rats as pets

[dale1988]

just wondering how many of you guys actually keep rats as pets being into reptile that obviously eat them lol?

 

[Serpentess]

Rats are great pets. Curious, fairly easy to train and I guess you could say "cute and fluffy".

 

[dale1988]

what do you mean by train like train them to do what?

 

[KaotikJezta]

I have 2 rats as pets, they are very intelligent, my male rat is actually probably my favourite pet

 

[GeckoJosh]

I have pet rats, quite a few actually
This is Hermione and Hairy Plopper

This one is Princess Muffintop

 

[Serpentess]

what do you mean by train like train them to do what?

You can train them to come to their name, train them to use a litter box, train them to play ratty basketball. All sorts of things. Very intelligent critters.


Haha, cute photos Geckoman. Love the last one especially.

 

[Rattler]

I have pet rats, quite a few actually
This is Hermione and Hairy Plopper

Those fotos are so cute!
the look nice and clean too...do you wash them?

 

[GeckoJosh]

Those fotos are so cute!
the look nice and clean too...do you wash them?

No, they are like cats, they clean them selves

 

[dale1988]

hmmm i just found a rat forum lol was also wondering i got told that mice arent really a pet to handle do any of you keep mice?

 

[Serpentess]

hmmm i just found a rat forum lol was also wondering i got told that mice arent really a pet to handle do any of you keep mice?

I used to keep mice. Not anymore though. They can be pretty alright as pets but unlike rats they poop everywhere!

 

[GeckoJosh]

hmmm i just found a rat forum lol was also wondering i got told that mice arent really a pet to handle do any of you keep mice?

Nah they are hard to tame and cant be trained like rats.
Rats can be trained to use litter trays amongst other things
And yes, mice poop everywhere, rats on the other hand when tame wont, none of my rats have pooped on me, but plenty of untamed ones Iv handled at pet shops have

 

[lace90]

Pet rats are the best!!!

 

[dale1988]

ok and how would you go about training to do all this stuff sorry if its a stupid question ive never really known before that you could train rats also only asked about mice as i love the brindel coloured ones absolutely awesome colour

 

[Serpentess]

ok and how would you go about training to do all this stuff sorry if its a stupid question ive never really known before that you could train rats also only asked about mice as i love the brindel coloured ones absolutely awesome colour

Training for tricks and such can be done with treats (I'm sure you'll be able to find step by step instructions on the net). To litter train them just pick up their poop from their bedding and put it into the litter tray (the litter tray must use different substrate than the bedding).

I once bred in the brindle (or as I called it "Tiger") coat in mice from a orange & white male with a white and blue/grey female. Was a nice surprise when the babies developed stripes. Haha.

 

[KaotikJezta]

Kaeleb and Zeke

 

[dale1988]

haha thats so cute

do any of you use wood shavings i have had ppl tell me not to and others say theres nothing wrong with it

 

[KaotikJezta]

I use shredded paper, I keep meaning to buy a paper shredder to shred junk mail. Wood shavings can give them respiratory disease.

 

[GeckoJosh]

Breeders choice is what I use, seems to be the best option in terms of health, also great at reducing smell

 

[dale1988]

how so and is it proven the stuffi have has picks of rats on it so dont understand how it could its dust extracted and triple screened

what the breeders choice worth mate? and do you find it as a issue using the wood shavings?

 

[KaotikJezta]

how so and is it proven the stuffi have has picks of rats on it so dont understand how it could its dust extracted and triple screened

what the breeders choice worth mate? and do you find it as a issue using the wood shavings?

Thats probably ok then, lots of pet shops just get normal wood shavings and bag it up. My male rat has run of the room and a litter tray and the female only goes in one small tray in her cage so they are both pretty easy to keep clean. She does wee all over her bed though and she likes sleeping on material so I buy old baby blankets from op shops and cut them up for her.