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…
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…
Rats and mice both make awesome pets. However, although they are closely related species, they offer different pet-owning experiences. Here are some things to think about in choosing which is the right pet for you. Handling and Bonding Rats are very much people pets. They often develop strong bonds with their owners, and actively want…
When it comes to answering this question, I’m obviously a bit biased. After all I wouldn’t own over 20 of the small furry noses if I didn’t think that rats were good pets. There are lots of proper reasons why rats are good pets, beyond the fact that I love them. Here are 10. Why…
When researching having rats as pets, you’ll probably come across a lot of different terms for the different rat varieties – dumbo, standard, hooded, agouti, rex etc. But what do they all mean? Species (Breed) vs Variety Fancy rats all belong to one species – Rattus norvegicus, also known as the “brown rat”. They have…
Rats aren’t just adorable and engaging pets. They are also genuinely amazing creatures and the more we know about them, the better we can look after them. Here are 10 facts about pet rats I’ve learnt in 20 years of rat care. 1. Rats Can Get Lonely and Depressed Many people think mental illnesses and…
Are you wondering if your rat can happily live alone? Let me tell you a story about R, a boy in the current Horde. His previous owner bought him from a pet shop as one of a “female” pair. Unfortunately, no one noticed that he possessed unusually testicle-like testicles for a girl until babies appeared….
You’ve decided that rats are the right pets for you, and you’ve got everything set up to make them a great home. Now comes one of the trickiest decisions in a pet owner’s career – choosing the right names! I’ve named over 70 rats in my time, ranging through flowers, sweets, characters from children’s books…