Ratties My littlest boys!

they are really sweet. I used to have a rat, but he died because we had a house fire.

Sorry about your rat da_3_mad_pigs.

Thanks.

They are so cute!!!

Are rats really good as house pets? I was thinking of getting one in 2 years when I move out of my parents house, since they don't want one. And I heard they were really social is this true also? And are they bitters?

I have had mine for 2 weeks and they are great. They are very social and will come to the front of the cage when I come in the room (if they are awake). They like to be petted and love to run around outside their cage. Mine will come up on the couch and just run up and down and climb up on my shoulder and hang out. They will not climb off my couch onto the floor and even if they did I don't think they would run off. They like hanging around with me too much lol. They have not even attempted biting. It is genreally best not to get one from a pet store as they are generally handled less than if you got one from a rescue or breeder. As much as I may disagree with breeding those people who are educated in breeding rats will breed them for good temperament and handle them from birth to produce good pets.

I have had rats for over a year now, and I would say that they make amazing house pets. They do need a large cage with levels because they love to climb but they are pretty much stink free. They are very intelligent, and like you said they are very social and will do best in a pair or more. Rats have very diferent personalities, One of my boys loves to run around the whole room and then when I call him he will coming running back, one of them is starting to become a little more adventurous and sometimes follows henry around the room, and Archie will not leave me when he is out of his cage!
You can teach rats to do tricks such as climb ladders and responding to their names but you do have to be patient.
Three out of four of my rats are very friendly, whereas one is very territorial and is a biter - he is in the minority though since most rats are very very friendly.
Rats are not the cheapest pet to take care of since they need a cage with lots of space - my cage cost me £80 and the smaller cage was £60. They also need lots of toys and activities to keep them stimulated since they can get bored and become destrutive. They love hanging out in hammocks and tunnels. They are also meat eaters and need the protein, there is protein in most rat feeds but they enjoy treats such as chicken, pasta or pretty much anything else we can eat as long as it isn't sugary or spicy or really fatty.
Rats are great companion pets since they aren't usually afraid and will rush to greet you at the door of your cage when you get home and climb out on your hands rather that darting into the nearest pigloo.
If you are interested in getting a rat, the best rat website I know of is called (broken link removed). They have a great forum and care guides to cover every aspect of rattie ownership!



edit - as for where to get your rats - occasionaly you can find them at rescues but I got mine from the petstore (bad I know) since they do handle the animals regularly there whereas the breeders around here do not tend to handle the offspring to socialise them, which is critical when they are younger.

they're adorable. Really like Archie

Thanks PB!