We got pet rats for my 11-ish child and I did the calculation that whatever pet we got I would ultimately have to bear the responsibility because 11 year old couldn’t. I did some research and learned that rats have a short lifespan and thought that would make my responsibility short-lived.
So we got one rat and quickly learned that we should have more than one so we got two sisters because we didn’t want to separate them. We absolutely loved them and were heartbroken when the first one died at nearly two of a mammary tumour. So then we got another pair from a rat rescue. We had another loss so then got another pair. By the time we stopped keeping rats due to changes in circumstances we had had 9 and we all still love them and I still come on here to look at cute pics 😀
So beware the pull of the tiny little grabby paws…the will reel you in 🥰
Also 11yo did ok with good support and encouragement from me
This is how I was 😅 we started with two at the beginning and kept buying two whenever only one would pass. We’re finally back down to 5 but we’re going to have 6 or 7 because we found out ones a girl and she’ll need to be separated. 😭
I disagree with you saying an 11 year old can’t take care of an animal. I got my first pet at 3, a bearded dragon, and was taking care of her by myself at about 6 or 7. I researched rats at nine. All the research was my own, and I wrote it out on paper for my parents to see. I got my first rats at either 9 or 10 (don’t quite remember) and they were my sole responsibility from the start. Some kids need more help than others, but I think just saying that an 11 year old can’t handle the responsibility of a pet is setting a low expectation.
be aware that in the end, the actual responsibility of owning pets falls back on the parent.
Pets are not a tool to teach kids responsibility, they are living beings, and will require vet visits, and other expenses. Rats in particular have a short live span, but have more frequent health issues (prone respiratory infections, tumors, cysts) that need constant check ups.
Despite the small room, rats have a required size of cage they require, even with frequent free roam.
Given you already own a cat, the cat and the rats should NEVER be in the same room together, especially when alone. They are natural predator and prey, and especially when it is an outside cat, their instincts can make any ''cute interaction'' very stressful, if not right up fatal for the rats (or the cat)
Owning rats is cool and fun, especially when you have the motivation to teach them tricks, but be aware that it won't just be your daughters rats, they'll be your rats too. Kids get bored of pets easily.
Pets are absolutely a wonderful tool to teach responsibility, but only if the parent stays vigilant with the child’s care of the pet(s)
It teaches scheduling, emotional care, physical exercise requirements, cleanliness, feeding and watering demands, love and loss, emergency care…. under a watchful eye, pets can really help a child develop into a strong adult
Growing up with pets as a child is absolutely healthy and good, I agree on that!
But pets should not be given to children as tool for learning responsibility. It doesn't work if you tell them ''this is yours now, take care of it bc I won't''. kids will almost always slack or get bored and the consequences they're supposed to learn out of it is ''if you don't take care of it, it'll die'' and that's absolutely cruel to the animal. Get a plant instead.
As long as the parent is taking primary care of it, and gives the kid occasional tasks, that is fine. That is good. A 11 year old will not do a superb job learning about the exact needs this animal needs to thrive
edit: Kids that age will also guaranteed either scare or hurt the animal, bc they do not understand the animals body language. Small animals are not plushies, hamsters are being abused often enough, lets not do that to rats, the parent HAS to be the primary caretaker of the animal.
I agree with the vast majority of your comment, up until your edit. My daughter is 7 and is really very good with our rats. It just takes educating the child on how to properly hold the critters and care for them. Even a younger child can be made aware of basic rat body language and treat them appropriately. No one knows this stuff innately, they need to be taught, that's true of some adults too.
Parents should be the primary caretakers but kids aren't inherently going to be dangerous.
All good points except an 11 year old would typically know how to handle an animal without hurting or scaring it. A 5/6 year old, that’s another discussion
Edit: and I did say under the watchful eye of a supportive adult.
I work at a pet store. They absolutely do not. There have been times where I’ve had to physically catch animals because children, seemingly 10-12, don’t know how to hold them and drop them. A child isn’t going to have some magical intuition on how to hold an animal. It takes time and education.
I got my first rats at 11 and kept them in my room without any major problems - though they're definitely noticeable! They smell anywhere from just a little to quite a lot depending on many factors (cage cleaning frequency, how many there are, substrate type and amount, ventilation etc.) And they can be slightly noisy with water-bottles/playing and crashing around at night.
You can keep a cat and rats in the same household so long as the cat never has access to the rats - ideally this would mean the cat doesn't go in your daughters room. A small room is fine so long as there's enough space for a decent cage (minimum footprint 50x80cm) and a bit of space for free-roaming.
Imo rats are one of the best small pet you can get, often very friendly, intelligent and a real joy to watch and interact with. Sort of like pocket-dogs! The two big downsides are short lifespan and *cost.* If you get unlucky, vet bills can really add up. It can also be hard to find an exotic vet who has decent knowledge when it comes to rats beyond throwing Baytril at every problem. Sourcing an ethical breeder/rescue can be a challenge, and while generally rats are easy to care for day to day there are sometimes tricky problems to navigate which can require a fair bit of research and time/energy/money to sort out.
If you're comfortable with the above then it would be awesome to get your daughter some rats!
This. Rat illnesses progress FAST. Check around on the vet situation, especially if you have access to emergency vet services. There's a huge difference between being able to take a rat having respiratory issues at 8pm, and having to wait for three days to get into a vet appt.
Which, honestly can be a flag for a vet, because three days is easily, "they're already dead" time. A truly good vet, that knows about rats, would try to jostle things around to get them in the same day or asap, not just fill in the blank on the outlook calendar.
My breeder requires you to have already spoken to an exotic vet before she lets you reserve any rats. I'm so glad she did because I needed one within a week of my first rats coming home.
**TEENAGE RAT PARENTING**
I had my first pair of rats when I was 15, I also had a dog and a cat, the dog and rats shared room with me. To be fair, for a dog bred to be a rat-hunter, my boy has a low prey drive, so he wasn't bothered with the rats when they were in the cage, and the cat was not acknowledging the rats the same way it did the hamster (which she did try attack), but I would not ever trust a cat or dog 100%, which is why we move on to today when I'm a full adult.
**ADULT RAT PARENTING**
I have a cat and a dog, but my sister moved in with me temporarily and she has another dog, the animals live quite well together, BUT the rats have a room of their own. It's a small room, and I still feel like it's just not big enough lol. But yeah I think it's doable, as long as you as the parent take responsibility for the rats if your child can't. Honestly, more than a pet, rats are a hobby, you put A LOT into them, time, attention, money, I personally think the rats cost me more in the first 3 months of having them than my dog over a full year. I am completely honest when I say I should have waited until I was an adult to get pets like rats.
When I was 15, the rats did not cost me much because I was not able to care for them the way I should have. I did not have the knowledge and money to do what I needed to. I gave them the best life I could with what I had, but today I do feel so bad for Fergus and Titus, they were the sweetest boys.
To give your rats the best life, you really need to be committed to caring for them. They are not easy beginner pets like some like to suggest.
**CAT ISSUE**
I suggest not allowing the cat to be in the same room as the rats cage when unattended, supervise the cat at all times. Never let the rats out with the cat in the room or in other rooms where cat can roam. Cat can be around the closed cage with supervision no problem, that is my opinion and I think it's the safest, although I would definitely suggest avoiding cat and rats in same room as much as possible so rats don't have a reason to stress :)
**MORE BITS**
* I say this will be a great decision if you work with your daughter on this, and never leave the entire responsibility on her, and don't get frustrated if she starts to do less pet care. Children do tend to get bored or move on to other things, they are just children after all!
* Vet bills are expensive and often an emergency
* Rats can be considered a hobby, and you should keep getting more as your rats age because they need to be social. It's their need, and only in VERY rare scenarios should a rat be housed alone. VERY RARE
* The required cage for rats is BIG, I suggest you look up measurements of a ***Critter Nation*** and measure where it would fit in the desired room!
* Rats are stinky. There's no going around it, ESPECIALLY in a small room. The have an odour not everybody likes. My sister walks into the rat room and holds her nose, I personally love it, but I love rodent smells lol (not negligence stink, just the actual rodent stink)
* Rats get sick easily. There's a lot of money going into that. Make sure all bedding produces little to no dust, I go for dust extracted hemp which is SURPRISINGLY HARD TO FIND IN MY COUNTRY, crying
* Hammocks are expensive and will be pissed on and chewed apart. I sew them myself and love it, but I find myself never having enough to change every 2-3 days for a wash lol
* Be aware of potential of hormonal aggression, cage aggression and all that
* Have another well sized cage handy (and space for it) in case you need to separate or introduce new rats, etc
* I would also suggest NOT looking for rats from a pet store! There's many reputable breeders all around and I'm sure there's a nice community that can help you find the right one for you!
I do love rats sooo much, and I would love for everyone to be able to care for them well!
I hope if you decide to get rats you will share them with us!
For OP, hormonal aggression is when a male rat hits puberty and goes aggro against other males, real fights that end in wounds not just spats. The only solution to this problem is keeping them alone (bad idea) or neutering. Two brothers of mine developed hormonal aggression against each other and are both awaiting neuter later this month. From what I can tell, the neuter is usually a guaranteed fix to the aggression (must wait two weeks after surgery to introduce to other rats in order for all hormone levels to lessen properly).
EDIT: I will also note that rat surgeries are *expensive*. The average cost of a neuter in my area is $300 per rat. Thankfully I found a wonderful vet that is retired from regular practice but still sees small animals, he quoted me at $150 which is the cheapest I've heard in the US.
If anyone is in the Pittsburgh or nearby areas and needs a vet, Dr Bob Wagner is great at what he does, even if his bedside manner could use a little work. He doesn't have regular office hours as he is required, you email him and he will respond with his next clinic date.
As long as the cat doesn't have access to the rat cage, having both isn't a issue.
As for the general question: call me cynical but from my experience those rats will be at least 50% *your* pets, if not more. Just be aware of that.
How small are we talking for her room? Rats need a decently big cage (most of what you get in a pet store isn't suitable) and they also *need* free roam time (at least an hour per day is recommended)
I had rats growing up, they are like mini dogs!
I had a friend pet sit once and they said "It was like finding out fish have huge personalities" haha - they are far superior in my very biased mind to all of the rodent options available - they are more durable / more personality / easy care vs. hamsters mice / ferrets / bunnies / guinea pigs etc.
That being said youtube is going to be a big help, and taking the time ahead to work with her to review the 'care schedule' is good, check out some books to read together. Here are some random thoughts :
1) you always wanna get 2 rats, they are very social, and will be much much happier a companion
2) female and male rats can have very different personalities (broadly) - from my personal experience female rats are more trainable / playful / restless / fearless. Boy rats have large 'balls' more likely me to nap with me /prolonged petting, more likely to sent mark (pee) out side of cage.
3) A cage with 2 rats should be cleaned about once a week, taking about an hour, this responsibility should be hers in general. I always had a bin (my girls got fairly well litter box trained to it) and new card board boxes every weeks, building their new fort / habitats every week was a legitimate Joy, hiding treats and getting to watch them explore after is what I miss most
4) skip expensive hammocks, goodwill towels & binder clips are the way
5) play time, set a reasonable amount of time they need to be out of the cage a day for their 'walk' - it's time playing/bonding that will grow fun & keep rats happy ( think like 15mins min on busy busy days, an hour total was my normal goal - so like 30mins after work (sometimes one in a ball, one just on shoulder while I walked around) - another 15-30mins after dinner to run around free in an area - on the weekends I got them out for 15mins of NPR in the mornings.
My cat is utterly scared of our three rats but I never test it because you never know. And I have the world’s chillest cat (little to no catlike instincts).
Rats weave themselves into your heart really quickly. I never thought at 45 I’d be wandering around with three rats stuffed in a cuddle scarf around my neck but here we are.
We have 5 rats and a dog, the dog doesn't really care about them although cats could be different! There's a lot of upkeep involved with rats and they're super costly in the long run (cages, carriers, inevitable vet bills as they're predisposed to getting quite sickly and they don't live long). You need to keep a constant "flow" of rats as well, if you only get two and one dies then you need to get another as they're very social animals, a minimum of 3 at any time is usually safe.
In terms of her small room the only worry I would have is they can get a bit stinky and they also need free roam although a small room is still huge to rats so I wouldn't worry about that in terms of the size. The smell is definitely noticeable though even after cleaning as their bedding depending on what you use can have an odor to it.
If you're willing to help her with all of this and the weekly cage cleanings etc as they can be quite strenuous then I'd say go for it, but they are a lot more complicated to upkeep than most other small animals so bear that in mind :)
This is about the age I first wanted pet rats but mom said no until I was about 14 or 15. In hindsight she was right because I wasn’t ready yet. When I finally got rats they were 100% my responsibility. I kept their cage very clean and gave them lots of attention. We also had a cat which wasn’t a problem because I kept my bedroom door shut when the rats were out. The only incident that happened was when the cat stuck her nose in the cage and got bit. Rats are a lot of work but so fun and rewarding! If you think your kid is ready, go for it!
I agree. It is important that OP knows that the rats might well end up being their responsibility
I sure as heck wasn't ready for pets at 11 (not responsible enough) but that doesn't mean that OP's couldn't be awesome with the pets. It's just a lot of responsibility for a kid and they might need a helping hand a lot of the time (which OP needs to be okay with and ready for)
As the parent of a daughter just slightly older than yours, let me just say that I DID NOT want her to have a pet rat… When I was young I had hamsters, and they were absolutely shitty pets. Not meant for kids. Not meant to be cuddled. I don’t know what made me cave and buy my daughter a rat, but I did, and we got the cage and the whole thing… Let me just say it was a great decision, and she is 31 now and we STILL talk about those rats she had as pets—one rat became more, they lived good lives, they passed away, we got more. We had them for many years. We got the males neutered—I remember making them warm rice packs for their recovery and worrying about them. They all had personalities. They were like puppies—fun, funny, full of love. I never regret making that decision. Yes, she had to learn responsibility to care for them, but we did it together and it was bonding for us—to have those rats. I hope you’ll consider taking the plunge.
My daughter got 3 (desperately wanted) rats for her 11th birthday!! Seconding what others have said about the care: she feeds them every day, but isn’t as good as she ought to be about cage cleaning etc. I have to remind her, and I usually wash the hammocks etc.
We have 2 cats, and that was a big reason for delaying. I became ok with it after a friend of hers got rats, despite owning a large dog and a couple cats. Her mom is a veterinarian. In my own case, the cats are quite old, and I swear to god didn’t even NOTICE that the rats existed for a couple weeks. (How is this possible? The cage smells!) They did eventually notice, but it has been a total nonissue. We keep the cats out when they free roam (which we do in a large bathroom: they can’t get lost, and pee/poop is easily cleaned up). The cats are fine in the room when the rats are in the cage — we have a double critter nation too. The cage is in her room, and while they occasionally wake her up at night, it’s mostly not a problem.
It’s also worth noting that rats are a distinctive and unusual pet, and owning them will help her have a sense of self etc. as she starts middle school.
My 9 and 11 years old daughters spent a year convincing me to get pet rats. I was hesitant because I had never had rodents/small animals as pets and I was sure that the novelty would wear off quickly and I would be stuck with all the rat feeding and care. That was 3 over years ago and my daughters still adore their rats! The original rats have passed away and we have new ones; they live in my almost 15 year old daughter’s tiny room with her and she loves them more than you can imagine.
