Rattus Norvegicus (Rats)

Member Name: LadyCunegonde

Product:	Rats
Date:	18/05/06 (206 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Friendly, cuddly, furry, charming, clever, very, very sweet.... Not too much hassle

Disadvantages: Can become smelly, do not live over 3 years mostly, should be kept in at least a pair

Otherwise known as fancy-rat, or in my case, Ratty! Lovely, lovely pets. Very friendly, cuddly, clever. I found mine in a local petshop, after spending weeks choosing cages and learning as much about rat-care as possible.

Of all the pets I have owned (and my life's been a menagerie), I found rats to have the highest reward to maintenance ratio. For a little love and care, you get a very sweet little friend.


A few things that put people off rats -

* the tail! One might imagine a scaley, ropey texture - actually, it's really quite soft

* The diseases.... Rattus Norvegicus does not get plague-carrying fleas! They are prone to a number of health conditions, but none which might transfer to humans.

* The smell - it is true that a rat that is not kept in a clean environment is likely to pong a bit - this is the case with every animal though, and is a reflection on the owner, not the rat.

* Biting - rats are lovely; a tame rat will not bite a friendly owner




If you are considering getting a rat for your family, there are definately some pieces of advice I can offer you, post-rat. First and foremost, GET TWO.I underestimated my ratty's need for company, he would have been much happier to have a rat around 24/7.

Handle them from a young age if you are buying pups, or they will become antisocial. If you are thinking of buying a rat for a child, make sure they are over 12. Before that, I think, it is too much responsibility. A rat must be played with and cleaned regularly.

Cleaning -

The cage must be quickly cleaned every day, removing pieces of rotten material, and muck. Once a week, the full clean out must be done with a dismantling of the cage. This procedure must be taken religiously, or the rat will not only smell, but be subjected to dirt that will put him/her at risk of a potentially fatal disease.

On that note, illness is one point I must talk on. Two major things to watch out for :

RESPIRATORY DISEASES

TUMORS

These are the big rat killers, and usually the reasons for such a short lifespan. Being so susceptible to respiratory disease, rats must be catered for in a certain way. No sawdust can be used, or any dusty litter. something else, such as towels, or a suitable litter must be found.

Tumors cannot be prevented. Female rats are more likely to develop them, but males also get tumors around the genital area. This can be prevented by having the testes removed, but the operation itself is risky, and so not really advisable.


On cages

The cage is the most expensive part of your rat paraphenalia. It will need to be MUCH larger than a mouse or hamster cage, and there are many rat cages on the market. I bought myself a ferplast Jenny cage, which I have now sold. It was a pain as the access to it was not good. This is essential! The doors were too small for such a large cage, and ratty was occasionaly tricky to extract.

You can keep rats in aquariums, but it is not advised. The air circulation is not good, and with such a problem with respiratory issues, this is not ideal.


Rats need to be fed once or twice a day, with a specially formulated rat-mix. Other small animal foods will not do! They lack essential vitamins and minerals. Fresh water must always be available from a bottle.

You can treat your rat with some fruit and veg, even meat. Chocolate and dairy is out, though!

The rat itself will not cost more than a few pounds, so the cage will be the largest investment. Almost certainly over 50 pounds, ranging up to over £300 for rat condiminiums! After this initial spend, rats are very cheap. Food does not cost a great deal, and there are no vaccinations for such a small creature. If your rat gets fleas however, you must get it treated as the small body cannot take excessive removal of blood.

I think rats are well worth the money and effort
they require, a brilliant pet for all sorts of reasons. You can really play with a rat - you can't say that for a hamster. I found ratty to be somewhat like a very small dog, I even taught him tricks!

Summary: clever pets, not much trouble, smell slightly, definately a worthwhile pet - you get something back