My flatmate told me that she really wants a pet rat one day because they are really loyal and love to sit on your shoulder and hang out with their owner. I was wondering if this is true, I've never owned or met a pet rat before. 
Host of Apartment Gardening | Ashtanga Yoga | Literature | Migraine
That is true. Only some few examples who is not social and not sweet. But most rats do love being spoiled. Run around like cat/dogs. Follow you outside when its a nice warm day. Snuggle up under your shirt and cuddle. You also have rat agility. Can be made at home or even compete in shows.
I can't imagine not having rats. Owned and breed rats for sone 20 years. They are so social and still pretty easy to complex pets. So much information to know about rats. A person could learn just the basics. But it is pretty fun the more information you know. So complex small beings in endless variations.
The only thing is. That best rats is usually found at good breeders. Where you can get the support al rats life, pedigree, where the breeder knows about the relatives history and breed on right rats. Selective in breeding materials. Fewer problems and you have support from nice breeders even after you got them home.
Farmer and zoo people breed more on what they can sell. Not on health, temperament, or any of that. They breed on so many rats, kept in small cages, probably never handled more than under cage cleaning. Rats not good enough for breeding or sick will most likely put to sleep or become reptile food.
They are commonly kept cheep to earn money. No information about the relatives, no pedigree, no support after sold. High possible for the parents to be in bad shape, sick, dominant and so on. So farmer and zoo animals are more like Russian roulette.
Can, of course, can be lesser good rats from a nice breeder too. But not as common. Har to calculate everything with live animals.
Hope your friend will have and find really sweet loving rats
Wow, that is really neat! Can you potty train them? I had a ferret years ago but I couldn't potty train her well enough to let her roam around the apartment freely. But she had a huge "apartment deluxe cage" with several levels, slides, hammocks and other stuff. I would let her out when I was able to watch her, she also had a leash and I took her outside. She would also sleep in the hood of my jacket. She loved to sleep in the hood since it was lined with fake fur. Her name was Mamba.
Host of Apartment Gardening | Ashtanga Yoga | Literature | Migraine
#2 Some do get their rats potty trained. I got a few who can be really good at the litterbox in and outside the cage. Some pee but not poop in the box.
And some do it everywhere. I do forget to put out the litterbox sometimes too.
Ferrets can be hopeless I have 6 ferrets now. If I have many litterboxes then they are pretty good at using them. Can't have too far to a litterbox with mine, then they will find a nice corner. But al girls I have had do not like when it's to much poop in the litterbox. So after a day, they might go outside if the box is not big enough. I use big boxes from Ikea. I think they are for placement under the beds. But perfect for ferrets boxes.
This made me think of a lovely little rat I got from Zickan a couple of years ago. She used to follow me around my feet when I walked around the apartment. And when I stood in the kitchen and cooked or did the dishes, she would sit on my feet. Very loyal, very cute. I really miss having rats.
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