The pet rat is a domesticated breed of the brown rat (rattus
norvegicus). Rats have been domesticated for over 200 years. Selective breeding
of many generations of Norway rats over all those years has produced the domestic
rat of today which comes in many different colors and markings. Rats are
intelligent, affectionate, clean animals with lots of personality and enjoy
spending time with people. They are curious and adventurous. Pet rats – like
their ancestors – are very social and should be kept in pairs or more (same sex
unless neutered or spayed!).
Behavior
Rats live in colonies in the wild and therefore should be
kept in at least (same sex unless neutered or spayed) pairs as pets. They groom
each other, play and sleep (often piled up) together. Since you are part of the
rat pack too, don’t be surprised if your rats start grooming you too! They
might check your ears, nose, eye brows, lips and teeth. Be proud and enjoy!
Normally, male rats get bigger than females, have coarser fur
and can have a slightly “musky” smell (some people describe the smell as warm
corn chips). Rats reach puberty at around 5-6 weeks of age, but they reach
social maturity at around 5-6 months of age. At this age, male rats in
particular start to behave more aggressively toward each other. They shift from
harmless play fighting into more serious adult fighting. They establish their
hierarchy. This might look scary but don’t interfere unless there are injuries
involved. Females have softer fur (sometimes their fur has a pleasant sweet
smell). They tend to be more active, hardly sit still and always have places to
go. Older rats do calm down, though. Rats don’t see well (especially pink eyed
rats). You might see your rat swaying his head from side to focus on an object
and to help the rat figure out how far away various objects are. They rely
heavily on their nose and whiskers rather than on their eyes. Rats can hear and
produce ultrasound. They communicate with each other at frequencies we humans can’t
hear. Sometimes you will hear the occasional squeak. As a general rule, audible
vocalizations are signs of protest, pain or stress.
