Can you tell me about keeping rats as pets?

I so want a pet rat but I know very little about them. My main concern is, do I need to get 2 or will one be alrigh? I don't want the little un feeling lonely on its own.

Rats can make great pets. Buy a baby and handle it as much as possible. They can be as affectionate and loving as a dog or cat. And they're a lot cleaner than people think. Take it to the vet as you would any other pet and it won't have any diseases to give to others.

the best thing to do is go to the library and read books about rat care. i truly love the little buggers. i've always had rats as pets, and used to breed them. they make excellent pets. if you decide to get one rat, then spend a lot of time with it, share veggies and fruit with it. but if you get 2 of them, it's best to get 2 females. (unless you want a ton of them), and the best thing is to get them from the same cage in the pet store. that way they will be used to each other.

You should get two rats. Females are very active and get along best. Rats are very social animals. They are great pets. They take good care of themselves are are clean. You will just need to make sure you keep their cage clean and be sure not to use any wood-based bedding, such as cedar. They are also very are very smart and can be trained. Rats are the most affectionate and smartest of all the small rodents.You should read up alot about them. Also, a good website is ratguide.com and the rmca.org.

I absolutely agree! Rats are great pets!! If you are going to get more than one, females are definately the way to go. I had only one and it was a male. He was perfectly happy all by himself, but he did receive a lot of attention. I think as long as you give the rat plenty of daily attention and care there is no reason that it should be unhappy.

I've owned several rats (only females) and I think that if you're going to get a rodent, rats are the way to go. If you make sure to play with them often, they will be really affectionate. Mine would chase string, lick me like little puppies, and run to the door of their cage when I came home. I agree with others who said that you should read up on them and, if you decide they're for you, get at least two. They won't love you any less, and they'll have companionship when you're not there. You can read up about rats online at these sites:Rat and Mouse Club of America - http://www.rmca.org/The Rat Fan Club - http://www.ratfanclub.org/index.htmlPet Rat Information Sheet - http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/