if you get rats, you can’t have just one. they’re highly social and need other rats. two is the absolute minimum, but three is better. please don’t get just one. it’s cruel.
eta: also, they need a big cage. since they’ll be spending 20-23 hours a day in it, they need a lot of space. those little hamster cages won’t do (they’re too small for hamsters too tbh). the king of rat cages is the double critter nation. I had one. it was epic. they had soooo much room
they also need at LEAST one hour of playtime outside of the cage. but that’s just the minimum. if you can give them more, that’s even better.
sorry for the rant. a lot of people don’t realise how to PROPERLY look after rats. also, I’m highly passionate about rats and giving them best life possible, and since they only live a few short years, you will want to give them the best lif le possible
Kind of true, but it’s more like an ant scent marking. They know this is a place that’s safe (rats have been here). With good absorbent natural substrate in the cage, and wiping down their free roam area if needed, it’s mostly unnoticeable. I like to compare it to a person needing to change their t-shirt every day, probably not a deal-breaker for interacting, unless you don’t clean for way too long.
It’s not “kind of true”, they mark scent with urine. And they’ll mark all their cage mates too, and that includes their human.
But yes, rats are tiny and don’t pee on you and your house much, that’s true. They also absolutely have bladders (what a weird myth that is) and almost always potty train themselves to do most of their urinating in certain spots when not marking scent.
I was considering owning one, but then I read they continuously piss everywhere.
if you get rats, you can’t have just one. they’re highly social and need other rats. two is the absolute minimum, but three is better. please don’t get just one. it’s cruel.
eta: also, they need a big cage. since they’ll be spending 20-23 hours a day in it, they need a lot of space. those little hamster cages won’t do (they’re too small for hamsters too tbh). the king of rat cages is the double critter nation. I had one. it was epic. they had soooo much room
they also need at LEAST one hour of playtime outside of the cage. but that’s just the minimum. if you can give them more, that’s even better.
sorry for the rant. a lot of people don’t realise how to PROPERLY look after rats. also, I’m highly passionate about rats and giving them best life possible, and since they only live a few short years, you will want to give them the best lif le possible
Kind of true, but it’s more like an ant scent marking. They know this is a place that’s safe (rats have been here). With good absorbent natural substrate in the cage, and wiping down their free roam area if needed, it’s mostly unnoticeable. I like to compare it to a person needing to change their t-shirt every day, probably not a deal-breaker for interacting, unless you don’t clean for way too long.
It’s not “kind of true”, they mark scent with urine. And they’ll mark all their cage mates too, and that includes their human.
But yes, rats are tiny and don’t pee on you and your house much, that’s true. They also absolutely have bladders (what a weird myth that is) and almost always potty train themselves to do most of their urinating in certain spots when not marking scent.