Rats are very clean. “People often think of rats as dirty sewer creatures, but they're actually quite clean and good about grooming,” Graham said. “In fact, rats groom more frequently and thoroughly than cats.”
Many people own and enjoy pet rats. However, pet rats, even when they look clean and healthy, can carry germs that can make people sick. A clean environment will help reduce the chance of the rat becoming sick and spreading germs to humans. Taking proper care of your animal is important to your own safety.
Rats are generally cleaner than mice and will allocate a section of their cage food, a section for waste and a section for sleeping.
Rats are super clean They are fastidious groomers that actually do not like getting dirty. In general, if they get something on their fur, they immediately try to clean it off. They love to groom each other and to gather and organize their food into piles. So they are actually quite neat.
Rats themselves aren't naturally stinky. So, the best way to stop your pet rat smelling isn't by bathing it. It's by making sure its house, bed or any surfaces it comes into contact with are completely spotless. You need to clean regularly but the frequency depends on the size of the cage and number of rats.
Rats are typically gentle, intelligent, and fun pets. While they are generally low maintenance, they do have certain requirements to keep them happy and healthy. There are many breeds and 40 recognized colors and markings of rats.
The least stinky rodent pet is a gerbil or chinchilla. They are desert creatures, so they rarely drink and urinate. Their poops are dry and odorless. Provided that you remove waste when you see it, the cage shouldn't smell too bad.
“People often think of rats as dirty sewer creatures, but they're actually quite clean and good about grooming,” Graham said. “In fact, rats groom more frequently and thoroughly than cats.”
Rats can be extremely social and even like to cuddle!
Rat Are Social Animals
Pet rats enjoy being stroked by their owners and sometimes even enjoy a gentle massage, a scratch behind the ears, or a simple tickle. Rats have also been known to return the affection by "grooming" their owners.
Rats typically have short life stages. Domesticated pet rats normally only live 2-4 years–but the longest living rat in captivity lived to be 7 years old! A pet rat's life expectancy is much better than their wild counterparts, though, who typically live less than a year.
People get HPS when they breath in hantaviruses. This can happen when rodent urine and droppings that contain a hantavirus are stirred up into the air. People can also become infected when they touch mouse or rat urine, droppings, or nesting materials that contain the virus and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection which can be carried in wild and pet rodents. Rodents can show no outward signs of infection. People can be infected by direct or indirect contact with infected animal urine, tissues or secretions, or water contaminated with infected animal urine.
Male rats tend to be quite cuddly and affectionate pets with a mellow temperament. They are likely to enjoy snuggling up with you for some head scratches. If you want a more independent and adventurous companion, a female rat may be the pet for you. Female rats are quite active and like to get busy exploring.
5. They kiss their humans just like dogs and cats do. Of course they do!
If your rat nibbles or licks you, he or she might be showing you affection by grooming you. Rats also have an excellent sense of smell, so your rat might nibble or lick your hand or smell you after you eat or prepare food.
Droppings, uneaten food and soiled areas of bedding should be removed from your pets' cage every day. Clean the cage completely twice a week by replacing dirty bedding and scrubbing down the rest of the cage with warm, soapy water. High-quality rat blocks should be available to your pet at all times.
How do rats spread disease? Rats pick up viruses in the same way human beings do: with their fingers and mouths. “They're hanging out in alleys, by garbage cans, and in sewers,” Corrigan explains. “All those germs get picked up on their feet, and they eat them.” (Luckily for us, we can wash our hands.)
Rats and other rodents are the main carriers of the bacteria. Even in the Western world, 20% of wild rats may have it. Be careful if you have to handle wild rats or come in contact with their habitats.
Gerbils are amongst the cleanest rodents and they make great pets. Of course just like any animal, they are not for everyone and that is why many of them end up at the local shelters. Their lifespan is relatively short, only 2 to 3 years. In such a short time they can bring lots of fun into your life.
This makes peppermint oil, chili powder, citronella, and eucalyptus the most common natural rodent repellents. Chemical smells, such as ammonia, bleach, and mothballs also work as mice deterrents.