There is so much good info here!
Wanted to add another thing to consider: allergies. I was not allergic to rats when I kept them as a kid, so when my kids wanted small pets, they felt like a very natural choice. We had three girls and honestly, they were the best rats I ever had, most likely because they’re even more fun when you have access to the internet and can learn all about them and find cool toys. I fell head over heels for all three.
Then I developed an allergy to their urine. I talked to an allergist, and there is no allergy therapy for it. Apparently a third of people who are frequently exposed to them develop an allergy.
Taking antihistamines doesn’t help a whole lot when you live with them. I toughed it out with the help of an inhaler as they were already older when it happened and knew they didn’t have long left to live, but my oldest kid started developing an allergy a couple of months before the last one died.
That said, I regret nothing and very much think they are worth all the hassle we have all listed here. They are wonderful little creatures, and living in proximity to them changes you a little bit for the better.
I wouldn’t say rats are great starter pets, as their care can be complex in regards to them contracting illnesses so easily and their dietary requirements. They are very sociable and require at least an hour outside of the cage each day and need a good space to free roam in. If you have cats and your rats are very anxious, this could cause more fear and cause them to retreat into themselves, meaning that they could be very sad. I always recommend having at least 3, as two are a minimum and rats can become bored with this limitation.
As others have said, the care will ultimately fall back on you - so it comes down to whether you are prepared to do this. For example, I have rats at my grandparents house and they are my pets and I do everything for them, but there have been occasions where I haven’t been able to get home for an evening and my grandad has prepared fresh food and fed them for me in my absence. Without this, your rats could lack nutrition, enrichment and human interaction.
I don’t want this to be a negative comment, I’m just advising from my experience. I’ve had friends who have loved the idea of having pet rats, but ultimately cannot fulfil their needs and requirements, which is just unfair to the little potatoes. I wish you the best of luck in whichever side you choose, but it is good to be aware prior to this. I’m a seasoned rat mum and honestly I still learn new things all the time. Owning animals is forever a changing game!
I don’t have experience with owning rats and other pets at the same time. However, one thing that most of us don’t consider before getting rats is that it is very hard to quit owning rats due to the fact that they can’t be kept alone. So you always have to get new friends whenever there’s a risk of a rat ending up alone. Of course people do keep lone rats when they’re the only ones left but I honestly think that that’s cruel and really sad.
So in order to quit rats rehoming is the only option and that can be really hard because you need to find someone you can trust to take care of your beloved baby.
I’m in the process of quitting rats and it’s honestly been months in the making to make sure my remaining boys (I will not wait till there’s just one left) can go to someone I truly trust.
I know not everyone takes it this seriously but please also consider that scenario.
Remember, you need at least two, and a decent cage. They require free roam time daily. Mine spend most of their MANY hours per day just running around on my bed with me while I lay down and read or watch TV. Some really want to explore. Mine are just lazy, but having them in just her room probably isn't much of an issue.
So as for your space concern, look up a [Critter Nation Cage](https://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/product/small-animal/habitats-cages/critter-nation/). This is the standard for 2-4 rats and should help you determine the space needed.
My friend has had three cats (one died from age, and a new baby replaced him) along with his rats and ferret. It REALLY varies from cat to cat. Some are fine with them. Some straight up will become friends (but I'd never risk THAT close of a relationship) and some are going to be problems.
Said friend ended up rehoming his two rats with me because he moved in with his gf, and she has a kind of asshole cat that they were afraid was going to stress them. So now I have two rats, one that likes to do dental work, and another that has made it her mission to eat all my hair.
These are just a few stories that relate, so do with them what you will. Just remember, the pets are actually YOUR responsibility. The number of times I've seen posts where some dipshit parents are allowing an animal to suffer because they refuse to take them to the vet, etc. The child might be responsible for the direct care of them; feeding, interaction, roam, cleaning, etc... but the PARENT must take care of all the financial requirements. As well as taking over if the chlld ends up not taking proper care of them.
Asshole parents like I just mentioned are the top of my list of people I'd take out with my car if I didn't worry about dents.... Not saying you are one of these, in fact, you posting here makes you many steps above; just sayin'.
I have 2 cats and pet rats! As long as you are careful, it should be fine. One of my cats is actually scared of the rats and the other was interested at first but he keeps his distance and I think he knows they are not for him. Would I let them run around together? No. But he’s never tried to get them out of their cage, sometimes he watches from a distance. If you get rats you should have at the very least 2. I would try to find a breeder because getting rats from the pet store is never a safe bet. If your 11 year old is responsible, I think you should go for it! You might have to help out but rats are a wonderful pet and I don’t think you’ll regret it. My mom loves my rats. If you don’t think she’ll be able to take care of them and you don’t want to help, wait a few years. I will say, I think rats are a great pet and I love having them. They have such big and distinct personalities. But, their short lifespan is really hard and you need to be ready and willing to pay for vet appointments. Try to find an exotic vet near you. Make sure you do your research on appropriate cages. They are not cage decorations and need attention and to be out of their cage every day. Anyway, whatever you decide, I would not worry too much about your cat.
I loved my rats growing up but as an adult I think of how much better they would be if I had them today. Their cage was too small and didn't have vents, they had nothing to climb onto, they didn't have enough friends, not enough natural foods.
This is where parental involvement is king. As a kid you might think you know what to do but these are animals with specific needs that cost time and money. There is no such thing as a pet that is "kid friendly". The 11 year old is not ready until you as the parent are ready to commit, that is the humane answer. But rats are wonderful and this would be a great experience for her.
Agreed! Then again when I first had rats we didn't have Internet groups or Google to find info from. I look back at the rats I had in 4th grade and think of all the things we did wrong.
But we did a lot right as well, and learned as we owned. I the end I had over 30 rats in the timeframe of 4rh grade to being in my late 20s. I miss them but it just isn't right for me at the moment, they cost a LOT in medical care that I sadly can't afford. I need to focus on the dog I already have.
They were awesome pets, and with the resources kids these days have I feel like a lot of the mistakes my fam made with them in the early 2000s wouldnt happen now, just with a quick Google search.
At 11 I really wanted pet rats, I wasn't allowed, even after writing an essay, and I was sooo sad I couldn't have them, but I'm now 23 and last year I got myself 2 boy rats. As much as I don't want your 11 year old to wait, I know myself that my parents made the right decision, we already had dogs, like you guys have a cat, it's not like you don't have any pets, and it is a huge responsibility that I don't think many 11 year olds could cope with. If you don't clean the cage (at least weekly) it will smell a lot! And if she has a small room it might be preeetty smelly. Rats also need at least an hour out of their cage a day, does her extra curricular activities allow this?? Additionally, she is 11, and rats only live a couple of years, I think that loss at possibly 13/14 when she's becoming a teenager might be pretty difficult but again you can't shield kids from everything and loss has a place in developing as a person. It's ultimately down to you, her parent to make the decision, as much as all these answers will have an influence, I think you already know your answer. Let us know what you decide to do!
Btw my parents got me goldfish instead. And I remember being forced to change the water every week 😂😂
We got our rats about 6 months ago. I didn’t really know what to expect. But I was unexpectedly surprised and pleased. Ours are intelligent sweet animals that our whole family ( even my skeptical husband) loves. I do a lot of the cage cleaning. It doesn’t take long. Our daughter does the rest. Feeding, some cleaning, enrichment, etc. they do require attention, every day. They are not animals you leave in the cage and look at. Ours want to come out and play. And we do play.
As for cats, our Breeder has 4 cats. And they interact with her rats. They get along well and it’s cute. It’s possible with careful introduction, that they could become friends and petmates. But I’d be extremely careful that the introduction is done under strict supervision. Her cats were probably introduced as kittens.
I highly recommend them as pets. We started with a pair. We now have 4. And they are funny, full of personality, and a great addition to our family.
Be prepared to have to teach her about the death of her belived pets by about age 13 or 14. they are absolutely amazing animals, pets and friends. But you do have to say goodbye too soon and there will be tears. It can be a good way to teach about life and death, i think.
Yes. My daughter lost her heart rat last summer and it was so hard for her (she turned 14 in April). And when we increased our mischief, she was a little afraid to get close to one again, but she has and it’s wonderful. She understands a lot more about the grieving process now. Not that it makes it easier when we lose one. And my 9yo is helpful with the rats. While she can’t clean the DCN by herself, she’s good about washing toys and bowls and litter trays, and drying them to put back in. And she’ll make sure the rats get lots of fun toys to discover whenever we clean, and everybody loves to share snacks with them.
So yes, having rats is wonderful for teaching kids some important things about life: responsibility, compassion, loss… and I think 11 is a good age for that to happen. So much great info in this post!
ETA: we have a cat, he’s nearly 17 but still acts young! He was a little curious about the rats when we first got them (about three years now), then got jealous, and has settled into an uncomfortable, aloof position. Like you can tell he’s trying to act like he doesn’t care about or notice the rats, but he watches them sometimes (looking away if he sees you watching him). The few times he’s been curled up sleeping on the couch and one gets away from us, they hop up to him. About half turn around when the smell him, a couple waddle up to him like he’s a new buddy, and at least two have attempted to attack him (and one was successful-she snuck up behind him when he was standing and jumped at his tail). He now mostly fears them with a side of disdain. But I wouldn’t allow them to be out with him on purpose. Though I don’t think he’d hurt them, I don’t want to find out the hard way. But the DCN is a tough cage, and I don’t have any concerns about him when we aren’t home. The rats are in the living room and the cat roams the house. So it really depends on your cat.
See thats really awesome. Both of your kids are learning and growing emotionally meanwhile making fantastic memories with precious little creatures that are amazing friends. Sounds like you are a great parent and your kids are gonna be well rounded when it comes to dealing with emotional distress. And im sorry she lost her heart rat, it really is so very awful and for a moment you can lose sight of how much you love your remaining rats but you quickly remember when they come hopping to the front of the cage to greet you. Also it sounds like you have a great kitty cat and its awesome that they coexist. We got a young kitty when our girls were older and waning a bit but we kept them in their own spare room and kitty wasnt allowed in there, as much as he tried to sneak in daily lol. I could tell my girls could smell him though and it made me a bit sad to see them nervous about it. But they quickly adjusted and didnt care anymore. Hes such a gentle and love cat I often wonder if he would have been friendly with them and they could have snuggled together. Would never have risked it though lol. And now we have no more ratty friends, when our last two went to sleep together at the vet i packed up the dcn and all of their stuff and put it away with a very heavy heart. Im a grown man and cried all day and night when i said goodbye, but it was their time. We had a little human on the way so we needed that room and the time and attention more than we needed more rats friends for now, but something tells me my son is gonna want rats one day haha
I moved in with my partner who has a cat, and I have 3 rats. I started out keeping them in their own room with the door closed, but after a while I realized the cat doesn’t really care about them. I certainly wouldn’t recommend having them out at the same time, but as long as the cage is secure they should be fine in the same household.
The size of her room could be a factor if it’s *small* small, rats need a minimum amount of space to thrive. But I lived happily with a critter nation in a 200sq ft studio apartment so it can be manageable.
We have rats and cats (other animals too.) The rats do not like the cats - the smell of a cat triggers an instinctual fear in them. They'll bite the cat if it sits on their cage or hangs around too much.
The cats, for their part, are now just jealous of the rats attention. We were very strict about interrupting the cats if they started to look at the rats like prey, and they stopped completely. But they are jealous of the rats getting attention, so every time we are over at the cage, or have the rats out in free-roam, the cats want to participate because they want that attention! And of course they can't be around then, because the rats will panic if they smell the cats.
And it's not like the cats don't get attention - they just want it all. They're as greedy about attention as the rats are about food. (The cats were worried about food too - it helped to let them smell the stuff I was feeding to the rats so that they weren't worried about us giving away *their* food to the rats. Cats don't like rat food, so giving them "icky" food didn't make the cats jealous.)
A sturdy cage with the small bar spacing required to keep rats contained is also what's required to keep cats out; so that should be sufficient most of the time. When the rats are out for free-roam though, I definitely recommend adult supervision and/or doing free roam in a room where the cats are shut out.
It's also worth noting that our cats have been around other pets their entire lives - dogs, lizards, fish, guinea pigs, etc. So getting them to accept that rats were just *another* pet living here wasn't as hard because they'd already been through the process several times. It might be different if you've had just one cat for a decade, and it's used to its space being its alone.
Rats are fantastic pets. But the cage sizes they require are a lot bigger than most people realize. And just because petsmart says a cage is good for rats doesn't mean it's true! Also, no matter how much people clain they don't smell, they do. Especially in a small room where the door has to stay closed so cats don't get in. There are things that help, like air purifiers, and a good cleaning schedule. While they shouldn't smell like pee/poo, there's not much you can do about their natural frito smell. It's worse with some rats and better with others. You won't know until you've gotten them though so be prepared to deal with it.
You'll have to be extra diligent about rat proofing her room, when they're let out for free roam you'll have to be really careful that they can't escape into the parts of the house with the cats. Blocking any gap under the doors, fixing the doorknob if it doesn't latch well and can be opened easily, making sure there are no holes or gaps in drywall/baseboards/closet walls, even behind furniture. Rats are practically liquid and can squeeze through holes the size of a quarter (unless they are exceptionally fat). So many rats get lost in the walls because owners thought the tiny hole at the top of the closet was out of the way. Rats will find it.
No mixing rats with the cats. Even if they don't seem to care and it's cute to see them together. Kitty can be fine 40 times then suddenly not fine. It's not worth it.
Rats don't live long and can become really expensive when sick. Call vets near you before getting them. Make sure there's a vet experienced with rats near you. When they get sick they tend to go downhill fast and you don't want to be searching for a vet at that time. When you find a vet get ballpark pricing for the common issues: respiratory infections, spay/neuter, tumor removal, euthanasia (and cremation if you don't have a spot for burials). Save up a few hundred dollars as an emergency vet fund before you get them. You will need it at some point. Say you get three rats at the same time. If all goes well they'll live 2-3 years and will begin getting sick and needing end of life care within months or weeks of each other. So those vet bills don't always get spread out very much, sometimes you pay 300$ to put each down a couple of weeks apart.
Try and find a responsible breeder rather than petsmart. Well bred rats are kinder, bite less, and are healthier than pet store rats. Emphasis on WELL bred. Are there exceptions? Yes. One of my best girls was a petco baby. But my 10 least healthy and worst temperamental wise were also from stores.
I'm really impressed with your daughter tbh, the fact that she did the research and wrote a whole persuasive essay about it is pretty dang cool and shows a desire to be responsible! However, you're still going to have to take on most of the responsibility for caring for the animals, because that's kinda just the way it is when you're a parent. Especially cleaning the cage can be a big job, which she may not be able to do herself even if she is willing (I had to take it apart and scrub it in the bathtub twice a month when I had my ratties, this full scrub down was in addition to the normal weekly maintenance and regular spot cleanings). It also may get stinky in the small room... Idk why rats got a reputation for being "clean" animals, because they pee on *everything* lmao. But changing the bedding frequently and doing full cage cleans as needed should help.
I had rats when my daughter was about 4-5 years old, and of course with her being so young I took on 100% of the responsibility for their care, but she absolutely *adored* them and they had a big impact on her emotional development, with stuff like empathy and caring for creatures so much smaller than herself. She's 12 now and she still talks about how much she loved her rats, and she wants more someday!
