Rats, anyone?

[Becky]

I just adopted two rats, Mo and Larry, and have heard many good things about the species. I was wondering, does anyone have any good rat tales out there? I've done my research on their care and all that, but I'd really like to get to know the mind behind that little whiskered face. Such as, what are some of the cutest things your rat has done? What kinds of tricks have you taught him or her? Things like that.

I look forwards to getting to know my two new little pets. I think it will be a wonderful experience.

[Little]

Hi ya! I have had the privelige of owning many a small furry critter and can honestly tell you they are the most loving and fun wee animal.
They are all so different in their personalitys some outgoing some shy. One of my wee girls who has passed away now didnt get along with her other rat friends to well and they would come up to her only to be kicked in the head by an oddly extended left back leg like a karate kick!
I dont know how she managed it but her leg would shoot out and get them in the head and they would try and get out of the way but she always got them.
One of my other wee girls would pull the shoe laces out of my shoes and carry them around with her and then take them to her rat friends and they would play tug o war!
I taught one of my boys to beg for tit bits and to wave.
Like most animals they will do anything for food and rats absolutely adore their food! So training them isnt hard and they are mostly willing to learn some more than others!

[Becky]

They are turning out to be very interesting. They both already are litter trained, and I only just got them a few days ago! (And they've had no previous litter training prior to coming into my home.)

Mo, who is a rex rat, and a big boy at that, has taken to liking to ride on my shoulder when I go out on walks with my dog, Jake. He just sits there and looks around. He seems so fascinated by the world outside. I do know that at his previous home, he was just kept in his cage all the time and only interacted with when he was fed or cleaned up after. He also loves lounging on a blanket on the couch while I watch a movie.

Larry is a hairless rat, which I've decided is a silly way to breed a rat. He's so ugly, he's cute. Especially with his bad eye. (He has a congenital defect where one eye has just been slowly shrinking away, until it is almost gone now. The vet says there's nothing to be done about it.) He gets cold easily with no fur, so he likes to find "fur" for himself by either burrowing deep into mine or my roommates' hair, or cuddling up into the folds of clothing. He's quite the talker too. If he's at all displeased with something, he starts squeaking. He's such a little baby. Oh, and he loves fresh fruit and veggies. I don't think he ever was given those before. I'll give him a bit of apple, and he'' creep out of hiding, grab the apple, then run back into his hiding place with it like someone were going to try to take away his treasure.

I'll have to post pictures sometime soon.

[Brianna]

My rat Echo Song sometimes falls asleep in kis cage or on me "belly up". It's so cute I posted some pics. He's sitting with me right now as I write this. LOL.

[EmmyLu]

I have 2 rats! And they are so crazyy...in a good way though =] To put it simple...... rats are friggen amazing and they hate water. Kind of ironic cuzz when i think of rats i think of sewers. But yeah....... they are a blast and company loves them!

[Leesa]

The best unique thing a ratty does is when they are happy they will brux (grind their teeth together). When they are really happy, they brux really hard, which makes their eyes bug in and out really fast. We call that a boggle. It freaks people out the first time they see it.

Like purring, though, ratties can brux when they are anxious. After you get to know you rats, you'll know which kind of bruxing they are doing.

The pictures of Echo Song sleeping belly up are adorable and funny!

[Leesa]

One more thing to get used to with rats: they have terrible eyesight. As a result, they use their teeth a LOT. Your rat might nibble on your skin. This is not biting! They may even get grabby with food and catch you with their teeth! This is also not really a biting issue. Rats are so smart that they figure out very fast when they've been too grabby and will usually be gentler after that. My rats nibble/groom me all the time and I love it. They get grabby because they are what I call "optimistic opportunists." Everything come at them has the potential to be a tasty treat (or a threat) so they grab/bite first and apologize later.

[AJ]

rats enjoy having their belly rubbed lol and behind their ears :)

[pistons58]

I don't know if all rats do this but I had one that unbeknownst to me was taught to make kissy face. I'd always give them a kiss when I came home and would always say "Kiss Kiss". Well over time if she wa sin her little igloo and I leaned over the cage and said kiss-kiss - she'd run out and stand up for her kiss. I was amazed.

A lot of people tell you a rat loves to perch on your shoulder.....well mine, not so much. I'd try it on occassion while at the computer and with no cats around and off they went. On the table, the keyboard....anywhere but my shoulder.

I also have cats so I tried to get all involved aware of each other. When a couple of my rats were running around on my bed, a cat would jump up there. I have one cat that is just a lover and one time the rat ran up to him (he was asleep) and poor Chico (rat) didn't get a response....so he nudged his way under the cats paw and laid there. I didn't have my phone on me so I didn't have a pic but it is in my mind and was one of the sweetest moments.

Rats are amazing

[Vonnie]

my rats sit on my shoulders and crawel down my shirt. the best part about rats on shoulders, they're better than birds and won't poop or pee on you like birds.

[pistons58]

3 yrs ago I took in rats for pets. I started with 4 but learned (sadly) that if they can get their head thru a cage - they can get their body thru it. Eventually I ended up with 23 rats...lol
They are so amazing - most knew their names.....I'd stand by the cage and say "Kiss Kiss" and they would run to the cage and give me kisses. Mine were not fond of shoulders - I tried it with a few while at my computer - not having it.
I have 3 now and they are old and lazy....lol. My original was a fancy rat (hooded) and the other girl was hairless....they are so ugly they are cute.
I don't know what else to say - other than enjoy - they are awesome pets and so sweet.

[Tracy Ann]

hmmm well the cutest thing stinker and willow has done is when big daddy would put a treat in his frount pocket and they would both limb in and fall asleep in his shirt poket :) and a few tricks i have taught them is.... well i potty trained them , taught them to climb, taught them to go to the top of there cage, things like that :) rats are awesome :)

[Erika T.]

It really is such a wonderful experience. A few months ago, I came across this girl who was trying to rehome her rat before she brought her to a shelter, because she was willing to admit she didn't ever have time to give her the attention she needed. She said Maddi was just being ignored, and that's no way to live. I give this girl alot of credit for wanting to do whats best in a situation like this, because rats do need alot of attention.

When we first brought her home, she was so scared and skittish. It took me almost 2 months to get her to be used to human contact, because she had been ignored her whole life before that. Now, she never wants to be in her cage. When I put her back in at night to go to bed, she runs back and fourst on the bottom level of the cage grunting at me cause she wants to come back out. It's quite funny. She has such a damanding personality, where as my other rats are very chill and relaxed...there's not a whole lot that bothers them. I've never heard a rat make the noise Maddi makes when I put her in her cage-it's hysterical!

Maddi is the funniest one of my four ratties- she runs around my room and takes the cat toys with bells in them and one by one brings them into her cage, and burries them in the bedding. She loves playing with my kitten. They'l play hide and seek for hours and bomb around my room chasing eachother. They never hurt eachother which surprises me, they just LOVE eachothers comany. Who woulda thought, a rat and a cat become best friends? lol