Thinking About Getting Pet Rats: What to Expect ?

Question

I'm thinking about getting a couple of pet rats from either Petco or Petsmart in around a month or so. Having owned mice, I have plenty experience with caring for small rodents. I'm saving up money this summer; so far I have enough to buy a couple of rats, a 20 gallon tank, wheel, water bottle, food, bedding and toys. Of course, more money means better equipment. My parents think that rats (and most rodents) are nasty, but I know that rats are very clean. But this is not the main concern since I will be using only my funds. Female mice smell a bit, but I clean regularly and the odor doesn't bother me. Do female rats have very little odor? Clean the cage once a week? The reason I want to get rats, despite the fact that I'm gonna be busy is that they're supposed to be loyal, like dogs, but I certainly don't have time for a dog! They're also highly intelligent. I understand that rats can roam free in a rat-proof room, but how do you train them to back to go back to the cage when they need to go to the bathroom? Another concern is that I currently own one mouse and all the animals are gonna have to stay in my room. Will the presence of rats scare the mouse? I'll be able to keep them around 10 feet apart and almost out of each others' sights. Then again, they're housed right next to each other in pet shops. Also, do rats tame easier than mice?

Petco sells small, medium and large rats. Do small and medium rats eventually grow "large" or do they stay smaller?

Answer 1

rats get about, 6-8 inches long without tail, and ofcourse about 13 inches long with tail. Female and male rats are very clean, female rats being more clean then males. neither have an odor, as long as you clean they're cage once every 1-2 weeks. Make sure you don't get more then 2 rats, for that cage more then 2 would be crouded. And if rats are crouded they'll get mean, depressed, and it'll shorten they're life spand. So I'd say get 2 rats, as you should never get just one. I'm very glad you've saved up all this money. As for them going to the bathroom, mayb get a box, and put bedding in it. every time they have an accident somewhere you don't want them to, put it in the box, and show them the box. never, ever, hit them because they have an accident on the floor, or punish them. it willl take awhile for them to learn to go in the box, but they'll get it probably in about, a month at the most. mine learned to in a week, but some rats it would just take longer. and about other animals being in the room, make sure they're in cages, somewhere off the floor your positivvve the rat can't possibly jump to, climb to, or get to. rats are very friendly, but think of where they roam as THEY'RE place, no other rodent. so if one of your mice or something got out, the rat would probably kill it, not being the rats fault. so just make sure the other rodents and rat neverrr meet eachother, and the rat can't get to them and it'll be perfectly fine. if the mice see the rat they might be alittle scared for like, a few days. but they'll get use to it quickly. And rats are very easy to tame once they trust you. they may seem hard to take care of, might nibble on you when they get scared, or pee places they're not suppose to at first, but after awhile, after they trust you, they'll only go in they're box, never bite you, and as you said basically be alittle dog, and it willll be worth it, I promise you. Also, you can feed them some human food. but make sure to never feed them nutts, seeds, or oranges. as all those can give rats tumors. you can feed them fruits, vegies, grain cereal, rice, noodles, and a piece of chocolate about the size of your pinky nail. every piece of human food you give them, make sure it's a very small amount. as a mouth full to us is still hugge to them. so think of the size they're stomachs are, and you should know how much to feed them. and only give it to them every once in awhile, mayb when they do something good or do a trick. if you give it to them everyy day, then they'll stop eating they're food. but alittle bit once every 3 days or when they're good is fine.

Answer 2

I wouldn't get an aquarium for your ratties. Rats love to climb on the bars of cages, so a bird cage would be better for them, as long as you made sure there was at least 2 solid resting places in the cage and that there's a solid bottom. All animals have some odor to them, I had a male rat last year [who I had to get rid of because I moved a long distance and couldn't take him with me] and cleaning his cage once a week was fine.

I never had the space to let mine roam around a room, but I did have one of those plastic mats that go under computer chairs and got a really big box and cut it so it was really long, then taped the open ends together. so it was like a lil play pen for my rat.

Make sure your rat can't get close to your mouses cage because it'll kill the mouse, but keeping them near each other shouldn't be too bad.

And I found mice are more like goldfish, they don't exactly enjoy handling but they're great to watch. Rats you can play with and some will let you cuddle them and stuff, which is why I think they're often compared to dogs. And all rats grow to be around the same size.

EDIT: if you're looking to save some money try going to garage sales or fleamarkets to get an old used cage. It's alot better then spending alot on a brand new one from a pet store.

Answer 3

Rats:

Males- Males tend to get rather large and they are the ones that tend to smell more. They're more docile and calm though. If you want a "lap rat" I'd recommend a male.

Females-They're more agile and active. They're the ones who like to play games. They tend not to smell and don't get as large [usually about half the size of a male. They grow to the "medium" catagory]

Cage- Please get a cage and not an aquarium. A cage satisfys a rats urge to climb and gives them more ventilation.

Rats&Mice-House the mice in an aquarium on a table that a rat cannot access. [for instance, do not place the table next to a book shelf where the rats can jump to the table] Rats will attack mice if they have the option. yes Rats will scare mice.

Litter box- It would be easier to train your rats to go in a litter box in a corner of the room. Place f***s in the box, and when you see a rat ready to go [they'll tense up and freeze] place them in the box and then give them a treat.

Some other notes:

-Get two rats

-Rats need about 2 hrs a day of play time& 4 hrs if there is only 1 rat.

Answer 4

"Small", "Medium", "Large" is just labeling for people who want feeders. For those who want them as pets, think of it this way:

"Small" - about 2 months old

"Medium" - about 4 months old

"Large" - 6 months & up.

Caging: Do not use a tank of any size. It's not recommended. Rats love to climb, and they need a well-ventilated cage to not irritate their delicate respiratory systems. I recommend the Super Pet My First Home for Exotics. *or a cage of similar or larger dimensions! 1/2 inch bar spacing*

Rats are easily tamed, usually taking just a few weeks for pet store rats to feel truly secure. Female rats do not have the musky odor that males do, but the scent isn't a big adjustment.

Your mouse will not feel threatened by the rats, as long as they don't come in close contact.

Your rats can free roam, but only after they've adjusted to their cage & consider it their ''safety'' spot. For the most part, they have a selected area for the ''bathroom corner'', and you can even give them a corner litter box once you find out their preferred corner, and it'll make the cage cleaning even easier.

I love Yesterday's News as a bedding choice.

Answer 5

As all the other answerers have stated, don't get a tank because theres not enough ventilation and the rats need more fresh air to breathe so that they don't get respiratory infections. A tank will also smell more because a lot of the odor from the rats' droppings will get trapped in the tank making it unpleasant for you AND the rats. So please get a big cage with bars:)

Female rats do tend to smell less than male rats but not in all cases. However, if you clean the cage regularly (once a week or more if necessary) it shouldn't matter what gender you get:)

If you spend a lot of time bonding with your rat, it will indeed become very loyal. They tame easier than mice too but you still have to be gentle and patient.

Unfortunately its quite hard to train your rat to p**p in a particular area. Maybe whenever it poops (or is about to) you can move the rat to the cage.

Rats grow to be about the same size so dont worry about what size you get just make sure you have a big enough cage.

The mouse and rats in the same room wont be a problem.

A few tips: Never let the mice and rats play together in an area because there is a high risk the rats will kill the mouse without mercy.