Introduction to Pet Rats 101

Maybe you've seen them on television lately or read books and magazine articles about them or bumped into them while surfing the web. They're showing up in the most unusual places, not at all the expected subway or sewers. Why all the sudden interest in rats, anyway? Well, to an increasing number of people, rats are now the pets of choice, spurring a growing interest in them by the media. They've been seen on The Tonight Show (search for Ducommun), The Howie Mandel Show as well as Fox's Pet News.

Perhaps this is seen as a passing phase, but we rat owners know better. With the limited time, space and budgets more and more people have these days, it is easy to see how rats are fitting in as ideal companions. They sleep during the day and will be awake just when their owners come home and need de-stressing. Two same-sex rats (the minimum requirement!) take up only the space of their cage. And rats are very inexpensive to maintain (barring unexpected vet bills, of course). All this combined with their loving, cheerful natures and human-like qualities (Yes -- they're lazy and love junk food, sleep, good friends and a good cuddle just like most people I know!) make them perfect pets. And they will, if properly socialized, enjoy tagging along in a pocket or sweater while their owners do errands, making waiting in line at various places not so tedious!

Then why do rats have such bad reputations? Well, for one thing, wild rats remind us of how dirty we are as a society. They only exist where man encourages them by throwing away tons of edible junk. They are rumored to carry disease, but in truth it's the filthy living conditions that man has subjected himself and the rat to that foster diseases in the first place. And then there's the tails.... I still don't understand that particular prejudice, but anyone who's been around rats for very long soon begins to see them not as something strange, but as a useful organ which rats use for balance and for temperature regulation. Plus there are now tailless varieties of rat!

Today's pet rats are descended from wild rats of the species rattus norvegicus, otherwise known as Norway rats or brown rats. They are very hardy, intelligent animals which have followed humans around the globe, sharing their garbage and grain for centuries. Domestication of the rat began in the 1800's or so in England where rat catchers separated out unusual colored rats for pets. They were very fashionable pets -- author Beatrix Potter is reported to have had a pet white rat named Sammy. The interest in rats died out for a time but has recently begun an intense upswing. There are rat clubs, which hold regular rat shows where you can find fancy rats of all colors and textures. Many rat breeders don't supply pet stores with snake food at all, but breed gorgeous, friendly rats for the pet and/or show market. And there are societies being formed to rescue abandoned or abused rats and to protect rats' rights. In this column I hope to explore many more tidbits of information about these fascinating pets with you.

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