So you want to get a pet and you have thought about getting a pet rat.
This guide will help you decide whether rat will be the right choice for you.
This article focuses around what is needed to become a happy new rat owner.
So let´s discuss how your day would look like with taking care of a rat or two.
Rats are social animals
Rats are social animals. They like to communicate with their owner and other family members. That is one huge benefit of them. It also means they need the interaction with humans and they also need to be let out of the cage at least once a day for a good walk, preferably for at least 1 hour a day.
If they are confined in the cage without needed human interaction and free roaming time, they will become fearful of humans and will bite. It is no fun to be around a rat that bites you!
They enjoy human contact, so if you like to play with your rat and communicate and spend time with your rat, pet rat might be suitable for you.
Rats love to chew
If you let your rats outside the case in your home to run around and play, climb, if you do not have a special room for that and you let them free roam in your living room for example, be prepared to pet proof your living room. They love to chew of curtains, electric cords, and all kinds of different things. Be prepared to find some holes in you duvet, pillows etc. once in a while. If you don´t mind those little accidents, then rat might be for you. The general rule is, the second your rat becomes bored or thinks he is left alone, the holes start to appear! So the key is to supervise him, and keep him entertained while free roaming. Despite doing so, you can almost be sure you would still find some mischief in some time of his life.
Cleaning
Let´s talk about cleaning. If you free roam your pet, you might have to clean a bit more. Some rats tend to leave tiny trail of where he has been, that you might now notice at first. So the main places you rat loves to hang out definitely needs regular leaning.
The cage also needs cleaning about once a week. If left longer, it will get smell. Depending on what bedding you use, it means either removing old bedding or washing it and also washing or disinfecting the cage and al that goes along with it. If you use fleece for bedding or have more then one rat, you might need to clean the cage more often. Some people might clean their case and wash the fleece every few days.
Cost
Pet rats usually doesn´t need regular vet visits, assuming the rat is in good health and you are doing all the caring for himself. Unfortunately rats tend to get health issues as they get older. And in that case the veterinarian bills can be costly.
There is also the cost to think about. Although pet rat is small animals and does not eat enormous amounts, all the bedding, dry food, and other necessities add up. I have written an article about how much does it cost to get pet rat and you can read it here.
So if you have checked all the boxes and think you are ready for it. Please write a me a comment and let me know, i would love to hear from you. Have a great journey for a pet rat!
Do not let your rat to free roam without supervision!
