Rats make great pets. They are adorable, affectionate, and intelligent. They are the perfect pet for anyone (anyone who is willing to overlook the many false sterotypes about them). They can be trained, amazingly enough, to do most things other pets can do. You can train them to come when you call, you can “litter box” train them (using their cage or small containers for a litter box), and they learn to recognize you. In fact, once you gain their trust, they can become adorably attached to you, and may run and cling to you in strange (apparently dangerous) situations. I have had rats that slept with me. Most rats are extremely friendly, being social animals. Just be sure you handle and interact with any rat you want to buy before you buy it. Like people, some rats have issues or personalities that cannot be won over.

Rats are cheap to buy and maintain. The largest expense is providing living quarters that provide ample space, safety, comfort, and interest. However, even these start up costs are low relative to other pets. They are also relatively low maintenance. They are odorless, and if you keep their cage clean, so is it. If you make sure and rat proof your house and keep an eye on them, they can be allowed to run around while you're home. They will often climb up into your lap or onto your shoulder to see what you're up to. The less head-strong and independent ones will often sit down to get some pets and end up falling asleep in your lap. Even the head-strong ones will give in to it every once in a while. Every rat has its own personality, its own faults, its own quirks, and its own strong points. They come in all colors. Chances are, if you have an open mind and the responsibility to take care of a pet, there is a rat out there for you. It is a common misconception that domestic rats are the same thing as wild or sewer rats. Wild rats in the U.S. are most commonly Ratus Norwegicus, whereas domestic rats are Ratus Ratus. People who keep rats didn't just pick them up off the street. The rats people keep as pets are from blood lines that have been domesticated. And no, domestic rats do not carry the plague. You are not at risk of getting sick from handling or keeping them. They are probably more clean than most people. Watch a rat for 10 minutes and I guarantee you'll see it clean itself at least once.

To date, I have had 6 rats. The first was a black hooded named Mara. She was given to me by a friend who had 2 and had to get rid of one because they kept getting in bad fights. She lived about a year and never really got attached to me. She was over a year old when I got her so I wasn't surprised. She died of pneumonia, a very hard illness for rats to recover from. The second rat was an agouti named Schmickie. She was adorable. I got her as a baby, 6 weeks old. She was the friendliest rat I've ever had. She loved to give kisses, she'd always climb in your lap to take a nap and get pets, and she'd lick the heck out of your hand when you petted her. She loved people but loved to wander off and get in trouble too. I had her put down at the age of 3 years because of the debilitating tumors she had. Rats are unfortunately very prone to cancer and tumors. The third rat I had I got as a playmate for Schmickie when she was about a year old. She was a black rat named Taco. Unfortunately, they fought all the time, so I gave Taco to a friend. She died prematurely in an accident I won't go into the details of. The fourth and fifth rats were Smudge, an agouti hooded, and Spooky, an agouti. I got them at the same time as babies. Spooky died suddenly at a little over a year old of some kind of infection. She was on medicine and appeared to be over it, but then one morning she was dead. I still don't know quite what happened. Smudge at the age of a year and a half of pneumonia. The sixth rat was Boo, a Berkshire. I got her as a companion to Smudge when Spooky died. She was sad at first when Smudge died months later, but eventually warmed up to having me all to herself. I never did get another rat to keep Boo company. I got a dog while I had Boo and she was way to interested in small furry things, so I decided that I wasn't going to get any more rats as long as I have her. Of all my rats, Boo lived to be second oldest. She was almost 3 years old when she passed away. I am not sure what she died of. She had some kind of lesion on her chin that had been there for a long time and never really healed completely, despite treatment with antibiotic. There may have been some internal complications caused by the lesion that she died from. However, I think it's more likely that she just died of old age and that the effects of old age are why it never healed properly to begin with.

Archives

1/4/98: I recently got two new rats, about 2 months ago I guess it was. They were about 6 and 8 weeks old at the time. The younger one, Spooky, is an agouti like my last rat was. She is affectionate and sweet and loves people. The older one, Smudge, is a hooded rat. She is interesting in that her hood is agouti, but the markings on her back are black. I'd never seen a hooded rat like that before. In my experience the hood and stripe on their back is the same color. Anyway, she is a little aloof and mischevious - definetely the trouble-maker, but recently she has started kissing me and hanging around me a little more. : )

2/19/99: Well Spooky died suddenly and unexpectedly about 2 months ago. I waited about a week and then got another rat to keep Smudge company. She's black with a white belly and paws, a Berkshire I believe. I named her Boo. She's very slowly coming around to me. She has porked up my faster than any of my previous rats. I have to get some pics of her and the other two ratties up here someday.

4/30/99: Smudge died of pneumonia two weeks ago. I feel horrible about her suffering and I miss the sweet girl. I have not got a new companion for Boo and I don't think I am going to. My friend David's rats come over at least once a week and they play together. I added some pictures of Boo and Smudge and David's rats.

2/20/01 Boo finally died as well. She was my last rat and only the second rat I had that lived to a ripe old age of 3 years. I am glad she didn't have an early demise and I miss my rats. I am sure I will be a rat owner again some day, but for now, my attentions are concentrated on my dog and my horse.