They are gentle and affectionate. They know their name, come when called and love to play. They are fastidious groomers and can learn to do tricks. They make great pets. What are they? They’re rats.

The earliest documented evidence of domesticated rats originates from Japan and dates back to the Edo period (1603 to 1868). The tradition of keeping fancy rats may have originated in Japan, but pet ...

When most people think of rats, it brings up thoughts of nasty rodents scampering through a sewer or of horror movies, in ...

Dear Dr. Jorden: I have a great menagerie of animals as pets. I would like to get a pet rat or two, but someone told me that it was illegal to own rats. Is that true? I called the Billings Animal ...

When most people think about getting a pet, the common options are dogs, cats, birds etc. But have you ever considered rats? Before you conclude and say, ‘God forbid’, you should know that having a ...

When most people think of animal shelters, dogs and cats come to mind. But at many shelters, including Marin Humane, there are lots of other critters looking for their forever homes. One of the more ...

A veterinary nurse’s pet rats have been providing some pawsitivity by creating mini paintings for people around the world. Steph Toogood, who is 26 and based in Somerset, has owned rats since 2016 ...

These have short, smooth, and glossy coats, although the males may have a coarser coat than the females. In general, they are easy to look after and have no special dietary or medical needs. You can ...

Rats! Say the word and people envision many different things: vermin or pests, lab experiments, scary movies, even snake food. But many also have a great fondness for them as pets. Rats are often ...

She’s got a soft spot for vermin. A so-called extreme rodent fanatic has gone viral after bathing her 50 rat “babies” in her kitchen sink. Michele Raybon, 51, of Palmdale, California, hasn’t stopped ...