I want to get pet rats, but I don’t know if I’m responsible enough.

[Imaginary]

I had a hamster when I was younger (say 7-12), and although I did love her I wasn’t a very good owner. I was depressed and kept thinking that the hamster was talking about me behind my back. She was bought from a pet store that I now realize wasn’t very kind to the animals so that may have been her reason for mistrusting me (she used to bite everyone a lot, ever since I first got her. In fact I picked her out because in her little cage she was distant to the other’s and I related). I feel very bad about that, and I am tormented with guilt every time I think about her. My parents looked after her mostly because of the aforementioned paranoia/depression, and I did take her outside a lot, so I think overall she had a good life (she lived 5 years, when the life expectancy was only 3).

Our family has two dogs that I love very much, but unfortunately I am agoraphobic so I can’t take them out for walks (my parents do).

I’ve found a good rattery in my area with very high standards regarding the wellfare of the rats, so that might be a good place to adopt them (I’ve read that you should get at least two).

I read something about getting a cage and stuff and just buying a toy rat to take care of until you feel you are ready. Do you think that would be a good idea? I really need a friend, and I think even a pretend one would be good for me.

Thanks for your help.

[Alrex]

Now that you are older, and if you have time then rats are pretty easy to take care of.

I work too much to have animal, and when I'm not working I'm out of the house.

I'm only in my place to sleep.

Rats are cute!!

[Imaginary]

Thank you. I don't work or go to school (I'm a shut in basically) so I have a lot of time.

[ALLorNOTHINGforCHRIST]

Only you can say when you are ready, If you can put the time into it and are willing to though that is how you know. However, maybe you are not ready if you have to asks. Not trying to be rude, but if you are not sure then there is a good chance you are not ready.

[PlayingPretend]

I have three rats and am potentially adding a fourth this winter. They're lovely animals, and definitely make for great companionship. They're as smart as dogs and cleaner than cats, and they're a lot like dogs bundled into tiny packages. So if you feel you'd be responsible, and are willing to take on the care of an animal that could potentially live 5-6 years, despite the lifespan being 3, then I think it'd be a great idea.

If you're ever unable to care for the rats, however, I would recommend contacting the rattery you brought them from. Many reputable ratteries will take any of their rats back if the adoptee is able to care for them any longer, and they won't hold it against you. They'll want what's best for the rat, as well. The reason I say this is because rats can quickly wither under neglect, and if you sell them somewhere like Craigslist, they may end up being snake food, so it's definitely a good idea to have a plan in case you need to re-home the rats for whatever reason. Even I have one, and I don't expect to ever be in that predicament.

But even though you said you've done your research, and I commend you for doing so, I wanted to quote something I wrote on someone else's thread that I copied from another forum. Someone on that forum had asked for some information regarding rats and I feel it's helpful information. I'll also be starting up a blog once I get the layout up, if you'd ever be interested, but in the meantime, I'll copy paste what I wrote for someone else.

Cages

I wouldn't recommend an aquarium. For one, rats like levels; they're active little buggers and will appreciate the extra room and added stimulation. :P For another, and here's where your personal benefit comes in, the smell. Though rats are very clean animals, they do have an odour, and this odour is going to get trapped in a cage where there's very little ventilation, such as in an aquarium. You will need to clean the cage much more frequently to prevent the odour from getting out-of-hand.

I would recommend going with a Martin's cage, as if you're going with two or three rats (you'll want at least two), you can probably get a good Martin's for the same price as an aquarium. I wouldn't go smaller than a r680 or r685 for two or smaller than a r695 for three. I'd recommend staying away from the r690 simply because the ramps are steep and can become a problem for older rats later in life, and definitely go powder-coated. Yes, it's extra, but it helps prevent urine from rusting the bars, which will, again, prevent an unpleasant odour.

Here are some cage calculators you can use to help you determine the size of cage you would need and for how many rats:
Click
Click
Click

I personally prefer the top two, where you're able to actually enter in the dimensions.

Males or Females

On average, male rats tend to be more mild-mannered and lazy whilst female rats tend to be more active.

I currently have both - twin girls, and a neutered male. Though I'm still working with my new boy, there is a clear personality difference in the sense that my girls are up and active a majority of the time whilst Leo prefers to curl up and sleep. This might, however, be because he's currently living alone.

