Pet rats and social interaction. Read details, please.?

Question

I have never had a pet rat before. How much social interaction do pet rats enjoy? Can I let him run around my room without a ball? Can I take him outside and not have him run away? Would he enjoy going places with me? Would he like sitting on my shoulder? lol. Things like that. Tell me more about pet rats in regards to their behavior and what they enjoy doing and what kind of interaction we can have together.

Also: Any advice from people who have (a) rat(s) AND cat(s) would be greatly appreciated! (Ex-Will my cat try to hurt my rat?)

Any other info would be great.

THANKS!!!

Answer 1

How much social interaction can a rat enjoy?  How much can you give?  Really the more the better, there is no such thing as to much attention in this regard.  Once the rat gets used to you all the things you listed are completely possible, I had a rat in the past that went everywhere with me(I.E. store in my duffel bag, shower with me, family gatherings, etc.)

They really are very intelligent animals and will return affection you give in return.

Regarding the cat issue, that would come down to your cats personality, my wife grew up with a cat that "adopted" her pet rat, they were always together.  On the other hand I had to help my brother give his cat to a no kill adoption shelter because his cat kept trying to kill his rodents.

Please feel free to contact me if you wish to speak more on the matter, or any other questions.  I'm never to busy to speak about rodents ^_^.

Answer 2

lol i have 2 house cats and 4 rats my rats will sleep on the cats! you should get 2 rats its mean to keep them alone. you give them as much attention as you can but they should be out every day.

i wouldnt recomend them going outside if they get scared and run then youll never get him back! most rats will sit on your sholder but after a while h**l get bored and want to move around.

rats shouldnt realy go in balls there usuanlly to big and their backs are the wrong shape so it can hurt them. you would be best letting the run around your bathroom coz theres less places for them to get nito troubble or rat proof your room (cover all holes, remove all valuables, unplug electric wires)

really just spoil them rotten!!! they love attention but please make sure he ahs a rat friend

hope i helped enjoy ur ratS!!!

Answer 3

Okay, this is all based on previous experience with my friends rats (she had 4!) so this might take a while.

Rats love socializing. They're practically human. Rats prefer not to be in a ball, but making a decent sized 'playpen' like a fenced-in area in your bedroom is perfect. With time, he will stay with you. I wouldn't entirely recommend going outside unless you have a rat harness (kind of like a leash) because you can walk them! They will sit on your shoulder, they actually make an effort to do so. Some wont, and you will need to train them. They love treats, but be careful not to spoil them. They love being around you, and almost never bite unless feeling threatened. They actually go out of there way to avoid biting! (we must taste bad, eh?)

And...

my friend had 2 rats, a cat, and a dog.

The dog was afraid of the cat, the cat was afraid of the rat, and the rat would play with the dog. Eventually they all became good friends. If both animals are social and docile, they will make good friends. Introduce them first.

And Good Luck!

Answer 4

Rats are supposed to be the smartest rodent so they do love a lot of social interaction. They also like to be in pairs (same s*x of course), but if you only have one it is important that you spend even more time with it. Rats are too smart for things like wheels and those balls to run around in so letting your rat run around outside (attended, once it's gotten used to you and it's surroundings) would be fine. Just make sure that you're always right by it just in case it decides to pull a fast one on you. They do p**p quite a bit so that's why I'm suggesting outside instead of on your floor :P. I'm sure he would love going places with you and crawling up on your shoulder (my friends pet rats used to LOVE burrowing on her shoulder) and that would build an even bigger bond with your new pet. I'm sure the two pets would be okay together as long as you were holding the rat so the cat did not try to chase him since it's in their nature to do so, but other than that I don't suggest letting them run around together.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

First of all congratulations on your new pet rat.

Rats are very smart and they really bond to their owners. Some will even l**k like a dog. : ) As far as social interaction the more the better. I am yet to meet a rat that didn't love a good ride on someone's shoulder. Be prepaired that if you have long hair it's going to be used as a blanket/hidey hole. Rats don't usually like balls, but they love free time outside their cage. Just make sure that the room is safe for them. My oldest boys Taz, Molko, and Quinn has free run of the house while I'm home, actually. They're very, very smart, Taz even comes when I call his name. Just realize that your socks now belong to him :P Taz loves car rides and will sit on my shoulder while I drive, which earns some funny looks I promise. lol. Quinn on the other hand gets nervous in cars, so it's sort of an individual thing. Rat's love toys, and their tastes are not expensive. They'll grab at a piece of string just like a cat and love cardboard boxes. They're always fun to watch.

