Wanting a rat?

Question

I want to get a rat. My friend is deadset on getting on for me on my birthday. My parents say no. How can I convience my parents that rats are not as bad as they are made out to be. Also which is better? A male or female?

Answer 1

Research about rats and show your parents that you are serious about wanting the rats and save some money ready too. They may let you have a rat if they can see you are adult about it. Put it in your bedroom so they won't have to deal with it and the smell. You may have to put it off and get it at a later date but if you can show your parents that you are adult about it and you will listen to them they may be inclined to give you a go. I would say a female is better but it's your preference.

Answer 2

I've had rats since i can remember.

They are SUPER easy to take care of and can be really lovable.

They can pretty much take care of themselves, besides food, water, and leaning their cage.

Tell your parents that they're not the evil things you see in movies, and while at a petstore or something try to get them to hold one.

And as for the Male Or Female, I've answered that in this question.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 3

tell them its not from a sewer its from a pet shop they are very clean and easy animals. and get a female or if nothing else get a hamster they are almost the same except they are more domestic and people don't mind as much cause they can't squeak and get a female rat but a male hamster

Answer 4

Rats make wonderful pets, but should always be kept in pairs or larger groups. They are highly social animals, so if you get a rat, you should really get two.

Back when I got my first rats, I impressed my parents by writing up a little report on rat care and costs. Keep in mind they will need a large cage, appropriate bedding, toys, food, and you will need to be prepared to take them to the vet if they get sick. Most adults are surprised by how distinct each rat's personality is. There is a wonderful forum about rats at www.goosemoose.com/rfc it would be a good place to start doing some research.

As for which gender is better, it is hotly debated. Each have their pros and cons and there will always be rats that don't fit the gender profile. Generally boys tend to be more lazy and cuddly, and also smell stronger. They also have VERY noticeable man bits. Girls tend to be more active and amusing, but less likely to slow down and cuddle. Girls are also very prone to mammary tumors, which are expensive to remove, but can be largely prevented by spaying.

Answer 5

make a presentation to yourself to find out exactly how S****y life can be with them

Answer 6

I used to own a rat. They are the cleanest of all the rodent family and have no natural smell. They are also the most people-friendly and very rarely will they bite. They are kind-natured animals and if you want to own a rodent, they are your best choice. Do some research and show your parents the results.

Answer 7

do i report on rats! give all the pros! heres a start on ifo

rats are clean

they are intelligent

they are super nice

ALSO GET FEMALES

Answer 8

rats are good but they can go feral when i was in grade four we had a class pet (a rat) that went feral and tore open my wrist ow

Answer 9

Research all the information on Google and write up a caresheet about them and show your being responsible.

Get 2 females, NOT 1. They should not be alone rats are very social creatures.

Rats are a lot of responsibility and require a lot of dedication.

~Don't buy rats from pet stores.

~Don't feed them pet store food, they need high quality food and the pet store food is junk(Harlan Teklad is good, Mazuri can be ok for rats to).

~Don't keep them in an aquarium they'll have no space to climb around and its not big enough for them.

~Never use cedar or pine, aspen is best, Cedar and pine are toxic to any animal, they contain phenols.

~They only live about 2-3 years, less if you get them from pet stores normally because they have a lot of genetic diseases

~They have quite a few health problems, mainly tumors so be prepared for vet costs, especially for other stuff such as lice or respiratory infections, depending on where you get it from

That's just some information about them, I've owned 20-30 rats so far, they are amazing pets but always get them in pairs, they are a lot of responsibility but a lot of fun, just research, research, research before your friend gets you one and get your parents permission or don't let your friend get it for you because that's not fair to the rats if they're bouncing around from home to home.

Other then that male rats tend to be lazy and not as active, females are a lot more active and don't really slow down much.

Good luck.

Answer 10

maybe you should do some research on rats, and list all the positive aspects of it for you're parents

however, you're parents most likely have the final say since its their house, so even if you're friend bought a rat for you but you're parents strongly disapprove, you might end up giving you're rat away

make a wise decision ;)

Answer 11

if u do convince them (im sure u will) get a male. Much nicer and laidback