Pet Rats: Affectionate towards humans??

Question

Like..is it easy to form a bond with your pet rat?

Do they like human company and will they recognise you and be happy when they see you and when they are spending time with you?

Answer 1

Yes they will. Rats are highly intelligent animals and although they will have a stronger bond with their rat buddie their bond with you is priceless. Whenever I walk past the cage my rats go to the door hoping I will get them out, and when I do I am greeted with yawns and tons of rattie kisses.

Answer 2

Rats have good memories and are sociable creatures. A friend of mine used to keep rats under his hair. I Once had the misfortune of having to try and sleep in his living room with them running around loose at night.  The little blighters don't hesistate to run right over the top of you as if you aren't there.

The only problem with rats as pets is that  they don't live very long.

Answer 3

Rats are very sweet kind animals. Spend enough time with him and it'll be like you've known eachother your whole life!

Answer 4

If the rat you want to keep is not a wild street rat, then you'll be fine. They are one of the cleanest rodents (when home bred) and are friendly and non-violent towards owners/friends of owner if they are brought up in a household of human contact.

They are affectionate if you are back to them!

Answer 5

yes they do rats, make awesome pets. and the reconize there owners and get excited when your around to play..

Answer 6

A well socialized rat will be very affectionate and happy to see you.

Whenever I walked by the cage my four rats would all clamber to the front of the cage and hang on the bars and beg to come out and play and be with me.

Remember though that rats need to be kept in same s*x pairs or groups or they will get lonely.

Do some more research into their care:

http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/ratin... (My website)

http://www.rmca.org/

ftp://members.aol.com/juliesrats/e4ninde...

http://ratguide.com/

http://www.goosemoose.com/rfc/index.php

Answer 7

well i have 2 male rats. 1 is very nice and loves being out of his cage, and will jump out as soon as i open the cage door, but the other one is still very nervous. but if i open the top of their cage, he will jump onto my shoulder, and he will nuzzle into my neck, although it really tickles. he wont do this with anyone else

Answer 8

rats usualy have disease and they eat garbage.rats are wild animals they .cant remember you.you should take a hamster[vote me please]

Answer 9

YES! It is easy to form a bond with a pet rat. They do like human company. They like it best when it is just you and the rat, getting one-on-one time.

Answer 10

Rats are great pets and very affectionate. The more you have contact with them the more gentle and loving they get. Rats are fantastic pets for children. My advice is to purchase a rat from a good breeder that has reared them. good breeders handle their rats from very young. Where as some pet shops just put them in a cage and ignore them till customers come along. As i said the more a rat has been handled the more tame they are

Answer 11

to answer your questions YES they will be very social with there owner and like spending time with them.

hope this helps

Answer 12

Oh yes. Very very much.  Get two so they dont get lonely when you arent aroudn to play. But yes when they see you they get all excited and start running around, thats what my girls do. And plus they know thyll probably get a treat when I leave. Haha but they are so loving. They are the best.

Answer 13

Any rat you bring home is going to be scared at first. It's in a strange new place and it doesn't know you're a nice person... yet. Some things you can do to encourage your rats to trust you:

* Treat, treats, treats!! Feed them treats from your hands... peas, corn, yogurt drops, bread and butter, pieces of fruit, anything! Things they have to l**k off your fingers are good (like yogurt, cream cheese, baby food), since they can't just grab it and run.

* Around their cage it is best to have soft or no sound (i.e. music but not tv), soft or no light, no sprays, smokes, or fragrances, and no voyeurs (i.e.. cats, dogs) which may frighten them. Speak softly and soothingly to them and don't wake them up abruptly.

* When you approach the rats, be sure to "knock before entering" (e.g.. by making a special "I'm here!" noise outside the cage) Respect their home--it is very distressing to a new ratty to have you reach right into their one safe and personal space, grab them and yank them out. Let them come to you instead. Bringing a little present is always appropriate--a strip of paper towel for the bedroom, a yogurt drop for the stash, a leaf of lettuce for a shared meal...and when you "leave", take a wet piece of nest material with you!

* Play with them at night, when they're most active... you can start by placing your hand in the cage and letting them sniff you/take treats or pet them. Encourage them to climb onto your hand or shoulder.

* Place the rat down your shirt. Here they'll feel safe and also learn to know your smell (you may wish to wear two shirts if you don't enjoy being shredded by sharp ratty claws)

* When you get them out of the cage, keep the play area dimly lit (harsh lighting may make them nervous) and provide a "safe place" like a nest/shoe box for them to run to if frightened.

* Be aware of the signs of a frightened rat so that you know if you're pushing your rat too far. A scared rat might bite, run and hide, go catatonic in fear, or p**p or pee on you. If you see any of these, take the socialization process slower.

Your rats will eventually realize you're not a threat and before long they'll be leaping out of the cage to brux on your shoulder and groom your eyebrows. Don't expect this to happen overnight... it could take several weeks or months depending on the rat. Some rats are just scaredy by nature. Be patient and keep at it, once they trust and love you they are just such rewarding pets.

Answer 14

Rats are very affectionate towards humans! You will bond very quickly when you get your rat. It`s sad that the the poor little guys don`t live that long because when they die it`s heartbreaking.

My rat (She`s a black hooded female) likes to come and jump up on the couch when she`s having her play time and come and get hugs and kisses from us, so yes I recon they are happy to get to come and play with you and spend time with you.

In the wild rats life is all about food! But of course they don`t need to worry about that when their a pet because we supply it to them so there`s only one thing rats like more than cuddles, playing, exploring and human companion ship, that is FOOD!