# why dont domesticated rats make good pets?



## botany411 (Dec 8, 2005)

1.they're calm, friendly, and intelligent
2.can be litter trained
3.they dont make a cage smelly like mice, or kick there shavings around like girbils, and they dont slither out of your hands like a hampster.

does anyone here have any rats as pets?

does anyone here think im crazy? (i know some people who do)


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

this site likes them
http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Animal, Rat I.htm


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## botany411 (Dec 8, 2005)

thanks for the website.

but please remeber to answer the questions


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

i dont know who told you they dont make good pets, rats make amazing pets, they are some of the smartest rodents you can buy. and with some time become very affectionate with their owner. i think the main reason they get alot of bad press, is many people blame them for most of the worlds worst diseases.


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## botany411 (Dec 8, 2005)

the people wodnt give me any reasones. they just said that im crazy. the people should just admitt who they are. just give me a reason why rats dont make good pets besides the fact that they have low metabolism and could get sick kinda easily (if thats true though)


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## botany411 (Dec 8, 2005)

the people wouldnt give me any reasones. they just said that im crazy. the people should just admitt who they are. just give me a reason why rats dont make good pets besides the fact that they have low metabolism and could get sick kinda easily (if thats true though)


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

what people? what are you talking about?


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2006)

leveldrummer said:


> what people? what are you talking about?



I think he's CRAZY!


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

At one point we had over a dozen Rats as pets. We are now down to four. 
They are extreamly gentle. Our gunnie pig gets nippy where the rats even play with the dog. 

The part about them getting ill can be due to the type of bedding people use in their cages. There is also medicines that can be purtchased for them to help them when the get the sneezes. This can become deadly to them very quickly. 
Another big health issue is tumors. We have has a couple get tumors and the vets here charge about $90 to remove one. The tumors can grow very large very quick.

But like I said I love them. They are very friendly and playful. They understand things and as already mentioned they will let you know when they have to go back to their house to go potty. Very similar to a small dog.


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## Daniel (Feb 17, 2006)

we had a female she would come when you called her and would sit watching tv and being stroked, nearest I got to being bitten was when I held out a treat and as soon as the rat realised it let go. Willow also loved pear-normally slow and looking round smell of pear and my could she move


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## ron v (Feb 24, 2005)

lotsoffish said:


> I think he's CRAZY!


I'm with you. I think he's looking to pick a fight with someone....anyone. LOL


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

rats are cute
rats are sweet
rats have tiny pink hands and feet.

One of the mods on another board has that as her signature.

I used to raise rats & mice in huge quantity for various purposes like pets, research, and snake food. Half my backyard was a big rattery.

I love 'em. They are massively inbred and very prone to getting tumors and respiratory infections, but if you get them young and play with them a lot, they become very tame once they figure out that you are their friend and not a threat. Rats are already very social creatures, and it's easy for them to adapt their social circles to include their human(s).

The lady at my lfs has a few running around loose in the store, and they actually come when she calls them!!! I've seen it! She calls them a few times, and they come running from wherever they are at the time, and then she gives them a little treat. Smart little buggers, alright.


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## Jolly Mon (Mar 6, 2006)

And ofcourse, there is the movie "Ben". I am tearing up just thinking about it


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

Holy moley it's fishdoc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I aint got no problem with admiting saying he was crazy, asking me all these questions about rats in the chat room. #1 sure i think their cuddly 2# im in a fish chat room, i dont really care to talk about rats, and when u feel like playing 20 questions with me on rats, im gonna tell you to take a hike!

If you want rats go to a rat forum, don't need to keep bugging me in chat room about them.


Sorry you guys, this guy was nothing but a pain in the arse in the chat room last night, so i know what he's trying to get at.


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## manda (Feb 9, 2006)

rats are great pets. i also bred and raise them for seven years now until recently.
they are usually sick when you get them from a petstore, and you need at least two... and they technically need 1 hour out of cage playtime daily, and they need a good amount of cage space. thats what makes them "not so good" pets.
if you can provide the space and vet care they are totally great pets! i have had soo many pets, and rats are by far the best. i personally would rather have rats than any other pet.
speaking of rat forums
www.ratsrule.com
www.ratpalace.com
those are great forums for rats


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## AshleytheGreat (Jul 24, 2005)

I dont like rats as pets. My cousin had one and 1) it smelled so bad 2) it wasnt soft to touch more eww 3) whenever i stayed the night the stupid thing kept me up all night


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## Guest (Mar 8, 2006)

MalawianPro said:


> Holy moley it's fishdoc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> 
> I aint got no problem with admiting saying he was crazy, asking me all these questions about rats in the chat room. #1 sure i think their cuddly 2# im in a fish chat room, i dont really care to talk about rats, and when u feel like playing 20 questions with me on rats, im gonna tell you to take a hike!
> ...


