Rats, not just a pest, rather a loving pet?
Living in South Africa, rats are mostly seen as pests, even defined as disease-carrying. What people do not know is that a rat actually makes an awesome pet. A pet who is gentle, sociable, affectionate, clean, highly intelligent, and even enjoys napping in your lap. Meet the modern day Fancy Rat.
The domesticated pet rat is a descendent of the wild brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), and has been bred as a pet for about a hundred years. These sweet and inquisitive rodents are on average 35 – 45cm long from the tip of their noses to the end of their tails. They can live for about two to three years, so they are not a very long-term investment. They come in a wide variety of colours and coat types, including smooth, curly, and even hairless. Similar to purebred dogs and cats, fancy rats conform to written standards established by rat clubs and associations, and can exhibit exotic coloration and marking types such as Siamese, Himalayan, Cinnamon, Blue, Silver, Fawn, and Chocolate. But there’s more to them than just their pedigrees. Fancy rats make wonderful companions for both adults and children. Here are some reasons why they would make an awesome pet for you or your child. They are highly intelligent creatures and are very inquisitive in nature and love problem-solving. Rats are extremely clean. Rats actually groom themselves more frequently and diligently than cats do. They have rough tongues like cats that help keep their coats clean of dirt and dust and they can even be trained to use litter boxes. They have awesome personalities. Rats as pets are entertaining, loyal, affectionate, interactive, and inquisitive. Once a rat has gotten used to his/her new surroundings and owner, its unique personality will start to emerge. They are easy to care for. Rats are hardier than any other rodent and are also easy to feed with their food being readily available. Rats eat commercial diets in the form of “rat blocks”, which are nutritionally complete pellets that are available at pet stores. You can supplement these foods with almost any fruits and vegetables straight from your kitchen. They are highly social creatures and therefore will seek out the company and affection of owners. They are also very easy to train and love to perform for treats. Lastly, they are very low-maintenance pets to keep. They don’t bark, don’t eat huge amounts of food and are very clean and great with people. So next time, before you go and spend thousands of rands on that pedigree dog or cat, try loving a rat.
