Well, in truth, caring for a rat isn't that hard, since they are fairly small, low-maintenence little omnivores. Caring for them well really isn't even that hard, but it does require a little more than your average pet shop or rodent book will generally lead you to believe.

So, if you really want to buy that rat, let me, in just a few paragraphs, present you with some of the fruits of rattie research & years of rat cohabitation on my part - that and some very blunt personal views on rat ownership.

First of all- think twice before you buy that rat.

Yes, I mean it.

I have known some fine rats that were rescued from pet shops, and that cutie may be one, but I'm advising against it.

Rats in pet shops are bred for food usually.Though I have seen more "pet rat" varieties in shops recently.

They are not bred for health, temperment, or smarts.

Rats can be about as smart as dogs or cats, but to be smart and to be human-bonded, it really helps if they are handled by humans several times a day from the time they are pinkies (if possible). It also helps if they are given large spaces to explore when they start getting ambulatory.

Bred higgilty piggilty and kept in dirty, crowded aquariums, they are not likely to be human-oriented, smart nor healthy. In addition, since domesticated rats can become pregnant at 4 weeks old, that cute little white one may already have babies in her.

If you really want a rat, buy from a breeder who has carefully, over the course of at least a few generations, bred for healthy, friendly, good tempered, smart ratsters. A place to start looking for ratteries in your area can be found here: http://www.altpet.net/rodents/breeder.html

You can usually get a single rat for about $15 or a pair for around $25. Get a same sex pair.

Please.

Rats are extremely social and may become physically ill from loneliness if not with a friend or friends of their own species.

Two rats are not much more work than one, and besides, you'll have a hoot watching them wrestle with each other & snuggle on each other.

I said a same sex pair.

You'll have more babies than you can shake a stick at if you don't.

Rats breed like... well, rats.

If you buy one now and another later, you'll have to quarantine the new rat until you are sure she doesn't have any contagious diseases and you will have to do a long and careful introduction process that may take weeks. Rats who are not already bonded will need to fight it out to establish which one is dominant and unless you introduce them carefully, it can sometimes get ugly.

Not sure which gender you want?

Girls are generally more active & exploratory & boys are more lap-loving.

Both sexes pee on things to a greater or lesser degree to mark things as their own (this includes you).

Rat pee is not as smelly at all as say, mouse or cat pee, but changing their bedding often is important. I suggest using old towels- changed daily, they are the easiest and cheapest bedding solution I've found. Just shake them out and toss in the wash. Small Pet Eco-Bedding works nicely too, but you can use almost any bedding that's not hardwood. (Microwaving disposable bedding for two or three minutes will help prevent the outbreak of mites.)

Aspen is the only safe wood bedding for rats. The oils in hardwood bedding will irritate their lungs.

Rats have delicate lungs because almost every pet rat suffers from Mycoplasmosis.

Myco is an inherited respiratory condition. Attacks may happen from time to time, and can be brought on by stress (everything from a dirty cage to not being handled by their people enough) . Your rats may have runny noses & eyes (which will appear to run red) and may sneeze or wheeze. You may treat myco outbreaks with antibiotics (from a real veterinarian - please don't try to guess rattie dosages from human medicines), but my preferred method is to try to avoid attacks as much as possible by choosing rats from ratteries who have been bred to be more resistant, coupled with putting a few drops of childrens' (no alcohol) echinecea/ goldenseal for 3 weeks on & one week off in my rats' drinking water.

Also please be aware that we have had outbreaks of SDA in pet rat colonies in the U.S. and this is one reason a quarantine period is important when you will be introducing new rats into your colony. Even if you have simply been around other rats without handling them (if you've been to the pet store to by treats, for example) please wait three hours and shower, change clothes, and blow your nose before going near your own rats again. Please see the RatGuide's article on SDA here.

Now onto the subject of feeding your rats.

Food ranks right up there with being petted, tickled and played with, and sleeping (rats sleep a lot - they are generally nocturnal, and dawn & dusk are their most active times).

The dry ratfood diet you can find in stores is not fit for rats.

Any diet too high in protein, oils, or sugar can cause rats to be obese and have other problems.

Give your ratsters small portions of what you eat, as long as the mainstay of what they eat is plenty of fresh veggies & grains.

