Pet Rats

Your Online Guide to Buying and Caring For Pet Rats

While history seems to have given them a bad reputation, rats are actually an excellent variety of companion pet. Highly intelligent and quite clean, they groom themselves regularly (much like a cat), prefer to soil in one place, and enjoy simple toys such as tissue boxes, cardboard tubes and wood chews to gnaw upon. With patience, rats can even be trained to use a litter box and taught various tricks.

Unlike many other “pocket pets,” such as mice, hamsters, or gerbils, rats enjoy interacting with humans. Rat fanciers claim that they will eagerly pop their heads up at an unusual noise, and will quite often cling to the sides of their cages and reach out until you give them attention. Rats enjoy snuggling, playing, and studies have actually proven that rats can giggle when they’re happy! Additionally, rats make wonderful apartment pets because they are small, they do not require walking, they don’t need yearly vaccinations, and you definitely won’t hear the neighbors complaining because your rat kept them up all night, barking at the moon.

The first step in keeping your pet happy and healthy is to know how to take care of him properly, and rats are no exception. Interested in adopting a rat as the new family pet? Follow these helpful hints for not only caring for your pet rat, but also for choosing the ideal individual: