Rats make wonderful pets. The concept of rats as pets is not a new one; in fact, rats have been domesticated for hundreds of years. But the idea of rats as a loving domestic companion is one that many people still struggle with. Thankfully, there are plenty of rat ambassadors ready to show the world how amazing they are.
In November 2023, Hayley-Mae opened her heart and home to three lively and lovable baby rats through Rattie Ratz, a rescue organization dedicated to the care and adoption of pet rats. What began as a thoughtful search for small, loyal companions that would act as emotional support animals quickly turned into a meaningful journey of bonding and discovery.
In June of 2023, a woman reached out to Rattie Ratz Rescue when she discovered that her female rat was pregnant. She had accidentally gotten a male and female from the pet store. Once the babies arrived, she asked Rattie Ratz to help find homes for them.
In October 2023, Haley and her daughter Hanna, then eight years old, embarked on a journey to become small animal owners. Haley says that Hanna really wanted a small pet, and when they began researching different options for their family, they discovered that rats would be a perfect addition. The family had no prior experience with rat ownership, but after reading how sweet and intelligent rats can be, they made their decision.
Some adopters embody everything the Rattie Ratz Rescue volunteers hope to find in a loving home for our foster rats. Jenny Holland is one such adopter. After they read the touching story she has shared, I know our readers will feel the same. Jenny adopted three baby girls from Rattie Ratz in July 2023. Here she tells how rats have made her life richer, through both love and loss.
Today we look back on five adopted sisters who are living the type of life that every volunteer at Rattie Ratz Rescue hopes for. A life of joy, love, and fun with their family - with a healthy dose of spoiling mixed in! Rattie Ratz is a Non-Profit in Northern California dedicated the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of domestic pet rats. The ultimate goal at Rattie Ratz is to find safe and loving homes for each animal that passes through the organization, and the five sisters featured here have done just that.
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In November of last year, Heather adopted two male rats from Rattie Ratz. She was interested in adopting rats because she had previous experience owning them as a college student and she loved it. When her son asked if he could get his own pet rats, their family made sure to start off on the right foot with the most important step in the adoption process—research!
Linda and her husband first became interested in rats when her husband (who had kept a pet mouse years ago) thought about getting another mouse. He did some research and found that rats would actually be a better fit. They contemplated getting rats for months when Linda describes how her husband, who did radio and TV work, produced “a TV program for an independent TV station, and found Rattie Ratz and decided to do a segment on rats. Well, we came home with three rats that were eight weeks old! …Even back then we had no idea how involved we would get with rats over the years.” That was in January of 2006.
heir children, but didn't research beforehand what owning rats entails. He was a total sweetheart and very cute, but I couldn't keep him so I reached out to Rattie Ratz to help find a new home for him, one where he hopefully could have a friend or two as rats are social animals and need to live in groups.
Some people have dogs they can take on long leisurely strolls in the morning sunshine. Others have cats or birds they can have relaxing naps with while basking in the summer warmth coming in through the windows of their home.