My rats live on organic meat-based babyfoods, teklad blocks, green mush, Linda's Organic Rodent Mix, raw veggies (esp. kale), soy products, coconut milk, plus a few meal worms from the pet store now & again as a treat & a bite of whatever I'm having for dinner.

Also rats do not belch and can have a difficult time "bringing up" things that get stuck in their throats, so please, no carbonated beverages & be careful with sticky lumpy foods like peanut butter.

For a list of forbidden foods for rats see http://www.petratscanada.com/forbidden_foods.htm

Now about living quarters.

Aquariums are small & lack ventilation or things to climb on (rats like to sleep above ground level - it gives them instinctive security from predators).

Ferret cages have spaces too wide between the bars (small rats will escape, larger ones may break their toes).

Ideally what you want is a Martin's cage made for rats (this may be your biggest expense for the rat critters): http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/
or even an aquarium topper: http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/toppers/

I'm also a fan of Coast Cages' Rat Mansion. I keep one on a small wheel about table with leggo toys & tubes, etc. When I'm home I let my rats free roam over the table & the open cage which I keep near me. While you are buying cages, get them hammocks to snuggle in & a wheel that won't catch their toes- (http://www.transoniq.com/) - as well as non-tip food dishes and a water bottle.

Now you're set up.

Try to spend an hour with your rats every day at least when they are awake. Teach them tricks. Litter-box train them if you like. Ground walnut litter is available from most pet stores.

Keep their cage clean & well ventilated & make sure they have a good fresh diet and plenty of clean water.

It takes me about 15 min.- 30 min. daily to wipe down my rats' cage, change their bedding, put up a fresh hammock (& rinse out yesterday's hammock & put it in the wash), wash their water bottle & give them fresh water & fresh food in clean bowls. Some people prefer to do a big cage cleaning once a week in their shower or yard, but even if you'd prefer to do that, you should still do a daily light cleaning inside the cage to remove as much waste as possible.

If you live in hot climes & don't air condition your home, you should put out a bowl of water big enough for your rats to dip their tails into to help keep them cool as rats do not pant or perspire.

The hardest thing about rats is that they love you so much - often they'll want to cuddle or lick you when you come near them, even letting their supper wait til they've greeted & groomed you (they'll lick you & nibble your fingernails, but most human-reared rats will rarely if ever bite). That's the hard part because they generally live only 2-4 years, and by then they will have wrapped you around their pink little paws.

They are the perfect apartment pet - small, quiet, cheap, affectionate, smart and funny.

Be kind to them (please, never pick them up by their tails, it hurts and can skin their tails), and they will return that kindness manyfold and with bruxes to boot (bruxing, a distinctive teeth-grinding sound, is what rats do when they are contented, the way cats purr.)

One of my favorite pet rat sites to bookmark for when you'd like more than the very basics of rat care is http://www.petratscanada.com/. I also really recommend getting the Rat Health Care Booklet - http://www.ratfanclub.org/books.html.

*************************************************************************

Here's a list of products that I endorse for keeping your ratties happy & making your life easier:

Marshall Bi-Odor (yes, it really does make the cage smell better)

Pet Authority Acidophilus +

No alcohol echinacea goldenseal (2-3 drops in drinking water for 3 weeks on/ 1 week off)

Green Mush (mix with water or babyfood-- this is a great health supplement for your rat)

Linda's Organic Rodent Mix (my rats love it & it's a daily part of their diet)

Small Pet Eco Bedding (no dust to irritate rattie lungs & easy clean up)

Healthy Habitat Cleaner (I wipe down their cage with this daily. Less ammonia= less chance of bumblefoot.)

7th Generation chlorine free baby wipes (great for a quick tail cleaning)

Aubrey Organics baby shampoo (gentle enough for rattie bath day- esp. nec. for pesky buck grease on boys)

Water Buddy water bottles (absolutley no drip)

Childrens Benadryl without Tylenol (just a single drop on bread 2ce a day for sniffles)

Giant Legos (great rebuildable rattie fortresses, almost as much fun as paper bags & string!)

Several necessities for rats can be found on Ebay for less, everything from fleece (better absorbtion & nice & comfy) hammocks to cages.