Rats make excellent pets for people of all ages. They are fun to watch, play with, and interact with. On average, pet rats live from two to three years but some have been known to live five plus years. It is a good idea to plan on getting two rats because they are social creatures and do not like being left alone happily. Rats can be litter box trained and usually only need to be groomed every few weeks.
Saved a Woman Being Mugged
There are many interesting stories about pet rats. One story tells of a woman who was being mugged on the street. She was terrified until she remembered that she had her pet rat with her. The rat scurried out of her pocket and bit the assailant on the ear. He dropped her purse and ran away screaming in pain.
Saved Man From Being Shot
Another story tells of a man who was mugged at gunpoint by two young men. The man pulled his pet rat out of his pocket and placed it on the ground. One of the assailants raised their gun to shoot the rat but the other assailant stopped him, saying that they didn’t need to kill the rat, they could just take it. They took the rat and ran away.
Saved Baby’s Life
One story even tells of a rat who saved a baby’s life. The baby was choking on a piece of candy and the rat bit into the candy and pulled it out of the baby’s throat.
Do pet rats have feelings?
There is much debate on whether or not rats have feelings. Some people believe that they do and some people believe that they do not. There is no definitive answer but there is evidence that suggests that rats do have feelings.
For example, when rats are separated from their mates or young, they experience symptoms of depression similar to those experienced by humans. If the animals are given imipramine, an antidepressant, they begin to show signs of improvement. Another example is when a researcher used electrodes to separate young rats from their mother in order to study depression.
When he began separating them, they screamed in protest and tried to escape in panic just like children separated from their mothers during war time. He believed that they were experiencing depression and anxiety because of the separation.
Also, rats emit ultrasonic cries when in distress and pain. These cries are inaudible to humans but can be heard by other rats. They do not make these noises when they are alone or in any sort of emotional distress such as fear or anger, only when they are in physical pain.
So, while there is no definitive answer, the evidence suggests that rats do have feelings.
There are many, many more stories like these about the amazing abilities and bravery of pet rats. Rats truly make wonderful pets and are sure to bring a lot of love and happiness into their owners’ lives. Thanks for reading.