Keeping rats

My two main worries about getting rats (which I've toyed with the idea of for years) are 1) I'm a giant softie and they don't live very long. 3 years is it? 2) I'd fear letting them run free in a room, with the number of cables I have around, either for them causing damage, or worse, electrocuting themselves.

Am I worrying needlessly and should I go get some rats?
 
Makhaira said:
My two main worries about getting rats (which I've toyed with the idea of for years) are 1) I'm a giant softie and they don't live very long. 3 years is it? 2) I'd fear letting them run free in a room, with the number of cables I have around, either for them causing damage, or worse, electrocuting themselves.

Am I worrying needlessly and should I go get some rats?
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My rats roam around in my room, with cables around, and even though I keep an eye on them just in case, they don't seem to have much interest in the cables. When I first got them and let them out, they'd have a little sniff, but they've never chewed any cables. I think that probably depends on the rats though, and mine were adults when I got them, so I don't know if that made any difference..

It is hard when they pass away- my two both have cysts right now which I'll probably get removed before they get any bigger- it's risky but I really don't want it to be how it was with one of my little mice- she got a tumour that grew to the size of half her body, and it was heartbreaking to see her drag it around (considered getting her put down but she seemed happy enough, and healthy otherwise, still very much full of life so I didn't)
I'm a bit of a softie too, and it is really upsetting, but death is a part of life, and it's just something you accept- I wouldn't let it stop me from having 3 years with them =)
 
I had two males. One was a bit of a bully and quite viciously attacked the other, had to keep them seperately after that. Don't know if that's a male rat thing or just the temperament of that particular rat. I'd go for females if I was to get any more.
They are a bit smelly too, started off with them in the lounge and ended up with them in my utility room.

My "nice" one ended up having a stroke at the age of about 4 and kept walking round in circles, falling on his side, so we had him put to sleep which was a bit devastating - RIP Fred!
 
Makhaira said:
My two main worries about getting rats (which I've toyed with the idea of for years) are 1) I'm a giant softie and they don't live very long. 3 years is it? 2) I'd fear letting them run free in a room, with the number of cables I have around, either for them causing damage, or worse, electrocuting themselves.

Am I worrying needlessly and should I go get some rats?
Click to expand...

It is difficult when they die but a couple of years with a rat can feel like a long time. One of our rats died recently at 2 1/2 and the other has developed the same condition that took his brother so likely only has a couple of months left :(.

You'd really need to rat-proof any rooms that you let them run free in - hide cables and block any small gaps under sofas etc.
 
Thanks for the reply Vixen. I'm really keen on treating pets well, so I wouldn't want to get anything that I couldn't let explore for both interest and exercise.

Unless I was to build the greatest cage ratkind has ever seen of course...
 
I kept rats for years, fantastic pets indeed.
Personally I always favoured males over females, I found them a lot more affectionate and a lot easier to train, the females were always scatty and a bit mental!

They do tend to get pretty sick near the end of their lives, which I always found really difficult and is one of the reasons that I dont keep them anymore, also worth noting that tumours are pretty common in females, infact I think I've only ever had one female that didn't develop a tumour at one time or another!
 
can i suggest you get one of THESE

rat.jpg
 
I kept rats for years and years until I eventually tired of the emotional issues of them dying and requiring operations to remove tumours.

Aside from this they really are fantastic pets, far better tham Hamsters and Gerbils etc. They actually form a bond with you and are more your 'friend' than any other rodent. They are intelligent, clean, active and interesting.

Males tend to be more docile and bigger than females - I always kept females.
 
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