Why rats?

Rats make excellent pets for so many reasons. They are perfect for people who have limited space, and are relatively inexpensive to keep. Rats make good pets for older children, but it is important to buy your rats from a reputable breeder, who breeds good-natured rats. Aggressiveness cannot be "bred out" of rats, so good breeders work to eliminate bad traits such as aggressiveness and biting. These traits are rare in pet rats, but poor handling and mistreatment can make a rat timid or unfriendly. Rats are loyal, playful, affectionate, and each one has its own unique personality.

Boys or girls?

A lot of people will tell you that male rats cannot live together as they are aggressive, and will fight each other. This is NOT true. Rats will play-fight to assert their position in the "pecking order", but this rarely causes injuries. Only occasionally will a rat be unable to live with others due to severe aggressive tendencies. Male rats are actually very easy-going, lazy animals, who generally lie about in piles and sleep. If you want a rat to cuddle, choose a boy.

Female rats are smaller than the males, and could be described as bundles of energy that simply don't have time to stop. Females are much more active than males, and do tend to chew things more. They are generally more mischievous, and are always getting into trouble, climbing, hiding and jumping.