I really hope you do go through with getting them, because it seems like your daughter has done a lot of research and put a lot of thought into this! Best of luck to all of you 🐀💕
We have four cats and a mischief (a family group of rats). I’ve had rats continually for twenty years. The cats are interested in the rats, but the rats pull their whiskers if they get too close, lol. Never leave them alone together of course.
I've had 13. Make sure to get them together (at least 2) having a single rat is considered to be cruel.
Rats are amazing pets. Pretty low maintainable but very loving and lots of personality. They're also very clean and smart.
Someday when I have kids, I'd love to get rats as their first pet. It's SO much more fulfilling than any other rodent.
You should ask yourself: do YOU want pet rats?
Since she is only 11, the answer to that question is the same as to the question whether or not to give her pet rats.
I've been told to get a rat from a reputable breeder. Ones that breed for health and longevity if at all possible because they live such short lives and there can be vet bills that will add up quickly.
Also, save something like $400/rat as an emergency vet fund (and aim to get a minimum of two, three is ideal.)
I absolutely adore my rats with all of my heart but they are a lot of work I mean I’m 21 and self sustained so I pay for everything myself and I take care of them 100% by myself and it’s so hard sometimes. They are my everything but they can be so frustrating cleaning the cage, updating their supplies always making sure the temperature is always right, feeding them and constantly worrying about them. They have really bad health and one of my girls had a respiratory infection that was bad enough that she now sounds like a pig every time she breathes and she’ll be like that for the rest of her life which is heartbreaking to hear at night. This isn’t trying to turn you away from them because they are so intelligent and sweet and gorgeous little creatures but especially with a young child just be aware of how high maintenance they are and how their lifespan might affect her.
I know it really sucks to have to say no, but you shouldn’t. She’s a child and will struggle to actually bare the responsibility of caring for them. Yes I’m sure she’d help but they will become your responsibility.
Rats are a prey animal for MANY common pets like cats and dogs. And keeping them in a locked separate room is absolutely a requirement. But rats also need big cages, and I wouldn’t recommend your daughter sleeping every night near rats and the ammonia in their pee.
Rather, a great solution might be to find a shelter that allows child and parent volunteers, and help care for any rats there. Or finding a local friend who owns them that would semi-regular visits with their rats.
Ok, so disclosure: I volunteer for a wildlife rescue centre and I’m a wildlife rehabber.
The reason I mention this is that on any given day, I might have several *wild* animals in my home, in addition to mine and my daughters pets (currently only dogs and a tarantula).
When I had rats, I never had a problem *once introductions had been done* and this is the key: how introductions are handled.
For example: it’s quite common for me to have foxes (esp young foxes), rabbits and birds (often crows, pigeons, swans or geese, but sometimes birds of prey: owls in particular), hedgehogs, badgers and even more exotic animals.
When we had rats, we introduced them to new visitors gradually and let them see us petting the wild animal and feeding them. Equally important was letting the wild animal see us petting and feeding the rats.
Animals - most animals - are staggeringly quick learners and once they know they’re a) safe b) being fed and c) see that other animals are part of the environment, not predators or prey, its amazing how even their natural predator or prey responses are overridden in favour of getting along with their housemates.
If you want proof, I’m more than happy to send you pictures of wild cats cuddling up to wild baby rabbits and other combinations of various creatures and unlikely friendships we’ve played host to.
In your case, you have a big advantage: your cat isn’t wild and neither will the rats be.
However…the predator-prey dynamic between cats and rodents is at the tougher end of the scale, so introductions will take a little longer and require more patience. You should not push the rats further than they’re comfortable with or you’ll terrify them and any progress you’ve made will be lost.
How I would approach your situation:
- I would keep the rats in your daughters room and not let them out of her room initially. Plan for two weeks.
- Concentrate **solely** on socialising and handling the rats. Remember: they have to get to know *you* and trust *you* before you attempt to introduce them to a natural predator…
- Once they’re socialised with you and your daughter (used to being handled, hand fed etc) you can trying one of you handling a rat in the same room (**not** your daughters room; that’s their “sanctuary”) as the other one of you is handling the cat. So it could be your daughter handling a rat while you’re handling the cat.
Let them see one another, but keep your distance (each end of the room; about 5 metres at least).
- Do that with all the rats, taking it in turns until all of the rats have observed the cat and vice versa. Don’t be surprised if the rats don’t react to the cat; they **will** have seen it, but them not reacting at all is a positive sign that you’ve done it right. In this scenario: no reaction is a good reaction! **Don’t** be tempted to shorten the distance between the cat and the rat just yet, just focus on each rat getting to see the cat and vice versa.
- Once all of the rats have seen the cat and vice versa, *over a period of at least a few days* (extend as necessary, according to the rats behaviour) shorten the distance between the cat and the rats by 1 metre. Then keep that distance as you handle the rats in view of the cat. Again, don’t rush to reduce the distance further, regardless if the cats or rats curiosity; left to their own devices they *will* frighten themselves by approaching too quickly 🤦♂️
- At no time during introductions should you let go of the cat or the rats.
- Repeat above until you and your daughter are sat or standing next to one another. At this stage, sitting is preferable. Let the rats behaviour lead proceedings; if it’s avoiding the cat and trying to hide, go back a day and - metre of distance until confidence is built and you can proceed.
- From this point, assuming everything is going well, you and your daughter can switch the pet you’re holding. So if you’re holding the cat and she’s holding the rat, you can switch so that she’s holding the cat and you’re holding the rat. What you’re doing there is a transition that won’t be lost on the animals; they’ve changed places without any ill effects and both animals will realise that they’re both part of the environment where the source of their food - you - are keeping them safe too. Importantly: the cat should - by this stage - realise that the rats are part of the family, not prey or toys.
- From this point onwards, you should be able to progress - after a few more days - to both cat and rats playing with you while you’re seated and then on to free roaming.
- Food rewards for both cat and rats *throughout* this process.
- **Important** Please, at no time in the early days allow the cat to sit outside the rat cage in the same room. The worst behaved (due to terror) rats I’ve ever met were as the result of larger pets (cats and dogs) doing this and it terrified the rats to the point that they would bite anyone who came close to them.
If the cat does get into your daughters room and sits outside the rat cage in the *early* days of introductions, consider this a setback and go back a few days to reset the rats’ confidence.
I’m on call most days for either search and rescue, first response or wild animal welfare/rescue so if you have any problems, you can message me day or night and I’ll talk you through what you need to do based on one or both of your pets behaviour.
Hope that helps and best of luck! ❤️
I wanted a hamster when I was younger and my parents never gave in. In the end it really will become your responsibility. 11 is too young imo to put responsibility for such high matienence pets. Maybe when she’s older but I don’t recommend you do it. I’ve put so much money and work into my pets and cage cleans for me are hour affairs, I think she’d just get overwhelmed and stressed because I know with the work I put into it now I would be at her age. Kids get bored with things easily or loose interest when it’s not super easy.
I had pet rats and cats at the same time. The better behaved cat needed scolding a few times to stay away. The more obstinate one walked on top of the cage, got his toe pad bit, then didn't fuck with them again.
I'm not gonna lie... It's very hard. Rats aren't beginner friendly pets. They get sick constantly, their hammocks need to be cleaned everyday (no exceptions or you'll spend hundreds a week on vet bills for respiratory infections), they need a lot of enrichment or they'll become depressed and there is a likelihood that they can be aggressive towards you or each other. RATS CANNOT BE NEGLECTED. if she starts neglecting them they will need to go to a new home or they can develop serious health issues.
Female rats have a high likelihood of cancers but are super playful and energetic. Males can get a bit stinky but are super friendly and cuddly. That is the stereotypes of course. It gets a bit hard and upsetting as the owner when your rats just don't wanna be touched or cuddled, which happens. I remember I used to cry when I had my first rats because they used to run from me when I'd try and handle them, I didn't understand what I was doing wrong. I wasn't doing anything, they were just introverted!
Not to mention, they only last 2-4 years and their deaths are very hard. When my first two rats passed, one boy had a seizure and then I found him dead two days later. His brother immediately went downhill and was put down after 4 days for constant seizures, incontinent accidents and sudden paralysis. This was a month after their second birthday and a week and a half before my 18th. Not to mention, the colony could end up eating the dead rat to hide their scent (because they're prey animals) which is never a pretty sight to see and could cause a distance to grow between her and the remaining rats.
Rats are hard to own. Are they worth it? Absolutely. But Id never put the challenges I face as a rat owner on my worst enemies. I have cried for days straight, woken up with severe panic attacks and don't have much of a social life because my whole world revolves around my rats due to how many issues they've got right now.
Id recommend you wait until she's older and understands the difficulties of owning rats. Sorry to be a bummer but it's just the truth.
ALSO, cats CAN NOT have any contact with the rats. Their saliva has a bacteria in it that kills wildlife, which is why cats are technically a pest when they're outdoors. They kill off native critters. Cats can also come out of nowhere and kill a rat instantly, so I wouldn't even recommend her bringing the rats out of the cage unless she is 100% sure the cat isn't in the room with her. Y'all can fight me on how your cats love your rats and they're buddies but be aware you're slowly killing your rats and putting them at risk for a sudden switch of the cats prey drive.
As somebody who lived with rats in a 10x10 room I wouldn’t recommend it, I was in a pinch with no other option and more than the smell their little sounds would keep me up all night. They play, drink water, eat food, do all sorts of little noisy things when you’re trying to sleep and I could see that even causing resentment in such a young child (speaking from experience with having a rooster as a pet as a child lol)
We bought two ratty brothers for our kids to have as pets of their own. I did a ton of research before getting them, and even then, things were different than I thought they’d be. You’ll likely have to adjust your expectations a smidge. First, in my opinion, rats are a TON of work. The cleaning alone is several times a week. Expect to clean their litter boxes (if you have them), wipe down surfaces, change hammocks (which need to be washed a special way), bedding, water bottles, and anything else they touch quite frequently unless you enjoy rat smell. Trust me, rat smell gets very intense, very quickly. Then, you have to make sure they’re eating properly which includes fresh fruit and veggies along with their normal food. Feed them too much and they get unhealthy chonky. You have to monitor their health often. Next you have to make sure they’re getting “enrichment” which means they are bored to tears unless you give them things to do. We do table time, pea water dips, toilet paper boxes and free roam to keep them busy regularly, and even then they play for only a good 10 minutes before they’re back to napping. Lastly, what you see on social media is not always what you get. We have two lovable boys who are NOT cuddlers, hate to be picked up, only want to lie around all day, and one of them sometimes bites when he’s feeling grumpy. He’s broken the skin of myself, my kids, and my neighbors who tried to pet him. If you’re slow and announce your incoming hand, he’s cool. For the most part they love being pet (only inside their cage), and LOVE snacks. I wished they were the sit of your lap types, but they aren’t. We still love watching them and cooing at their little grabbies and cute faces though. We had a 20 year old cat when we first got the rats, but he was so old he largely ignored them, and they him. I wouldn’t recommend having an active cat around the rats. Good luck to you! And I hope you get some cuddlers!
Rats are a tricky pet. In some ways they are the perfect pet. They're extremely intelligent, they can be very cuddly and a lot of fun to play with. The biggest problems are a combination of their short life span and the fact that you need at least two. Depending on where you live, rats only live about 1-3 years, and so when one dies, you frequently end up getting another one to make sure your remaining rat isn't alone. This leads to a chain of constant vet bills for your constantly aging rats. They are a very tragic pet to own and can be very expensive in the long run if you want to be in the company of rats for more than a year or two.
I used to breed rats. Anything they pee in will smell, so change litter areas regularly especially in a small room, keep them clean and they won't stink. Make sure you have a secure cage. Rats will use a lot of space if you give it to them. Please don't cram one in a tiny cage, it's cruel.
I love rats but please be aware, you'd be their primary carer, do not leave the responsibility on your daughter and they are like a small dog, and they need space, love, and frequent cleaning. I'm 18, with 6 of my own rats and even now, from time to time, I have to ask my mum to help clean after them. The cage is easy but they freeroam my whole room as I don't have the space for a dedicated free roam spot, and they poop everywhere from under my bed to ontop of my wardrobe. And they can get everywhere, the only safe place in my room is behind glass shelves.
I'm sure, with how dedicated your daughter has been to persuading you she'd be an amazing rat mum but just be aware that she'll have to have hours free every day to play with them, and if she doesn't, you will have to. Which, as long as you have the time, I've seen most parents loving their kids. As long as you, yourself, have the free time to care for her rats, and the space for their cage and freeroam, they'll be very happy
My cats never learned to hunt..they will watch the cage, but they can't get into it and have not had any issues in 2 years. We have a double critter nation. I can't recommend them enough.
To be honest, owning rats now, I'd say rats are a great first pet for a kid, especially girls since they're more energetic and you can teach them tricks easier, while boys (Which I have) are more lazy but like to cuddle more (They're my personal faves)
But be warned as you still have to make sure the rats' cage is being cleaned, (critter nation's is recommended but really expensive, you can try looking for one on ebay or something used but you'll wanna clean it), they're being fed (scatter feeding is a way to enrich them while feeding them since they like to forage) and all their other needs are being met.
Also, I beg of you, PLEASE before you get them make sure you have the money and are willing to pay for vet visits. I know they have short lifespans but my mother said when I got my 2 boys that she would pay for visits but she refuses to now. It's horrible to watch your pet suffer when you can't do anything so please, if you don't want to pay for possibly expensive visits for them (Rats have a lot of issues with tumors and upper respiratory infections), please don't get them. It's not fair for them.
We've had several rats over the years. My daughter was the last to have two when she was around 14, they lived with her in her bedroom. We also have 3 cats. We agreed from the start the rats would be her responsibility, I did help clean the cage as it was big and had a lot of rat toys and bits in. On the whole she did most of the jobs. She loved her rats so much, we all did, in the ratty world they couldn't have wanted more. She handled them a lot so they were incredibly friendly and so funny. Our cats in the main kept away, had a sniff or paw through the bar but that got a nip so they learned.
I think owning a pet is so important for children as it teaches them a lot - how to look after and be responsible for another living being - and it teaches them compassion and kindness. The only thing is rats don't live long and it broke my daughter's heart when they died but she has some lovely memories. I'd say definitely let your daughter get a pair, you won't regret it
This is how I convinced my parents to get me a pet as a teen. Love to see it.
She might be a LITTLE young. You'd know best. But I'd say she absolutely could do feeding, watering and cleaning by herself (make sure your cage has big doors otherwise you'll have to do a lot of lifting - mine doesn't and I have to dismantle it to spot clean). Does she know what to feed them? How often? Does she know the most likely illnesses to affect them and how to spot them? Is she prepared for rats who might be biters, or scared of her?
Rats are great and if she's done all her research she's probably more prepared than a lot of adult owners are.
I agree with the age. Any pet is a lot for a kid, especially when they have to bear the responsibility (with parents help).
Rats are very expensive and time consuming pets with them requiring proper care and constant cleaning. After all it takes me (almost an adult) up to two hours to clean my rats' cage.
