Are rats a good pet for a ten year old?

[pinkmadimac]

My son has been desperate for a pet for a long time. Money is tight and we can't really afford a cat or dog so I was thinking about a rat.

Any rat owners on here? Are rats interactive? Could he play with them and stroke them? I have heard of people taking rats out in baby slings - could he do that? Can you put them on a lead type thing and take them for walks in the garden or country?

How much does it cost to keep a rat? I have some money I could use for start up costs - so to buy a large cage multi -layer cage etc but how much are ongoing costs? I'm presuming quite low.

How much work are they?

Any advice much appreciated.

Rats are great pets. They are very clever and can be trained eg they can learn to recognise shapes etc. they don’t bite and they are very affectionate. You’d need to get more than one though as they need company. Ongoing costs were low just food and bedding etc. they do love toys and hammocks as they get bored

Yes I think so. We had a rat as a pet at this age, my sister and I he was a great pet. He was very friendly and loved to play. He was clever so we could build mazes and castles and all sorts of stuff out of boxes, also he could swim. He lived in a big aquarium spent quite a lot of time out of it

Thanks everyone - will seriously consider these as a pet!

Yes , rats are very loving , intelligent and easy to train

Rats are lovely pets, but you shouldn’t have just one, they really need at least one companion. Also they only have a maximum three year life span so don’t last very long 😭. They are very intelligent and trainable if you take the time to play with them. They need a large cage area, and plenty of toys to keep them busy. Boys are bigger and lazier than girls, (and can be a little bit smellier), but either sex make good pets. Ours used to sit on our shoulders around the house and would come when we called them by name. Great little creatures.

Rats are amazing pets! So intelligent and friendly. Far better for kids than hamsters!
They do need company though so you’d have to get at least 2.

You can't just get one rat, they need friends

Rats are lovely pets.

Rats are amazing pets, they're known as pocket puppies for a good reason! They form strong bonds with humans and are easy to train to do tricks as they're especially food motivated.
You'll be looking around £100+ for a suitable cage and will need a trio in case one dies unexpectedly it saves you running about trying to find another rat.
Ongoing costs - Food costs me £20 or so a month as we make our own rat mix, then there's sawdust for the cage at maybe £3 a month. They do destroy their beds and toys though and a good rat cage is pretty cluttered with hammocks, hides and climbing opportunities.
If you're anywhere near Nottingham we will have babies ready in six weeks as we' ve just had 18 babies!
Females are faster and a little unhinged and boys do tend to be lazier but both sexes make wonderful pets especially for young children as they're obviously far more interactive than most other rodents.

Thanks for all the answers and especially @BloodandGlitter for all the detail.

I was planning on getting more than one as I know they are sociable animals.

What sort of toys do they like?

I was also hoping I could stake them out in the garden on leads in teh summer, so they could explore there. As long as supervised in case a cat comes along.

We have rats - started when DD was 4; she's now in secondary school. We've always had at least two. Initially we had females, but they tended to develop breast cancer, so we've switched to males. Please get them from a breeder, not pets at home. Ours are friendly, and really want to interact - what persuaded us is when we rat-sat for a friend, and they wanted to find us rather than running away (which is what many small rodents do).

Rats themselves are cheap, but they need a big cage. Ours have a fair bit of time free ranging (usually in one room); they can be destructive - we own, and aren't houseproud. They need at least an hour out of the cage a day.

Things to be aware of: some people are allergic to them, and some have a strong emotional reaction. Ours live upstairs, so guests don't have to meet them. They can be noisy at night, so ideally they aren't in a bedroom where someone sleeps, though ours are at the moment.

Hope they bring you much joy!

You asked about taking them outside - ours only leave the house in a carrier; our neighbour's cat would very much like to meet them (she used to sit on the garage roof and watch them through the window. We've added window guards so she can't get in). You could put them on grass under the top of a cage.

Toys: they love chewing things (pencils seem to be a favourite!), and we sometimes set up obstacle courses with a food treat at the end.

Thank you!

Thanks - love the user name!

Get girls imo, the boys are whiffier! I had two and they were great pets.

We have 4 rats, absolutely love them. So smart and funny
They can smell, we find a layer of wood pellet cat litter in the bottom of the cage helps
They chew A LOT. You need to provide chews as their teeth keep growing but they will nibble most things so watch out for that. They love to steal and hide things too. They have sharp claws, they won't usually use them to hurt you on purpose but they do like to climb up you and if they fall they will hang on
We bath ours, they don't love it but they don't mind too much if you get them used to it from an early age.
The Albino ones are not really as healthy, according to Biologist DD they shouldn't really breed them so avoid if possible - we have one and he can't see or hear as well as the others and can be a bit wobbly. He is a cute cuddly boy though.

I used to have rats they were great! They used to come out of the house sitting on the back of my neck (one at a time!) the local shopkeeper was once very alarmed when a tail appeared from under my hair - i was a 19 year old so i hadn’t though it through! They used to love chasing a ping pong ball around. Be aware though, I had three sets and in my experience once one of them dies the other follows very quickly - I think they are broken hearted 💔

I had loads
of pet rats in childhood , they are lovely pets, used to run to the cage to greet me and sleep
in my pockets and snuggle up around my neck. As an adult now I think I’d be a bit squeamish at the thought, but I will probably get some in the future when my little ones want a pet. Much better than hamsters ! They are like little dogs

Rats are the best pets. Get 3 & be prepared to be on a rotation of them for the next few years as the only downside is that they steal your heart & then don't live long enough.
They are trainable & so loving, like little puppies.
There are lots of rats groups on FB. Please use a breeder not P@H. A responsible breeder will want to see your set-up before letting you have any.

My nephew had rats and my SIL said they were by far the best of the small pets they had clean, clever and liked to play.
Personally, the tails make me shudder!

I had a great rat pet years ago. Used to sleep in bed with me and go back to her cage when wanted. Took her to the shops on my shoulder. She was fab. Just as an FYI - male rats have massive testicles !!!!

I absolutely adored my kids pet rats (and so did the kids). They are so friendly, intelligent and cuddly. The only reason I didn't get more (after the first five!) is because they don't live very long and my heart kept getting broken.

Great pets, the least bitey and most friendly of the rodents and super clever. Have a look at Shadow the rat for tricks and training ideas, rat flyball, agilty and basketball!

www.facebook.com/share/v/1GsViLN9jg/

Id get a baby , I was sold an adult and he bit , hard .