..[[with the right equipment]]

and much more.

but they must ALWAYS be rewarded with a treat when you are first training them. after a while do the same thing but take away the treat and only add it in every so often.

[[you can research more on this or message me!!]]

i think this should help.

if you have ANY questions i would be very glad to help.

just leave me a message!!

DESIREE!!

Answer 8

Take it from me. Pet store employees almost NEVER know what they are talking about. Petco and Petsmart don't offer proper training for their employees, especially about rodents.

She is very very wrong. Rats need a cagemate, no matter how much time you spend with them. Even if you play with them for ten hours a day, there are some things that she will still be missing that you can never give her. It would be very cruel of you to get a rat and keep it in a cage by itself.

Also, you should never buy a rat from a pet shop. They are almost always sick, they are never socialized properly, and things are especially bad at Petco because they don't even sell them as pets. They just assume they are going to be snake food.

If you want to get pet rats, find a proper breeder. They will be able to tell you everything you need to know, and they will be able to sell you a pair of rat babies that are well-bred and properly socialized. If you tell me what state you live in, I can find some proper breeders close to you.

Answer 9

Really?! That's great! Too bad she's wrong. Pet store employees rarely know what they are talking about. And considering Petco sells their rats as FEEDERS FOR SNAKES... do you really think they know much about them? They're just food there.

Please read more on why rats need company:

http://www.nfrs.org/company.html

http://www.ratfanclub.org/single.html

Answer 10

Just because someone works at a pet store does not mean they know anything about animals.  They have no formal training.  I trust the opinions of vets, techs, behaviourist, biologists, and rescuers.  These people do have training, specific knowledge and tons of experience.

Rats are much happier when they have a companion and are social even in the wild.  They spend a large amount of time playing, grooming, cuddling and just generally socializing.  If you ever see two rats living together you'll see why they need a companion.  No matter how much time you spend with the rat, no matter how much you care, you're still not there 24/7.

Answer 11

Petco is stupid. Seriously. No offense, but most employees at petco are stupid. Have you ever seen petco be really busy? No. But walk in to a petsmart around 5pm or 6pm, and its busy. Almost every manager I ever had at petsmart had started at petco but moved to petsmart because petco sucks.

Males can do ok alone. Although I ALWAYS recomend at least two rats, if you MUST only have one, then get a male. In the wild, they tend to be more solitary then females.

But if you get females, you HAVE to get two!! There is no way 1 female can survive alone. They become sick and lifeless. Female rats are very social, but no matter how much time you spend with them, they are still alone. You go to school, right? You sleep? You eat dinner? You hang out with friends? Your rat cant be with you then. She needs a friend to sleep with her and play with her when you aren't around.

So, a male alone, ok for the most part, but try to avoid it. A female alone is a BIG NO NO.

Answer 12

She is wrong.  The rat won't die from loneliness or anything but they will be unhappy.  They need company of their own kind as well as human affection.  Two rats aren't anymore work thatn one - anyway it shouldn't matter as what is best for the animal must come first.