# Pet Rat



## Rainbow-Serpent (Sep 4, 2009)

Hi All, 

We recently went an bought 2 little mice (boys), and they smelt reeeeeally bad, so Mums friend took them off to a good home that didn't mind the smell.

My best friend's Dad has 2 female rats, and Kate loves them, she says they're awesome and friendly, and that shes getting her own this weekend. 

Which got me thinking, maybe a rat would be a good pet for me?

So I asked Kate about the smell of hers, she said they don't smell, so I read an article on Burkes backyard, also saying that they don't smell.

One problem, my mother hates rats, trying to convince her to let me get a small female, not sure what to say, shes let me get snakes and mice, so surely should would let me get a rat right?

Any ideas??


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## Noongato (Sep 4, 2009)

Well if she let you get mice you should be able to get a rat, mice smell terrible!!!
Rats dont smell. The males get a slight manly musk, but its sortof a perfume for the lady rats. But overall they really done have a smell at all unless you never clean the cage and let feacies build up.

I have 20 something pet rats, alot of people dont appreciate them, but find one young and friendly and it is a wonderful pet, like a little dog. They have different personalities and some will even lick you and play with you. Not like mice, ive never known a friendly mouse, not like a rat anyway.

My mum hated rats, then before i knew it she stole one of mine and babied it, she took it everywhere and named her pearl. My mum isnt a animal person at all, but when pearl died of old age i actually saw her cry. Was really weird!


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## grannieannie (Sep 4, 2009)

I don't know what you can tell your mum, but I've had pet boy rats....they say the males are more placid than the girls....I had 2 brothers for just over 2 1/2 yrs, and as long as you clean their cage out with warm soapy water every 4 - 5 days, they don't stink, they clean themselves and each other, they are very, very cute, much nicer than mice, and can become very tame. My last little boy Charlie died just 2 weeks ago, he was gorgeous.


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## Noongato (Sep 4, 2009)

Yeah, boys are more cuddly and mellow, whereas the girls are always on the go and getting into mischief. Boys have a slight musk, whereas the girls dont have any smell.

The biggest problem with rats as pets, is they only live for 3 years tops, so they break your heart pretty quick.
The other problem is everyone tells you their disgusting and argue with you.. Even the snake people. Haha


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## TahneeMaree (Sep 4, 2009)

get a baby rat... and tell her its a full grown mouse


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## Noongato (Sep 4, 2009)

Heres 2 of my girls. The scruffy one is like that cos she's a rex.

View attachment 101121


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## TahneeMaree (Sep 4, 2009)

Just curious... is it possible to mate a rat with a mouse?


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## Duke (Sep 4, 2009)

TahneeMaree said:


> Just curious... is it possible to mate a rat with a mouse?


That's like trying to mate a human with a chimpanzee 

They're not even in the same genus.


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## cris (Sep 4, 2009)

TahneeMaree said:


> Just curious... is it possible to mate a rat with a mouse?



:lol: a moat? I have used rats to raise mice before, but i dont like your chances of hybridising them.


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## redbellybite (Sep 4, 2009)

TahneeMaree said:


> Just curious... is it possible to mate a rat with a mouse?


 no they wouldnt mate ...but have had a female mummy mouse feed a pinkie rat for me now thats a sight to see the rattie was a few weeks old and bigger then her surro mummy :lol::lol::lol:


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## TahneeMaree (Sep 4, 2009)

ah okies ^_^
didn't think so, but I thought I'd ask anyways

ask no questions - get no answeres - learn nothing new


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## Asharee133 (Sep 4, 2009)

you can have one of my annoying *******s!!!!, they are great pets


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## Noongato (Sep 4, 2009)

I thought i had a mouse rat hybrid once when i was a kid, but it was just a "black rat", which looks like a rat-sized mouse x possum creature. Nasty bloody thing..


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Sep 4, 2009)

TahneeMaree said:


> Just curious... is it possible to mate a rat with a mouse?


