What do you think? All I can say is that, for me, this is a charming video. The woman says that her rats make a happy. It is a statement with which you can’t argue and you can only be happy for her.
Did my rat really just drag me closer so she could give me a kiss and climb my arm? 🥺
Credit: Tiktok @prairiedog_mama
Posted by Rats Make Me Happy on Friday, May 27, 2022
Note: This is an embedded video from another website. Sometimes they are deleted at source or the video is turned into a link which would stop it working here. I have no control over this.
About half a million families in the US own a rat or a mouse according to the American Pet Products Association and the numbers are climbing. One reason perhaps might be that people who want to adopt a pet but are allergic to cats choose a rat as an alternative. There is of course the perceptual barrier of thinking of rats as vermin but as their popularity grows and people become accustomed to the idea of pet rats their popularity rises.
Rats are very sociable and they like to bond with their owners. They can be trained and you will see social media posts showcasing a variety of successful behaviours trained into rats. Rats that are well cared for do not smell. Although the cage needs to be regularly cleaned just like you would clean the litter tray of a cat companion.
It is said that they make great pets, are easier to care for than conventional pets, smell nice and rarely bite. They are affectionate and intelligent animals. They will bond with you quickly. Once bonded they make lifelong companions. They recognise their owners and respond to their voice and appearance.
Of course, like any companion animal they should not be left alone with babies and toddlers without supervision. They tend to be nocturnal but they are also active for periods during the day. As mentioned, they caused few allergic reactions in people and they do not shed fur that much.
Apparently, the Dumbo red is the most popular variety today. There are described as being like a well-bred dog.
They love the warmth and contact of their caregivers and are very cuddly. Like cats, they mark territory with their urine. On the negative side they can leave 40-100 droppings daily.
Further, on the negative side, rats are responsible for the spread of leptospirosis which can result in kidney and liver damage. It can also be contracted through handling or inhalation of rat faeces and urine. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, recommends that families with children under five years of age, pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems do not have rats as pets because they are at a higher risk of serious illness.
On the positive side, pet rats are much cleaner than dogs and they spend a lot of their time self-grooming. They are very clean animals.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services recommend the following safety tips for you and your rat: wash your hands immediately after touching and caring for pet rats, keep pet rats and their supplies out of the kitchen and where food is prepared or consumed, play with pet rats safely and do not kiss, nuzzle hold rats close to your face. Some of the germs carried by rats are found in their saliva, faeces or urine which can get into the air when it dries.
Below are some pages on interspecies relationships.