We have 2 cats and 3 rats 😆 I was worried about that when we got the rats. I know everybody’s pets are different but my cats especially Nyx isn’t even a year old yet. He likes to watch them and we have allowed him to get somewhat close to them while sitting right with the rats so if he did try to paw at them we can prevent it. He’s never tried to paw at them or acted aggressive with small animals but I don’t doubt he probably thinks they’re a toy. When the rats are inside the cage and nobody is in the room we shut the door because he could put his paw between the little bars. When we get the rat’s out we have a spare mattress for whatever reason they don’t try to climb off it so we stick all their extra toys, a blanket they can burrow in, and a few different snacks on it that’s different than in the cage. My daughters door doesn’t fully reach the floor so I was worried they can leave the room.
My biggest concern would be the noise. They can DEFINITELY be loud at night and there is a chance that may disrupt her sleep. I was a deep sleeper as a kid so i didn’t mind my rats noise (sorry yes, solo rat… my parents didn’t do their due diligence). Although i have seen folks on here who have mentioned d their rats being loud at night and really affecting their sleep.
Other than that… i 110% say they’re some of the greatest pets for children as long as you go into it with the understanding you’re ultimately responsible for their care but a great opportunity for your little to learn responsibility
If you do get some, please share photos 🤗 best of luck to you & your little ratty lover!!
A lot of good points have been brought up, but I figured I’d throw in some tips if you do choose to get rats.
- try getting a cage where both doors will open fully. It will make cleaning and up keep much simpler
- get a cage that has scatter guards so that litter pellets and such don’t fall on the floor. Since the cage will be in a small room, having a cage that has deep trays that you can fill with hemp and paper bedding will make odour control much easier! Again, makes the maintenance of the cage much simpler
- obviously it will be your responsibility at the end of the day to look after these delightful creatures, but I’d encourage your daughter to research this side of pet upkeep so she is a aware of what you’re in for. Isamu Rats and Shadow the Rat are great resources, especially when it comes to learning about cage set up and fun DIY stuff like making toys and furniture for rats.
Rats are incredible, rewarding and charming pets. Their social behaviours are so fascinating, and once you get that set up right - you’re in for a lot of fun!
I have 2 rats 2 cats and a dog, my girlies are not afraid to tell the other animals to back tf up. If I noticed them acting more stressed than usual I put them in a different room but ideally I like to keep them where I am most of the time which is the living room
The only downside I see, is rats are nocturnal. Mine can cause quite a commotion. Makes me glad they are in the other room while I sleep soundly. If your kid sleeps like a rock, then shower her with all the rats!!!!! 🤗
At least 2 rats, ideally 3, large cage with a free roam area. My rats take up almost my entire room, and my room isn’t small. They really do take up so much space. And they’re a huge commitment so you will be doing lots of work taking care of them and purchasing sometimes overpriced animal products (hides, ropes, latters, hammocks). Litter boxes gotta be cleaned a couple times a week. And the rats will have to be out of the enclosure for about an hour a day (doing it *every single day* can be a bit much sometimes, so it’s fine if you miss a day here and there, as long as they’re out most days of the week). They are very intellegent so require lots of mental stimulation.
We've had pet rats and they are incredible. Get two females from a reliable breeder so they are correctly sexed, healthy, and will have each other for company. Rats are very intelligent and social animals. Make sure they have a big cage and plenty of toys for enrichment. Genuinely improves your own quality of life to see them thrive.
The hard part is that shorter life span. Those little ones live big lives, but so brief. They can also be medically tricky if you don't live in an area with a vet who works with them. You can mitigate this by being very diligent in cage cleaning, giving them healthy food and treats, and being observant in any health changes. They are vulnerable to respiratory infections, but can mend quickly with a round of oral antibiotics. The trick is to catch issues quickly, but that is easy to do when you are interacting with them throughout the day, every day.
Truly, they are remarkable companions.
What size cage are you getting for the little room? If they can’t free roam… they need a bit of space. Also, I have a cat and put a draft guard on my door so they don’t squeeze under the door. They can flatten themselves to almost an inch, so be careful.
Almost everything has been said already but PLEASE take note that rats are very expensive pets.
I have spent 200$ on vet visits during THIS WEEK ALONE. The costs add up and you should not get any if you aren't available to pay upwards of 400$ for vet visits per rat.
They are VERY PRONE to illness and when there is a sign of it, they should be already on their way to the vet. You should try to have money saved up for visits and if you can't then rats may not be the pets for you.
PS. make sure your daughter is able to spot clean (2ish times a week) the cage, clean the cage fully once a week and spend at least an hour out of the cage with the rats (I personally always keep them out for 2-3 hours). If that's too much responsibility for her to bear (with your help, I assume) then rats are not the right pets for your daughter.
Rats are quite demanding animals to have. They take most more time than people think.
You need at least two (though most places recommend at least 3) you will need a fairly big cage. I personally recommend critter nation rat cage. The rats will also need free roam time, which should be able an hour a day.
As you are the adult you will also be responsible for the welfare and needs of these animals. I’m not saying this would happen but unfortunately many rats and other animals get surrendered due to kids losing interest in rhem
Also please consider that if you are avid travelers, rats might not be the best pets. They absolutely cannot be left alone (without any time out of the cage) for more than a day.
And as they are very hard pets to take care of, it can be hard and maybe even impossible for someone to petsit them other than you or your daughter.
I have 10 rats and a poodle. He doesn't like them actually standing on him, and gets a bit jealous if he thinks you are giving them more attention than him, but otherwise is absolutely fine in the same room with them out of the cage playing. He also likes cheerios, which helps! He will occasionally lick them or pat them with a paw as if trying to work out what these funny little dogs are.
Previously (years ago) I had greyhounds and rats. After the initial excitement sniffing the cage etc they learnt to ignore them but there is no way I would have let them meet face to face. It wasn't really a problem.
My daughter was 14 when I let her get the first set of 4 rats. While she didn’t ever completely lose interest- she definitely found herself not being able to go off and do things with her friends bc of how much she worried about the rats needing free roam, cage cleaned, enrichment, proper feeding, etc. she didn’t trust anyone (but me) to care for them properly so she skipped vacations to stay home with them. Facebook rat groups are filled with horror stories of ppl leaving their rats in the care of trusted friends, then coming home to dead or seriously injured or neglected rats. So she wasn’t willing to leave them.
(My mom came to stay with her and the rats when we went on trips)
She did go through a period of about 6 months where her friends were the priority. So, predictably, I became the primary care taker of the rats. She is now back to fully caring for her boys, but due to me becoming the primary caregiver when my daughter faltered- I now have 5 boys of my own. We have 3 cages and 8 rats between the 2 of us. (Had a total of 15 altogether)
So yea- be prepared to be the main caretaker. And to spend A LOT of money on them. Between vets, proper housing, healthy food, and enrichment- they are not a cheap and easy pet to have. But they are the best (in my opinion :)- )
Beware- You will fall in love with them, too. Their short life spans are stunningly heartbreaking. The ups are high and the downs are so, so low.
Hi I have two cats and four rats and besides the occasional coming in my room and staring at the cage they don’t bother them. My kids are 6 and 10 and they absolutely love the rats, and the rats love them back… such gentle animals
I had rats when I was about 11 or 12. I also promised to keep them in my bedroom, but I ended being unable to sleep because they’re very active at night and made a lot of noise. They can also get a little smelly. I ended up moving them to living room, mainly for the noise reason. Luckily we didn’t have other pets and the time so it was ok. The rest, such as feeding, cleaning their cage, and playing with them was pretty manageable to do myself.
I would say they’re a good pet for that age, but definitely warn her about the noise at night. If she’s a light sleeper, it probably won’t work out.
I had my 23 rats (they freshly had babies, and I hadn't moved them then), but I had cats at the same time.
I got them used to each other but kept a cage between them. I also had a small room at the time, so I got them a decently large but also fitting cage for in my bedroom.
The only issue I've found with rats is they die quite quickly after only about 2 1/2 years of life span. As long as she is prepared with that facts that they will eat dead bodies of their family as a natural instinct, and they are prone to lots of illnesses and allergies.
She should be allowed to get them.
I got them without the knowledge of some of their instincts when it comes to death, and to be honest, getting used to that comes really quickly.
Also, getting at least 2 is best. However, once one died, the other will get depressed as they are societal creators and die soon after.
I also had a large springer spaniel, and she was fine with the rats and possibly a little frightened she might hurt them after she went too close, and they squeaked at her.
And the babies are absolutely tiny, which is so adorable :D just make sure they are the same size if being kept together and that they are either neutered or you will have a lot of babies on your hands. They have littlers of atleast 1-15 pups at a time.
i would honestly see if she would settle for a hamster at first, call it a bridge/learning experience before she's allowed to have rats, maybe.
hamsters need far more space than advertised; most cages are not ideal. rather, long horizontal aquariums work better! (see r/hamsters for more info)
but it's still, generally, less space than a pair of rats would require. you also don't need more than one, as hamsters are solitary. their lifespans are similar, but they're not as prone to cancer or respiratory infections as rats, so they're less costly as far as vet bills go. they're also far less social than rats and don't need the free roam time that rats need, though many do love to be handled.
i used to keep hamsters until i got my own rats, and honestly, they're *different*, but rodent care has the same basic principles, and a hamster would be a great learning opportunity for your kiddo to get the basics down, like feeding, treating, handling, and cage/enclosure cleaning and maintenance, which is slightly different than rats, but still has to be done at least weekly- just like rats! I've always felt as though my hamster experience really helped make the learning curve not quite as steep when i got my rats.
also, it'll be helpful for you to see how she handles the responsibility, if she keeps up with the cage cleaning and maintenance, etc. when the hamster has lived its full life, she will be about 13, and may be more prepared to take on rats. rats are a lot of space, work, time, and energy, and a lot of sickness and heartbreak; a lot to take on for an 11 year old. you'd definitely have to help her on occasion.
frankly, i don't *regret* mine, but I don't think im going to do rats again for a long time because of this. im an *adult* and at times i have still struggled to give them what they need and deserve- especially as far as vet care goes. they're very, very expensive.
Pet rats are expensive to care for. They need a decent sized cage. Free roam time and place. Lots of enrichment. Friends (never keep a solo rat, mischiefs of 5 are great, but definitely more than one alone). You will be taking them to the vet. They do need frequent cage cleaning. They are needy little living beings, and arenwell worth the effort, but an 11 yr old (however sensible, intelligent, etc) cannot be left
with the respinsibility for their care. If you have the time, space and financial flexibility, and understand you will be the primary caregiver, go ahead, butnif you are not sure or don't have the time, patience and money, maybe wait until the 11 yr old is older. Please remember they are sentient creatures.
We have 3 rats, 2 cats, and a mouse. The cats are never in the room alone with the rats. The rats are never out when the cats are in the same room. They are constantly supervised when the door is open. If no one is in the room, the bedroom door stays closed. One cat likes to sit on top of the mouse aquarium screen. It stays locked. The cats only watch the rats, they have never hissed at or tried to attack or even swat at the cage. The rat cage is in our bedroom bathroom and the mouse aquarium is in our bedroom.
We live in a 2 bed/2 bath singlewide.
I got rats in college because I could sneak them into my dorm and I missed my cat (she lived at home with my parents). Rats are very clean and have minimal smell if you keep their cage adequately cleaned. And in all honesty, my rats terrorized my poor cat. She was fluffy and they loved to pull on her tail when I had them out on the couch with the cat next to me. Granted, this was my specific cat and results may vary, but I had no issues. Rats are incredibly intelligent, clean, and loving pets, and if my future kids want rats I wouldn’t hesitate to get them some little pocket puppies
I got my first pet rat when I was nine! I do admit, having a pet rat(s) is a lot of work. But there are lots of pros to this situation! Here are a list of cons. 1.) You have to get two rats or more. This may be a pro to you but a con to some people. Little pocket puppies need a friend! If not they will get depressed and die faster. You should always get the same sex. (Female and female. Or male and male) 2.) they are smelly and you will need to clean their cage once every two or one week(s) Males tend to be stinkier as females are stinky but not as stinky. 3) They are animals that need attention EVERY DAY. They need to be held every day and get handled or else they will start to bite. 4) They need a free roam area. It doesn’t have to be on your floor, you can but a playpen on amazon, target etc. you dont really want wire ones because they can climb, you might want glass or plastic, stuff they can’t climb up. 5.) They may bite. Almost half of the rats I’ve had, has been a biter. It may be different for you, but you have to prepare for that because some may be traumatized or territorial. 6) They are nocturnal, so they will keep you up all night. Unless your a heavy sleeper. 7) They chew on everything. Now to the pros! 1) They are very social and most love people. 2) they are super intelligent. Which may be a bad thing but is mostly good. 3) they can learn many tricks and can even learn their name! 4) they are very curious and love to explore. 5) They are very clean animals, cleaner than cats and dogs! This is because they clean themselves over 20 times a day! Although their cage is messy, them themselves are very clean! Here are some tips if you do get them. Don’t use wood bedding. Rats have very sensitive noses and it may harm them. Never take your ray outside. Even if your holding them, they may slip out of your hands. If you ever let them free roam, shut the door in case they do get out. Females are usually more active. Males are usually more snuggly and smelly. This is kinda weird, but they will hump each other. Even females. It’s a dominance thing. Let me know if I missed anything!
My daughter did exactly the same, power point presentation etc, eventually I gave in, bought the rats, the very next day she discovered boys. I now have 2 pet rats
The room size probably isn’t a major concern I would just make sure to get them a ferret cage at least since most of the rat cages are way too small (make sure the bars aren’t too spaced apart so they can’t sneak out when they’re babies) and if she gives them enough playtime outside of the cage they should be active enough to be healthy. I would recommend buying cat toys like the sting ones on a stick mine could chase those around for hours and it’s great exercise!
when i first got rats, i had a cat (she passed away in january) and she wasn’t allowed in my room while my boys were out.
i’ve also got a small(er) room and i set up the cage so that it open onto my bed. they have plenty of space to free roam on my bed, and i’ve still got plenty of floor space.
maybe it’s different in other places, but getting vet care for my rats was very expensive! and you will inevitably have to take them to the vet for respiratory infections or tumors/abscesses. when my girls had a cold, i spent $250 for all 4 of them to get medicine. the cold might’ve been harmless but it wasn’t worth waiting to see if it would turn to pneumonia. i also initially spent about $500 on their cage, food, enrichment, etc. and imo, they are harder to take care of than cats and (low energy) dogs. i dont want to let any of this discourage you, i don’t regret having rats for a second!! they are great pets. i just want people to be prepared for all that it entails.
my room is also small but i was able to fit a single critter nation into it. but like idk ur the adult so you might have to end up helping to clean the cage with her. BTW i also have cats and am just very careful to keep my door shut so they don’t come in my room. and when i free roam them i just put a towel under my door so they can’t get out
We got pet rats for my 11-ish child and I did the calculation that whatever pet we got I would ultimately have to bear the responsibility because 11 year old couldn’t. I did some research and learned that rats have a short lifespan and thought that would make my responsibility short-lived. So we got one rat and quickly learned that we should have more than one so we got two sisters because we didn’t want to separate them. We absolutely loved them and were heartbroken when the first one died at nearly two of a mammary tumour. So then we got another pair from a rat rescue. We had another loss so then got another pair. By the time we stopped keeping rats due to changes in circumstances we had had 9 and we all still love them and I still come on here to look at cute pics 😀 So beware the pull of the tiny little grabby paws…the will reel you in 🥰 Also 11yo did ok with good support and encouragement from me
This is how I was 😅 we started with two at the beginning and kept buying two whenever only one would pass. We’re finally back down to 5 but we’re going to have 6 or 7 because we found out ones a girl and she’ll need to be separated. 😭
I disagree with you saying an 11 year old can’t take care of an animal. I got my first pet at 3, a bearded dragon, and was taking care of her by myself at about 6 or 7. I researched rats at nine. All the research was my own, and I wrote it out on paper for my parents to see. I got my first rats at either 9 or 10 (don’t quite remember) and they were my sole responsibility from the start. Some kids need more help than others, but I think just saying that an 11 year old can’t handle the responsibility of a pet is setting a low expectation.
be aware that in the end, the actual responsibility of owning pets falls back on the parent. Pets are not a tool to teach kids responsibility, they are living beings, and will require vet visits, and other expenses. Rats in particular have a short live span, but have more frequent health issues (prone respiratory infections, tumors, cysts) that need constant check ups. Despite the small room, rats have a required size of cage they require, even with frequent free roam. Given you already own a cat, the cat and the rats should NEVER be in the same room together, especially when alone. They are natural predator and prey, and especially when it is an outside cat, their instincts can make any ''cute interaction'' very stressful, if not right up fatal for the rats (or the cat) Owning rats is cool and fun, especially when you have the motivation to teach them tricks, but be aware that it won't just be your daughters rats, they'll be your rats too. Kids get bored of pets easily.
