I have been thinking

[BabyGrl]

of maybe getting a rat. Actually 2 so they have buddies. I have been researching a bit and I was wondering what all of you that have rats think about them. Pros and cons of rat ownership would be fabulous. These are the guys I am looking at right now.
http://www.petfinder.org/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=5504974

[dirty hippie]

There's a thread on the wonderfulness of rats: http://www.cavycages.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6247

In short, yes, they make great pets.

Pros:
They are very intelligent animals who can be taught tricks and will often learn their names.
They bond very easily with people.
Rats look toward you for security and safety. This means that if a rat is scared, instead of running away from you, it will run to you. (Much like a dog.)
Boy rats are very cuddly, and I can see that you're looking at a pair to adopt.
Rats are always willing to play. (Waking up a hamster or a gerbil too often can actually cause it to become sick.)
Rats are sociable. Most will love to go on car trips, to the petstore, and to the park with you. They thrive on this type of "good stress."
They have lots of personality.


cons:
They only live for 2-3 years at most, which can be heart-breaking when you've become so attached to a little guy.
Vet bills can get nasty. Rats are prone to respiratory infections. You can actually transfer a cold from you to your rat by handling them while you are sick, and this can kill a rat.
Boy rats tend to dribble pee on you when you're holding them as a means of scent marking.
Rats chew. Through everything.

[BabyGrl]

I did look at the thread. I just want more info. I have actually been online for a few hours now researching. Don't want to get myself into anything to deep without knowing what it is. I just checked the petfinder to see what is available and I was excited to see that they came with a cage. Is that a good size cage for 2 rats? Should I look into a larger one? Mind you my 4 pigs have a 4x6 cage showing that I tend to overdo it sometimes .

[dirty hippie]

The R-70 is 24" x 14" x 24" and that's the perfect size for two rats. It's a pretty good deal, the cage and the rats for only $25. It should house them comfortably, but if you /want/ a bigger cage at some time in the future...bigger is better, right?

[BabyGrl]

It is an excellent deal. I just wanted to make sure the cage is a good size. I know how much space pigs need, rats I was not too sure. $25 canadian is like around $20 in usd. I can't beat getting a $60 cage plus two bonded rats and accessories for that price. Maybe it is a sign.

[DrkSilence13]

Rats are the best pets (next to piggie of course) ever! They are SO smart. They will bond with you and will get excited just to see you walk in the room. An R-670 is ok for 2 rats. It meets the requirements (2 sq. Ft. per rat)...but bigger is always better. heh. You could get a lot of information from www.rmca.org They have a lot of really useful things, and a forum. Honestly the only bad things about rats are their life spans (usually 2-3 years...more along the lines of 2 though), the fact that they will chew everything and anything they can get their paws on...therfore you have to be careful of what you put near the cage because they WILL pull it in. Lol. And the vet bills. It costs me $45-$60 just for a basic check up. They've never gotten sick so I haven't needed meds. They are really prone to URI's and tumors. The biggest challenge with keeping rats is keeping them stimulated. You /have/ to be creative....or else they get bored. I absolutely love my rats and honestly can't see not having them around. It's just not an option. Lol. Once you have a rat you can never go back! Lol. You'll soon get GGMR (gotta get more rats) and it will never stop. Lol.