Rats
as Pets - 5 Myths Busted
The Top Three Pet Rat Training Mistakes
Rats as Pets - 5 Myths Busted by Dawn Arkin
History has depicted them as filthy creatures that brought about the Black Plague of the Middle Ages. Hollywood has shown them as vicious killers ready to attack humans at the slightest provocation. Is it any wonder most people are fearful at the mere mention of their name?
How can such a small animal elicit such a huge reaction? But more importantly, do they deserve their reputation?
Before you judge rats, it might help to understand a little bit about them. Everyone knows rats are rodents, but did you know a male rat is called a buck, a female is a doe, and the babies are called pups or kittens? Rats reach puberty at an early age, between 6 to 8 weeks. Their bodies are between 9 and 11 inches long, with a tail up to 9 inches and they come in many different colors and varieties. Rats have an average lifespan of 2 to 3 years and are most active at night.
Now that you know more about them, let's take a look at some of the myths people believe about rats as pets. Maybe you'll see them in a whole new light.
Myth #1
Rats are mindless creatures.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Domesticated rats are intelligent with a natural curiosity which makes them very trainable. They can be taught simple tricks with relative ease and love the interaction of learning. My son has a three year old Blue Fancy rat named Samantha. She quickly learned her name and will come when called. She also learned to play fetch, chasing a small plastic ball when it is rolled away from her on the floor, then rolling it back.
Myth #2
Rats are vicious, dangerous creatures.
Rats are very friendly, social animals. They are easily tamed simply by being handled from a young age. Rats enjoy spending time with their owners; bonding with them much as a dog bonds with a person. They love being petted and being close to their family. Our rat loves to sit on my shoulder while I'm writing at my computer, sometimes falling asleep while she is up there.
Myth #3
Rats are filthy, disease bringing rodents.
In reality, rats are very clean creatures, grooming themselves daily. The sign of a healthy rat is a clean, well-groomed coat. They are not a low maintenance pet, but are much easier to care for than a hamster or larger pet. Replacing the bedding in their cage every week, and making sure they have fresh food and water daily will go a long way to make your furry little friend happy. I've found that rats are orderly animals. Every time Samantha's cage is cleaned she rearranges it to suit her needs. She likes her house, bowls, and toys to be where she wants them.
Myth #4
Rats are not playful.
Rats enjoy interaction with their human owners, requiring daily play time. They need at least an hour outside of their cage every day to play and socialize with their family, as well as toys to play with when you can't be there. The best toys I've found are ones designed for cats. Pick ones that can't be chewed by your rat, because they will chew. Samantha has two plastic balls with bells inside that she plays with. You can hear her at night, rolling those balls around to make the bells ring.
Myth #5
Rats are only nocturnal creatures.
While this is mostly true, it isn't set in stone. Rats will be up when they think you are. Yes they are up at night, but they are also up during the day. They will wake up if they feel that you are ready to play. Taking them out during the day is a great way to train them that daytime is a good time to play. Samantha sleeps during the night and day, but she is always willing to come out during the day and spend some time with me or my son.
Rats can be a great first pet. They are easier to maintain than a dog or cat, and are friendlier than a hamster. With a little understanding your family can reap the benefits of rat ownership too. Give rats a chance. You'll be glad you did.
Rats have a bad reputation.
History and Hollywood have depicted them as horrible creatures. But rats
are affectionate and make wonderful pets. Why not find out a little more
about them, before making a decision?
The Top Three Pet Rat Training Mistakes by Colin Patterson
It can be very rewarding to train your pet rats to do tricks and learn obstacle courses. Since they tend to be highly intelligent creatures, rats can actually learn a lot (and get bored if they have nothing to do).
Furthermore, because they're people-pleasers, rats enjoy the challenge of striving for your reward and praise.
However, before you begin training, you may be interested to know the main pitfalls of pet rat training. That way, you can get started on the right foot and make the most of training time. Here are the top three mistakes that novice rat-trainers will often make:
1. Neglecting to create a stimulating living environment for their rats.
Sometimes trainers make the mistake of thinking that their ratties' living environment doesn't need to be interesting or fun to be in. They seem to think that an hour of play time or training time is enough to stimulate their little minds.
This is untrue.
Rats are constantly problem-solving, 24/7. Giving them a stimulating and challenging living environment will ensure that their minds stay sharp for learning tricks.
- Buy or build a large caged enclosure complete with shelves, ramps, ladders, cubby holes, bins, hammocks, exercise wheels, tunnels, hidey holes, baskets and ropes strung across.
- Occasionally, treat them to a game of "hide n' seek" with sunflower seeds. Hide them in hard-to-reach places so they really have to think hard about how to get to them.
- Be sure to adjust and rearrange the furniture and food locations. Always keep 'em guessing.
- Make playtime games challenging as well with swimming pools, sand boxes and tunnel-mazes.
2. Being too "results oriented" about training.
One major pitfall a rat owner can fall into is to be too demanding about what is to be accomplished during training. This approach to rat-training will only end in frustration and neglect.
Never forget that training is just an extension of play time and that repetition, along with positive reinforcement, is the key to success.
3. Forgetting to reinforce old tricks.
As the saying goes "If you don't use it, you lose it." The first-time rat trainer will often teach his rats a few basic tricks, move on to other ones for several weeks, only to discover that his rats have forgotten the first tricks!
Just because a rat learns a trick, it does not mean that the little guy will remember it later. Reinforcement is everything. This is why, when teaching a rat to run an obstacle course, the trainer must tack a new obstacle onto the one(s) that were previously learned. Otherwise, the rat will fail to remember the first obstacles learned.
So, remember: keep their lives full of challenges at all times; try to be patient and not to get too attached to results and accomplishments; and don't take it for granted that they will remember those first tricks they learned... because they won't. Repeat and reinforce their learning at all times!
Knowing about these three major pitfalls will go a long way in helping you to make the most of your rats' intelligences and abilities; and as long as you are together, you will look forward to training time every single day.
It can be very rewarding to train your pet rats to do tricks and learn obstacle courses. Since they tend to be highly intelligent creatures, rats can actually learn a lot. Furthermore, because they're people-pleasers, rats enjoy the challenge of striving for your reward and praise. However, before you begin training, you may be interested to know the main pitfalls of pet rat training. Here are the top three mistakes that novice rat-trainers will often make.