Rats--Can you help
My daughter is interested in buying a rat. My two biggest concerns are 1.) do they stink? (I had guinea pigs as a kid, and they stunk to high heaven), and 2.) do they bite? (I had gerbils, and they bit all the time). However, I have no experience with rats. Can you help?
Answers:Hi, I have no idea how old your daughter is: however, I must say that rats are social animals, so a same-sex pair would be ideal.
Best is to find a breeder of pet or "fancy" rats in your area ( Fancy has nothing to do with whether or not they are interesting colours, merely an old English way of saying hobby *G* )
Do they stink? Not if their cage is kept clean - they can be litter trained, which means that you only need to empty their litter tray daily, and clean the cage once a week.
Do they bite? Not as a general rule - obviously they can and will bite if mishandled ( so would you or I ), or startled, but they are not the aggressive creatures that they're made out to be. They may take your finger or part of hand between their teeth, if they mistake you for food, but it's not a bite, and they will release as soon as they realise their mistake.
Unlike male mice, which do stink, male rats can be kept together in social groups ( I once had a "mischief" - collective name for a group of rats - of 31 males! )
However, that's not your intention, so above all, make sure that you can tell the difference between the sexes - it's quite easy. For example <3 )--- Female <3 )3---- Male.