Pet rats. Three of them — named Monty, Splinter and Rosencrantz. I happen to think they’re the funniest, cutest, greatest little balls of fluff ever, even though much of the world disagrees.
When I got my first rat, my mom informed me, “That rat will never enter my house.” I’ve had rental applications declined because of my rat pack – not because they were animals but because they were capital-R Rats. I’m regularly greeted with shrieks or exclamations of, “Are you crazy?” when people find out I husband rodents. You get used to it after a while.
Pet rats — known as fancy rats — get a bum rap. People think of New York’s subway rats, or the rats on South Park which come skittering out to chew Kenny’s bones. Though they are part of the same species, wild rats and fancy rats are quite different in behavior and looks. According to the American Fancy Rat and Mice Association, 
domestic rats developed from Victorian England “sport.” There were so many wild rats at the time that they’d be collected and thrown into a pit with a dog. The dog that killed the largest number of rats in the shortest time was declared the winner. Pit owners started to keep back some of the more unusually colored rats and bred them. Now, domestic rats come in a variety of colors and patterns.
A number of misconceptions make rats unpopular, so I’d like to clear them up:
- Rats are mistakenly thought to have caused the Black Plague. However most researchers agree the Plague took root in Europe thanks to fleas. They hitched rides on the backs of the rats — but also on any other hosts they could find, including dogs and humans. Contemporary fancy rats pose no more health threat than other household pets. I kiss my rats on the nose, they lick my fingers, and I wash my hands after playtime just as others do with their dogs.
- Our language is full of rat-based pejorative phrases. We call someone a “ratfink” or a “dirty rat” when they betray us — we “rat on” someone when we’re tattling. Despite their linguistic legacy, rats are actually very sociable creatures that are friendly, safe for children to play with, and rarely bite. I’ve found that my rats have bonded with me much more easily than past small animals have. Don’t get me wrong — they’re so mercenary about their snacks that you’ll always wonder if they just love you because you feed them -– but I imagine that goes for many cats as well.
- Rats aren’t dirty; they’re often more organized than I am. They have a tendency to defecate in the same corner because they like their areas to be tidy. I’ve been told they’re very easy to litter train, though I haven’t tried. As long as their cages are kept clean, rats don’t smell at all. They groom themselves like cats — and it’s very cute to watch. Rats can be bathed — I gave them a bath so they’d look good to meet my parents — but usually it’s not necessary. After I SO carefully spread out newspaper bedding over his cage, my most-obsessive rat, Monty, has a habit of stacking it up in a pile so he can sniffle with joy over how neat it is.
- My boys have distinct personalities. Monty is the oldest, crankiest rat. He beats up on the others and has to be kept in a separate cage, but he also curls up on my lap and lets me pet him. When I was sick recently, I brought him into bed to take a nap by my side. Splinter and Rosencrantz are brothers — Splinter is always exploring and finding trouble. Rosencrantz is shy — if I take him out on his own, he’s likely to shiver by my side until he remembers I’m a friend. I often refer to the brothers as Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum because they’ll run and climb all over each other to get food from me — crashing over each other in a thoroughly comic way.
Fortunately, my rats have a habit of winning over those who meet them. One of my roommates was initially leery, but now I often find her cooing over them. Every little kid I’ve introduced them to has loved them –- boy or girl. My mom — who, remember, declared they would never enter her house — made them a hammock for Christmas. What can I say? I guess rats have winning personalities.
i have a pet boa constrictor Lucius (sorry he eats rats lol) but people think i’m crazy. snakes get such a bad rap when in actuality they are easy and cheap to maintain, calm, very soft and cuddly (although many don’t agree), great for bad pet allergies and a great conversation starter. i cant tell my landlord i have him but, ive had him for over 4 years. reptiles are great pets 😀
I’m a rattie-lover too!
I adopted girl rats Colin and Charlotte from a friend of mine when she moved in with someone un-rat-friendly. They were the loveliest pets I’ve ever had! Both got really big tumours though, it was awful seeing them uncomfortable.
I’ve recently adopted a big boy rat, Rueben. I think the famly who had him before not got him out the cage, so he is a bit antisocial and cautious, but is beginning to learn about pet chocolate, which helps!
Spread the rattie love!
If the short lifespan puts you off rats, degus are an amazing animal companion option! They are just as intelligent, and actually have a better auditory range so you can teach them more commands. They live around 5-8 years so you get more love in that tiny package! My boys Gilbert and George are awesome.
Me and my girlfriend have 2 rats and they’re so great. We wanted a pet, but didn’t feel like we could afford a dog or a cat. And when I was little, my daycare had a pet rat, named Fredrick, who I was in love with.
We’ve had Grayson and Hurricane since January and they’re so curious and lively and they’ve never bit anyone, ever.
I had rats as a kid, and I LOVED them! But I had to miss Annabelle and Rascal a bit too soon, their life spans were too short for my rat-lovin’ heart
a little late to the party but I love this! I’ve always loved rodent pets, and since we’re resigned to apartment life for the forseeable future I won’t get a dog (big fluffy dog with no yard to run and have fun is just kinda sad). Maybe if I show this to the hubs it’ll win him over. He draws the line on pets at rats and hedgehogs…*sigh*
Well, as long as the fancy rats have fancy hats…I could get on board.
I work in a pet store, and have recently fallen in love with a hairless rat. Although all of them are very sociable and playful… this guy won my heart. I would love to bring him home, alas like you, my landlord found out I had guinea pigs and I am still trying to find them a new home (I am also being picky and taking my time with this in hopes he comes around)… but I agree 110% that rats (or many rodents) get a bad name.
My best friend had rats when we were kids, she’d take them to school with her, and they’d hang out in her big pouch pocket – they never tried to escape or leave her when she had them at school. They were so cute and so, so smart!
I completely agree with this article! I used to have several rats, some from pet stores and several others rescued or adopted from situations where they weren’t wanted. I learned that even the most unapproachable of my little darlings was a thousand times more lovable than any traditional small critter (i.e. hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits) I’d owned in the past, they were super smart, and had great personalities. Though in retrospect I wish I would’ve kept my numbers down in order to have more one on one time it was very difficult with how cute they were, besides once people found out they were pushing extra rats on me that they “just didn’t have time for” or weren’t allowed to have in the first place. Sadly they have all passed from old age (my only gripe about rats is their life expectancy) and I don’t get to hear the little squeal when people first find out I own a rat. Sigh, I miss that in particular sometimes.