Things You Didn't Know About... Rats

By Liza Lentini and David MouzonDISCOVER Vol. 27 No. 12 | December 2006

1. The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as the Norway rat, and its more acrobatic Asian cousin, the black rat (Rattus rattus), enjoy a nearly worldwide distribution, thanks to their skill at stowing away on ships. 

2. In the mid-19th century, Jack Black, the rat catcher for Queen Victoria, found several color variations of the brown rat and domesticated those he caught. Eager owners of his pet rats included the Queen herself, and it's rumored—disturbingly—Beatrix Potter.

3. Rats' front teeth grow 4½ to 5½ inches each year. Rats wear them down by continuously gnawing on everything around them, including cement, brick, wood, lead pipes, and other small animals.

4. A female rat can mate as many as 500 times with various males during a six-hour period of receptivity—a state she experiences about 15 times per year. Thus a pair of brown rats can produce as many as 2,000 descendants in a year if left to breed unchecked. (A rat matures sexually at age three to four months.) An average rat's life span is two to three years.

5. A rat can tread water for three days and survive being flushed down the toilet. (And it can return to the building via the same route.) There is approximately one rat per person in the United States.

6. Not all rats live close to humans. Of the 56 known species, many live in remote habitats like marshlands and rain forests, and some are endangered. How sad!

7. A Hindu temple dedicated to the rat goddess Karni Mata in Deshnoke, India, houses more than 20,000 rats. Many people travel far to pay respect to the rats, which are believed to be reincarnations of Karni Mata and her clansmen.

8. Perhaps they're reincarnated teenagers: According to a study by Martin Schein, founder of the Animal Behavior Society, the favorite foods of city-dwelling brown rats include scrambled eggs, macaroni and cheese, and cooked corn.

9. Well, junk food isn't much better: Rats eat their own feces, purely for the nutritional value.

10. A recent study at the National Institutes of Health revealed that decreasing the caloric intake of rats expands their life span. So feed them as much as you can.

12. Drats! A rat can fall as far as 50 feet and land uninjured.

13. "Drats" has nothing to do with rats. It's a short form of "od rat," a euphemism for "God rot," which is used like "Goddamn."

14. If you were born in 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, or 1996, then you're a rat, according to Chinese astrology. This would make you quick-witted, resourceful, and something of a fashionista. Exactly like a rat, except for the clothes bit.

15. Rats do not sweat. They regulate their temperature by constricting or expanding blood vessels in their tails.

16. On the bright side, it is extremely rare for a human to get rabies from a rat.

17. Innie or outie? Rats don't have gallbladders or tonsils, but they do have belly buttons.

18. Yeah, but seriously, who wants one? In 2006 it was revealed that a team of scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel had created a brain chip out of rat neurons. 

....good rattie tips and info...

20 Things You Didn't Know About... Rats - - science news articles online technology magazine articles 20 Things You Didn't Know About... Rats

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Rats are wonderful pets

Not for everyone, but some people find domestic rats to be wonderful pets. They are quiet, clean and fun to watch if you give them lots of toys and space to play.

Rats can become very attached to one person just like a dog and will wait patiently all day for "his" human to come home. Domestic rats come in all sizes and colours, from the pure white with pink eyes to the brown rat like this one with cute pink ears and nose.

Give them a try! You might find them to be very affectionate pets.

Visit the Sault Ste Marie Humane Society at 962 Second Line E. to find the perfct pet for you.

...the pet rat is tooo cute. I recommend checking out Sault Ste Marie Humane Society....

SOONEWS.CA - Not For Everyone

technorati tags:pet, rats, rattie, domestic, Ste, Marie, Humane, Society, Sault

Rat Lover Jen roves around with her rodents

The Timaru Herald: local, national & world news from Timaru's daily newspaper

Jen Howes looks relatively normal walking along the main street of Timaru, but then people usually smell a rat – literally.

The 23-year-old Timaru girl is the proud owner of Tabitha and Toby– two stunning, friendly rats. The rodents have been a big part of MsHowes' life for the past year and usually accompany her on trips aroundthe city.

"They pretty much come with me wherever I go."

The vibrant vermin have even travelled to the bank.

"Most places don't mind.

"As long as I don't go into a place where there's food it's usually okay."

