| Is a Rat the Right Pet for You? |
| Have you been totally smitten by the idea of having a rat but don't know if a rat is the right pet for you? I have written this short article to help you decide, in it I hope to breifly detail what having a pet rat will be like, what you need, and what makes them different from other pets. For further reading see my Pros & Cons of having a pet rat list. The first thing to consider when deciding on a pet is "will I be able to care for this animal for it's entire life?" If your answer is no to this then don't even bother reading the rest of this. I think some thing as short-lived as a rat should at least have that much! The second thing to consider is why are you interested in getting a rat? If your answer is "because they're cute" or "to freak out my friends with" then I do not believe you are quite prepared to have a pet just as of yet. If you want a rat because you know you can properally care for it, you have researched it or have had experiance with your friend's pet rats then you're getting there. :) The third thing to consider is will you have the finances and time to care for a pet? Rats are relatively easy and inexpensive to care for but what if one falls ill? Will you have the money to bring him or her to the vet or will you be calous enough to bring him back to the petstore where he might end up in the belly of of a reptile? Another thing to consider is where you are living. Do you live in a dorm with roommates that don't like rats? Do you live in an appartment that has a strict no-pets policy? I know of people who do keep rats in no-pets appartments but what if they are found? Would you risk them being destroyed?? If your getting a female from a petstore or bad breeder (there are MANY good breeders out there but there are some who could care less about the babies they breed) will you have the proper space and equiptment to take care of the babies if she is pregnant and can you re-home them? As a last question to ask yourself is have you researched having pet rats enough so you feel confident in their care? And where are you getting your rat? Keep in mind petstore rats are often "just feeders" and are often sickly or become sickly, pregnant or worse. Try to find a good petshop or look in these breeder directories for ratteries near you: Rodent Fancy Directory Jazmyn C's Rodent Directory Petfinder (A shelter/rescue search) CritterHobbyist Classifieds Classifieds 2000 Yahoo Classifieds Exotic Animal Classifieds Thank you for reading this little article, if you feel a rat is the right pet for you, I absolutely encourage reading other sections of my site concerning care and FAQ's. Click this sentance to go to my FAQ & Care index. Questions? Feel free to e-mail me. |