Retired Rodents - they're in the retirement category because they're
About Rats
Rats make magnificent pets! If you are looking for a fun small pet please don't rule out rats. They are extremely smart, friendly, and playful, making them one of the best pocket pets out there. Rats are very social animals, so they do best if kept in same-sex pairs or more. It is extremely important that rats have the companionship of other rats because they will be much happier, healthier, and even more social toward humans if they have other rats to interact with. Yes! Rats love their human friends and will prove it by begging for attention and love.
Rats love to be cuddled, petted, and scratched gently just like a dog does. Speaking of dogs, many rat lovers compare rats to small dogs in terms of intelligence and love, including world-famous animal expert, Jack Hanna, who says, "Rats are the closest thing you will find to a dog in a small animal." As with very small dogs, with some patience, rats can be trained to learn their names and some commands.
Did you know that rats are very clean animals and don’t even have an odor? If any odor is detected it is almost always odor from the cage itself because it has not being kept clean enough. Rats don’t like that odor either!
Very sadly, rats have a bad reputation simply because they are misunderstood. Many people continue to associate them with the kind of rats you'd find in a city sewer; however, domesticated rats are as different from wild rats as golden retrievers are from wolves! Fortunately, times are changing and rats are becoming very popular as household pets, but sadly there are still many misconceptions about them.
Please, won't you give the magnificent rat a chance? Don't believe the nonsense you've heard from misinformed sources. Make up your own mind based on your experience.
El Mapais National Monument, Zuni Mountains, New Mexico