Rats are great pets. They can be purchased from breeders, which are great, or, with the proper research, from pet stores. I like pet stores for the sole reason that you’ll not only be saving a rodent or two from being snake dinner, but you’ll most likely be saving them from less than necessary treatment of not-too-bright kids working the pet store who’d rather be out hanging at McDonalds, blasting rap music with their friends, pondering which Jean ClaudeVan Damme movie to rent for the weekend. I’m all for saving mice and rats from being snake dinner. When I think back that my rats could have ended up in some snake’s stomach, I cringe. My dealing with purchasing rats should hopefully be helpful (and this could apply to all rodents):

Picking a rodent shouldn’t be a spur of the moment decision. If you plan on having a rat (or other rodent) as a pet, you should at least spend a day or two (or more) researching and setting up the pet’s home. My rats were bought at a pet store. I initially went in to get some mice that were going to be fed to snake and buy them (to save them) and I was looking at the cage that housed four rats when I saw my future pets. A cute albino rat got on his hind legs and literally walked to the edge of the cage where I stood and tried to "reach" me with his paw. Right there I was hooked and I knew I had to have this little guy. I went home and researched all the things I would need to know to own a pet rat or two. I already had a 25 gallon aquarium someone had given to me, so the housing situation was set. I found out about bedding, food and what the rats would need. I went back a couple days later (hoping that white one would still be there, which he was) and asked to see the frisky critter. He was a boy, so I asked to get another boy out of the four, as rats should be housed with no less than two at a time. All the rats were apprehensive about being taken out of their cage and they all fought like gang busters. I got the white one out and the first boy we came to out of the four, we managed to get out too (to his disliking).

The kid helping me get the rats asked if they were for snake food or pets? When I told him, he muttered to the rats "come on you guys, we’re trying to save your lives." We got the two out (and I wish I could have taken all four, believe me). I took them home and for a couple days, as they were both way too afraid to come to me, I wondered if I had made the right choice in buying two rats.

Well, within the week, I chastised myself for not doing it sooner. Two girl friends of mine named the rats, Oscar (the white one) and Felix (the black one), and the odd couple were set. When I think back that these two could have been snake food, I cringe. I’ve never had two better pets in my life.

Both rats know their names well. If I’m going to put them in their cage, I just call them and they come a runnin’. Both guys love to ride on my shoulder and both love to sit under my shirt if I’m at my desk working. I still don’t let them run around the living room freely because there’s too much stuff to rat-proof there and I don’t want to walk away for a minute and find one of them chewing on an electrical wire. But they’re more than content running around on the couch. And sometimes I’ll pull out the hide-a-bed and let them play on that.

They both so tame and intelligent, my only real complaint is their short life span. I dread they day when they pass on. Rats’ lives are too short.

Anyone that comes over, no matter how afraid of rodents they think they might be, find themselves not wanted to put Oscar and Felix down after spending a few minutes with them. Both rats are so people friendly, it's amazing. My sister comes over and Felix will go on her shoulder and hide underneath her hair. Every girl who’s been to my place since I’ve had the rodents have loved the little guys. With such great pets, you can make any "rat hater" a rodent crusader.

I did luck out with these two, I’ll admit. Since having them, I’ve learned so much more about rats and what to look for when purchasing one. After a month or so, I went to buy a third rat. I had read that three rats are ideal because if one should suddenly pass on, the remaining two will still have each other.

My third rat was a small brown male I called BooBoo (because he reminded me of Yogi Bear’s BooBoo). I should have realized he was sick from the start. When I initially purchased him, I thought he was really a cute little guy. When I took him home, I saw he would breath really fast and wasn’t very active. After a couple days I realized he was sick and I worried that he might infect Oscar and Felix. I asked around and found that it was too late to quarantine him. If Oscar and Felix were going to get whatever BooBoo had, they would have it by now. Luckily, O and F were very healthy and never got it. And they treated Boo really well.

As I researched the problem, I found BooBoo had a respiratory problem from the get-go. Within a week, I noticed a little puss coming from his nose. I knew he wasn’t going to make it. A day later, he died. It was sad. Oscar and Felix both looked sad and somewhat guilty as I came to the cage where BooBoo’s stiff body lie. I think they felt responsible in some way because they both looked at me as if to say "we didn’t do it." Normally they get excited when I’d come to their cage. This time they weren’t. But if anything, I was glad at least that BooBoo didn’t die in the mouth of a snake.