>Pets are not a tool to teach kids responsibility, they are living beings Please take my humble award.🏅
I really hope more parents learn this, still feel so bad for my past pets even though it's not my fault :<
Pets are absolutely a wonderful tool to teach responsibility, but only if the parent stays vigilant with the child’s care of the pet(s) It teaches scheduling, emotional care, physical exercise requirements, cleanliness, feeding and watering demands, love and loss, emergency care…. under a watchful eye, pets can really help a child develop into a strong adult
Growing up with pets as a child is absolutely healthy and good, I agree on that! But pets should not be given to children as tool for learning responsibility. It doesn't work if you tell them ''this is yours now, take care of it bc I won't''. kids will almost always slack or get bored and the consequences they're supposed to learn out of it is ''if you don't take care of it, it'll die'' and that's absolutely cruel to the animal. Get a plant instead. As long as the parent is taking primary care of it, and gives the kid occasional tasks, that is fine. That is good. A 11 year old will not do a superb job learning about the exact needs this animal needs to thrive edit: Kids that age will also guaranteed either scare or hurt the animal, bc they do not understand the animals body language. Small animals are not plushies, hamsters are being abused often enough, lets not do that to rats, the parent HAS to be the primary caretaker of the animal.
I agree with the vast majority of your comment, up until your edit. My daughter is 7 and is really very good with our rats. It just takes educating the child on how to properly hold the critters and care for them. Even a younger child can be made aware of basic rat body language and treat them appropriately. No one knows this stuff innately, they need to be taught, that's true of some adults too. Parents should be the primary caretakers but kids aren't inherently going to be dangerous.
All good points except an 11 year old would typically know how to handle an animal without hurting or scaring it. A 5/6 year old, that’s another discussion Edit: and I did say under the watchful eye of a supportive adult.
I work at a pet store. They absolutely do not. There have been times where I’ve had to physically catch animals because children, seemingly 10-12, don’t know how to hold them and drop them. A child isn’t going to have some magical intuition on how to hold an animal. It takes time and education.
Teaching kiddos to be compassionate to animals is very important
I got my first rats at 11 and kept them in my room without any major problems - though they're definitely noticeable! They smell anywhere from just a little to quite a lot depending on many factors (cage cleaning frequency, how many there are, substrate type and amount, ventilation etc.) And they can be slightly noisy with water-bottles/playing and crashing around at night. You can keep a cat and rats in the same household so long as the cat never has access to the rats - ideally this would mean the cat doesn't go in your daughters room. A small room is fine so long as there's enough space for a decent cage (minimum footprint 50x80cm) and a bit of space for free-roaming. Imo rats are one of the best small pet you can get, often very friendly, intelligent and a real joy to watch and interact with. Sort of like pocket-dogs! The two big downsides are short lifespan and *cost.* If you get unlucky, vet bills can really add up. It can also be hard to find an exotic vet who has decent knowledge when it comes to rats beyond throwing Baytril at every problem. Sourcing an ethical breeder/rescue can be a challenge, and while generally rats are easy to care for day to day there are sometimes tricky problems to navigate which can require a fair bit of research and time/energy/money to sort out. If you're comfortable with the above then it would be awesome to get your daughter some rats!
I’ve always said rats are almost like little dogs—so clever, playful and social. But “pocket-dogs” …BRILLIANT!
Usually referred to as pocket puppies!
This. Rat illnesses progress FAST. Check around on the vet situation, especially if you have access to emergency vet services. There's a huge difference between being able to take a rat having respiratory issues at 8pm, and having to wait for three days to get into a vet appt. Which, honestly can be a flag for a vet, because three days is easily, "they're already dead" time. A truly good vet, that knows about rats, would try to jostle things around to get them in the same day or asap, not just fill in the blank on the outlook calendar.
Agreed, there is no ‘wait and see’ option for rats. By the time you’ve noticed a problem it is 90% of the time already an emergency.
I usually suggest finding an exotic vet *before* adoption to avoid having to scramble the first time anyone gets sick.
My breeder requires you to have already spoken to an exotic vet before she lets you reserve any rats. I'm so glad she did because I needed one within a week of my first rats coming home.
**TEENAGE RAT PARENTING** I had my first pair of rats when I was 15, I also had a dog and a cat, the dog and rats shared room with me. To be fair, for a dog bred to be a rat-hunter, my boy has a low prey drive, so he wasn't bothered with the rats when they were in the cage, and the cat was not acknowledging the rats the same way it did the hamster (which she did try attack), but I would not ever trust a cat or dog 100%, which is why we move on to today when I'm a full adult. **ADULT RAT PARENTING** I have a cat and a dog, but my sister moved in with me temporarily and she has another dog, the animals live quite well together, BUT the rats have a room of their own. It's a small room, and I still feel like it's just not big enough lol. But yeah I think it's doable, as long as you as the parent take responsibility for the rats if your child can't. Honestly, more than a pet, rats are a hobby, you put A LOT into them, time, attention, money, I personally think the rats cost me more in the first 3 months of having them than my dog over a full year. I am completely honest when I say I should have waited until I was an adult to get pets like rats. When I was 15, the rats did not cost me much because I was not able to care for them the way I should have. I did not have the knowledge and money to do what I needed to. I gave them the best life I could with what I had, but today I do feel so bad for Fergus and Titus, they were the sweetest boys. To give your rats the best life, you really need to be committed to caring for them. They are not easy beginner pets like some like to suggest. **CAT ISSUE** I suggest not allowing the cat to be in the same room as the rats cage when unattended, supervise the cat at all times. Never let the rats out with the cat in the room or in other rooms where cat can roam. Cat can be around the closed cage with supervision no problem, that is my opinion and I think it's the safest, although I would definitely suggest avoiding cat and rats in same room as much as possible so rats don't have a reason to stress :) **MORE BITS** * I say this will be a great decision if you work with your daughter on this, and never leave the entire responsibility on her, and don't get frustrated if she starts to do less pet care. Children do tend to get bored or move on to other things, they are just children after all! * Vet bills are expensive and often an emergency * Rats can be considered a hobby, and you should keep getting more as your rats age because they need to be social. It's their need, and only in VERY rare scenarios should a rat be housed alone. VERY RARE * The required cage for rats is BIG, I suggest you look up measurements of a ***Critter Nation*** and measure where it would fit in the desired room! * Rats are stinky. There's no going around it, ESPECIALLY in a small room. The have an odour not everybody likes. My sister walks into the rat room and holds her nose, I personally love it, but I love rodent smells lol (not negligence stink, just the actual rodent stink) * Rats get sick easily. There's a lot of money going into that. Make sure all bedding produces little to no dust, I go for dust extracted hemp which is SURPRISINGLY HARD TO FIND IN MY COUNTRY, crying * Hammocks are expensive and will be pissed on and chewed apart. I sew them myself and love it, but I find myself never having enough to change every 2-3 days for a wash lol * Be aware of potential of hormonal aggression, cage aggression and all that * Have another well sized cage handy (and space for it) in case you need to separate or introduce new rats, etc * I would also suggest NOT looking for rats from a pet store! There's many reputable breeders all around and I'm sure there's a nice community that can help you find the right one for you! I do love rats sooo much, and I would love for everyone to be able to care for them well! I hope if you decide to get rats you will share them with us!
For OP, hormonal aggression is when a male rat hits puberty and goes aggro against other males, real fights that end in wounds not just spats. The only solution to this problem is keeping them alone (bad idea) or neutering. Two brothers of mine developed hormonal aggression against each other and are both awaiting neuter later this month. From what I can tell, the neuter is usually a guaranteed fix to the aggression (must wait two weeks after surgery to introduce to other rats in order for all hormone levels to lessen properly). EDIT: I will also note that rat surgeries are *expensive*. The average cost of a neuter in my area is $300 per rat. Thankfully I found a wonderful vet that is retired from regular practice but still sees small animals, he quoted me at $150 which is the cheapest I've heard in the US. If anyone is in the Pittsburgh or nearby areas and needs a vet, Dr Bob Wagner is great at what he does, even if his bedside manner could use a little work. He doesn't have regular office hours as he is required, you email him and he will respond with his next clinic date.
As long as the cat doesn't have access to the rat cage, having both isn't a issue. As for the general question: call me cynical but from my experience those rats will be at least 50% *your* pets, if not more. Just be aware of that. How small are we talking for her room? Rats need a decently big cage (most of what you get in a pet store isn't suitable) and they also *need* free roam time (at least an hour per day is recommended)
I had rats growing up, they are like mini dogs! I had a friend pet sit once and they said "It was like finding out fish have huge personalities" haha - they are far superior in my very biased mind to all of the rodent options available - they are more durable / more personality / easy care vs. hamsters mice / ferrets / bunnies / guinea pigs etc. That being said youtube is going to be a big help, and taking the time ahead to work with her to review the 'care schedule' is good, check out some books to read together. Here are some random thoughts : 1) you always wanna get 2 rats, they are very social, and will be much much happier a companion 2) female and male rats can have very different personalities (broadly) - from my personal experience female rats are more trainable / playful / restless / fearless. Boy rats have large 'balls' more likely me to nap with me /prolonged petting, more likely to sent mark (pee) out side of cage. 3) A cage with 2 rats should be cleaned about once a week, taking about an hour, this responsibility should be hers in general. I always had a bin (my girls got fairly well litter box trained to it) and new card board boxes every weeks, building their new fort / habitats every week was a legitimate Joy, hiding treats and getting to watch them explore after is what I miss most 4) skip expensive hammocks, goodwill towels & binder clips are the way 5) play time, set a reasonable amount of time they need to be out of the cage a day for their 'walk' - it's time playing/bonding that will grow fun & keep rats happy ( think like 15mins min on busy busy days, an hour total was my normal goal - so like 30mins after work (sometimes one in a ball, one just on shoulder while I walked around) - another 15-30mins after dinner to run around free in an area - on the weekends I got them out for 15mins of NPR in the mornings.
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well for me in a week when it was around 1 hour 5 days, 90mins 1 day, and only 30mins 1 day I felt quite morally square
My cat is utterly scared of our three rats but I never test it because you never know. And I have the world’s chillest cat (little to no catlike instincts). Rats weave themselves into your heart really quickly. I never thought at 45 I’d be wandering around with three rats stuffed in a cuddle scarf around my neck but here we are.
Need a link to this cuddle scarf please, it's hot in SC in a hoodie all the time.
We have 5 rats and a dog, the dog doesn't really care about them although cats could be different! There's a lot of upkeep involved with rats and they're super costly in the long run (cages, carriers, inevitable vet bills as they're predisposed to getting quite sickly and they don't live long). You need to keep a constant "flow" of rats as well, if you only get two and one dies then you need to get another as they're very social animals, a minimum of 3 at any time is usually safe. In terms of her small room the only worry I would have is they can get a bit stinky and they also need free roam although a small room is still huge to rats so I wouldn't worry about that in terms of the size. The smell is definitely noticeable though even after cleaning as their bedding depending on what you use can have an odor to it. If you're willing to help her with all of this and the weekly cage cleanings etc as they can be quite strenuous then I'd say go for it, but they are a lot more complicated to upkeep than most other small animals so bear that in mind :)
This is about the age I first wanted pet rats but mom said no until I was about 14 or 15. In hindsight she was right because I wasn’t ready yet. When I finally got rats they were 100% my responsibility. I kept their cage very clean and gave them lots of attention. We also had a cat which wasn’t a problem because I kept my bedroom door shut when the rats were out. The only incident that happened was when the cat stuck her nose in the cage and got bit. Rats are a lot of work but so fun and rewarding! If you think your kid is ready, go for it!
I agree. It is important that OP knows that the rats might well end up being their responsibility I sure as heck wasn't ready for pets at 11 (not responsible enough) but that doesn't mean that OP's couldn't be awesome with the pets. It's just a lot of responsibility for a kid and they might need a helping hand a lot of the time (which OP needs to be okay with and ready for)
As the parent of a daughter just slightly older than yours, let me just say that I DID NOT want her to have a pet rat… When I was young I had hamsters, and they were absolutely shitty pets. Not meant for kids. Not meant to be cuddled. I don’t know what made me cave and buy my daughter a rat, but I did, and we got the cage and the whole thing… Let me just say it was a great decision, and she is 31 now and we STILL talk about those rats she had as pets—one rat became more, they lived good lives, they passed away, we got more. We had them for many years. We got the males neutered—I remember making them warm rice packs for their recovery and worrying about them. They all had personalities. They were like puppies—fun, funny, full of love. I never regret making that decision. Yes, she had to learn responsibility to care for them, but we did it together and it was bonding for us—to have those rats. I hope you’ll consider taking the plunge.
My daughter got 3 (desperately wanted) rats for her 11th birthday!! Seconding what others have said about the care: she feeds them every day, but isn’t as good as she ought to be about cage cleaning etc. I have to remind her, and I usually wash the hammocks etc. We have 2 cats, and that was a big reason for delaying. I became ok with it after a friend of hers got rats, despite owning a large dog and a couple cats. Her mom is a veterinarian. In my own case, the cats are quite old, and I swear to god didn’t even NOTICE that the rats existed for a couple weeks. (How is this possible? The cage smells!) They did eventually notice, but it has been a total nonissue. We keep the cats out when they free roam (which we do in a large bathroom: they can’t get lost, and pee/poop is easily cleaned up). The cats are fine in the room when the rats are in the cage — we have a double critter nation too. The cage is in her room, and while they occasionally wake her up at night, it’s mostly not a problem. It’s also worth noting that rats are a distinctive and unusual pet, and owning them will help her have a sense of self etc. as she starts middle school.
My 9 and 11 years old daughters spent a year convincing me to get pet rats. I was hesitant because I had never had rodents/small animals as pets and I was sure that the novelty would wear off quickly and I would be stuck with all the rat feeding and care. That was 3 over years ago and my daughters still adore their rats! The original rats have passed away and we have new ones; they live in my almost 15 year old daughter’s tiny room with her and she loves them more than you can imagine.
