Rats are some of the best!
Now, I might be a little biased because I kept pet rats for more than a decade.
Believe it or not, rats are more similar to dogs than they are to hamsters or gerbils. They’re smart, friendly, curious, and pretty much endlessly entertaining!
- They’re sometimes called “Pocket Puppies” Because they have a lot of the same behaviors as dogs! They bond with their owners and will follow you around the house when you let them out of their cage. They will lick you and sometimes even “groom” you by nibbling you with their teeth (it doesn’t hurt at all!) They can be trained to do tricks, play fetch and tug of war. They even get the zoomies.
- They’re perfect apartment pets. Many rental units wont allow cats or dogs, but will allow smaller caged animals. Rats don’t need a huge back yard like a dog would, and will happily just explore your house with you. You don’t need to worry about taking them on walks!
- (Most) rats are unlikely to bite. Except for rare cases of rats with poor temperaments, the majority of domestic rats are extremely gentle and understand that they shouldn’t bite you.
- They’re so neat to watch! Rats are fascinating little critters. They love to dig, tunnel, build nests, arrange the things in their cage, climb, play, balance and jump. They love to get themselves into strange situations just to see if they can get back out again (maybe with a little help from you.) Even long time rat owners are often surprised by the things their little friends learn to do.
- They eat pretty much everything you do. Rats are omnivores and need a variety of foods to support their nutritional needs. That means you can share much of your leftovers with them! Foods that are unhealthy for us are unhealthy for rats too, so they can really help motivate you to eat healthier!
- (Most) rats are extremely friendly and affectionate. Once they get to know you, they’ll clamor to the side of their cage to see you when they hear you enter the room. They get super excited when you come home from work! Some rats love to sit with you while you watch Netflix. They’ll snuggle inside your shirt, or ride around with you on your shoulder. Other rats are more active and love when you chase them around with your hand, throw a ball for them or help them explore. Like dogs, I found my rats could even tell when I was upset, and would come over to see what was wrong.
- You’ll be entertained by their antics all day long. Rats have an insatiable curiosity and love to explore. They’ll climb things (like the inside of your grandma’s pant leg. True story…), hide under things, steal little pieces of tissue, and bounce around the room. They’ll stick their little whiffers in your ears, inspect your teeth, and groom you as if you were another rat. If you aren’t paying attention to them they’ll run up, give you a boop on the arm, and run away. (You can almost hear them laughing as they go.)
- They are extremely adaptable. While rats are naturally most active around dawn and dusk, they’ll adapt to your sleeping schedule if you play with them and feed them during the day. They’re also capable of eating just about any diet (although it’s best to feed them a healthy one!)
- The cool factor! People are always still surprised and impressed when I tell them about pet rats. They are such underrated little animals. Most of my friends got along really well with my rats, and only a couple were afraid of them 🙂 Even the friends who were afraid had to admit the rats were pretty neat. It’s usually the tail that freaks people out! But rat tails aren’t that scary. Rats use them for balance, and will even give special attention to grooming their tails.
- Each rat has its own unique personality. Of all the rats I had over the years, no two were exactly the same, and it was a pleasure getting to know each one. I had one boy who was so lazy he didn’t even want to sit up for his water bottle. He was super lovable and would sit with you for hours licking your hand and asking for scritches. His cage mate was a bit crazy and would get sudden bursts of energy and dart around the room. Another would always check the perimeters of the room to make sure it was safe when the boys were let out to play. One of my girls was a total acrobat and she spent most of her time figuring out what she could climb and then descend again.
There’s never a shortage of funny stories to tell when you have pet rats. They are some of the sweetest and most entertaining pets! Can you think of more reasons rats make amazing pets?
