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Here is Little Cloud the rat snuggled in a blanket

Pet rats are perhaps the most misunderstood of all small critters. I currently have two ratty companions Pea and Mingles. These girls could no longer be kept by their previous owner as he was moving into a flat, so they came to live with us. For those of you who are a little skeptical check out this list of why I love pet rats:

1. Rats Are Intelligent – When I adopted my first rats Ginger and Mr T from the RSPCA I was amazed at their intelligence. When faced with a problem rats can find a way around it. Wild rats (who by the way I also have a soft spot for) will often avoid food laced with poison and even find ways to steal the food from a trap without getting hurt. Rats can navigate mazes to find food at the other end and if you put them in the maze again they will remember the route they took. If you have pet rats I don’t need to tell you how intelligent they are – you will have seen it for yourself.
2. Rats Enjoy Being Trained – To add a little excitement to your pet rat’s life you may want to try some training. Some rats love it, others prefer to do their own thing. Out of my two Pea adores training, Mingles is not interested. The key is to find a treat they love (Pea and Mingles love Weetbix) and do 5 minutes of training a few times a day. You can teach rats to come when called, sit, roll over and all kinds of other things. They also respond well to clicker training. Other rats prefer a nice cuddle and a tickle rather than training, so don’t force your rat to do things he/she doesn’t want to. It should be play time not work time.
3. Rats Are Cute – Even my Mum who has had a phobia of rats since she can remember was amazed at how cute the photos I sent her were (ok, she said “almost cute” – but for her that was a big deal). If you don’t think rats are cute wait until you see some cuddled together in a cozy hammock. It will melt your heart.
4. Rats Are Funny – Anyone who lives with pet rats will have times when they can’t stop giggling. Rats do the funniest things. Whether you are watching your ratties have their first splash in water, doing roly-polys or swinging on monkey bars at the top of their cage you will be smiling. I love it when one of the girls picks up a tennis ball in her mouth, which is almost bigger than they are and tried to take it back to their house. They hop like mini-kangaroos as they carry it in their mouth.

With a little research online, you will soon see that rats and other rodents are intelligent, wonderful animals that do not deserve all the cruelty we (human beings) bestow on them.

95% of research is carried out on rodents and it makes me sick. If you have ever spent any time with these animals, or even have an ounce of compassion you can see that it is not fair to use and abuse these animals as we currently do.

Make a start by boycotting any cosmetics or household products that are tested on animals. You can also choose to only support medical research that does not test on animals. If you have spare time and money (in case of vet bills) and want to adopt some ratties (you should always get two so they can keep each other company) check out your local pet rescue to see whether any of these little personalities are available for adoption.

Most of all, don’t believe the bad press. The truth is rats are loving, mischievous, cute, playful, smart and funny and they deserve our love and compassion.

To learn more about pet rats go to RatsRatsRats.com

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