Before acquiring your rat, check out a few things:
- Make sure there is a good small animal Vets close by that deals with 'Exotic' pets (yes, Rats are considered Exotic, sigh.)
- Prepare all the housing and equipment before you bring the rat home.
- Try not to buy your rat/s from pet stores as you do not know the history of the animal you are buying. The NFRS can provide you with the names of breeders in your area.
- And…most importantly, try not to buy just one rat. Rats are social animals and enjoy having someone to play with if you are out all day. Make sure you keep them in same sex groups, (though it is quite ok to keep a neutered male with females). NEVER keep an un-neutered male with female rats unless you are prepared for approx. 12 baby rats every few weeks!
Considerations
- Although a Rat is not like a dog, needing 2 to 3 walks a day, it is not like a hamster that is quite happy to live its live in a cage, you must be willing to spend time playing with and socialising your rats.
- Rats are highly intelligent and inquisitive animals, they love attention and need a proper balanced diet and plenty of exercise and things to play with, just like we do.
- Rats left unsupervised for long periods can be highly destructive (watch out for wires of the electric or speaker variety, clothes and bedding and paper items like homework or cheque books!) You must make everything RatProof!
- Be prepared for trails of urine across yourself and your clothes, also, the odd dropping or two (or three, or four…..)
