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If your perception of rats runs in the area of “eek, get it away from me,” then you need to change your thinking. On a ranking of pets that offer the most satisfaction, rats topped the list.
RightPet, an online site that reviews pet products and services, has been polling pet owners about their preferences for eight years in its RightPet Pet Ownership Study. The survey, which includes the opinions of almost 17,000 people in 113 nations, looks at 32 types of pets and livestock.
Based on 5,150 reviews from respondents, children ages 10 to 17 ranked rats as the more satisfying pet, topping puppies and kittens.
The satisfaction isn’t lasting, however. Rat preference drops off past the age of 17 in favor of more traditional pets, although rats remain high on the satisfaction list. The results indicate that parents might consider adopting rats, not dogs or cats, for their pre-teens and teens.
Some factors cited in favor of rats is that they are relatively inexpensive, easy to care for, smart and easy to train, and they tend to freak out a lot of people, which is good when you’re of a certain age.
Lois Grace, a rat fancier in San Jose, says she thinks rats get a bad rap. That whole plague thing in the Dark Ages sort of ruined it for rats, but it was really the fleas to blame, she says. And humans had more fleas on them than the rats did.
Grace says she has been part of some pet rat rescues, including one that was featured on the television show “Hoarders.”
“Believe me,” Grace says, “these little critters are as loving and kind as any other domesticated pet. They are also very intelligent. Mine were litter trained and would use a tiny litter box.”
Interested in adopting a rat, now that you know how awesome they are? Check with your area animal shelter for domesticated rats, or contact an East Bay rat rescue, Rattie Ratz. Learn more about pet rats at Bay Area Rattery.
