Rats are naturally friendly and curious animals and, handled regularly from a few days old, usually have no problems bonding with their owners. That’s why I recommend adopting baby rats from a reputable breeder or a well-cared for rescue litter. However, rats bred commercially en masse don’t receive this handling and can experience several stressful…
Rats are adorable creatures, so it isn’t surprising that many owners wonder about breeding their pets. Some people want to make “more” of a loved animal, while others wonder if it could be a side-income. However, breeding rats well, in a way that is healthy for the animals, is not as simple as putting a…
Once you’ve decided that pet rats are the right choice for you, and researched and prepared their cage, food and toys, there is one last step on the road to becoming a rat owner – adopting the rats themselves. Superficially, it sounds simple. Find somewhere that sells rats, pop out and buy a couple, right?…
Today, we’re going to look at the sadder side of pet rat ownership – figuring out when they are sick. Unfortunately, one of the downsides to keeping pet rats is that they are prone to illness. Another is that their lifespans are quite short – generally only two to three years. That means knowing the…
Rats make fantastic pets for all sorts of reasons – not least that they are adorable, smart, and love interacting with people. However, there is one potential downside that puts some owners off – while rats have massive personalities to fall in love with, they don’t live very long compared to animals like dogs or…
Obviously, I love having pet rats. Otherwise I wouldn’t currently have *cough* 25 *cough* of them in my house (in my defence, one of them is only here on holiday). However, although rats are totally awesome in every way, they aren’t the best pet for everyone. So, today I’m going to try and take you…
One of the first things prospective rat owners want to know is “do rats smell?”. After all, these are animals that have an (undeserved) reputation for being dirty, vermin, or living in sewers. If you’re asking that question then fear not – I have good news. Not only are rats not particularly smelly animals, there…
It’s generally agreed by scientists and rat owners alike that rats are pretty smart. But what do we actually mean when we say that? Are we talking about human-style intelligence with memory and forethought, or highly developed instincts? Let’s have a look at just how smart rats are. Do rats remember? Can rats remember? I’m…
Branches and wooden toys are a brilliant way to enrich the in-cage life of rats and mice. They’re great for encouraging climbing and clambering around, and offer a really nice range of smells and textures to interact with. They are also good for nibbling and gnawing – and there are few things rats and mice…