Roof Rats As Pets

We also get rid of cockroaches flies fleas and ants.

Roof rats as pets.

Adult roof rats measure 6 8 16 20 cm when combining their head and body length. A large wire cage is best especially one with horizontal bars that allow the rat to climb on the sides. Their undersides are often white gray or black. Roof rats have soft and smooth fur that is typically brown with intermixed spots of black.

The roof rat is smaller than a norway rat growing to be between 6 and 8 inches in body length with an additional 6 to 8 inches in the tail. Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail. Roof rats pest control team will evict them clean up after them and install measures to prevent further intrusions. From rat bites and scratches to saliva and urine rats can cause many diseases.

Both roof rats and norway rats a stockier variety of rat can infest homes. Housing the rat. Other names for a norway rat are common rat brown rat street rat sewer rat hanover rat norwegian rat or wharf rat. Average lifespan of a pet rat is 18 to 36 months.

Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered. These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus. A norway rat body is typically nine to eleven inches long. Most species of rat look similar and it can be difficult to tell between a roof rat and the common norway rat but there are some telltale ways to distinguish between the two.

Like squirrels they enter houses and are found in attics. Norway rats are typically larger than roof rats they can grow to be up to 18 inches long while the roof rat typically has bigger ears and longer tails than its cousin. At a minimum a cage with 12 by 24 inches 2 square feet of floor space is okay for two smaller rats as long as the cage is tall and you provide shelves and or hammocks for extra living space. Roof rats have smooth fur pointy noses and large dark eyes.

A tall cage with ramps and platforms is ideal for providing room for multiple rats. Thick greenery lush landscapes fruit trees and pet dog areas will all bring in roof rats. Pet rat facts. Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases.

Rats as pets are known to be able to climb wire cages ramps and ladders explore tunnels balance on ropes and even jump impressive distances in relation to their small size around 3 feet. Roof rats can climb. For effective pest control you need to determine what type of rat is scurrying around your attic. Most pet rats are actually a type of rat called a norway rat rattus norvegicus.

Because the roof rat climbs well typical nesting sites are above the ground. Don t be surprised if your pet rats have a blast scaling furniture and racing up your arm in order to perch on your shoulder either.