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General Rat Information
The cuddly, cute rat that we love to snuggle with belongs to the brown rat family, Rattus norvegicus. Rats are social creatures that enjoy both the company of humans and other rats. Most appropriately, a group of rats is known as a mischief. Despite a pet rat's desire to be with people, all rats should be placed in groups (at least a pair). A solo rat often bonds strongly with their human, but will be completely alone and isolated while their human is at work or school. It is often said that a single rat requires four hours of companionship with their human per day. Rats that are placed in pairs will bond more strongly with their fellow rats, but that doesn't mean they won't love their human slaves. When cagemates pass away, it is very apparent that they are missed by fellow rats. Rats are extremely intelligent creatures that are capable of learning many things. Very quickly they will learn their names and who it is that gives them food, water, and love. Rats are even capable of being litter boxed trained, although a few ratty poo accidents can be expected. Wild rats are known to be neophobic, or afraid of new things. While pet rats can be cautious around new things, they can also get into plenty of trouble. If your rats are allowed to have free range time on the floor, be sure to "rat proof" the rooms by either placing wires higher on the wall or by using plastic tubing to protect them. Sadly, our wonderful pets only have a short lifespan that they can spend with us. The average rat will live only 2-3 years, but some can live to be over four years of age. It is rumored that male rats have a slightly shorter life expectancy than females, but I have not seen that to be true as of yet. Rats also come with an assortment of medical problems, including respiratory infections and tumors. More information about illnesses and problems can be found here. Rats are omnivores and can enjoy a variety of foods. Commercial lab blocks fortified for nutrition can be purchased at just about any petstore. They are cheap, but fairly boring for your rat to eat. I also find that it is harder to monitor how much your rats are eating because they often stash the blocks of later. Many fanciers, including myself, make food for our pets using bulk foods from the grocery store. No matter what your rat is fed, they will enjoy fresh fruits and veggies on a daily basis, as well as small amounts of meat as a rare treat. Unlike dogs, rats can be given cooked chicken bones to chew on. They are an excellent treat for wearing down their continuously growing teeth and the marrow provides good nutrition. Rats are colorblind, having relatively poor near-sighted eyesight. The color of a rats eyes can also affect how well they can see. Black eyed rats seem to see distances better. Red/pink eyed rats often move their heads to judge distances better. This movement is often funny to watch, as it can look like the rat is unsure of a decision. Rats have an excellent sense of smell, as well as hearing. They can hear at ultrasonic frequencies that we cannot hear. There is evidence that most of the vocal communication preformed by rats is done at ultrasonic frequencies. Rats will even "laugh" while being tickled ultrasonically.
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Last Updated: 04/30/06 |