Why Rats???

As the title suggests really...as we get asked this so many times as rat owners  
So,what are your usual answers?Why rats and not a dog,or a bunny or a stick insect etc?

I've always been mad about animals anyway - grew up with dogs, cats, horses, ducks, geese, chickens, sheep and cows (Grandparents had a smallholding - I had a pet sheep and a pet cow! XD)... when I was about 6 I met a pair of ex lab rats belonging to the daughter of a friend of my parents - and I loved them. Later on my friend's sister had a pair of boys... and I set about trying to find some for myself. I got my first pair in 1999. I had hamsters and mice before that though too.

xx

Rats are the most awesome creatures and they all their own personalities. While its not easy in an appartment to have many larger animals you can have a gang of rats: one likes do to tricks, one likes to sit on your shoulder watching the sourroundings and one likes to lik and cuddle all the time <3
Rats have so many advantages compared to other pets like a dog. Not that I don't linke dogs, I'va had dogs before and adore them, they just need a different kind of attention.
Dogs want to take a long walk every day, preferably 2 - rats are perfectly happy with me reading a book or playing a game while they climb all over me
Dogs don't want to be alone all day while I work - rats are more than happy to not be bothered during day hours so they can sleep and they grew acive as soon as I come home - perfekt!
If I am going on a vacation a dog needs someone to look after him and care a lot - nothing you want to bother a friend with - but looking after your rats once a day is something you can easily ask friends, ( you do the same for their guineapig )
Also rats don't scare off postmen (unless you try to place one direcly on them maybe)!
Also rats are so easy to be exited. The same items can get interesting again, when arranged in a new order. Other things like pea-diving or digging for treats never get old. And I never grow tired of watching them

Well I have rats, in addition to dogs, cats, birds, fish and a horse! I'm just an animal lover. Rats are so intelligent and loving, and have so much to give, as much as any dog or cat, if not more. Also their needs are very simple and they aren't expensive to keep and feed. Its like having cuddly little puppies which never grow up and remain small and cute. The only downside is their short livespans. But despite this and the heartache it brings with each loss, I'll always keep them.

Almost 12 years ago a friend of mine brought her 3 girls once and they were running on our couch and eating meatballs out of her soup and it was sooo cute  My boyfriend had wanted rats his whole life, so when that friend adopted a pregnant girl we got our first 2 boys and I've been hooked ever since