They're awesome pets, and really easy to care for! But be sure to get one from a good, healthy, reputable breeder that breeds for health before anything else - because their vet bills definetly add up quickly. We've spent at least $500 between all of the rats' vet bills within the past few years. They are very sweet pets; it's definetly fair to compare them to dogs
. I trained my past Siamese rat to come when called, sit, lie down, walk on a harness, etc. She could run around the whole house and as soon as I would call her, she would come running and scamper up my leg! I slept with her every night, too, and let her eat out of my mouth.
But, I got her from a breeder that was far from great - and at 8 months old she had to be euthanized because she was urinating pure red blood cells, because she had 4 tumors. Star would have to be my second favorite after Java; I rescued her and her daughter, Happy Feet; they were dumped in front of a feed store. Happy Feet was dumped in a box, and Star was dumped outside of the box in the rain. She huddled under a pot next to her baby, and we found her and her little one. Happy Feet, like Java, passed away of a tumor at a young age. Star is very sweet; she is very laid back, and completely content with cuddling up in my lap and sleeping while getting her ears rubbed. I had a blue dumbo boy, a very, very big boy named Bobo; he seemed to hate everyone but my younger cousin Amanda. I wouldn't even hold him at first because of what the lady had told me about him when I took him in. My 11 year old cousin came over and picked him right up though without even thinking about it, and he snuggled right up in her hair. She came over every day after school just so she could hold Bobo for a few hours. He loved her and she loved him!
Here are some pictures of Java. I miss her so much! It was really heartbreaking having to have her put to sleep; she was a rat, but she was definetly my baby.