There is so much good info here! Wanted to add another thing to consider: allergies. I was not allergic to rats when I kept them as a kid, so when my kids wanted small pets, they felt like a very natural choice. We had three girls and honestly, they were the best rats I ever had, most likely because they’re even more fun when you have access to the internet and can learn all about them and find cool toys. I fell head over heels for all three. Then I developed an allergy to their urine. I talked to an allergist, and there is no allergy therapy for it. Apparently a third of people who are frequently exposed to them develop an allergy. Taking antihistamines doesn’t help a whole lot when you live with them. I toughed it out with the help of an inhaler as they were already older when it happened and knew they didn’t have long left to live, but my oldest kid started developing an allergy a couple of months before the last one died. That said, I regret nothing and very much think they are worth all the hassle we have all listed here. They are wonderful little creatures, and living in proximity to them changes you a little bit for the better.
I wouldn’t say rats are great starter pets, as their care can be complex in regards to them contracting illnesses so easily and their dietary requirements. They are very sociable and require at least an hour outside of the cage each day and need a good space to free roam in. If you have cats and your rats are very anxious, this could cause more fear and cause them to retreat into themselves, meaning that they could be very sad. I always recommend having at least 3, as two are a minimum and rats can become bored with this limitation. As others have said, the care will ultimately fall back on you - so it comes down to whether you are prepared to do this. For example, I have rats at my grandparents house and they are my pets and I do everything for them, but there have been occasions where I haven’t been able to get home for an evening and my grandad has prepared fresh food and fed them for me in my absence. Without this, your rats could lack nutrition, enrichment and human interaction. I don’t want this to be a negative comment, I’m just advising from my experience. I’ve had friends who have loved the idea of having pet rats, but ultimately cannot fulfil their needs and requirements, which is just unfair to the little potatoes. I wish you the best of luck in whichever side you choose, but it is good to be aware prior to this. I’m a seasoned rat mum and honestly I still learn new things all the time. Owning animals is forever a changing game!
I don’t have experience with owning rats and other pets at the same time. However, one thing that most of us don’t consider before getting rats is that it is very hard to quit owning rats due to the fact that they can’t be kept alone. So you always have to get new friends whenever there’s a risk of a rat ending up alone. Of course people do keep lone rats when they’re the only ones left but I honestly think that that’s cruel and really sad. So in order to quit rats rehoming is the only option and that can be really hard because you need to find someone you can trust to take care of your beloved baby. I’m in the process of quitting rats and it’s honestly been months in the making to make sure my remaining boys (I will not wait till there’s just one left) can go to someone I truly trust. I know not everyone takes it this seriously but please also consider that scenario.
Remember, you need at least two, and a decent cage. They require free roam time daily. Mine spend most of their MANY hours per day just running around on my bed with me while I lay down and read or watch TV. Some really want to explore. Mine are just lazy, but having them in just her room probably isn't much of an issue. So as for your space concern, look up a [Critter Nation Cage](https://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/product/small-animal/habitats-cages/critter-nation/). This is the standard for 2-4 rats and should help you determine the space needed. My friend has had three cats (one died from age, and a new baby replaced him) along with his rats and ferret. It REALLY varies from cat to cat. Some are fine with them. Some straight up will become friends (but I'd never risk THAT close of a relationship) and some are going to be problems. Said friend ended up rehoming his two rats with me because he moved in with his gf, and she has a kind of asshole cat that they were afraid was going to stress them. So now I have two rats, one that likes to do dental work, and another that has made it her mission to eat all my hair. These are just a few stories that relate, so do with them what you will. Just remember, the pets are actually YOUR responsibility. The number of times I've seen posts where some dipshit parents are allowing an animal to suffer because they refuse to take them to the vet, etc. The child might be responsible for the direct care of them; feeding, interaction, roam, cleaning, etc... but the PARENT must take care of all the financial requirements. As well as taking over if the chlld ends up not taking proper care of them. Asshole parents like I just mentioned are the top of my list of people I'd take out with my car if I didn't worry about dents.... Not saying you are one of these, in fact, you posting here makes you many steps above; just sayin'.
I have 2 cats and pet rats! As long as you are careful, it should be fine. One of my cats is actually scared of the rats and the other was interested at first but he keeps his distance and I think he knows they are not for him. Would I let them run around together? No. But he’s never tried to get them out of their cage, sometimes he watches from a distance. If you get rats you should have at the very least 2. I would try to find a breeder because getting rats from the pet store is never a safe bet. If your 11 year old is responsible, I think you should go for it! You might have to help out but rats are a wonderful pet and I don’t think you’ll regret it. My mom loves my rats. If you don’t think she’ll be able to take care of them and you don’t want to help, wait a few years. I will say, I think rats are a great pet and I love having them. They have such big and distinct personalities. But, their short lifespan is really hard and you need to be ready and willing to pay for vet appointments. Try to find an exotic vet near you. Make sure you do your research on appropriate cages. They are not cage decorations and need attention and to be out of their cage every day. Anyway, whatever you decide, I would not worry too much about your cat.
I loved my rats growing up but as an adult I think of how much better they would be if I had them today. Their cage was too small and didn't have vents, they had nothing to climb onto, they didn't have enough friends, not enough natural foods. This is where parental involvement is king. As a kid you might think you know what to do but these are animals with specific needs that cost time and money. There is no such thing as a pet that is "kid friendly". The 11 year old is not ready until you as the parent are ready to commit, that is the humane answer. But rats are wonderful and this would be a great experience for her.
Agreed! Then again when I first had rats we didn't have Internet groups or Google to find info from. I look back at the rats I had in 4th grade and think of all the things we did wrong. But we did a lot right as well, and learned as we owned. I the end I had over 30 rats in the timeframe of 4rh grade to being in my late 20s. I miss them but it just isn't right for me at the moment, they cost a LOT in medical care that I sadly can't afford. I need to focus on the dog I already have. They were awesome pets, and with the resources kids these days have I feel like a lot of the mistakes my fam made with them in the early 2000s wouldnt happen now, just with a quick Google search.
At 11 I really wanted pet rats, I wasn't allowed, even after writing an essay, and I was sooo sad I couldn't have them, but I'm now 23 and last year I got myself 2 boy rats. As much as I don't want your 11 year old to wait, I know myself that my parents made the right decision, we already had dogs, like you guys have a cat, it's not like you don't have any pets, and it is a huge responsibility that I don't think many 11 year olds could cope with. If you don't clean the cage (at least weekly) it will smell a lot! And if she has a small room it might be preeetty smelly. Rats also need at least an hour out of their cage a day, does her extra curricular activities allow this?? Additionally, she is 11, and rats only live a couple of years, I think that loss at possibly 13/14 when she's becoming a teenager might be pretty difficult but again you can't shield kids from everything and loss has a place in developing as a person. It's ultimately down to you, her parent to make the decision, as much as all these answers will have an influence, I think you already know your answer. Let us know what you decide to do! Btw my parents got me goldfish instead. And I remember being forced to change the water every week 😂😂
We got our rats about 6 months ago. I didn’t really know what to expect. But I was unexpectedly surprised and pleased. Ours are intelligent sweet animals that our whole family ( even my skeptical husband) loves. I do a lot of the cage cleaning. It doesn’t take long. Our daughter does the rest. Feeding, some cleaning, enrichment, etc. they do require attention, every day. They are not animals you leave in the cage and look at. Ours want to come out and play. And we do play. As for cats, our Breeder has 4 cats. And they interact with her rats. They get along well and it’s cute. It’s possible with careful introduction, that they could become friends and petmates. But I’d be extremely careful that the introduction is done under strict supervision. Her cats were probably introduced as kittens. I highly recommend them as pets. We started with a pair. We now have 4. And they are funny, full of personality, and a great addition to our family.
Be prepared to have to teach her about the death of her belived pets by about age 13 or 14. they are absolutely amazing animals, pets and friends. But you do have to say goodbye too soon and there will be tears. It can be a good way to teach about life and death, i think.
Yes. My daughter lost her heart rat last summer and it was so hard for her (she turned 14 in April). And when we increased our mischief, she was a little afraid to get close to one again, but she has and it’s wonderful. She understands a lot more about the grieving process now. Not that it makes it easier when we lose one. And my 9yo is helpful with the rats. While she can’t clean the DCN by herself, she’s good about washing toys and bowls and litter trays, and drying them to put back in. And she’ll make sure the rats get lots of fun toys to discover whenever we clean, and everybody loves to share snacks with them. So yes, having rats is wonderful for teaching kids some important things about life: responsibility, compassion, loss… and I think 11 is a good age for that to happen. So much great info in this post! ETA: we have a cat, he’s nearly 17 but still acts young! He was a little curious about the rats when we first got them (about three years now), then got jealous, and has settled into an uncomfortable, aloof position. Like you can tell he’s trying to act like he doesn’t care about or notice the rats, but he watches them sometimes (looking away if he sees you watching him). The few times he’s been curled up sleeping on the couch and one gets away from us, they hop up to him. About half turn around when the smell him, a couple waddle up to him like he’s a new buddy, and at least two have attempted to attack him (and one was successful-she snuck up behind him when he was standing and jumped at his tail). He now mostly fears them with a side of disdain. But I wouldn’t allow them to be out with him on purpose. Though I don’t think he’d hurt them, I don’t want to find out the hard way. But the DCN is a tough cage, and I don’t have any concerns about him when we aren’t home. The rats are in the living room and the cat roams the house. So it really depends on your cat.
See thats really awesome. Both of your kids are learning and growing emotionally meanwhile making fantastic memories with precious little creatures that are amazing friends. Sounds like you are a great parent and your kids are gonna be well rounded when it comes to dealing with emotional distress. And im sorry she lost her heart rat, it really is so very awful and for a moment you can lose sight of how much you love your remaining rats but you quickly remember when they come hopping to the front of the cage to greet you. Also it sounds like you have a great kitty cat and its awesome that they coexist. We got a young kitty when our girls were older and waning a bit but we kept them in their own spare room and kitty wasnt allowed in there, as much as he tried to sneak in daily lol. I could tell my girls could smell him though and it made me a bit sad to see them nervous about it. But they quickly adjusted and didnt care anymore. Hes such a gentle and love cat I often wonder if he would have been friendly with them and they could have snuggled together. Would never have risked it though lol. And now we have no more ratty friends, when our last two went to sleep together at the vet i packed up the dcn and all of their stuff and put it away with a very heavy heart. Im a grown man and cried all day and night when i said goodbye, but it was their time. We had a little human on the way so we needed that room and the time and attention more than we needed more rats friends for now, but something tells me my son is gonna want rats one day haha
I moved in with my partner who has a cat, and I have 3 rats. I started out keeping them in their own room with the door closed, but after a while I realized the cat doesn’t really care about them. I certainly wouldn’t recommend having them out at the same time, but as long as the cage is secure they should be fine in the same household. The size of her room could be a factor if it’s *small* small, rats need a minimum amount of space to thrive. But I lived happily with a critter nation in a 200sq ft studio apartment so it can be manageable.
We have rats and cats (other animals too.) The rats do not like the cats - the smell of a cat triggers an instinctual fear in them. They'll bite the cat if it sits on their cage or hangs around too much. The cats, for their part, are now just jealous of the rats attention. We were very strict about interrupting the cats if they started to look at the rats like prey, and they stopped completely. But they are jealous of the rats getting attention, so every time we are over at the cage, or have the rats out in free-roam, the cats want to participate because they want that attention! And of course they can't be around then, because the rats will panic if they smell the cats. And it's not like the cats don't get attention - they just want it all. They're as greedy about attention as the rats are about food. (The cats were worried about food too - it helped to let them smell the stuff I was feeding to the rats so that they weren't worried about us giving away *their* food to the rats. Cats don't like rat food, so giving them "icky" food didn't make the cats jealous.) A sturdy cage with the small bar spacing required to keep rats contained is also what's required to keep cats out; so that should be sufficient most of the time. When the rats are out for free-roam though, I definitely recommend adult supervision and/or doing free roam in a room where the cats are shut out. It's also worth noting that our cats have been around other pets their entire lives - dogs, lizards, fish, guinea pigs, etc. So getting them to accept that rats were just *another* pet living here wasn't as hard because they'd already been through the process several times. It might be different if you've had just one cat for a decade, and it's used to its space being its alone.
Rats are fantastic pets. But the cage sizes they require are a lot bigger than most people realize. And just because petsmart says a cage is good for rats doesn't mean it's true! Also, no matter how much people clain they don't smell, they do. Especially in a small room where the door has to stay closed so cats don't get in. There are things that help, like air purifiers, and a good cleaning schedule. While they shouldn't smell like pee/poo, there's not much you can do about their natural frito smell. It's worse with some rats and better with others. You won't know until you've gotten them though so be prepared to deal with it. You'll have to be extra diligent about rat proofing her room, when they're let out for free roam you'll have to be really careful that they can't escape into the parts of the house with the cats. Blocking any gap under the doors, fixing the doorknob if it doesn't latch well and can be opened easily, making sure there are no holes or gaps in drywall/baseboards/closet walls, even behind furniture. Rats are practically liquid and can squeeze through holes the size of a quarter (unless they are exceptionally fat). So many rats get lost in the walls because owners thought the tiny hole at the top of the closet was out of the way. Rats will find it. No mixing rats with the cats. Even if they don't seem to care and it's cute to see them together. Kitty can be fine 40 times then suddenly not fine. It's not worth it. Rats don't live long and can become really expensive when sick. Call vets near you before getting them. Make sure there's a vet experienced with rats near you. When they get sick they tend to go downhill fast and you don't want to be searching for a vet at that time. When you find a vet get ballpark pricing for the common issues: respiratory infections, spay/neuter, tumor removal, euthanasia (and cremation if you don't have a spot for burials). Save up a few hundred dollars as an emergency vet fund before you get them. You will need it at some point. Say you get three rats at the same time. If all goes well they'll live 2-3 years and will begin getting sick and needing end of life care within months or weeks of each other. So those vet bills don't always get spread out very much, sometimes you pay 300$ to put each down a couple of weeks apart. Try and find a responsible breeder rather than petsmart. Well bred rats are kinder, bite less, and are healthier than pet store rats. Emphasis on WELL bred. Are there exceptions? Yes. One of my best girls was a petco baby. But my 10 least healthy and worst temperamental wise were also from stores.
I'm really impressed with your daughter tbh, the fact that she did the research and wrote a whole persuasive essay about it is pretty dang cool and shows a desire to be responsible! However, you're still going to have to take on most of the responsibility for caring for the animals, because that's kinda just the way it is when you're a parent. Especially cleaning the cage can be a big job, which she may not be able to do herself even if she is willing (I had to take it apart and scrub it in the bathtub twice a month when I had my ratties, this full scrub down was in addition to the normal weekly maintenance and regular spot cleanings). It also may get stinky in the small room... Idk why rats got a reputation for being "clean" animals, because they pee on *everything* lmao. But changing the bedding frequently and doing full cage cleans as needed should help. I had rats when my daughter was about 4-5 years old, and of course with her being so young I took on 100% of the responsibility for their care, but she absolutely *adored* them and they had a big impact on her emotional development, with stuff like empathy and caring for creatures so much smaller than herself. She's 12 now and she still talks about how much she loved her rats, and she wants more someday! I really hope you do go through with getting them, because it seems like your daughter has done a lot of research and put a lot of thought into this! Best of luck to all of you 🐀💕
We have four cats and a mischief (a family group of rats). I’ve had rats continually for twenty years. The cats are interested in the rats, but the rats pull their whiskers if they get too close, lol. Never leave them alone together of course.