Ms Howes' said many locals now know Tabitha and Toby.

"But it's always really funny when people don't know and they're walkingpast and trying to work out what's moving on my neck," she smiled.

The pretty pair even go to work each day with Ms Howes.

"But I work in a pet shop so that helps."

...mmm...lucky for some to take their rattie to work...I wish it was easy for all of us

technorati tags:rat, rattie, pet, shop, rodents

My pet Rat is "FLUSHED AWAY "

Do you know about the new animated rat movie thats now showing?

The story of a pet mouse who gets flushed down the toilet and ends up in an underground city populated by rats, frogs, slugs and other critters, the film exhibits the frenzied pace and overbearing characterizations that have become standard in U.S.-born-and-bred animated features. The voice casting (Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, for starters) rests somewhere between Pixar inspiration and everybody else’s laziness, but the story is strictly perfunctory -- and further hampered by the sort of puerile gags that have come to define Yankee toon flicks (lots of blows to the crotch in this one).

...there's nothing like some good ole rat P.R...

Your Rattie is Most Welcome at this General Store

UGS - a most ungeneral store. By Maria C. Johnson

Location is a big part of the chemistry at UGS.

It's on South Mendenhall Street, a skip from Spring Garden Street, on the shoulder of UNCG and not far from Greensboro College. Tons of students and university types live in the area, known as College Hill.

Lots of people have come in wearing pajamas. And toting dogs, cats and pet rats. And riding skateboards and bicycles. One guy used to pedal up one aisle and down the other.

UGS is so different from the chain convenience store, the personal touch is key at UGS.

...Now why are'nt there more stores like UGS that are rattie friendly...

Fancy A Rat !

What's the difference between a fancy rat and a wild one? We asked Debbie Ducommun, known as The Rat Lady. Her Web site, , has lots of information about these bright little rodents. Here's what she said:

· "A fancy rat is one that's specifically bred to be a pet. It's actually quite easy to domesticate a rat because they're social animals."

· Wild rats are found everywhere -- cities, suburbs and rural areas. Although wild, they are not ferocious. They see people as predators and run from them. Norway or brown rats, the kind often seen in cities, are the ancestors of fancy rats.

Some Rat Stats:

· Size: Fancy rats usually range from a half-pound to 1 3/4 pounds. In the wild, rats seldom weigh more than one pound.

· Life span: Pet rats live two to three years, on average. The record is 7 years 4 months.

· Color: Wild rats come in one basic color scheme, called agouti. Fancy rats come in several colors, ranging from an orangy brown to pure white.

· Families: Mature females can have a litter of 6-12 every month.

...ratties are neat...

All Creatures great and small

Next week the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair takes place.

It’s serious business that takes some serious training and this year, he insists, Blue is better than ever on the sit-stays, heeling, down-stays, heeling in a figure-8, recall and standing skills.

For all the training, though, the contest this year promises to be tougher than last, Perdue says — it’s gotten tougher each of the eight years he’s been entering the fair.

‘‘It used to be one club pretty much bringing in just their pets,” he says.

This year’s Pet Show division will have 44 entrants in 10 different categories ranging from cats and dogs to mice and rats to fish and reptiles.

He might be able to pocket a quick $10 or $15 in prize money. But that’s not why he put in the time with 4-H, and it’s not what keeps him coming back.

...so come one, come all to the Montgomery County Fair and bring your pocket pets...

Creatures great and small

technorati tags:pocket, pets, Montgomery, County, Agricultural, Fair, rats, ratties

Kearneysville woman finds home for rats and other pocket pets

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. Michelle Clowe believes even rats deserve a good home.

The Kearneysville, West Virginia woman dedicates her time to finding people to care for domesticated rats, mice, chinchillas and other pocket pets.

Since opening Small Angels Rescue in Frederick, Maryland, three years ago, Clowe has rescued 15-hundred animals.

She considers herself an advocate for the little guy.

And those little guys can be prolific. A recent group of 20 domesticated rats left inside a cage outside a pet store in Tysons Corner, Virginia, quickly turned into 81.

She has already found homes for most of those rats, but is still hoping to place 24 more.

Other animals at her nonprofit, no-kill shelter that are looking for homes include a three-legged guinea pig, dozens of hamsters and a gerbil.