 I looked that up a few weeks ago.

No it isn't, it has been tried scientifically, by inserting stuff into stuff, but the developing babies don't get past the 6th stage of development inside the mother.


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## diamondgal79 (Sep 4, 2009)

As a mum i was not thrilled when one of my guys wanted a rat.
I kept mice as a kid and i HATE the smell of mice.
I used to feed pinkie mice to re-habing dragons and lizards and older mice to re-habing owls and kookaburras when i worked for NPWS and there was certainally no love lost between me and mice.

However ... when "Rory" came into our house i was hooked from day one! Ask Midnight serval i have joined a Rat forum and other form and love to tell everyone who will listen about rats.
:lol:
I even ended up with 6 more rats since then:shock:
Yep 6 more!!
3 a woman was threatening to kill and 3 from our local shelter.
I LOVE them.

Im growing a couple of "feeder" rats outside that arent pets but i still feel sorry for them however the pets are off limits when it comes to snake food.

I would absolutley let my kids get rats but draw the line at mice:evil:

By the way they live in our loungeroom and they DONT smell
My Mother in was totally against the rats till she met ours then she even cuddled them although cant see her getting any in a hurry lol!

She doesnt think we should have snakes either:lol:

Goodluck with ya mum


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## AnthonyJ (Sep 4, 2009)

TahneeMaree said:


> Just curious... is it possible to mate a rat with a mouse?



nothing stopping you from giving it a go =)


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Sep 4, 2009)

Something just crossed my mind, my friend has 2, soon to be 3, so if my Mum met them maybe she would come to think they're cool??


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## Asharee133 (Sep 4, 2009)

Jord, have a look on my threads i posted, they are my little shat-lings


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## Kimbully (Sep 4, 2009)

Rats are actually predators to mice. Not saying co-existing is not possible but the little mice may stress!

My mum also hated rats, but I made her pat a velvety baby and she came around. Eventually she also fell in love with my sisters fav pet rat.
I agree boys are more cuddly and smoochy and would be my pic as a pet (if only I didn't have so many others!)


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## Noongato (Sep 4, 2009)

Found more piks of my boy Igor, he's a double rex, so he was half naked when he shed his baby fur cos he doesnt have the guard hairs or whatever, something like that. I love the double rex's cos they go all patchy..

View attachment 101131


View attachment 101132


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## Rainbow-Serpent (Sep 4, 2009)

Haha he's a cute one Mid! In first picture it looks like he's saying, "How humiliating!"


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## Noongato (Sep 4, 2009)

Heres a youtube clip of Igor playing silly buggers..

[video=youtube;wtUypiwRVLw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtUypiwRVLw[/video]


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## Wild~Touch (Sep 4, 2009)

Boy rats leave little drops of pee all over the place - it;'s marking their territory

I didn't think it smelt at all.....just wet patches everywhere 

Girl don't seem to do this...both make excellent pets


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## kandi (Sep 4, 2009)

overall as much as i prefer girl anything the boy anything wins ...my boy chihuahua is by far the better dog and the male rat are way more lovable u just got to get past there big balls....


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## wranga (Sep 4, 2009)

rats dont smell unless your lazy and dont clean them weekly. ive got lots of pet rats, my snakes love them


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## warren63 (Sep 4, 2009)

Rats are great pets, highly recommend. We have 2 girls and they dont smell and quite intelligent, currently running around the lounge room for their nightly exercise.
Check out the australian rat forum too


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## Mousie (Sep 4, 2009)

Pet rats are cool. I recently got my first pet ones. One of our feeders was either born with no tail or had it chewed off just after she was born. We named her Wombat and brought her and a little friend inside for a life of luxury. Little cuties. I hung a hollow log in the top of their cage and within a week they stopped toileting in the log and started sleeping in it. Very good at keeping their sleeping area clean if given a chance. Here's a couple of pics...


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