Despite popular belief, rats aren't disease-ridden [notably plague], dirty creatures that bite and scratch - in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Domesticated rats make clean, friendly, playful, quiet and entertaining pets that are often described as miniature dogs. Rats are suitable for children and adults alike. Rats are friendlier than hamsters, gerbils and mice - these are sociable creatures that love company and they have to be pushed very far before they bite [unlike hampsters, gerbils etc.]. Rats can also be taught tricks, such as to come when called and to hop through a hoop. Some rat owners have  succeeded in housetraining their pets.

Facts

Pink-eyed rats will often sway their head back and forth, while trying to focus on a particular object because they have such poor eyesight.

Rats do not drag their tails limply behind them. Instead they keep them raised an inch or so off the ground for quick turns and balance as they move along.

Rats who love to run on wheels will often hold their tail in a constant curl over their body.

Rats are most active at the twilight hours.

Rats are always incredibly inquisitive, although very cautious of new things.

Rats always like to take the shortest route to accomplish their task, even if this includes climbing etc.

Although rats are very social and usually sleep in a big pile, don't be surprised if you see them sleeping off in separate areas of the cage as well. Rats will sometimes need their "alone" time, just like people do.

Rats are definite individuals with personalities as varied as human beings.

Rats love to go exploring inside your clothing.

Rats love to almost always give a big yawn after waking up.

Rats instinctively love to build nests.

Rats see their cage as their burrow.

Rats do not like sudden, unpredictable movements from people - it scares them.

Rats react sensitively to anything bitter tasting.

If a rat gets a bad taste in its mouth, it will drag its mouth across the floor trying to get rid of the taste.

Rats have excellent memories.

Rats are excellent problem solvers.

Rats are the LEAST aggressive of any of the small animals due to their intelligent and social nature.

Rats love to please.

Rats form close bonds with their human care givers.

Rats do not respond to punishment, and cannot be taught to stop their natural behaviour.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest-lived rat was named Rodney. He lived for 7 years and 4 months.

Rats cannot give rabies.

Every ten days of a rat's life equals one human year.

A rat's average life span is between 2 and 3 years.

Rats keep their teeth trim by constantly grinding them together. What this means is that a rat's teeth generally won't overgrow unless their jaw alignment is off, or if they have stopped grinding their teeth for some reason (such as an abscessed tooth).

Rats cannot burp.

Rats cannot vomit.

Female rats can start developing mammary tumors at the age of 14 1/2 months.

Rats synthesize their own vitamin C and vitamin K.

A rat's tail helps regulate a rat's body temperature.

A rat's sense of smell is excellent, even exceeding that of a dog.

Rats have extreme hearing capabilities, even in the ultrasonic ranges.

Rats communicate much of their language on a sound frequency that the human ear cannot hear.

Rats are poorly nearsighted.

Rats do not see three dimensionally, thus having no depth perception.

Rats are colour blind.

A rat's vision is geared for spotting movement.

Their four front incisors (teeth) grow at about four to five inches per year.

A rat's tail helps it keep its balance.

Rat's tears are pink.

Reputation

Let's take a closer look at some of the beliefs which surround this mischievous little animal...

Rats Are Filthy: Rats are considered filthy animals because they live in filthy environments. Yet in reality, rats are more obsessed with grooming themselves than cats are. Cleanliness is a true priority to a rat, right down to that spot in between each of their little toes.

Rats Are Vermin: Rats are the most adaptable and successful mammals on the planet - next to us. And like us, they are only trying to live their lives and be successful. We call them vermin because they eat our food and cause destruction to our property, but take a minute to consider the constant destruction we, as humans, cause to this planet each and every day. The pollution we create. Our unbelievable waste of food and natural resources. [How can we turn our noses up at rats and label them vermin when we are guilty of the exact same crimes?]

Rats are Evil: Animals cannot be evil, not even rats. They are not capable of causing harm for simple pleasure. They do what they do out of instinct, which helps them to survive.

Rats Are Infesting Our Cities: Rats live in our cities because we as a people have invited them to. Everyday we lay out a buffet of foods for them to enjoy, through our carelessly strewn garbage and waste. If the human race would like to rid itself of rats, we should stop exterminating them, and start being more responsible about our trash.

Rats are Sneaky: Although rats are very intelligent, they are not capable of forming elaborate plots against us. They do not wish us harm. They don't stick to the walls and dark spaces because they are sneaky and out to get us, but because they are scared.

Rats Infected Humans With the Plague: Many people believe that the plague, or Black Death, was spread to humans through the bites and scratches of rats. In truth, the plague was spread by the bite of the "rat flea". Rats were just unwitting hosts to these little parasites, unwillingly giving them carriage to spread their disease. And rats are not the only animal to carry these fleas; gerbils, guinea pigs, marmots, deer mice, and chipmunks also helped spread the plague in certain areas.

Rats Wiped out More of Man Kind Than all of the Wars Put Together: We do not deny the fact that by rats carrying the fleas, they indirectly caused the death of millions of people. But what about the billions of people they have saved and continue to save everyday? Through their "volunteering" in the scientific community, billions of rats have, without choice, sacrificed their lives in endless experimentation which has resulted in numerous new drugs and medical techniques for humankind. [Not fair on them, really, but a good point!]

Rats are Vicious: Rats can, of course, be ferocious - but only if they are cornered, and wild. Given half a chance, a rat will always choose to run away from a human being. According to the book "Rats!" by Richard Conniff, "Rats bite thousands of Americans a year. But dogs bite 3 MILLION of us each year, and their bite, unlike the rat's, carries a significant risk of rabies."

Rats are Creepy: The media is constantly trying to portray rats as creepy and evil. Let's take movies, for instance. Think about it. Whatever the story is, if they are trying to create a scary or creepy atmosphere for you, they will always throw in a couple of rats. It's like a standard formula. Pay closer attention, and you will quickly pick up on this. We are constantly being bombarded with images of rats that have glowing red eyes, sharp pointy fangs, and a desperate lust for the taste of human flesh! The media has been responsible for ruining the reputation of many species of animals including wolves, bats, sharks, snakes, and more. The media's portrayal of these animals is complete distortion. Please keep in mind when enjoying any of our fictional entertainment, that that is exactly what it is, fictional - whether it's books, movies, TV, adverts, music, or even theater.

Ok, some of you have read everything about the rat's reputation, and all you can say is "What a bunch of malarkey! Where do you come up with this junk. I know rats, and they're evil!"

We can live with that. You know why? Because none of the statements in the above page matters anyway. Because what we are really talking about here is the domesticated pet rat, which is what this site is all about promoting. A domesticated pet rat is as different from a wild rat as a golden retriever is from that of a wolf. People don't seem to realize this when they see rats for sale at their local pet shop and cringe. These are not sewer rats. They are domesticated pets - and bred to be friendly, sociable and healthy!