Ontario County, Toronto Rat Control Situation:
Do Rats Make Good Pets?
This is a very controversial topic. Parents from previous generation could not even think about giving the kid a rat as a pet. But now many scientists are saying that some of the myths associated with rats are not true. So if one is careful then they can allow the kid to have rats as a pet. But parents need to be aware of a couple of things when it comes to getting a pet rat. After all rodent type animals do carry some kind of virus so one needs to be careful when they handle these types of animals.
Anyway, getting a rat as a pet is not easy as people living near you will be a little curious. They know a lot of things that rat viruses can do. Do not get nervous; just tell them that rats are not poisonous until they are beaten by wild rats. This is exactly like getting a dog. You can keep the rat safe from rabies virus.
One of the major benefits of getting rat as a pet is that unlike dogs or cats, rats clean themselves regularly.
There are a lot of people who already have rats as pets. If you want to be one of them then here is your guide to finding the perfect rat for you.
Allergic kids
There are kids who are very sensitive; some kids are allergic to even dogs. These kids still have a rat as their pet. But as a parent you need to find a rat which is hairless, if your kids are allergic. You can also try to get Rex Rats as many surveys proved that even very sensitive people did not have rashes or cough around these kinds of rats.
Buy two rats
You may not know this but rats are very social animals. They lobe human contracts and they also live in groups. If you buy one rat then it will get lonely in his cage. They also die sooner as they get sad. This is a fact. So if you are thinking about keeping rat as pet then please get two of them at a time. You need to put the two rats in a big cage and you will be amazed to see how much the rats play.
Sex
There are some people who like to get a little adventure with their pet rats, like train them like a cat and dog. For these people, getting a female rat will be the ideal solution. Female rats are very curious and they are also much calmer than the male rats. You can actually train the female rats.
Before we end the article, here is another quick suggestion, do not buy pet rat, and adopt them from animal rehabilitation centres.
Toronto Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Is The Largest Size A Rat Can Get To Be?
With an average lifespan of about 2 - 3 years, some species of rats can grow as large as 4 pounds. But on average, almost all rats are bigger than mice. Also, the size of a rat fairly depends on the specie and the sex of the rat. Male rats usually are larger than females. They have a longer body frame with tails as long as their body and can grow as big as 2 lbs.
Domesticated rats usually do better when it comes to size mainly because they are provided with all they need to grow properly and healthily. For pet rats, an adult rat can grow to a length of 9 to 11 inches with a tail length of 7 to 9 inches. If properly managed, some large species of rats can even grow as long as 20 inches. It all depends on how well the rats are being managed and taken care of.
One of the most fascinating thing about rats is that having a large body size doesn't mean they won't be able to pass through small openings and enter into your home. Rats can compress their body in order to be able to pass through small openings. Provided the opening is wide enough to allow the easy passage of its head, it will pass through. Therefore, you shouldn't consider the fact that the rats in your neighborhood are too big to gain access to your home through small openings. Instead, you need to seal all small openings up as soon as possible to avoid a rat infestation.
When it comes to rats with large sizes, the Bosavi woolly rat is one of a kind. This specie of rat can weigh up to 3.5 lbs. and grow as long as 32 inches. Although, this particular specie of rat can only be found in volcanic caves.
