Firestar: How can i convince my parents to get a pet rat?
i really want a rat. we have one as a class pet and we get to take him home on the weekends. that is one step. i am gathering info. i would like the pros and cons of a pet rat and how to care for him. that should help. i also need some advice from people who have a pet rat themselves. pleasse answer
I am making a PowerPoint to convince them.
Answers and Views:
Answer by sarcastic_mister_know_it_all
make them watch tom and jerrry episodes, or “ratatouii” the movie
Cons:
They need cleaning regularly as the cage and them can get pretty smelly pretty quickly. Females aren’t as bad as males though.
They are nocturnal (however you can train them to be diurnal)
Their claws are pretty sharp, you can trim them, although I never bothered as the marks didn’t last very long.
Pros:
They are very intelligent and can be trained.
They are sociable and enjoy being held.
They can be kept in a cage (however make sure it is big enough)
They develop quirks and enjoy interacting with everything around them.
I would suggest getting more then one as they are more social and less likely to bite if kept with other rats.
Answer by Andy DHey Firestar,
I am glad you are interested in getting rats. I say rats because the first thing you need to know about rats is that you must get them in pairs. Rats are not solitary animals, they need a companion (and unless you want lots of babies one of the same sex).
I personally like female rats more than boys, females are more energetic and boys will sit down on your shoulder while you watch t.v. (I should also note that I have 3 girl rats so I am a little bit biased =p).
First the cons
– Rats are fairly expensive to upkeep, 60-100 dollars upfront for their cage, and the rats themselves. And then anywhere from 20-30 dollars a month for food bedding and toys.
– If you do not clean the cage for a long time (say 10 days or 2 weeks) it will start to smell. However rats can be trained to only go to the bathroom in a litter box (within their cage)!
– Rats are usually thought of as dirty, which is only a con because you have to get your parents to let you have one
The Pros!
-Rats LOVE to be held / played with
-Rats are extremely intelligent
– Rats are very friendly and will bond closely with you
– Rats will never bite (unless they are in pain or you are abusing them)
– Rats can be trained to do tricks
– Rats can live with other rats
– Rats can learn your daily schedule (when you get up, when you are gone at school, when you are going to play with them)
– Rats can partake in pretty much whatever you are doing (one of my rats, Dash, is on my lap right now looking around the sofa =p)
Those are the pros and cons =)
Please choose to get rats!
Male / female is totally up to you
Andy D.
P.S.
If you have any more questions please e-mail me.
Honestly, you shouldn’t be trying to “convince” your parents to get a pet. I tried the same thing, I wanted rats when I was living at home as well, but they just absolutely refused to let rats into the house no matter how much research or begging I did.
Now that I’ve moved out and live in my own apartment (and am allowed to have pets by the landlord), I will be getting two pet rats (in about four days). I have a job and have enough money/time to care for them myself, and the space to keep them (a good cage is expensive, so you’d better start saving now).
I’m not trying to discourage you, but typically when a kid is trying to convince their parents to get them something, it’s not going to work, especially when you’re probably going to lose interest in this pet(s) within a year or so. Rats can live up to 5 years, so you’d better be prepared for a long haul of responsibility.
My advice is to try keeping this interest in rats going for a few years, and see if you still want them just as bad as you want them right now. Then you’ll know if you’re ready to handle them, and possibly have your own means to pay for/take care of them. That’s what I had to do, and honestly, waiting has paid off.
Answer by HidanI wanted rats for two years (You need more than one because they get very lonely).
Right, rats can swim but it takes a lot of time.
Oh, and you can get them balls to run around in but once again, it takes a lot of time.
Some are very loving and lazy like my siamese rat.
And others can be shy like my brown and white rat.
But ALL rats love to look around.
Rats can chatter there teeth.
This means their;
Very happy.
Or very scared. (E.g. Like if they saw a cat.)
I have had my rats for near a year now and the siamese one chatters when ever he see me again after a long period of time (Like, if i just got back from school).
This just started a mouth back.
And the brown and white did it Once, two weeks back.
He’s still very shy.
Ps I let my rats run around my bed and i have a room made for them made out of Boxes (Box land Hehehe)
But if a ran need to be, it just does. Near to no bladder.
Oh, and some rats (My brown and white one) love to hide in your clothing.
What i do is, i put on a dressing gown and their can’t fall out the bottom because of the rope.
Over all they are lovely pets.
Another Ps Males do hump other rats a lot (rats get sexually active once every three to five days) but the females pee stinks.
So you want two of the same sex.
And males box fight (It’s called that because they stand on their back legs and fight with their front, like boxing) but when one wins he cleans the other.
So they won’t hurt each other.
You have to show your parents that you are responsible enough. Do your chores, get good grades, etc. Also, prove to them that you know a lot about pet rats. Check out rat books and make sure they see you. Rats are nice pets, and are very fun to watch. Of course you have to feed them every day and change their water every day and clean the cage often but it is really easy. Good luck!Answer by Dog <3er
Just tell them they are wonderful pets and they don’t need that much maintenance so it would be a great pet for you.
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