Okay, I know what you’re going to say… “OMG EWWW You have pet rats?” Trust me, I used to feel that way too. The only real view I had of rats were huge, ugly, disease ridden creatures, so needless to say I was really nervous and weirded out about the idea of having these rodents in my house when my husband brought it up in conversation the first time. I eventually caved into the idea and I have loved every moment of it!
They are basically tiny dogs.
We currently have 3 rats. We did have 4 but our OG momma rat passed away a week ago. I was suprised how much they beg for attention, beg for treats, kiss you, and cuddle you. They even come when you call their names which suprised the heck out of me. They each have completely different personalities, and they are hilarious to watch. They have tiny hands which they have used to hold our hands with (and steal slices of pizza from the box with). They have even played “fetch” with us before. I say “fetch” in quotations because they aren’t very good at it and get distracted quickly.
They are so soft and lovable.
Our girls literally feel like clouds with how soft they are. They have incredibly soft and shiny fur which is perfect for cuddling. They have the most adorable faces with big eyes and huge Mickey Mouse like ears. Ugh I just cannot get over their cuteness. Maybe that’s why I spoil them so much and now they are super chubby.
They are actually really clean and friendly animals.
When you think “rats,” you think nasty little dirty creatures that roam NYC subway stations. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. They clean themselves constantly and never smell bad. You just have to make sure you keep their cage clean to prevent smell and also to prevent them from getting sick. We put litter pans in their cage so its just like having a tiny cat. You just scoop the poop and it’s dunzo! Their fur smells clean at all times because of how crazy they are about washing themselves. I’m telling you, they are a mixture between a tiny dog and a tiny cat. Here is a link to more about that and a lot more amazing rat facts!
The only downside.
A rat’s life expectancy is painfully short which really, really sucks. Their life expectancy is typically two years. Once they get older they can start developing tumors (which our little Kona was expected to have), and they also tend to get upper respitory infections (which Kona was also prone to). Kona passing away was soooooo difficult for us because she was such a big part of our family. She let strangers hug her and she was just so friendly.
Rats have changed my life for the better. I have so much love for our little girls, and even though it is super tough when you lose them so quickly, the time they give you is so worth all the pain.
