Everyone generally knows about the age-old feud between cat owners and dog owners. Dog owners argue that dogs are the best, most sweet pets to have, while cat owners argue the same thing of their feline companions. Over the ages, the rift between cats and dogs has grown to include a wide variety of animal companions including birds, reptiles, and amphibians. There is one animal, however, that is actually the perfect pet, but is sadly burdened by negative stereotypes, and that animal is the rat.
Two years ago, I became the happy mother of two precious rat babies. One day with them and I was completely enamored. Sadly though, my babies are not as loved by many others. Friends and family that have visited have sometimes recoiled at the sight of them, disgusted by them or even just by their tails (for some reason which I still cannot figure out). I have never been too upset by the recoiling of another, but deep down I wish that my babies could be just as loved as many other pet companions. Society praises dogs and cats and yet damns rats despite the fact that there are many similarities between these furry creatures. I'm here to try and break the negative stereotypes associated with rats and hopefully inform people of the positive qualities of owning rats as pets. The following is a list of positive qualities of owning and caring for pet rats.
1. They love to cuddle.
Rats are actually quite social creatures and love to cuddle with their owners. My one girl, Nightshade, loves to climb up on my shoulders and get nice and comfortable on my neck. They also just cannot resist a good belly rub. Another one of my girls, Sylvia, is very fat and squishy and loves to have me hold her close to my chest and wrap my shirt around her.
2. They groom often.
There is this negative stereotype of rats being dirty and disgusting creatures, and this is just not true. They love to groom themselves probably just as often as cats do. Anytime I finish playing with the girls and put them back into their cage, they both spend a few minutes cleaning themselves off. They also love to groom each other.
3. They love all kinds of food.
Although it is important that they get a healthy and balanced diet (i.e. nutrient filled pellets), rats love to eat many different kinds of food. I love finding a new snack from the kitchen to give them every day. It's important to check online which foods they cannot have, but those foods that are safe for them are really fun to give to them. Whenever I eat a banana I always save a piece for them which they both are grateful for. It's really fun being able to share food with them and just stare and squee over their precious, munching faces.
4. They are very smart.
Although rats are very small, they are quite intelligent creatures. The GIF above shows a girl who trained her rat to bring her a tissue whenever she sneezed. They are so smart that they can even learn their names and respond to many commands. I am still working on getting my rats used to commands but I am able to call them by their names which is really exciting since I'm only ever used to that working for a dog.
5. They are very friendly.
Rats actually get along very well with many other pets, although other pets may not be so fond of them. When I first got my rats, I tried to introduce them to my dog. They were both very curious and eager to get close to my dog, but my dog wasn't so keen on meeting them. My dog, Tiger Lily, is a poor, scared baby and is frightened by most things, which includes my rats. For a long time she wouldn't even enter my room because the rats were in there, but slowly she's grown more accustomed to them. Although she still won't go near them, she isn't as fearful as she used to be. My dog is an outlier though, and many pets are completely fine with rats and often get along well with them.
And finally,
6. Rats are so playful!
Although rats love to spend time sleeping and cuddling, they also love to be active and playful. My babies love to be let out of their cage so they can run around the room, exploring and playing with each other. They also love to come running up to me and jump on me so I will pet them and tickle them. I always get a kick out of how silly they can be, especially when they play fight with each other.
Overall, rats are just really special, sweet, adorable, funny, friendly, playful, precious little angels that deserve the love and respect that any other pet gets. My babies mean everything to me, and I will be absolutely heartbroken when I lose them, but for now I will love them and care for them and make sure they have the best possible life they could ask for.
In closing, here is a picture of my angel, Nightshade, sitting on my shoulder and eating one of the mini burritos I made for my rats' recent birthdays.
