Regarding the adoption of rats..
If someone hasn't stated it before(I skim
), rats and mice, in my opinion, are incredibly different in behavior as well as varying a bit in maintenance. Rats being more conducive to human attachment as well as more interactive in their behavior.
I have four males in a Feisty Ferret cage, and I clean the cage once a week. I use fleece as bedding, and Yesterday's News in the litterboxes(two, one on each level). I spot clean daily, sometimes every other day depending. One of my males is neutered, I highly recommend this for most males. It's not too expensive, possibly increases life expectancy, definitely decreases scent and marking, and nearly all of the time improves any negative dispositions.
Rats can and will come to you when you call, or run to the door of their cage when they hear you come home. If they happen to be calmer in temperament(say, a saint bernard tempered rat in comparison to a terrier tempered ratty- or really, many boy rats) they'll snuggle with you when you watch a movie and happily ride around in your pockets or on your shoulder. Some will be happy to kiss your fingers and roll on their side in content with you. You can easily clicker train rats to learn a variety of tricks, they're incredibly intelligent, charming little animals(check Youtube for rats that sit up, spin, come over, and play fetch, and try googling "the agile rat" for "rat agility"). They definitely require daily enrichment and socialization, and can seem very dog/puppy-like in their qualities.
If you are a first time rat owner, I strongly suggest you start with a pair of babies(with good temperament), or rats with known solid temperaments from a reputable rescue or breeder. Often being regarded as "disposable", rats are transferred from place to place and so frequently neglected, it is not necessarily uncommon to come up with a rat with nippy tendencies or fear-based issues(often the two go hand in hand) - especially if you acquire rats from a byb(yep! The rat world has'em too) or a feeder tank.
Ratster.com is a decent website to find rescues and breeders on - but beware, they do host BYBs on occasion, and even some rescues maintain outdated practices and are less than legitimate. The rat world, strangely(or not so much) is seemingly very comparable to the dog world in it's upcoming politics.
As stated previously - rats always, always, always need to come in at least pairs. Unless you find that rare lone rat who just can't be with others of it's kind, the overall well-being of a rat with a companion is increased dramatically than one without. Any reputable breeder will tell you this, and oftentimes breeders will not sell single babies. Male or female, they are meant to live in colonies, and are happier in numbers, though you don't need more than a pair - two ratties will be perfectly happy with each other, throughout their lives. Trios are good in that in case one of the rats should pass early, the other will still have a long-bonded companion. Rats who have lived in long-instilled pairs who witness a loss often show PTSD afterward, including depressive behaviors(loss of appetite, loss of energy/interest), so this is where having a trio could come in particularly handy.
Many of the food products available for rats in pet stores are incredibly poorly composed and probably shouldn't be fed to any animal. Oxbow Regal rat is pretty well done, but most folks agree that a vegetarian or high quality low-protein-content(18% or less) dog food is best, with fresh fruits and veggies, and a grain mix. I feed my guys Wellness Healthy Weight with daily or salads every other day. Definitely avoid any Kaytee products(forti-diet, yada yada) or seed-mixes(Reggie Rat? also Kaytee).
The life expectancy of rats is around two to three years, four perhaps at the most, more likely to be around two and a half, three if you're lucky. Remember, these are animals who were bred to be test subjects or (in)bred to be food, and they can have some serious health problems. Spaying and neutering can help quite a bit, but often times rats are still subject most commonly to respiratory problems and tumors, among other things. We have so severely convoluted the domestic rat, that I thoroughly support adopting from a reputable breeder, if you can find one in your area, and save for a vet fund!
Some really wonderful links for food for thought/research:
Bao Varakhii Rattery Frequently Asked Questions
(A generally very succinct and thorough overall guide to rats, containing a majority of basic questions - also written by one of the best ratty breeders in the states, in my opinion)
Breeder Red Flags
(Breeder Red Flags - You would be
amazed between the difference in a rat who was bred by a sincere breeder and one you might find in a feeder bin - be sure to check out some of BVRs rats, as well!)
Goosemoose Pet Portal - Home
(A forum full of people who are nuts about rats. But, if you're ever in a pinch, or curious about owning rats, this has been one of the best sources of information for me throughout my ratties lives.)
Anyway, I hope this helps!
