Does anyone have rats?

You said that your rats are very loving, except you have four girls, and most people say that girl rats aren't anywhere near as loving as cuddly as boys.

Is this not true in your case?

 

Goregous pics. Made me very broody. I kept rats from 1988 till January this year when my last rat died suddenly just before I was able to arrange some new friends for her. As we were moving we decided to wait and the waiting has gone on a bit longer than planned.

I've always had girl rats and they were very loving but on their terms. They would rush to my lap or shoulder or whatever they could reach, have a quick snuffle and scritch and then buzz off to investigate something else, only to return a moment later. But if I tried to hold onto them they would squirm. I actually liked that. I enjoyed the entertainment and mischief they would get up to and when I ratsat some male rats for a friend I found them rather boring in the way they just sat.

Definitely a better pet than hamsters to my mind but do be prepared to have at least two. They aren't anywhere near as happy on their own.

 

I really do think boys must be the ones for me then - I love animals that will have a cuddle!

I also think I'd constantly have to keep one eye on the girls to make sure they weren't chewing any cables or anything equally valuable! They do sound like quite a bit of effort - albeit very entertaining I'm sure

And undoubtabely they are much better pets than hamsters. Hamsters are pretty boring imo, and I don't think they ever actually know who their owners are.

And I know that rats should always be kept in at least pairs. It's downright cruel to keep them on their own.

 

i kept rats for quite a few years personally i prefered the girls soft,inquisitive,loving and never happier than when out in the garden with me "lily treadlightly " always sat on top of my head and "whispersoft"liked to sit on my shoulder,they always came to there name and would play fetch,whereas the boys lived by there stomachs and were rough to touch and never happier than wqhen eating and peeing

 

You took them out in the garden? Were they enclosed? If not, how come they didn't ever run away or get lost?!

 

no sat on my head and shoulder ,if they did go down for a play they came to there names when i wanted them

 

Really? That's amazing! I knew they were intelligent but I still thought if left to roam free they would just wander off and get lost. Did you have to keep an eye on them constantly or could you just let them play?

 

I had rats too when I was a teenager... igor was a hooded male with amazing red eyes. I used to let him run round the lawn quite often

Great pets. I used to love the way when he was in my hand he'd wrap his amazing tail round my wrist.

Kate

 

We've got two males that I got for my six year old daughter. They've been a great success as much easier for her to handle than something smaller. I got them free on preloved with their cage. They had belonged to a boy who had lost interest. It was great as they were already well handled and very tame.
One of them is a bit fat and dozy. He will cuddle for ages and likes to just sleep and eat. The other is an escape artist and is very active so I think even with males you get different personalities.
I got loads of information from the fancy rats forum. They are very helpful with lots of good advice.

 

i had 2 (edward and tubbs) both male i later discovered and named after the couple that ran the local shop for local people in royston vasey. tubbs (the albino-ish one) escaped for a week or so and made a nest under the stairs for a week or so, i thought id lost him! the ones that i had were very dependent on humans for direct feeding and responded to a whistle once the cage door was opened. i never fed them meat from day 1, just kitchen scraps. they both lived to about 2 years old. they used to scurry accross the floor, up the arm of the sofa, find the gap between the buttons in my shirt and curl up.

NEVER FORGET that rats (even semi domsticated) are nocturnal.

 

indeed it does. one hell of a great series!