On the contrary, when they're out of their cage, it's Leo and London who tend to be bold explorers. Paris, on the other hand, is very, very cuddly and prefers to sit in my lap, on my shoulder or in my hair whilst I'm doing whatever. So it really is dependent on the rat him/herself, though I also believe that it's reliant on how much time you're able to dedicate to each rat. All of my rats have been or are on their way to being completely rehabilitated from what they were.

As someone pointed out, however, you'll either want to get male rats who have been brought up together or females, simply because males do have the tendency to fight. Even if they've been raised together, they will still occasionally turn and become territorial, in which case neutering is your best option. However, neutering can get to be expensive. Here, it's around 200.00 per rat.

How many rats should I get?

You need at least two. Even if you had all day to devote to your critters, nothing beats the company of another rat. There is the rare exception, which might be the case with my Leo, who was brought up alone for many months of his life after he was bullied by other rats when younger. HOWEVER, unless it is clearly stated in the rat's description, such as through a rescue, that the rat needs to live alone, then you should have at least two. And even with Leo, I'm working on his socialability with other rats.

Is there anything major I should be aware of about rats?

One thing I would recommend is to not go through a pet store. There are several cons to this, one of which being that the conditions they're kept in are deplorable, and poor conditions can lead to a variety of health problems. They're often kept on improper bedding, bedding that commonly causes respiratory problems in rats (which would require a vet visit and antibiotics), and fed an unhealthy diet. Many times, pet stores do not properly separate their animals or do not separate their animals in time, which can lead to you bringing home a pregnant female (on average, they deliver litters of 18 or so). Most pet store rats also lack proper socialisation and handling, which can lead to problems with temperament, biting, etc.

I would personally recommend going through a breeder or through a rescue, neither of which should be very expensive. Sure, it'll be around 20.00 to 30.00 more than the 10.00 they'd charge you at a pet store, but you're going to be bringing home a happier, healthier pet with a sound temperament and that's unlikely to be pregnant, have as many health problems, etc. Google rat breeders and rescues in your area. Check out Petfinder if you haven't already. And don't be shy to e-mail a local or even a state breeder with any questions. Any good breeder should be willing to help inform a new rat owner, whether or not you decide to go through their breeding program or not.

Rats also need a very specific bedding and a very specific diet. Carefresh and Yesterday's News are popular bedding choices for rats, because they won't irritate the respiratory system and are also very absorbent. Carefresh can occasionally be too dusty for some rats, but none of my three have ever had a problem with it. Also, Yesterday's News is made from recycled newspaper but it is specially formulated. Do not use regular newspaper, shredded or otherwise, as the ink is toxic. Also, stay away from pine and cedar beddings, as even though these are commonly sold in pet stores, they will cause problems to your rat's health (respiratory infections).

As far as diet goes, I mix Suebee's Rat Diet every 2 to 4 weeks. The ingredients I purchase last me about a month or a little bit over. I also mix in Harlan Teklad lab blocks, which are crucial to a healthy diet. I choose to stay away from all pet store diets and mix my own food/order HT when necessary.

Helpful Websites

http://www.ratsrule.com/
http://www.dapper.com.au/
http://www.afrma.org/

I re-did the links so they should work for you. Best of luck!

[rac146]

Rats are great pets and friends, good choice!

If your not sure about your responsibilty level, do more reasearch so you know what your getting yourself into. my favorite website is goosemoose pet portal - rat forum.

Here is my checklist:
Are you willing:
to provide playtime outside of cage for at least an hour a day?
provide vet care if your rats get sick?
get more than one rat?
clean cage at least every 5-7 days? (some cages need it more often)
Provide good and nutrious food? (not all pet store food is sutable)
Provide sutable housing and toys? (rats are very playful)
Provide the about care for a rats lifetime? (2-3 years on average, sometimes more)

There are more than that, thats just what i can up with off the top of my head. im sure there are more you and other rat people could think of as well. The vet care is really the biggest thing. Of all my small pets, my rats need the most vet care. Sometimes they even need surgery. Also, the genders have personality differences, the females being more active than males, so be sure to pick the gender that best fits you.

I've owned rats for 6 years, and other small pets such as hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, and mice over the last 10 or so feel free to PM me any more questions.

Good luck!!!!