Affectionate, Sweet, and Quite Cute too

by Linda Alexander

Do you have a multiple species household? All in the Family provides insights and information on living in harmony.

I once had a pet rat (no, this isn’t the first line in the horror flick “Willard”) named Ratso Rizzo after Dustin Hoffman’s character in Midnight Cowboy. Ratso Rizzo (my pet, of course) was a hooded rat with a white body, black “hood” and eyes, delicate rounded ears and a pink nose that constantly twitched. Ratso was a sweet little fellow: curious, affectionate, gentle, and social. I have fond memories of Ratso sitting on my father’s lap being petted while the two of them watched the baseball game on TV, Ratso squeaking “A strike! That was a strike? C’mon, ump! And I thought I was a rat!”

“A rat?” you say. “Aren’t they dirty, disease-carrying vermin, responsible for carrying the fleas that caused the Bubonic Plague to rage throughout Europe in the Middle Ages?” Found throughout much of the world, rats are generally known as destructive pests, spreading disease and contaminating food. While the above is true, today’s domesticated rats bear little resemblance to their wild cousins. Domesticated rats are very clean, intelligent, gentle, and easy to care for, thus making them wonderful pets.

Could you change the channel to Animal Planet please?

While some will recoil at the idea of having a rat as a pet, rats make clean, fun loving, and affectionate companions. With a lifespan of between two and four years, they are found in a wide variety of colors like fawn, dove, beige and black. Some rats are hooded, or “two-tone” with the darker color covering the head, while others are a single color. They enjoy interacting with people and should be gently handled daily. They will often bond with their owner and enjoy playing and cuddling with their special human friend. Your rat might enjoy sitting on your shoulder, peeking out of your pocket, or sitting on your lap while you’re at the computer or watching TV. Rats’ intelligence is demonstrated by their ability to learn their name and simple commands, such as “stay” and “sit.” They may also be litter box trained.

I have SO many parties to attend. Black tie please.

“Ratties” are very social animals, so it’s often a good idea to have more than one rat, either two males or two females, or a spayed and neutered male and female pair. Two rats will provide companionship to one another and will be entertaining to watch as they interact. Since a female rat can get pregnant at five weeks of age, can reproduce four to six times a year, producing four to ten young per litter, it’s extremely important that they are spayed and neutered. The recent news story about a Petaluma man whose pet rat population increased to over one thousand animals due to unrestricted breeding is a horrifying example of what can happen if unchecked breeding is allowed to take place.

Home sweet cage

An ideal rat environment is indoors in a large cage like those made for rabbits and chinchillas. Rats require more room to roam than hamsters or gerbils, so cages made for those animals are not roomy enough. Bedding can be shredded paper or cardboard, hay, straw, paper based cat litters, and old clothing. Avoid Pine and cedar wood chips due to the dangerous fumes emitted from these materials. Provide your rat with toys such as an exercise wheel, tubes, hammocks, and paper towel rolls. Despite their reputation as dirty creatures, rats are in fact very clean, fastidious animals. If they wore clothes, their suits would always be neatly pressed. Help them out and keep their cages very clean. Clean then two to three times a week and remove waste matter daily. Rats groom themselves like cats, saving you any additional grooming duties.

And I thought it was the food the cat was after!

A balanced diet is essential for rats’ optimum health. Since by nature rats are scavengers, they will eat just about anything. In addition to commercial rat food and treats, you may supplement your rat’s diet with breads, fruits, vegetables, meats, dog and cat food, eggs, yogurt, and low sugar cereals.

Feel the burn, feel the burn

Your pet rat requires plenty of exercise, so she will love a running wheel inside her cage. You may also allow your rat to scamper about indoors as long as the room he is roaming has been rat proofed. Since rats will chew on furniture, books, wires, and just about anything else, it’s important that you keep your rat under observation while she’s exploring, and especially take care that all electrical wires are well protected and out of harm’s way.

You will not be sorry if you choose a domesticated rat as a pet. You do not have to walk them (yay!), and they will love you for any attention you give them. Ooh, and they have really cute noses and ears. What name will you give your new rat?