Some good tips: You really should have two rats, they're social animals and like to have someone to snuggle with. Just make sure they're the same s*x or you'll have babies. Also make sure that you don't use wood bedding. They are toxic to rats, especially pine and cedar. They can give your rat deadly respiratory infections. I recommend Carefresh or just good old fashioned newspaper. Also make sure that you don't feed them to much human food, fat rats are prone to cancer, so make sure that you're giving him rat food. Lots of people say it's okay to buy hamster food which is cheaper, but it's too high in cholesterol for rats. I recommend lab blocks they not only give the nutrients your rat needs but are hard enough to take care of his dental health. Also on a health note, if you notice any sneezing,squeaking or  head bowing take him to a vet immediately. Rats don't get colds, so it's a sign of infection that needs antibiotics.

For more information on proper care for your rat check out this site.

http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/

Good luck!

Oh and I almost forgot. As far as the Cat goes it depends. Your best bet would be if you introduced the cat to rats as a kitten, but I'm assuming your asking because you already have a cat. It depends on the temperament of both the cat and the rat. Personally, I wouldn't chance it and just bar the cat from the room where you keep the rat, but if you really want to you could try showing the Cat the rats in the cage first and gauge his or her reaction to them, then slowly introduce them. I wouldn't leave them alone together, though, but thats me. :)

Answer 6

Rats don't need balls and properly won't like it. Any rat that I have had always hated it and would just in the corner trapped inside his bubble.  They are very active friendly creatures and love riding on your shoulder in your pocket or just hanging out in your lap while you scratch him/her behind their ears.  Clean the cage at least once a week and use a a NON cedar substance as its bedding.  I let my rats run around my room all the time and after a while they will come when you call them.  Just be sure to hide cords or wire (they like to chew).  Boys are more laid back and lazy compared to females who are more active and like to bounce around.  I would take my rat on bike rides or just carry him around the house on my shoulder.  They will eat just about anything, though I've noticed they don't like alfalfa bits.  They are extremely friendly animals and I have never had a rat bite me, ever.  I have raised wild baby rats by hand and even they didn't bite.  I had to let them go however.  I have a very lazy cat who doesn't really care about anything.  My rats were kind a scared of him though becuase of instinct.  I wouldn't worry too much becuase rats are very fast and agile creatures who will run from danger.

If you have anymore questions you can email me at [e-mail]

:)

Answer 7

Your rat will need at least one hour of play time out of the cage a day. They definetly do not need to be put in a ball. Just make sure the room you play with him in is safe: no holes in walls or floors, no wires to chew, no way to get lost. I use my bathroom for play time so if they p**p or pee it is easy to clean up. My little baby rats like to ride on my shoulders and chest. My large adult males, prefer to run over my body. They like to explore, and find food items. They like to play wrestle with me and each other and love being tickled. They come when I call them. I would not let them run outdoors tho. They could pick up mites, fleas, get lost, etc.

I have 5 rats and 3 cats. One of my cats wants to eat them, one is terrified of them, and the other wants to play with them by getting the rats to chase him. I NEVER leave my cats and rats unsupervised. A rat attack can be especially violent and leave a lot of damage and a cat will eventually follow their instincts impulsively.

Never assume that the cat and rat are friends lol!

Rats are very very smart little creatures and can give a lot of love and companionship to you. Each one is different in personality. Once you get your rat and get to know them, you will have an easier time deciding on whether or not that rat is suitable to travel around with you and what that rat finds enjoyable.

My Dumbo rat loves to be tickled and to follow me around.

My Hooded rat loves to be wrestled with and enjoys chasing balls.

My adult Fancy is the alpha male and likes to be catered to and have is belly rubbed, but is generally pretty serious.

My baby fancy loves to run up and nip my nose and then play in my hair.

My little weird baby rat likes to climb and climb and climb.