...small angels pet rescue you should pop  in...

WAVY.COM - Kearneysville woman finds home for rats, mice, other pocket pets

technorati tags:rattie, rat, adoption, pocket, pet, Small, Angels, Rescue, Frederick, Maryland

Small Angels Rescue

MARTINSBURG — Michelle Clowe said she’s strictly for the little guys.The Kearneysville woman has been busy rescuing and finding good homes for animals like guinea pigs, mice, domesticated rats, gerbils, chinchillas and hamsters through her organization Small Angels Rescue, which is located in Frederick, Md.

And now, Clowe, who has rescued 1,500 animals since opening her organization three years ago, has been awarded for her work for providing rescue and adoption services for these animals from the Doris Day Animal Foundation.

An independent, nonprofit, no-kill, volunteer organization, Small Angels Rescue is dedicated to rescuing and finding homes for animals referred to as “pocket pets.”

“We just saw there was a need and decided we needed to help fill it,” Clowe said.

“Everyone knows they can adopt a cat and a dog. People don’t realize that adoption is an option for these little guys.”

Clowe, who has always liked animals and who previously worked at the Frederick County Animal Shelter in Maryland, said she always served as the voice for these types of animals whenever they would be brought into the shelter.

“Everytime something small came through the back door, I was the one they let know,” Clowe said.

“I like being the voice for the little ones that don’t have one.”

And Clowe certainly became a voice and caretaker after taking in 20 domesticated rats she found outside a Tyson’s Corner, Va. Petco in two tiny, dirty hamster cages.

Of those 20 domesticated rats, seven females were old enough to reproduce, and 20 rats quickly turned into 81.

Clowe said she was able to place over half the domesticated rats, but that approximately 24 are still looking for homes.

People don’t realize that pet stores can’t and won’t take pets from people,” Clowe said. “They can’t take them even if they wanted to.”

Clowe was awarded the 2006 “Animal Kingdom Kindred Spirit Award” from the Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF) in July for the work she has done with helping the domesticated rats.

Clowe was nominated for the award by DDAF’s program director, Vicki Smith, who called Clowe about adopting domesticated rats and heard the story.

“We work really hard so it’s always nice to have your work recognized,” Clowe said. “But we don’t do it for the recognition, we do it for the animals.”

Besides the domesticated rats, Small Angels Rescue currently has 20 mice, 1 gerbil, approximately 40 hamsters and 30 guinea pigs, including one with three legs, that are available for adoption.

The majority of the animals the organization receives come from shelters and are facing euthanasia.

Clowe, along with colleagues Angela Moxley and Sue Wilmot, also encourage the spaying and neutering of the animals.

Clowe especially encourages the spaying and neutering of guinea pigs because they are considered social herd animals and should always live in pairs.

“Having them neutered let’s them live with a lady friend without worrying,” Clowe said.

Small Angels Rescue holds adoption events every Sunday at the Frederick Town Mall in Frederick, Md. from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. outside Boscov’s. Animals will be on site for adoption.

The organization’s animals can also be seen on their web site, www.smallangels.petfinder.com.

Clowe said she hopes this award will bring more attention to the plight of homeless animals.

“We are responsible for a lot of happy endings,” Clowe said.

“Our goal is to go out of business because that will mean there are no animals that are
homeless.”

..so if you or if you know someone looking for a rattie do yourself and the rattie a favor and check out pet rat rescue...

The Journal

technorati tags:rat, rattie, rescue, adoption, small, angels, rescue, www.smallangels.petfinder.com, Frederick, Maryland

Why do rats have a bad reputation?

By Alicyn Leigh. Long Island Press

"We suppose people fall into the stigma that has been attached to rats for years; that they cause disease, that they're vicious, dirty, despicable animals," Foxx says.

The truth is that through breeding generations of rats we now have the "domestic pet rat" or "fancy rat."

Specific care is very important for properly keeping rats. They need companionship and daily attention, including a few hours out of their cage to free run.

"Rats are very social and should be housed together in groups of three or more," Foxx says. "They need large, multi-level cages, more like ferret cages than the rodent cages. Never put them in an aquarium."

