Rats are reliably friendly, affectionate, as well as playful. When my daughter turned 8, my husband and I decided she was old enough to take care of her own pet. Leah had been requesting a pet for a while, preferably a dog, but together we settled on a smaller species that didn’t require daily walks and poop scoops. After exploring the pros and cons of hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and rats, we all agreed. Rats. As in, they were the winner, not “Oh, no!” Many kids aged 8 and up are ready for pet care responsibilities (with reminders) and can play gently with small animals unsupervised. If you can get over rats’ bald tails, and I wondered if I would (I did), they make fantastic pets for kids. In fact, I think they’re the best. Experts agree. Here’s why.
Rats are social and intelligent.
They’re reliably friendly and affectionate, as well as playful, and they thrive on human companionship. Given the right care, they will bond with their human in much the same way a dog does (this was a major selling point with me) and will happily ride on
your shoulder. They’re also smart enough to learn tricks and learn their name. Start with a baby or young rat and handle them often to help them bond with you.
Rats almost never bite.
In the small animal world, they’re known for this trait. They might lick you or nibble your fingers if they smell food, but they won’t bite unless frightened. This is an important trait to me as a parent—I didn’t want my child worried about putting her hand in the cage. Midge, Leah’s pet rat, got upset just once when Leah tried to take a sugary candy wrapper away from her, but even then, Midge only squeaked her annoyance.
Rats are clean.
Rats are fastidious groomers, and so long as you do your part to keep the cage clean, it won’t take on any kind of barnyard aroma. That said, males do tend to mark with urine, and they also have rather, ahem, distracting anatomy. But as far as whether a male or female makes a better pet, it’s a wash. Both are good.
Rats are quiet.
Although they’re nocturnal, rats don’t use a wheel as hamsters do (no squeaking through the night). They’ll also habituate themselves to your child’s schedule. Leah often played with Midge before school and every evening before she went to bed. Midge greeted Leah by waiting in the corner of her cage.
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SHE SNORES MORE THAN I DO, BUT I STILL LOVE MY HUMAN. — BANDIT adopted 11-26-09
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