When most people think of rats, it brings up thoughts of nasty rodents scampering through a sewer or of horror movies, in which dozens of rats attack unsuspecting people. In crime dramas, if you’re called “a rat,” that means you turned on your friend.
Indeed, rats have been given a bum rap. Domestic rats, many known as “fancy rats,” have been around for centuries, but people shy away when considering rats as pets, which is too bad. If you’re in the market for a good domesticated pet, a rat might be just the answer.
Hear us out, rats are many things. They are cute, intelligent, low-maintenance and clean freaks. Pet rats are also much cheaper to take care of than dogs or cats, and they definitely don’t leave a mess behind like these other animals do. Most of all, rats respond well to their owners, creating a unique bond that’s unlike any other relationship.
Check out these 30 reasons rats make good pets.
Rats Rarely Get Sick
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Unlike other domesticated animals, you won’t see a rat at the vet office as much as dogs or cats. That’s because rats have a natural immune system that fights against illness and disease, so they stay healthier for longer periods of time.
Still, no one is perfect, and that goes for rats. For instance, female rats often suffer from mammary tumors, which can lead to a loss of appetite with no weight gain, increased appetite with no weight gain or being lethargic, among other things. Also, you may see tumors that need to be removed. All in all, this is about as bad as it gets for rats.
Rats Are Easy to Feed
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Finding the best food to feed a rat is actually quite simple. It only needs to eat rat food that you can pick up at the pet store, such as nutritionally complete pellets, or you can even feed a rat a wide array of nutritious food for humans, such as bananas, apples and broccoli.
In fact, you can have a little fun with this. Take a pellet or a small piece of apple, and you can hold onto it through the rat’s cage. Watch as the rat approaches and quickly snags the fruit from your grip and scampers across the cage to add it to its food collection. Then, you repeat the process. No, the rat wasn’t rude to swipe that from your hand. It’s just how they roll.
They’re Actually Quite Popular
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According to the Pet Food Manufacturing Association, it estimates that there are about 100,000 pet rats in the U.K. alone and, in the U.S., about 500,000 families own a rat or mouse, based on statistics from the American Pet Products Association.
Indeed, people are starting to see the benefits of having rats as pets, including the low cost of owning a rat, and the number of owners is rising. “Mice are great, but rats are smarter. They know you, and they want to be out with you,’’ American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association founder Karen Robbins told Parade.com.
Rats Make Good Starter Pets for Kids
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As a parent, you would like to introduce your children to their first pet. But you need a pet that is small, contained in a safe place and easy to maintain. Maybe your child isn’t ready for a dog or cat. There are a lot of options, but rats are considered a good choice for a child’s first pet. Sure, there are some things a child must endure with a pet rat, mainly keeping the cage clean, but the benefits definitely outweigh that.
Children can enjoy how playful a rat can be and the tricks they can teach a rat. In addition, rats tend to be friendly, so it’s OK for kids to pick them up, hold them and even allow them to sit on their shoulders. As far as a kid’s first pet goes, a rat is a solid option.
You Can Teach Rats How to Swim
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Now, this might sound pretty far-fetched, but it’s actually a fact that rats are capable of swimming. The important thing here is that, when you’re teaching your rat how to swim, do not stress out your rat. Take things nice and easy. The key is the rat needs to get used to the water before you move on to teaching it how to swim.
At that point, your rat has developed the natural instincts to swim and tread water. So, fill up a kiddie pool with some water, and watch your rat go. Keep a close eye on your rat. If you see any signs of stress, back off a little bit. Eventually, when your rat settles, you will see your little buddy motoring in the pool.
Rats Have Their Own Temple
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If you visit a place and see dozens of rats running around, you might think there is a problem somewhere. But not in Deshnoke, India, where a Hindu temple is dedicated to rat goddess Karni Mata. Here, thousands of rats are free to scamper around the temple, and these rats are actually worshiped as the holy descendants of the goddess. Visitors are required to remove their shoes before entering the temple, and it’s actually considered lucky for a rat to run across your foot.
So, how did Karni Mata’s offspring take the form of rats? Apparently, Karni Mata made multiple attempts to plead with Yoma, the god of death, to revive a storyteller’s drowned son. Finally, Yomsa gave in with one hitch — that the boy and all of Karni Mata’s male offspring would be reincarnated as rats. And so it goes.
Rats Are Sensitive to Temperatures
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Since rats do not sweat or pant, it’s tough for them to regulate their body temperature. Rats are very sensitive to hot and cold, and new rat pet owners need to understand that. And, by all means, keep them away from direct sunlight.
Typically for a rat, the ideal temperature range is from 64 degrees to 79 degrees Fahrenheit, with a midrange for humidity between 30 and 70 percent. If temperatures reach the mid-to-upper 80s, that could cause heat exhaustion, especially if there’s more than one rat in the cage.
So, be aware of your rat if the temperature gets extreme. If it’s too cold, add some soft, warm bedding to the cage. If it’s hot, there are many solutions, so consult a veterinarian or a tutorial to get some ideas.
