facts about rats as pets

Here are some interesting facts about rats that you may not be aware of! Fact #2: Rats love to be petted in certain spots. This doesn’t apply to your average pet rat, but African giant pouched rats are used to help sniff out landmines. The grinding keeps their tiny choppers at the proper length. So we wouldn’t recommend forcing your rat to take a dip, but some rats are known to love water and be really strong swimmers. This one can grow up to four feet long and weigh in at over 140 pounds. Rat Facts #1: Kids love pet rats even more than dogs, cats, or any other pet. They’re voracious readers – or at least you can set them up to look like it, and they’ll play along. If there’s something them can grip on to, they’ll probably climb in. Here are some interesting facts about rats that you may not be aware of! Discover more about these intelligent creatures in our fab facts about rats… Year of the Rat! It's always best to interact with your rat when you're in a good mood and feeling calm. It won’t cost you a penny more, but it will help keep our furry buddies in toys and treats. Which is a good thing. Check out the following 10 facts about rats. The babies are trying to get at the other's nape -- that's the object of the game. A rat’s front teeth are always growing, so they need things to chew on (otherwise it could cause a lot of painful problems for them). Probably not a good idea to give your ratto a credit card, though. Globally, London and Paris also have a well-documented problem with rats. Best to keep the same gender together though to avoid any unplanned baby rats! .admin-menu { display:none } Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Look to see if they keep them in appropriate and clean housing with a good diet and handle them regularly. Also, look for stores that house males and females separately to avoid a surprise litter. Unless you have one as a pet, the rat probably isn’t your favorite animal. Sometimes rats will regurgitate partially digested food, but this is different from vomiting as it passive and doesn’t require forceful abdominal contractions. You might not want to click this one if you’re squeamish. Your pet's medical protocol should be given by your holistic veterinarian. Cedar and pine are soft woods, and the shavings contain phenols which are toxic to rats. It’s science, yo. Dogs may be man’s best friend, but rats nail it for kiddos. It’s all about your little buddy’s tiny pink tongue.). This is play fighting, and it starts at around 18 to 20 days of age. They’re squishy, soft, and have extremely boopable snoots. Veterinary Clinics Of North America: Exotic Animal Practice, vol 16, no. Don’t be surprised if your pet rats have a blast scaling furniture and racing up your arm in order to perch on your shoulder either. His owner takes him everywhere when he’s out and about… except for restaurants. #menu:hover .admin-menu { display: block; } Rats grind their teeth when they are feeling content. background-image: url(//media.mercola.com/Themes/mercolaArticle/images/badge-expert-user.png); Here are 10 things you need to know before owning rats. They hate to be alone and while they do bond with their owners, they need the company of other rats to stay happy. Mice And Rats As Pets - Exotic And Laboratory Animals. Your rat probably likes having the top of his head stroked and gently scratched. Fact #5: Rats grind their teeth. Thanks to their body shape, rats are able to fit through the tiniest holes and gaps. So some people might consider wild rats to be a bit of a pest, but domestic rats can make really great pets. Finally, rats don’t have the necessary neural connections within the brain stem and between the brain stem and viscera required to coordinate the many muscles involved in vomiting. How Fast Can A Rat Run? height: 15px; Pet Rat Facts . As a rule, males are larger, somewhat lazier than females, and have a coarser coat. The Karni Devi in India, for instance, has thousands of wild rats. Like dogs, rats can learn to respond to their name and perform tricks. It’s not your average fancy rat, for sure, but it might be fun to adopt one like this. How Frequently Should I Clean My Rat Cage? This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. For how misunderstood they are, rats as pets make amazing companions for a lot of different types of people and living situations. Rats are very clever and have super good memories. Although a rat might seem happy on their own, singular rats usually live shorter lives, are sick more often, appear depressed, or might begin chewing its own fur or skin due to boredom and loneliness. On the opposite end of the spectrum, also avoid those that are overly quiet and calm as they may be ill. Quite often, a good choice is a rat that is curious enough to approach you. Domestic rats are affectionate, clean, sensitive and easy to train. Brown and house rats have made a number of mammal, bird and reptile species extinct, especially on oceanic islands, according … We’re letting you know because it’s the ratto way. When you tell somebody you have a pet rat, their reaction is typically a lot more muted than when you bring up your puppy or kitten. You won't have to worry about creating a bond with your pet, even if you have several of them. They are considerably clean animals, grooming themselves more often than most house cats. Best of all, your ratties will love whatever you do and show you all kinds of appreciation for their new digs. They are also quite a bit more active. Rats have been used throughout history as food for people and pets, religious icons, laboratory animals, pets, mine detectors, animals used in sports (such as the now illegal practices of rat baiting with dogs,) and some have even been trained to drag wires through … Rats REALLY like to eat… and they’re not one bit shy about it. If your knowledge of rats extends about as far as Pizza Rat — the viral rodent who carried a slice of pizza down a flight of subway stairs — that’s about to change. Fancy rats can make an incredible pet, but they’re still wildly misunderstood. So some people might consider wild rats to be a bit of a pest, but domestic rats can make really great pets. There are some types that can swim over a mile at once! Every £1 donated will help us ensure pets get the life-saving treatment they need. You’ll see. But then again, it’s pretty darned cute.