"Females are feistier, more inquisitive, playful and more prone to mammary tumors; males are more relaxed, larger, aggressive and less prone to tumors, but the traits can run in both sexes," explains Renee.

The average lifespan is 2-3 years, but they can live longer. "A pet rat should follow the same diet as an average person," Foxx says. "We tell adopters that whatever's not good for your body is not good for theirs. They need low-fat, low-protein and low-sugar diets, just like us."

Since rats are considered to be exotics, one must have a veterinarian who is knowledgeable and experienced with rodents. A rat's medical costs, according to Foxx, can "be quite high, so a $5 pocket pet can turn into thousands. There are rat rescues who can help so there is no need to cut their short lives shorter."

Want to adopt a pet rat?

here's where to go...to support this Pet Rat Rescue

Visit RMRR's discount online store dedicated to small animals, The One Stop Critter Shop, at www.theonestopcrittershop.com. RMRR needs volunteers for transporting rats, fostering, adopters and/or physical (bedding, cereal, towels, etc.) or monetary donations. Please make all checks and money orders payable to Ratta Muffin Rat Reskue or Paypal. E-mail: ratgurrrlz@yahoo.com

Long Island Press: Long Island Newspaper, News, Entertainment, Real Estate, Classifieds, Automotive, Weddings, Business News, Sports, Restaurants, Fashion, Lifestyle

technorati tags:pet, rat, rescue, Domestic, rat, fancy, rat, theonestopcrittershop

Don't Rat Rodents Out

By Alicyn Leigh. Long Island Press

Renee and Luna Foxx with
their pet, Frankie

The early-1970s horror movies Willard and Ben might have creeped out many, but they did a great job portraying those who love larger-sized rodents. Classified as an "exotic" pet, "ratties" make wonderful house pets and provide unconditional love just as good as the next lap cat. In fact, there is a great rat-rescue organization that serves the Tri-State area dedicated to caring for the unwanted.

"We choose to rescue rats because they are amazing critters, but they also get an unwarranted bad rap," says Renee Foxx of Ratta Muffin Rat Reskue in Browns Mills, NJ.

"[My partner Luna and I] met in 1998 and started taking in abandoned rats from friends of friends," Renee says. "A sales clerk at a local pet store would give us the sick rats so we could nurse them back to health and we always kept them."

And so the duo began their work as a rescue team, aiding the ASPCA and shelters when pet rats were involved. Their largest rescue was in 2004, when they took in 171 animals out of a cruelty situation in Jersey City; 154 of those animals were rats.

Want to help?

Here's how...

Visit RMRR's discount online store dedicated to small animals, The One Stop Critter Shop, at www.theonestopcrittershop.com. RMRR needs volunteers for transporting rats, fostering, adopters and/or physical (bedding, cereal, towels, etc.) or monetary donations. Please make all checks and money orders payable to Ratta Muffin Rat Reskue or Paypal. E-mail: ratgurrrlz@yahoo.com

...bless them and their rat rescue...

Long Island Press: Long Island Newspaper, News, Entertainment, Real Estate, Classifieds, Automotive, Weddings, Business News, Sports, Restaurants, Fashion, Lifestyle

technorati tags:rat, rescue, one, stop, critter, shop, www.theonestopcrittershop.com, fancy, rats, rattie, exotic, et, domestic, pet, rat, Ratta, Muffin, Rat, Reskue

Local rat rescue's future uncertain

By Nicole Weis. The Daily NonPareil. Southwest Iowa.

The basement in Jessica Bartunek's house is occupied by rats. Forty-seven of them to be exact, far less than the 110 that lived there a few months ago.

But having rats live beneath her does not disgust Bartunek. In fact, the full-time student and mother of a 6-month-old baby girl is not repulsed at all. She thinks the creatures make excellent pets, which is precisely why she started a pet rat rescue program out of her home almost three years ago.

"Every animal deserves a second chance," Bartunek said. "Rats are incredibly misunderstood; they are incredibly intelligent and among the cleanest small animals. They don't require a lot of space, but they have the attitude and commitment like dogs do. They are very devoted to their owners."

Staff photo/Nicole Weis - Jessica Bartunek, founder of Draconis Rat Rescue, has 82 rats, 11 chinchillas and four ferrets living at her house. Bartunek recently joined Petfinder.com to help the rats and other animals find good homes as pets.

