How To Choose Pet Rats

Hi, my name's Marie. I'm the deputy manager of the Small Animal Department at Wood Green Animal Shelters and I'm going to tell you how to care for rats. I'm going to tell you how to choose rats.

By far, the best option is to visit your local rescue shelter. There are hundreds of rescued rats going into shelters every year across the country and in other countries as well. You could find these located on the internet and in your local yellow pages as well, so search around, visit shelters and ask them to meet some different rats.

Often, rats going into the shelters can be of varied ages. You could find young ones up to adults as well. You could find males, females and all sorts of different colors and breeds as well, so search around and please help out your local rescue shelter.

Rats should always be housed in pairs or in small groups. They love the companionship of their own kind as well as human companionship. They like to be able to groom each other, play around with each other and keep active to forage for foods.

So, make sure you always give them companionship of their own kind. When you're choosing rats, make sure you are able to handle them and you're happy with where the person has been housing them, have got them a really good accommodation. The accommodation should be clean, they should be on good quality bedding and the whole accommodation should be cleaned out regularly.

Ask to see the rats and be able to handle them. They should be of good weight and their coat should be really nice, sheen and in good quality. If there is any issue with their health, possibly any breathing issues, they appear underweight, or any lumps or bumps, you need to be cautious if you are taking these home.

Possibly discuss this with your vet before you take them. Some people can be allergic to rats, so it's always a good idea if it's your first time taking on a rat, to visit your local rescue shelters and ask to be able to handle them. That way, you can go home and see how you feel about it.

It's always responsible to make sure you are completely ready to take home pet rats. Rats can make fantastic pets and as I mentioned, make sure you are able to handle them and support your local rescue shelter. And that's how to choose rats.