Rats make good pets. They are playful, intelligent, and affectionate. Some people think rats are scary though. It is true that can bite, but rats in the wild have loving families. Pet rats can also be gentle and friendly. Rats are smart too. They are like people in many ways. Rats also need lots of attention. They enjoy the company of other rats, but they seem happy with just humans to play with.

Rats are becoming popular pets. The main reason for this is because it doesn't cost much to own a rat, and they don't need a great deal of care. They can live to two or three years, but some have lived longer. Rats in wild usually have shorter lifespans than pet rats, because other animals like snakes or hawks may eat wild rats.

Rats are good at learning tricks. They are the most intelligent and affectionate of all rodent pets. Rats learn quickly when you reward them with food. They also love to play games.

Rats come in more than 20 colour variations. They can be grey, reddish brown, white, or even lavender. The two most common types of rats are black rats and brown rats. Both kinds of rats can be many colours. Black rats are smaller than brown rats, and have longer tails. Brown rats are larger, but can still squeeze through spaces only an inch wide.

Like people, rats can live almost anywhere in the world. They live in crowded cities, ships, beaches, farmland, and towns. Rats chew their way into a small place, making homes where larger animals can't bother them. Black rats live in burrows in attics, rooftops, and trees. Brown rats also live in burrows, but underground or in the bottom floors of buildings. They also live in sewers. Rats dig separate rooms in the dirt for sleeping and eating. Then they dig tunnels to connect the rooms.

Pet rats live in an aquarium or cage. An aquarium is a perfect rat cage, because it has walls instead of bars. Rats can chew on bars and bend them. An aquarium should be positioned in your bedroom, away from drafts and wind, because they can get respiratory sicknesses. Rats don't like bright light. They are very sensitive to heat and humidity.

The best temperature for a rat is between 65� F and 80� F. If a rat lives in an area where the temperatures are over 90� F, they can die. A rat's preferred temperature is about the same as our room temperature. They are comfortable when we're comfortable.

To prepare a rat's cage, first spread a layer of aspen chips over the bottom of the aquarium. Make it about � inch thick. People call layer of chips bedding or carpet. Rats also like a separate place for its bed, like an old milk carton or an oatmeal box. They also like old rag or sock stuffed inside their bed. It makes the rat feel safe and comfortable. Sometimes rats like to hide in their bed. Next, add a few handfuls of hay to the aquarium. Afterwards, place a clay food bowl in a corner of the cage. Attach a water bottle to the side of the cage. If you use a water bowl, they will drop things like food and bedding into the water and make a mess. A bottle will keep the cage neat. Rats aren't the best housekeepers, but they like clean food and water. Once the cage is ready, pick the rat up carefully, cup it in your hands carefully and set it down in the aquarium.

For first few minutes, the rat will explore the aquarium and nibble at some food. They need time to explore aquarium so you should leave the rat alone for a while.

In the wild, rats live in family groups. The older brothers or sisters watch out for the safety of their siblings. Sometimes the father rat snuggles with the babies to keep them warm.

Rats are omnivores. They eat many different kinds of food, so if one type of food runs out, they switch to another. Pet rats will also eat anything. That doesn't mean you can give a rat anything to eat, or it will get sick. The foods you buy at the pet store are food pellets for rats, hay, and rodent mix. They need about a quarter of cup of small rat pellets each day, but they also need a little bit of people food. This is because pellets made for rats don't have all right nutrients for rats, but come close. They also need some fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, rats need rodent mix. It's best not to give loose, prepared-grain mixtures to rats as their only food, because rats prefer some seeds to others. If they can separate them, they'll just eat their favourite seeds and leave the rest. They won't get a balanced diet that way.

A rat's food must be fresh. If a rat eats stale food and gets sick, it won't touch that kind of food again. You should also wipe out your rat's food dish every night with a clean damp rug, and then add new food. Also change the water in your rat's water bottle and wipe off the tube. Rats don't gobble all of their food at once, but by morning, it will be gone. Rats are nibblers. They eat little by little, and they mostly like to eat at night.

Every other day, give your rat a few teaspoons of fruits and vegetables-a strawberry, a slice of banana, or a slice of apple or tomato. Rats will either eat them separately or mixed. Once in while, give your rat piece of hard-boiled egg or a piece of cheese to nibble on. A Fully-grown rat needs about 1/8 to � cup of fruits and vegetables each day.

Wild rats eat grains, fruits, and vegetables too. They don't find a lot of these though, except when they live close to on a farm. That's why farmers think rats are pests. They also eat small animals such as frogs, lizards, birds, and fish. They will also eat any people's leftovers they can find.

When comes to feeding a rat, the simplest rule is to give it a variety of foods.

• Chocolates
• Liquorice
• Cereals
• Raw beans
• Raw sweet potatoes
• Raw cabbage
• Raw brussel sprouts
• Raw artichokes
• Raw Tofu
• Green potato skins
• Green bananas

• Corn
• Eggplant
• Radishes
• Beets
• Celery
• Lettuce
• Cucumbers
• Spinach
• Collards

Ingredients:

• 5 teaspoons uncooked oatmeal
• � teaspoon sunflower seeds
• 3 teaspoons crushed barley
• 2 teaspoons millet
• 5 teaspoons cooked brown rice
• 2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
• 3� teaspoons brewer's yeast
• 700 mg calcium from chewable tablets
• 1 tablespoon dark molasses

Precedure: Grind up calcium tablets in a blender. Mix in rice and dry ingredients. Add molasses and mix thoroughly. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Some people think rats are dirty, just because they are rats. Rats are not dirty at all. They like a clean dry cage; it's just up to u to clean it. You should clean a rat's cage a little bit everyday. A dirty cage can make a rat sick, plus dirty cages smell.

What rats like:

• Fresh food and water everyday
• Exploring outside their cage
• Making nests and burrowing
• Playing with other rats
• Being around people
• Playing with people

What rats hate:

• Stale food and dirty water
• Dirty cage
• Drafts
• Loud noises and bright lights
• Being too hot or cold
• Not having someone to play with everyday

Some rats like to swim. As soon as they get out, they like to be warm and dry. They also like to explore places when they are set free.

Rats have natural enemies. The only enemies they have are hamsters, mice, and gerbils.

Baby rats are called pups. They usually weigh from � to � pound. Males usually weigh from 1 to 1� pounds. Some rats have grown as big as 2 pounds. Rats stop growing at about 8 months.