Bartunek founded Draconis Rat Rescue out of her own pocket shortly after working at a pet shop that sold rats. She didn't care for the way the animals were sold as snake food and figured she could find better homes for them than a snake's belly.

Bartunek took in surrenders from previous pet owners and adopted them out for a small fee. She was hoping to increase her adoption rates by joining petfinder.com. When an article in The Daily Nonpareil featured her rat rescue operation in March of this year, her venture became successful.

"(Adoptions) skyrocketed shortly thereafter," Bartunek said. "We had lots of surrenders, but more adoptions."

However, just when Draconis was really starting to take off, Bartunek received a call from a local animal control officer who informed her that Iowa law requires rescue operations that charge money for adoptions to be run on commercial property. Bartunek was told she would have to close her adoption doors by April 14.

"It was pretty much a shocker," Bartunek recalls of hearing the news.

She then posted a message on the Draconis Web site - http://.drac.20m.com- delivering the news to her fellow rat lovers.

In the meantime, Draconis is still accepting surrenders and finding homes for the pet rats via foster care as long as the rats come with cages.

"We've got a bunch into foster care. Quite a few are moving on," Bartunek said.

While she lost more money than she gained while selling rats for adoption because of food and veterinarian costs, Bartunek wants to continue her rescue program especially because of all the support she's received from others.

"I get phone calls and e-mails that say 'We love what you're doing,'" she said. "And the return from the public is what makes it all worthwhile."

...bless her we need more people like this...I hope this story is successful...

Daily Nonpareil - Local rat rescue's future uncertain

technorati tags:pet, rat, draconis, http://.drac.20m.com, rat, rescue, Jessica, Batunek

Rats taking marijuana, cocaine and other narcotics

Rat ate evidence

Police suspect rodents are the culprit

Police suspect rodents at fault

NORTH PORT -- Marijuana, cocaine and narcotics began disappearing from the evidence room, and police say they've found the culprit -- rats.

About a month ago, North Port Police Department evidence and property technician Pamela Schmidt picked up a bag and noticed that it looked like it had been chewed through, said Capt. Robert Estrada.

...dude theres some rats out there that would have a serious case of munchies....

Sun Herald - 01/13/06

technorati tags:rats, North, Port

Rats Smell in Stereo

By Larry O'Hanlon, Discovery News

Rats need only one sniff to take their bearings on a tasty morsel, say researchers who have discovered what may be the olfactory equivalent to stereo hearing in the common rodents.

It turns out that rats use their two nostrils with what appears to be far more efficiency than humans do, and may be a lot like some other scent-oriented animals.

In just 50 milliseconds rats can not only identify an odor, but can tell in which nostril an odor is stronger and then head for it.

"Rats are smart and great at odor-related tasks, so they were a good system to get at the question in detail," said olfactory researcher Upinder Bhalla of the National Center for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, India. Bhalla, Raghav Rajan and J.P Clement published their findings in the Feb. 3 issue of the journal Science.

Can Smell, One Nostril at a Time

...I like small speakers, I like tall speakers, smell that odor....

Discovery Channel :: News :: Rats Smell in Stereo

technorati tags:rats, smell, stereo

Rats trained to find landmines in Columbia

BOGOTA, Colombia - Watch out Fido, your days on the force may be numbered. Police in Colombia are training Lola and Espejo, two whiskered, red-eyed rats, to sniff out bombs and land mines.ADVERTISEMENTclick here

The rodents are part of an experimental six-rat squadron that police are preparing for dangerous missions to defuse the more than 100,000 land mines that litter Colombia's countryside after four decades of war between the government and leftist rebels.

Unlike dogs, rats weighing less than half a pound each and "don't trigger any explosions when they walk on a mine," said Col. Javier Cifuentes, director of the Sibate police academy, where basic training is taking place.

...it's not "unleash the hounds", its now "unleash the rats"...

Newsvine - Rats trained to find mines in Columbia

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We love ... Rats

Duncan Higgitt, Western Mail

HAS there ever been a creature in the animal kingdom more unfairly maligned than the rat?

We're not talking great black sewer dwellers, the stuff of kids' nightmares, the ones that are supposed to come out and eat babies left outside in Third World slums.

