Pets are a lot of fun and children can lean a great deal from owning one and having responsibility for its care. Please don’t just turn your child loose with a pet though! Always monitor what your child does with a pet and how he or she does it. Ultimately, parents are the best caregivers and should take responsibility by guiding and instructing their child in the appropriate care of an animal.

That said, a rat. is a great first pet for children. Can you deal with a rat in your home? If they completely freak you, the parent and ultimate caregiver, out then a rat is not a good choice. If you feel O.K. about rats then listen up: Rats are affectionate, intelligent, trainable and easy to care for with some basic knowledge and equipment.

Rats, like all pets, require appropriate food, which is easily obtained from your local pet store. They can eat occasional other tidbits like vegetables, raw seeds or nuts and fruit. When I had rats, they especially enjoyed a small slice of apple or a baby carrot a few times a week. These are high in sugar and should be considered a treat. Most things that are not specifically “rat chow” from your pet store should be considered treats.

Your rat needs fresh water daily. The best way to provide water is to use one of those bottles that hang upside down which your rat can lick to get a drink. I call it a “licky bottle”. They are easy to refill and can’t be knocked over or polluted with cage stuff your pet may drop into dish.

Rats need a secure, roomy, aquarium enclosure with a screen lid which can be secured firmly. The way you see them enclosed in the pet store is very effective and easy to maintain. Rats are very intelligent and clever about opening things. They can also squeeze through very small openings and will do so given the opportunity, so be careful about securing the top of the cage.

Use wood shavings or recycled newspaper bedding to a depth of at least an inch in the bottom of the cage. Change it daily or every other day ot the least or it will smell and become a messy job no one wants to tackle. Once a week empty the cage of everything and wash the inside — bottom especially — with mild soap like well diluted Simple Green, and water. It does not have to be hosed down, just washed, rinsed and dried with clean water and rags. It isn’t difficult if you do it regularly. If you don’t, it becomes a chore and the cage will be smelly between times.

Provide climbing and exercise equipment for your rat so boredom doesn’t set in. Remember, these are intelligent animals. They need something to do and exercise. A running wheel is a good thing to have. There are other rat friendly toys you will find in your pet store as well. Check them out.

Rats are rodents, like mice, gerbils, rabbits and guinea pigs. One thing all rodents have in common is is that their teeth grow continuously. Because of this trait they need to chew or their teeth will grow too long and they will be unable to eat. Once again, your local pet store can provide supplies to satisfy the need to chew. Some of the things you may find are rawhide or wood toys. Rats enjoy chewing up cardboard toilet paper or paper towel rolls, too. They don’t eat it. They jsut chew it into little bis.

As I have said, rats are quite intelligent. They are trainable and affectionate. They do not tend to bite as do some rodent species, and they grow large enough that they are not fragile for children to handle, as are mice or gerbils. They are sociable creatures and want your affection and interaction. Rats are highly food oriented and will learn to do tricks for food rewards. They like to be petted and handled if they are accustomed to being petted and handled frequently, so start out handling and petting you rat often. Feed him food from your hand while petting his back, to start. Get a book on rats when you buy your pet and, with your child, read as much as you can about them. Your child will have a lot of fun with a pet rat and will learn so much about responsibility and caring in performing the tasks involved in keeping a pet healthy and happy. A pet rat is and easy and rewarding friend to have.