Well whats your opinion on fainting goats?


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## botany411 (Dec 8, 2005)

MalawianPro said:


> Sorry you guys, this guy was nothing but a pain in the arse in the chat room last night, so i know what he's trying to get at.


sorry bout that, somethimes i get hyper. but for the last time,

I AM NOT A BOY!!!

and thanks for the websites manda


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

lotsoffish said:


> Well whats your opinion on fainting goats?


 

:lol: :lol:


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## Dana and Jay (Dec 27, 2005)

I used to feed rats to my 5 foot Brazillian Rainbow Boa, sometimes 2 at a time Any of you ever seen a rat right before he meets his demise? Not so cute-n-cuddly I'll tell ya


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

leveldrummer said:


> i think the main reason they get alot of bad press, is many people blame them for most of the worlds worst diseases.


Does the black death ring a bell? When you help transfer diseased fleas that destroys most of Europe's population sometimes being smart and fuzzy can't even help you


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## botany411 (Dec 8, 2005)

wild rats cant help it if they get fleas.


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

fishboy said:


> Does the black death ring a bell? When you help transfer diseased fleas that destroys most of Europe's population sometimes being smart and fuzzy can't even help you


just for your information, i dont think thats ever been proven, its just what everyone gives it too. science wasnt quite the same back then.


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## leveldrummer (May 27, 2005)

lotsoffish said:


> Well whats your opinion on fainting goats?


AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAH


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

to each their own..


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## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

I loved my rats..... When I was in the USAF, we were limited on pets we could keep in the dorms. So, I had two rats and oddly, a ball python. My rats were like puppies... They rode in my pockets, they stole my popcorn, they knew their way around my room (and my subsequent apartment). I always recommend them to people considering a small pet. Sadly, they don't live very long.....


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## manda (Feb 9, 2006)

the wild rats that cause plague are not where near the same rats we keep as pets.
we keep norwayan rats
black rats caused the plague. there socail structures, living conditions, health.... all of that is totally diffrent. so whoever just said "does black plauge ring a bell" was compleatly irrelevant.
and if you clean rats cages they have no smell. you dont clean then in a while of course they will stink!


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

"if you clean rats cages they have no smell. you dont clean then in a while of course they will stink!"

Kind of like fishtanks. LOL 

Actually you put anything in a small living space and never clean it and it will smell. Believe me some houses my dad use to rent out were terrible when the people moved out.


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## msdolittle (Mar 4, 2006)

fish_doc said:


> "if you clean rats cages they have no smell. you dont clean then in a while of course they will stink!"
> 
> Kind of like fishtanks. LOL
> 
> Actually you put anything in a small living space and never clean it and it will smell. Believe me some houses my dad use to rent out were terrible when the people moved out.


And PEOPLE are the stinkiest animals out there!


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## 4seasons (Mar 13, 2006)

I'm botanys friend and i dont think shes crazy. i agree with her about rats even though they need lots of care and SO much reasurch.


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

Hi Welcome to the forum, stop by the introduction thread and introduce yourself and be sure to check out the rest of the forum! Welcome


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## botany411 (Dec 8, 2005)

TheOldSalt said:


> The lady at my lfs has a few running around loose in the store, and they actually come when she calls them!!! I've seen it! She calls them a few times, and they come running from wherever they are at the time, and then she gives them a little treat. Smart little buggers, alright.


your friend is luky. i read somewere that its rare for rats to come every time they're called.

allright! you finally signed up AR! but im suprised. i figured that you would be the first one to say im crazy (among my school friends)(besides NS)


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## manda (Feb 9, 2006)

i have had rats forever, most came when called!


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## Cliffizme2 (Oct 15, 2005)

I work at Petco and I recommend rats to people before I will recommend a hamster to them, hamsters are the devil and bite people up there daily while I have never heard of a rat biting someone at my work in the year I've been there.


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