But let's be fair to those fellows. They say that wherever you are in a city, you are never more than a metre away from a rat. So how often do you see them?

They keep themselves to themselves, and probably because they are out of sight rather than out of mind, we fear them.

We are also a bit wary because they became the unwitting vehicles for bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, which swept across the world in the 14th century, killing as much as a third of the European population."

But those days are behind us now. The biggest likelihood you have of spying a rat is when you see it in a cage in someone's house.

Despite their poor reputation, pet rats, sometimes known as fancy rats, are rewarding creatures - better than any other rodent, and arguably better than cats.

Despite the presence of the much-detested scaly tail and pink claws, these creatures are bright, fun to watch, and capable of being completely domesticated, so that a series of basic instructions (albeit with the employment of food as a reward) can be taught.

The best way to bring a rat under your control is to handle it as often as possible. This way, it gets used to you, and will offer you its own brand of affection.

Another way in which rats can be rewarding is in seeing them play. They often like to have a small ball, which they will roll around the cage and chase.

It is wrongly thought that rats are dirty creatures. But while they do require regular cleaning (and their cages will smell if you don't), they're not even in the same league as rabbits, which can also make good pets. However, living as I currently do with both rats and rabbits, the former beats the bunnies hands down.

If you like dogs and you enjoy that moment when something in the mutt's mind clicks, and he or she learns how to do something new, whether it's opening doors, or knowing that they have to go in a certain place in the car, you'll enjoy rats. They catch on quick.

They are also out-and-out scroungers. It is recommended that they eat certain things, such as a feed designed for them that can be had from pet stores and supermarkets. This is true, but they love hanging out for some fresh fruit and vegetables, and they love a bit of cooked meat - provided it does not come in a curry. For high days and holidays, they can have yoghurt, and even a bit of chocolate - sparingly.

Fancy rats will live for up to five years, and are by far and away the cheapest (and often the most available) rodent for sale in pet shops. In addition to things in the cage to stop them getting bored, they'll also need something to chew on. You can combine the two by threading sticks through the cage here and there, which they can also use to climb on, as well as keep their teeth down. One of the great things about rats is watching them climb - they are absolute masters at it.

So while some people may flinch at the idea, the rat makes a great pet for those children whose parents cannot or will not have something bigger. They are cheap, relatively low maintenance and give back your attentions in bucketloads.

...we love rats YAY!!! Hooray for rats YAY!!!

Naked Mole Rats are Popular

KNOXVILLE, TENN. — Inside a small clear tube, a naked mole-rat decides to change direction. Contorting its wrinkled, hot dog-shaped body, the animal nearly somersaults over itself and pokes out its head on the other side. It shows off four big teeth, sniffs the air and turns around again.

Watch a naked mole-rat for a while, and you'll see this happen over and over and over. It's the nonstop movement and unusual characteristics — certainly not its beauty — that make mole-rats a hit with zoo visitors, especially children."

They're so ugly, they're cute," said Knoxville Zoo keeper Cathleen Wise. "You can't help (look at them). There's always something to watch."

The Knoxville Zoo has joined a handful of zoos across the country with the strange creatures when it opened the "Naturally Naked Mole-Rats" exhibit on March 31.

Natives of Africa, naked mole-rats are the only eusocial mammals, meaning they live in a colony ruled by a queen, the only female who reproduces.

In the wild, they spend nearly all their time underground, but despite their name they are neither moles nor rates. Mole-rats are more closely related to chinchillas, guinea pigs and porcupines.

...definately to be checked out...

Newsvine - Knoxville Zoo Opens Naked Mole-Rat Exhibit

technorati tags:pet, rats, mole, rats, Knoxville, Zoo, Rat, Exhibit

Pet rat may help prevent allergies in children

Sally Williams, Western Mail

EXPOSURE to dogs and pet rats early in life may prevent rather than trigger asthma and allergies in children, new research suggests.

Researchers believe that young children could benefit from exposure to domestic rats or dogs fur and minor scratches from the animals could help to build their immune systems.

...having a pet rat is healthy :-)

icWales - Pet rat may help prevent allergies in children

technorati tags:pet, rat, allergies, prevent