Answer 8

you must get at least 2. i have 2 but my boyfriend has 5. rats LOVE interacting with people. they are very social animals. yes you can let them run around you room before you do. check for holes and escape routes [including under the door] pick up anything they could eat that could b toxic or you dont want messed up [there isnt much that they can chew on but just make sure] if they climb on stuff [desks tables bed trash cans, whatever] its ok..just let them. you dont even really have to watch them, just check up on were there at every so often. [my girls LOVE to run around my room and get into stuff and make a mess, so do my boyfriends rats]

i would b careful taking them outside and letting run around cuz other animals mite come [birds cats dogs ect.] if you can get a leash for them [yes they do sell leashes, not all rats like them tho.]

some rats love going places and some dont. so take them out and see if they like it.

yes your rat wll sit on your shoulder but you may need to train them to do so. some rats need to b trained and others dont. it just depends.

rats love to b challenged intellectually. give them some toys to challenge there mind. and they love to run around and climb.

you and your rats relationship really depends on your rat. just play with them as much as you can and get to know them.

your cat will most likly hurt you rat. or your rat will freak out. my rat hates my cat. my cat gets that look in his eye like hes gonna attack so i dont put them near eachother. the same with dogs.

ALL rats are differant. they have there own personality so everything really depends on them.

Dsiree

Answer 9

I am pretty new to having rats, but I can tell you what my rats do and don't and maybe that will help. :-)

First off though do you already have the rat you are referring too or are you just asking for when you get one? I ask only because you should make sure you have at least 2 :-)

My rats would be perfectly happy if I let them walk around out of their cage on their own all day long, they love playing with me, my friends and even more so my 2 dogs

You could let him run around without a ball, but you would need to 'rat proof' your room, maybe sure he cannot get into anything he shouldn't get into or that he can't get out or maybe crawl up into the wall, very important for that lol you don't want to lose your little friend in the walls.

I don't suggest taking him outside until he is really accustomed to you and trained (yes trained! lol) I bought a little playpen that I can pop up outside so my rats can play in it while I am outside so they get used to going outside with me but learn to stay where they are.

He probably would love going places with you, but just starting out mine were very nervous since I got them from a pet store (bad move I know now to get my next rat from a breeder or rescue) and any time I picked Tiny or Remy up they would just...well....poo...a lot ....lol   but now they are more used to me and don't, plus I have my boys litter trained, which is great BTW! lol I highly suggest putting a little litter box in the cage :-D

My Remy loves to crawl around on my shoulders but Tiny won't, but he is older than Remy and likes to just chill out in the cage.

Well that i all I can think of right now lol but I hope I helped out a bit :-D

Answer 10

As several ppl have noted, rats *love* social interaction & "too much is never enough" as the saying goes.  It's much better to adopt 2 or 3 same-s*x rats so they can hang with their own species too.  Let your rats get to know your friends & family b/c if you're the only human they're friends with they may bite other ppl (we found that out the hard way, when my uber-sweet siamese girl bit my SO every time he got near her).

Some rats enjoy an exercise ball, but most don't.  It's fine to let your little ones play in your room as long as they don't have acess to electrical wires, toxic plants or other potential dangers.  They learn their names quickly & will usually come when called burt in this respect they're more like cats than like dogs.

I'd be careful when outside with your rats.  They probably won't run away but they could become lost.  Also, I've heard that hawks have swooped on pet rats when they were outdoors.  On the other paw, most of our rats love going places & ppl have remarked on how well-behaved they are.  We take them to most places that dogs or other pets would be welcome--  pet shops, brief walks the park even to church when they had a "Celebration of Companion Animals".  Usually they ride my shoulders, but we have a cloth bag or their carrier along if they start feeling bashful.  Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a little bag of treats along too.  Once they're well-socialized, they try not to use you for a restroom unless they get scared or they *really* gotta go.  Males will scentmark, but we're talking tiny droplets here.  Rats are often pretty easy to litterbox train as well.

Cats, rats & everyone else have individual personalities.  We live with 4 cats, 6 rats & other small animals.  Our 3 oldest cats are mildly curious about the rats & there's some occasional supervised nose-touching.  Our youngest cat is much more interested in the mice but we keep a close eye on him when any rats are out.  The rats enjoy sticking their noses in our cat's fur & I often have to keep them from pulling the cats' tails!  They like tugging my earrings too.  Rats are awesome, smart & playful little companions.