For most people, keeping rats as pets is a strange hobby. But why keep pet rats that most people consider as pests? Anyone who’ve had rats as pets such as I do, would attest to their sweet personalities. They’re one of the nicest pets around and are not prone to biting as people would think. They even beat your favorite pets in the Cleanliness Department as they clean themselves a lot.
You might have also seen the photo of a mythical giant rat circulating in the web recently. If you’ve checked the source, there are photos of other angles showing the rat to be of average size. So how about the idea of a Jumbo Wild Rat as Pet?Â
Keeping WILD RATS as pets is extreme to many. But having the experience of raising several orphaned wild rats, I could attest to their docile nature. Pet rats have a docile nature, whether they come from domesticated parents or from the wild. Pet Rats Philippines was featured in Kuya Kim’s Matanglawin on its May 31st episode where pet rat keepers talked about keeping wild rats as pets.
Behind the scenes for Matanglawin
One of the things that are sought after in a wild rat as pet is the larger body compared to the average domesticated pet rat. They also have a very beautiful agouti coat (a term for their reddish brown-yellow coat). They’re just as friendly as the domesticated rats. And just in case you’re wondering, wild rats and all other rats you see in pet shops are the same species under Brown Rats (scientific name ‘Rattus norvegicus’).
Here is my pet Thoriel, while waiting to meet Kuya Kim on shoot day. Thoriel’s parents are wild rats.
Pet Rats Philippines was founded in September 2009 with a simple goal of educating the public about the myths and wonders of rats as pets. Their motto is “Rats deserve our love and care too!” You may join their cause by visiting their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PetRatsPH.
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