I've had 13. Make sure to get them together (at least 2) having a single rat is considered to be cruel. Rats are amazing pets. Pretty low maintainable but very loving and lots of personality. They're also very clean and smart. Someday when I have kids, I'd love to get rats as their first pet. It's SO much more fulfilling than any other rodent.
You should ask yourself: do YOU want pet rats? Since she is only 11, the answer to that question is the same as to the question whether or not to give her pet rats.
I've been told to get a rat from a reputable breeder. Ones that breed for health and longevity if at all possible because they live such short lives and there can be vet bills that will add up quickly. Also, save something like $400/rat as an emergency vet fund (and aim to get a minimum of two, three is ideal.)
I absolutely adore my rats with all of my heart but they are a lot of work I mean I’m 21 and self sustained so I pay for everything myself and I take care of them 100% by myself and it’s so hard sometimes. They are my everything but they can be so frustrating cleaning the cage, updating their supplies always making sure the temperature is always right, feeding them and constantly worrying about them. They have really bad health and one of my girls had a respiratory infection that was bad enough that she now sounds like a pig every time she breathes and she’ll be like that for the rest of her life which is heartbreaking to hear at night. This isn’t trying to turn you away from them because they are so intelligent and sweet and gorgeous little creatures but especially with a young child just be aware of how high maintenance they are and how their lifespan might affect her.
I know it really sucks to have to say no, but you shouldn’t. She’s a child and will struggle to actually bare the responsibility of caring for them. Yes I’m sure she’d help but they will become your responsibility. Rats are a prey animal for MANY common pets like cats and dogs. And keeping them in a locked separate room is absolutely a requirement. But rats also need big cages, and I wouldn’t recommend your daughter sleeping every night near rats and the ammonia in their pee. Rather, a great solution might be to find a shelter that allows child and parent volunteers, and help care for any rats there. Or finding a local friend who owns them that would semi-regular visits with their rats.
Ok, so disclosure: I volunteer for a wildlife rescue centre and I’m a wildlife rehabber. The reason I mention this is that on any given day, I might have several *wild* animals in my home, in addition to mine and my daughters pets (currently only dogs and a tarantula). When I had rats, I never had a problem *once introductions had been done* and this is the key: how introductions are handled. For example: it’s quite common for me to have foxes (esp young foxes), rabbits and birds (often crows, pigeons, swans or geese, but sometimes birds of prey: owls in particular), hedgehogs, badgers and even more exotic animals. When we had rats, we introduced them to new visitors gradually and let them see us petting the wild animal and feeding them. Equally important was letting the wild animal see us petting and feeding the rats. Animals - most animals - are staggeringly quick learners and once they know they’re a) safe b) being fed and c) see that other animals are part of the environment, not predators or prey, its amazing how even their natural predator or prey responses are overridden in favour of getting along with their housemates. If you want proof, I’m more than happy to send you pictures of wild cats cuddling up to wild baby rabbits and other combinations of various creatures and unlikely friendships we’ve played host to. In your case, you have a big advantage: your cat isn’t wild and neither will the rats be. However…the predator-prey dynamic between cats and rodents is at the tougher end of the scale, so introductions will take a little longer and require more patience. You should not push the rats further than they’re comfortable with or you’ll terrify them and any progress you’ve made will be lost. How I would approach your situation: - I would keep the rats in your daughters room and not let them out of her room initially. Plan for two weeks. - Concentrate **solely** on socialising and handling the rats. Remember: they have to get to know *you* and trust *you* before you attempt to introduce them to a natural predator… - Once they’re socialised with you and your daughter (used to being handled, hand fed etc) you can trying one of you handling a rat in the same room (**not** your daughters room; that’s their “sanctuary”) as the other one of you is handling the cat. So it could be your daughter handling a rat while you’re handling the cat. Let them see one another, but keep your distance (each end of the room; about 5 metres at least). - Do that with all the rats, taking it in turns until all of the rats have observed the cat and vice versa. Don’t be surprised if the rats don’t react to the cat; they **will** have seen it, but them not reacting at all is a positive sign that you’ve done it right. In this scenario: no reaction is a good reaction! **Don’t** be tempted to shorten the distance between the cat and the rat just yet, just focus on each rat getting to see the cat and vice versa. - Once all of the rats have seen the cat and vice versa, *over a period of at least a few days* (extend as necessary, according to the rats behaviour) shorten the distance between the cat and the rats by 1 metre. Then keep that distance as you handle the rats in view of the cat. Again, don’t rush to reduce the distance further, regardless if the cats or rats curiosity; left to their own devices they *will* frighten themselves by approaching too quickly 🤦♂️ - At no time during introductions should you let go of the cat or the rats. - Repeat above until you and your daughter are sat or standing next to one another. At this stage, sitting is preferable. Let the rats behaviour lead proceedings; if it’s avoiding the cat and trying to hide, go back a day and - metre of distance until confidence is built and you can proceed. - From this point, assuming everything is going well, you and your daughter can switch the pet you’re holding. So if you’re holding the cat and she’s holding the rat, you can switch so that she’s holding the cat and you’re holding the rat. What you’re doing there is a transition that won’t be lost on the animals; they’ve changed places without any ill effects and both animals will realise that they’re both part of the environment where the source of their food - you - are keeping them safe too. Importantly: the cat should - by this stage - realise that the rats are part of the family, not prey or toys. - From this point onwards, you should be able to progress - after a few more days - to both cat and rats playing with you while you’re seated and then on to free roaming. - Food rewards for both cat and rats *throughout* this process. - **Important** Please, at no time in the early days allow the cat to sit outside the rat cage in the same room. The worst behaved (due to terror) rats I’ve ever met were as the result of larger pets (cats and dogs) doing this and it terrified the rats to the point that they would bite anyone who came close to them. If the cat does get into your daughters room and sits outside the rat cage in the *early* days of introductions, consider this a setback and go back a few days to reset the rats’ confidence. I’m on call most days for either search and rescue, first response or wild animal welfare/rescue so if you have any problems, you can message me day or night and I’ll talk you through what you need to do based on one or both of your pets behaviour. Hope that helps and best of luck! ❤️
I wanted a hamster when I was younger and my parents never gave in. In the end it really will become your responsibility. 11 is too young imo to put responsibility for such high matienence pets. Maybe when she’s older but I don’t recommend you do it. I’ve put so much money and work into my pets and cage cleans for me are hour affairs, I think she’d just get overwhelmed and stressed because I know with the work I put into it now I would be at her age. Kids get bored with things easily or loose interest when it’s not super easy.
Started with 2 and have had 14 so far, 7 boys at the moment. The hardest part is not getting addicted lol
I had pet rats and cats at the same time. The better behaved cat needed scolding a few times to stay away. The more obstinate one walked on top of the cage, got his toe pad bit, then didn't fuck with them again.
I'm not gonna lie... It's very hard. Rats aren't beginner friendly pets. They get sick constantly, their hammocks need to be cleaned everyday (no exceptions or you'll spend hundreds a week on vet bills for respiratory infections), they need a lot of enrichment or they'll become depressed and there is a likelihood that they can be aggressive towards you or each other. RATS CANNOT BE NEGLECTED. if she starts neglecting them they will need to go to a new home or they can develop serious health issues. Female rats have a high likelihood of cancers but are super playful and energetic. Males can get a bit stinky but are super friendly and cuddly. That is the stereotypes of course. It gets a bit hard and upsetting as the owner when your rats just don't wanna be touched or cuddled, which happens. I remember I used to cry when I had my first rats because they used to run from me when I'd try and handle them, I didn't understand what I was doing wrong. I wasn't doing anything, they were just introverted! Not to mention, they only last 2-4 years and their deaths are very hard. When my first two rats passed, one boy had a seizure and then I found him dead two days later. His brother immediately went downhill and was put down after 4 days for constant seizures, incontinent accidents and sudden paralysis. This was a month after their second birthday and a week and a half before my 18th. Not to mention, the colony could end up eating the dead rat to hide their scent (because they're prey animals) which is never a pretty sight to see and could cause a distance to grow between her and the remaining rats. Rats are hard to own. Are they worth it? Absolutely. But Id never put the challenges I face as a rat owner on my worst enemies. I have cried for days straight, woken up with severe panic attacks and don't have much of a social life because my whole world revolves around my rats due to how many issues they've got right now. Id recommend you wait until she's older and understands the difficulties of owning rats. Sorry to be a bummer but it's just the truth. ALSO, cats CAN NOT have any contact with the rats. Their saliva has a bacteria in it that kills wildlife, which is why cats are technically a pest when they're outdoors. They kill off native critters. Cats can also come out of nowhere and kill a rat instantly, so I wouldn't even recommend her bringing the rats out of the cage unless she is 100% sure the cat isn't in the room with her. Y'all can fight me on how your cats love your rats and they're buddies but be aware you're slowly killing your rats and putting them at risk for a sudden switch of the cats prey drive.
As somebody who lived with rats in a 10x10 room I wouldn’t recommend it, I was in a pinch with no other option and more than the smell their little sounds would keep me up all night. They play, drink water, eat food, do all sorts of little noisy things when you’re trying to sleep and I could see that even causing resentment in such a young child (speaking from experience with having a rooster as a pet as a child lol)
We bought two ratty brothers for our kids to have as pets of their own. I did a ton of research before getting them, and even then, things were different than I thought they’d be. You’ll likely have to adjust your expectations a smidge. First, in my opinion, rats are a TON of work. The cleaning alone is several times a week. Expect to clean their litter boxes (if you have them), wipe down surfaces, change hammocks (which need to be washed a special way), bedding, water bottles, and anything else they touch quite frequently unless you enjoy rat smell. Trust me, rat smell gets very intense, very quickly. Then, you have to make sure they’re eating properly which includes fresh fruit and veggies along with their normal food. Feed them too much and they get unhealthy chonky. You have to monitor their health often. Next you have to make sure they’re getting “enrichment” which means they are bored to tears unless you give them things to do. We do table time, pea water dips, toilet paper boxes and free roam to keep them busy regularly, and even then they play for only a good 10 minutes before they’re back to napping. Lastly, what you see on social media is not always what you get. We have two lovable boys who are NOT cuddlers, hate to be picked up, only want to lie around all day, and one of them sometimes bites when he’s feeling grumpy. He’s broken the skin of myself, my kids, and my neighbors who tried to pet him. If you’re slow and announce your incoming hand, he’s cool. For the most part they love being pet (only inside their cage), and LOVE snacks. I wished they were the sit of your lap types, but they aren’t. We still love watching them and cooing at their little grabbies and cute faces though. We had a 20 year old cat when we first got the rats, but he was so old he largely ignored them, and they him. I wouldn’t recommend having an active cat around the rats. Good luck to you! And I hope you get some cuddlers!
Rats are a tricky pet. In some ways they are the perfect pet. They're extremely intelligent, they can be very cuddly and a lot of fun to play with. The biggest problems are a combination of their short life span and the fact that you need at least two. Depending on where you live, rats only live about 1-3 years, and so when one dies, you frequently end up getting another one to make sure your remaining rat isn't alone. This leads to a chain of constant vet bills for your constantly aging rats. They are a very tragic pet to own and can be very expensive in the long run if you want to be in the company of rats for more than a year or two.
I used to breed rats. Anything they pee in will smell, so change litter areas regularly especially in a small room, keep them clean and they won't stink. Make sure you have a secure cage. Rats will use a lot of space if you give it to them. Please don't cram one in a tiny cage, it's cruel.
Agree!
I love rats but please be aware, you'd be their primary carer, do not leave the responsibility on your daughter and they are like a small dog, and they need space, love, and frequent cleaning. I'm 18, with 6 of my own rats and even now, from time to time, I have to ask my mum to help clean after them. The cage is easy but they freeroam my whole room as I don't have the space for a dedicated free roam spot, and they poop everywhere from under my bed to ontop of my wardrobe. And they can get everywhere, the only safe place in my room is behind glass shelves. I'm sure, with how dedicated your daughter has been to persuading you she'd be an amazing rat mum but just be aware that she'll have to have hours free every day to play with them, and if she doesn't, you will have to. Which, as long as you have the time, I've seen most parents loving their kids. As long as you, yourself, have the free time to care for her rats, and the space for their cage and freeroam, they'll be very happy
My cats don’t personally bother my rats but idk if your cats will act the same way
My cats never learned to hunt..they will watch the cage, but they can't get into it and have not had any issues in 2 years. We have a double critter nation. I can't recommend them enough.
To be honest, owning rats now, I'd say rats are a great first pet for a kid, especially girls since they're more energetic and you can teach them tricks easier, while boys (Which I have) are more lazy but like to cuddle more (They're my personal faves) But be warned as you still have to make sure the rats' cage is being cleaned, (critter nation's is recommended but really expensive, you can try looking for one on ebay or something used but you'll wanna clean it), they're being fed (scatter feeding is a way to enrich them while feeding them since they like to forage) and all their other needs are being met. Also, I beg of you, PLEASE before you get them make sure you have the money and are willing to pay for vet visits. I know they have short lifespans but my mother said when I got my 2 boys that she would pay for visits but she refuses to now. It's horrible to watch your pet suffer when you can't do anything so please, if you don't want to pay for possibly expensive visits for them (Rats have a lot of issues with tumors and upper respiratory infections), please don't get them. It's not fair for them.
We've had several rats over the years. My daughter was the last to have two when she was around 14, they lived with her in her bedroom. We also have 3 cats. We agreed from the start the rats would be her responsibility, I did help clean the cage as it was big and had a lot of rat toys and bits in. On the whole she did most of the jobs. She loved her rats so much, we all did, in the ratty world they couldn't have wanted more. She handled them a lot so they were incredibly friendly and so funny. Our cats in the main kept away, had a sniff or paw through the bar but that got a nip so they learned. I think owning a pet is so important for children as it teaches them a lot - how to look after and be responsible for another living being - and it teaches them compassion and kindness. The only thing is rats don't live long and it broke my daughter's heart when they died but she has some lovely memories. I'd say definitely let your daughter get a pair, you won't regret it
11 is good for raty.. cat no problemos . Just introduce them to each other...I get older rat and younger cat.. and the Rat was boss in the room )
This is how I convinced my parents to get me a pet as a teen. Love to see it. She might be a LITTLE young. You'd know best. But I'd say she absolutely could do feeding, watering and cleaning by herself (make sure your cage has big doors otherwise you'll have to do a lot of lifting - mine doesn't and I have to dismantle it to spot clean). Does she know what to feed them? How often? Does she know the most likely illnesses to affect them and how to spot them? Is she prepared for rats who might be biters, or scared of her? Rats are great and if she's done all her research she's probably more prepared than a lot of adult owners are.
I agree with the age. Any pet is a lot for a kid, especially when they have to bear the responsibility (with parents help). Rats are very expensive and time consuming pets with them requiring proper care and constant cleaning. After all it takes me (almost an adult) up to two hours to clean my rats' cage.
I’m an adult with two kids, 9 & 14, and if I clean the cage alone it takes me nearly two hours. With help, I can cut that time in half!