So in finding a good rat for a pet, you want to look for certain things. You want to make sure the rat you buy isn’t sick. If the rat is sitting in the wheel, eyes closed, breathing rapidly, looking "depressed," he’s probably not well. Watch the rats for a while before you buy one. If he falls to one side like he has no equilibrium, he’s definitely sick. If all the rats in a cage are all stationary, breathing rapidly, looking sick, they probably all are. I went back to the place where I purchased BooBoo and realized all the rats there looked like BooBoo did just before he died. I have no doubt that that store has rodents dying on them every other day.

Decide if you want a boy or girl and when you decide, buy two. Rats live better in pairs or more. They are very social animals. Besides loving people, they love their own kind. Look for a rat who is frisky, playing around, eating and appearing happy. After you pick one out, as to hold him before you decide if you want to purchase. Look in his fur. If you see any bugs, that’s not a good sign. Look for little, tiny brownish-red lice. This is a common problem.

If you buying a female, make sure the girl isn’t pregnant. Most stores like Petco couldn’t care less about housing males and females together, hence the constant litters.

You want a younger rat too, so you can still teach him things, although there is nothing wrong with purchasing an older one. My thing is I just want to save them from the snakes. Ask the person how old the rats are. In most cases, it’s just dumb kids working the store who don’t have a clue. You can tell they know nothing if they pick up the rodents by the tale. This is bad. Always scoop the rodents up. You can hurt a rat or mouse by picking it up from the tale, yet I have yet to see someone at a Petco pick up a mouse any other way.

You should of course, have your cage or aquarium set up for the rats already, so take them home and put them in their new environment. Let them get used to it for a day. Give them treats and let them know you are their friend and they do not have to be afraid of you. After a day or so, start holding them. Whether they like it or not, this is the best way for them to get to know you. Put them on your shoulder and walk around the house with them. They’ll probably hate it at first, but soon, they’ll be climbing on your shoulder.

When I first got Oscar and Felix, they were afraid of me and did NOT want to be held. What I did, from advice from a rodent lover in "alt.pets.rodents," was, put on a sweatshirt and tuck it in. I got both rats and put them inside the shirt as I lie down on the couch. I let them run around inside my shirt and get used to my scent. I did this a couple times for a couple days. It was amazing how quick they took to me.

I would also put treats in my hand and let them come to my hand to get it. They quickly learned I was their friend. A very good friend, oh yeah.

Now, they ALWAYS want to hang on me. If they’re on the couch and I walk by, they walk along the couch along side me hoping I’ll pick them up (or give them something). They are like little kids. If one of them gets something, the other one has to have it also, whether he really wants it or not.

If I have them on the couch and I lie down to watch TV, they both climb on me and go to sleep or play or whatever. They know if I give them peanut butter or something off my finger, which is the peanut butter and which is the finger. They’ve been real good about not biting, which can be a problem when you give treats. Make sure your fingers are dry. It’s never happened to me, but others have said they were giving their rat a treat and their fingers were wet, the rat thought that was part of the treat and bit the finger.

Otherwise, they would never bite (at least mine don’t).

I still wanted to get a third rat, so I really searched around pet stores on L.A.’s westside. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake I made with BooBoo. A pet store not too far from my house had a lot of rats, including some new babies. I would put my hand in the aquarium where the four hooded babies were and they would all rush my hand and start licking it. It was hilarious. I wish I could have taken all four.

They were too small for me to tell their sexes, but again, I researched how to figure it out. I would go into the store about twice a week to see how they were doing. Finally, after about three weeks, I went in and bought one, a small, active boy I call Luke (after my favorite movie of all time, "Cool Hand Luke.")

Now you might think O and F would really beat up on the kid. They play all right, but the little guy sometimes jumps them! He especially loves Oscar. He follows Oscar all over the place. Sometimes Oscar will be minding his own business and Luke jumps Oscar to Oscar’s surprise.

Luke quickly picked up who the supplier of treats was and already would come to me and climb on my shoulder or whatever. He would see Oscar and Felix run to me or play on me, he would too. And the little guy is fast. He moves so quick, I’m glad he had Oscar and Felix to teach him who the boss was. Otherwise, I’d never catch him. He zips across the floor like a little Speed Racer. He can jump and hop as high as O and F and I have no doubt when he grows up, he’ll probably be the boss of the three.

So whether you getting a rat, a mouse, gerbils or dwarf hamsters, just remember. Do the research. Set up the living space first. Have the food, know if you want males or females and how many you want. Make sure you’ll have whatever time is necessary to spend with the critters. Make sure you’ll be able to spend whatever time it takes to feed and clean up after them. If you’re getting mice and you have a cat, make sure the cat can’t get to the mice. Cover all your options before buying the rodent. Don’t rush into it. If you do it right, you have a pet you’ll wonder how you lived without before.