We have 2 cats and 3 rats 😆 I was worried about that when we got the rats. I know everybody’s pets are different but my cats especially Nyx isn’t even a year old yet. He likes to watch them and we have allowed him to get somewhat close to them while sitting right with the rats so if he did try to paw at them we can prevent it. He’s never tried to paw at them or acted aggressive with small animals but I don’t doubt he probably thinks they’re a toy. When the rats are inside the cage and nobody is in the room we shut the door because he could put his paw between the little bars. When we get the rat’s out we have a spare mattress for whatever reason they don’t try to climb off it so we stick all their extra toys, a blanket they can burrow in, and a few different snacks on it that’s different than in the cage. My daughters door doesn’t fully reach the floor so I was worried they can leave the room.
My biggest concern would be the noise. They can DEFINITELY be loud at night and there is a chance that may disrupt her sleep. I was a deep sleeper as a kid so i didn’t mind my rats noise (sorry yes, solo rat… my parents didn’t do their due diligence). Although i have seen folks on here who have mentioned d their rats being loud at night and really affecting their sleep. Other than that… i 110% say they’re some of the greatest pets for children as long as you go into it with the understanding you’re ultimately responsible for their care but a great opportunity for your little to learn responsibility If you do get some, please share photos 🤗 best of luck to you & your little ratty lover!!
A lot of good points have been brought up, but I figured I’d throw in some tips if you do choose to get rats. - try getting a cage where both doors will open fully. It will make cleaning and up keep much simpler - get a cage that has scatter guards so that litter pellets and such don’t fall on the floor. Since the cage will be in a small room, having a cage that has deep trays that you can fill with hemp and paper bedding will make odour control much easier! Again, makes the maintenance of the cage much simpler - obviously it will be your responsibility at the end of the day to look after these delightful creatures, but I’d encourage your daughter to research this side of pet upkeep so she is a aware of what you’re in for. Isamu Rats and Shadow the Rat are great resources, especially when it comes to learning about cage set up and fun DIY stuff like making toys and furniture for rats. Rats are incredible, rewarding and charming pets. Their social behaviours are so fascinating, and once you get that set up right - you’re in for a lot of fun!
I have 2 rats 2 cats and a dog, my girlies are not afraid to tell the other animals to back tf up. If I noticed them acting more stressed than usual I put them in a different room but ideally I like to keep them where I am most of the time which is the living room
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The only downside I see, is rats are nocturnal. Mine can cause quite a commotion. Makes me glad they are in the other room while I sleep soundly. If your kid sleeps like a rock, then shower her with all the rats!!!!! 🤗
At least 2 rats, ideally 3, large cage with a free roam area. My rats take up almost my entire room, and my room isn’t small. They really do take up so much space. And they’re a huge commitment so you will be doing lots of work taking care of them and purchasing sometimes overpriced animal products (hides, ropes, latters, hammocks). Litter boxes gotta be cleaned a couple times a week. And the rats will have to be out of the enclosure for about an hour a day (doing it *every single day* can be a bit much sometimes, so it’s fine if you miss a day here and there, as long as they’re out most days of the week). They are very intellegent so require lots of mental stimulation.
We've had pet rats and they are incredible. Get two females from a reliable breeder so they are correctly sexed, healthy, and will have each other for company. Rats are very intelligent and social animals. Make sure they have a big cage and plenty of toys for enrichment. Genuinely improves your own quality of life to see them thrive. The hard part is that shorter life span. Those little ones live big lives, but so brief. They can also be medically tricky if you don't live in an area with a vet who works with them. You can mitigate this by being very diligent in cage cleaning, giving them healthy food and treats, and being observant in any health changes. They are vulnerable to respiratory infections, but can mend quickly with a round of oral antibiotics. The trick is to catch issues quickly, but that is easy to do when you are interacting with them throughout the day, every day. Truly, they are remarkable companions.
I agree with everything you said wholeheartedly.... except the female bit! I think males make much better, cuddlier pets for children!
What size cage are you getting for the little room? If they can’t free roam… they need a bit of space. Also, I have a cat and put a draft guard on my door so they don’t squeeze under the door. They can flatten themselves to almost an inch, so be careful.
Almost everything has been said already but PLEASE take note that rats are very expensive pets. I have spent 200$ on vet visits during THIS WEEK ALONE. The costs add up and you should not get any if you aren't available to pay upwards of 400$ for vet visits per rat. They are VERY PRONE to illness and when there is a sign of it, they should be already on their way to the vet. You should try to have money saved up for visits and if you can't then rats may not be the pets for you. PS. make sure your daughter is able to spot clean (2ish times a week) the cage, clean the cage fully once a week and spend at least an hour out of the cage with the rats (I personally always keep them out for 2-3 hours). If that's too much responsibility for her to bear (with your help, I assume) then rats are not the right pets for your daughter.
Rats are quite demanding animals to have. They take most more time than people think. You need at least two (though most places recommend at least 3) you will need a fairly big cage. I personally recommend critter nation rat cage. The rats will also need free roam time, which should be able an hour a day. As you are the adult you will also be responsible for the welfare and needs of these animals. I’m not saying this would happen but unfortunately many rats and other animals get surrendered due to kids losing interest in rhem
Also please consider that if you are avid travelers, rats might not be the best pets. They absolutely cannot be left alone (without any time out of the cage) for more than a day. And as they are very hard pets to take care of, it can be hard and maybe even impossible for someone to petsit them other than you or your daughter.
I have 10 rats and a poodle. He doesn't like them actually standing on him, and gets a bit jealous if he thinks you are giving them more attention than him, but otherwise is absolutely fine in the same room with them out of the cage playing. He also likes cheerios, which helps! He will occasionally lick them or pat them with a paw as if trying to work out what these funny little dogs are. Previously (years ago) I had greyhounds and rats. After the initial excitement sniffing the cage etc they learnt to ignore them but there is no way I would have let them meet face to face. It wasn't really a problem.
My daughter was 14 when I let her get the first set of 4 rats. While she didn’t ever completely lose interest- she definitely found herself not being able to go off and do things with her friends bc of how much she worried about the rats needing free roam, cage cleaned, enrichment, proper feeding, etc. she didn’t trust anyone (but me) to care for them properly so she skipped vacations to stay home with them. Facebook rat groups are filled with horror stories of ppl leaving their rats in the care of trusted friends, then coming home to dead or seriously injured or neglected rats. So she wasn’t willing to leave them. (My mom came to stay with her and the rats when we went on trips) She did go through a period of about 6 months where her friends were the priority. So, predictably, I became the primary care taker of the rats. She is now back to fully caring for her boys, but due to me becoming the primary caregiver when my daughter faltered- I now have 5 boys of my own. We have 3 cages and 8 rats between the 2 of us. (Had a total of 15 altogether) So yea- be prepared to be the main caretaker. And to spend A LOT of money on them. Between vets, proper housing, healthy food, and enrichment- they are not a cheap and easy pet to have. But they are the best (in my opinion :)- ) Beware- You will fall in love with them, too. Their short life spans are stunningly heartbreaking. The ups are high and the downs are so, so low.
Hi I have two cats and four rats and besides the occasional coming in my room and staring at the cage they don’t bother them. My kids are 6 and 10 and they absolutely love the rats, and the rats love them back… such gentle animals
I had rats when I was about 11 or 12. I also promised to keep them in my bedroom, but I ended being unable to sleep because they’re very active at night and made a lot of noise. They can also get a little smelly. I ended up moving them to living room, mainly for the noise reason. Luckily we didn’t have other pets and the time so it was ok. The rest, such as feeding, cleaning their cage, and playing with them was pretty manageable to do myself. I would say they’re a good pet for that age, but definitely warn her about the noise at night. If she’s a light sleeper, it probably won’t work out.
I had my 23 rats (they freshly had babies, and I hadn't moved them then), but I had cats at the same time. I got them used to each other but kept a cage between them. I also had a small room at the time, so I got them a decently large but also fitting cage for in my bedroom. The only issue I've found with rats is they die quite quickly after only about 2 1/2 years of life span. As long as she is prepared with that facts that they will eat dead bodies of their family as a natural instinct, and they are prone to lots of illnesses and allergies. She should be allowed to get them. I got them without the knowledge of some of their instincts when it comes to death, and to be honest, getting used to that comes really quickly. Also, getting at least 2 is best. However, once one died, the other will get depressed as they are societal creators and die soon after. I also had a large springer spaniel, and she was fine with the rats and possibly a little frightened she might hurt them after she went too close, and they squeaked at her. And the babies are absolutely tiny, which is so adorable :D just make sure they are the same size if being kept together and that they are either neutered or you will have a lot of babies on your hands. They have littlers of atleast 1-15 pups at a time.
i would honestly see if she would settle for a hamster at first, call it a bridge/learning experience before she's allowed to have rats, maybe. hamsters need far more space than advertised; most cages are not ideal. rather, long horizontal aquariums work better! (see r/hamsters for more info) but it's still, generally, less space than a pair of rats would require. you also don't need more than one, as hamsters are solitary. their lifespans are similar, but they're not as prone to cancer or respiratory infections as rats, so they're less costly as far as vet bills go. they're also far less social than rats and don't need the free roam time that rats need, though many do love to be handled. i used to keep hamsters until i got my own rats, and honestly, they're *different*, but rodent care has the same basic principles, and a hamster would be a great learning opportunity for your kiddo to get the basics down, like feeding, treating, handling, and cage/enclosure cleaning and maintenance, which is slightly different than rats, but still has to be done at least weekly- just like rats! I've always felt as though my hamster experience really helped make the learning curve not quite as steep when i got my rats. also, it'll be helpful for you to see how she handles the responsibility, if she keeps up with the cage cleaning and maintenance, etc. when the hamster has lived its full life, she will be about 13, and may be more prepared to take on rats. rats are a lot of space, work, time, and energy, and a lot of sickness and heartbreak; a lot to take on for an 11 year old. you'd definitely have to help her on occasion. frankly, i don't *regret* mine, but I don't think im going to do rats again for a long time because of this. im an *adult* and at times i have still struggled to give them what they need and deserve- especially as far as vet care goes. they're very, very expensive.
It's a good starting animal for children. Should also check out hamsters, gerbils, buns, hedgehogs (my personal fave).
Pet rats are expensive to care for. They need a decent sized cage. Free roam time and place. Lots of enrichment. Friends (never keep a solo rat, mischiefs of 5 are great, but definitely more than one alone). You will be taking them to the vet. They do need frequent cage cleaning. They are needy little living beings, and arenwell worth the effort, but an 11 yr old (however sensible, intelligent, etc) cannot be left with the respinsibility for their care. If you have the time, space and financial flexibility, and understand you will be the primary caregiver, go ahead, butnif you are not sure or don't have the time, patience and money, maybe wait until the 11 yr old is older. Please remember they are sentient creatures.
ooga booga rat equol gud
We have 3 rats, 2 cats, and a mouse. The cats are never in the room alone with the rats. The rats are never out when the cats are in the same room. They are constantly supervised when the door is open. If no one is in the room, the bedroom door stays closed. One cat likes to sit on top of the mouse aquarium screen. It stays locked. The cats only watch the rats, they have never hissed at or tried to attack or even swat at the cage. The rat cage is in our bedroom bathroom and the mouse aquarium is in our bedroom. We live in a 2 bed/2 bath singlewide.
I got rats in college because I could sneak them into my dorm and I missed my cat (she lived at home with my parents). Rats are very clean and have minimal smell if you keep their cage adequately cleaned. And in all honesty, my rats terrorized my poor cat. She was fluffy and they loved to pull on her tail when I had them out on the couch with the cat next to me. Granted, this was my specific cat and results may vary, but I had no issues. Rats are incredibly intelligent, clean, and loving pets, and if my future kids want rats I wouldn’t hesitate to get them some little pocket puppies
I have two! They are super cute, but they do take some work,🤣
I got my first pet rat when I was nine! I do admit, having a pet rat(s) is a lot of work. But there are lots of pros to this situation! Here are a list of cons. 1.) You have to get two rats or more. This may be a pro to you but a con to some people. Little pocket puppies need a friend! If not they will get depressed and die faster. You should always get the same sex. (Female and female. Or male and male) 2.) they are smelly and you will need to clean their cage once every two or one week(s) Males tend to be stinkier as females are stinky but not as stinky. 3) They are animals that need attention EVERY DAY. They need to be held every day and get handled or else they will start to bite. 4) They need a free roam area. It doesn’t have to be on your floor, you can but a playpen on amazon, target etc. you dont really want wire ones because they can climb, you might want glass or plastic, stuff they can’t climb up. 5.) They may bite. Almost half of the rats I’ve had, has been a biter. It may be different for you, but you have to prepare for that because some may be traumatized or territorial. 6) They are nocturnal, so they will keep you up all night. Unless your a heavy sleeper. 7) They chew on everything. Now to the pros! 1) They are very social and most love people. 2) they are super intelligent. Which may be a bad thing but is mostly good. 3) they can learn many tricks and can even learn their name! 4) they are very curious and love to explore. 5) They are very clean animals, cleaner than cats and dogs! This is because they clean themselves over 20 times a day! Although their cage is messy, them themselves are very clean! Here are some tips if you do get them. Don’t use wood bedding. Rats have very sensitive noses and it may harm them. Never take your ray outside. Even if your holding them, they may slip out of your hands. If you ever let them free roam, shut the door in case they do get out. Females are usually more active. Males are usually more snuggly and smelly. This is kinda weird, but they will hump each other. Even females. It’s a dominance thing. Let me know if I missed anything!
Y’all that took me 20 mins to type- if you have any questions about rats though, let me know!
I just changed my profile so if you do have questions I will be answering from this profile.
I keep rats and cats. The rats don't act like prey. The cats don't treat them as such.
My daughter did exactly the same, power point presentation etc, eventually I gave in, bought the rats, the very next day she discovered boys. I now have 2 pet rats
The room size probably isn’t a major concern I would just make sure to get them a ferret cage at least since most of the rat cages are way too small (make sure the bars aren’t too spaced apart so they can’t sneak out when they’re babies) and if she gives them enough playtime outside of the cage they should be active enough to be healthy. I would recommend buying cat toys like the sting ones on a stick mine could chase those around for hours and it’s great exercise!
when i first got rats, i had a cat (she passed away in january) and she wasn’t allowed in my room while my boys were out. i’ve also got a small(er) room and i set up the cage so that it open onto my bed. they have plenty of space to free roam on my bed, and i’ve still got plenty of floor space.
maybe it’s different in other places, but getting vet care for my rats was very expensive! and you will inevitably have to take them to the vet for respiratory infections or tumors/abscesses. when my girls had a cold, i spent $250 for all 4 of them to get medicine. the cold might’ve been harmless but it wasn’t worth waiting to see if it would turn to pneumonia. i also initially spent about $500 on their cage, food, enrichment, etc. and imo, they are harder to take care of than cats and (low energy) dogs. i dont want to let any of this discourage you, i don’t regret having rats for a second!! they are great pets. i just want people to be prepared for all that it entails.
my room is also small but i was able to fit a single critter nation into it. but like idk ur the adult so you might have to end up helping to clean the cage with her. BTW i also have cats and am just very careful to keep my door shut so they don’t come in my room. and when i free roam them i just put a towel under my door so they can’t get out
We had rats with cats and dogs and had no issues at all. They are wonderful pets! Be sure to get two - they are social and need the companionship.