ALL rats are smart. They get underestimated a lot.

Wub your little ratties they're adorable!!!!!!

that's awesome did u teach how to do that or did u take a vid off the internet

Thank you! I was actually going to ask what food you use to train them with. And thanks for making this video - now I finally have something to show people when I tell them how intelligent rats are and they refuse to believe it.

thatyourbutt These are my rats and I trained them myself. This video is filmed, edited, and owned by me.

NanaBorderCollie cool ur rats are awsome

Yas!!

lol!

Ha! That made my day. :)

I felt the same! I had two rats 5 years ago and they were great. I could teach them the spin trick^^

These are rats, not mice. But thank you. :)

sorry,what's the different between rat and mice?

EmmaLeung11 There are many different species of both rats and mice, making it impossible to generalise the differences and commonalities between the two... thus, I will only list the primary differences between the Norway and black rat (and domestic fancy rat) and the house mouse (and fancy mouse). Rats and mice both have unique, easily distinguishable physical differences. Rats, firstly, are considerably larger and heavier than mice (mice typically weigh only about one tenth of the weight of an adult rat) with thicker tails, coarser hair, and proportionately larger heads. Mice have short, pointed snouts and their ears and eyes are much larger in proportion to their heads than rats. The limbs on mice are small and delicate, whilst rats appear more burly overall. Behaviourally, mice are often relatively skittish and vigilant of their surroundings. Rats tend to be more audacious.

oh, very detail, thank very much!

EmmaLeung11 rats are more smarter I should know I own two rats a one mouse

Seeing your previous opinion towards rats, I hope you don't actually get *two just because you saw them doing tricks. :)

I can handle it :D I have no life anyway ;-;

You think two rats is bad? Try having seven. :D

Now that would be tough for me cause of school

Meludox Or eight. ;)

and i can't spell because of it XD

With the exception of the skateboard, shopping cart, dresser, and canvas & easel (which were either purchased at the dollar store, wal-mart, or ebay), I constructed all of their props myself.

As their staple food, I feed them a combination of high-quality lab blocks and my own homemade mix that I prepare for them each day, which comprises rolled oats, barley, and dried fruit, amongst many other ingredients. In the evenings they are given fresh fruits and vegetables (such as blueberries, blackberries, kale, broccoli, peas, pears, grapes, apples, etc.), and once a week I give them either eggs, chicken, or mealworms for protein. They really love variety in their diet.

Nitra, Congratulations on your new addition, though I am sorry to hear things have not been working out. Perhaps the most important factor of pet rat ownership is ensuring that they are kept in groups. Rats are highly social group animals (as are mice, gerbils, sugar gliders, primates, elephants, etc.) that cannot be kept alone. Particularly shy individuals, which your boy sounds to be, are usually highly difficult or virtually impossible to bond with when isolated from conspecifics. My girl, Shadow, is one of these shy rats. The only way she learned to bond with me was by watching the other rats and my interactions with them. She learned through observation that I was a loving and compassionate caregiver, and eventually she summoned the courage to approach and interact with me outside the shadow of her group members (hence her name). She has since become the most loyal of my mischief of rats. I would firstly advise finding a rat companion for your boy. Not only should this aid in solving your issue, but singly-kept rats develop psychological and health problems when kept without other members of their species, and most die prematurely from the symptoms of isolation stress. Secondly, it is important to never force a relationship on an animal. Allow your boy to approach and investigate you when he feels comfortable and avoid handling him whenever possible. I find that the more freedom you give them, the more drawn they are to you. You may also want to try hand-feeding your boy for awhile; that way he will couple your hands with something positive. I wish you all the best with your boy. :) If you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you! I really appreciate it, and I have read all of that, but I also read that if you want one then you need to spend a lot of time with them. I am doing that, but like I said, the connection isn't quite there. I will look into buying another rat for him to socialize with, but I'm not sure if my parents want 2 of them. Thanks for your help and quick response. I will try my best. He is in good hands, he might just need some more training. A companion would be nice too. Thank you!

Hey, Our rats, Kitty & Akira, did not like the Hamster ball; not only did it freak them out, they pooped like crazy inside them, because they were freaked out. I've been told by the Petco lady, that rats don't really go for the ball anyway, so we just washed them & returned them.... Oh, the balls! Not the rats, lol. Kitty started out very afraid, but now she's super social; Akira was the complete opposite at first, but she's still very sketchy. It's been since March (lol of this year) since we bought them, & they were I'm guessing fairly young, when they arrive at Petco. They're doing a lot better, & I'm playing w/ & holding them multiple times a day; Kira is still freaked out, but she does ease up & play after a bit. They're both recognising their names, & sort of coming to me when I call for them; if I can't see them when they're running around the apartment (never in the kitchen though), they'll pop their cute little head out so I can see them. They don't bite at all anymore! Kira still has a heart attack in the bath, but Kitty is very very good; they didn't start out well, so it's a great accomplishment. If you've only had your boy since May, then he'll get better; just keep handling & ya get him a buddy, but be careful w/ the introduction :)

Nitra AJ Though it is true for some species (such as ferrets) that adopting just one is an option granted the animal is given ample attention and interaction, this is not true for rats. Some people will try to tell you otherwise, but believe me that it is absolutely not true. No human can ever replicate or replace the companionship of another rat. Rats constantly communicate with each other using pheromones and vocalizations in frequencies that are inaudible to human ears, and communication amongst conspecifics is a very important aspect of a rat's life. Rat companions provide company during the night (when rats are most active) and while you are away from home, and no human can be interacting with their rat 24/7 unless they never go to work/school, never go shopping, never go to events, parties, or on vacations, and never sleep. Rats will also comfort one another during times of stress or loss, and if one falls ill the other will rush to their aid - bringing food to them, sleeping next to them to keep them company, etc. No human can fill these roles. Many people will try and say, "I have a single rat (or, my friend has a single rat) and he is as happy as can be!" What they do not understand is that lone rats will almost always behave "happy" or excited when they are interacting with their humans. However, they are severely depressed and bored out of their skulls when their owners leave for work/school, are shopping, or are asleep. Rats will also instinctually mask illnesses and other health problems (at least until it reaches its peak, but by then it is usually too late), making them appear to be "fine". There are many behaviours that rats often do under high levels of stress that, unless one is well-versed on rat behaviour, would not seem unordinary and may go unnoticed by the owner. Frequently scratching or grooming a specific area, for example, is an obsessive-compulsive behaviour that rats experiencing isolation stress may exhibit. Some rats may keep symptoms of their stress hidden until old age, when they will suddenly begin behaving neurotically, aggressively, become anorexic, or start self-mutilating. There is scarcely any difference in terms of expense and maintenance between the keeping of two rats versus one, since the two rats will be housed together. Some people think that keeping two rats is more expensive than one; however, the listless health issues associated with lone rats will bring some expensive and unnecessary vet bills your way (assuming the rat is brought to the veterinarian) that makes keeping lone rats far more expensive than keeping two. Plus, it would be heartbreaking for the owner to watch their beloved pet suffer and die prematurely from isolation stress. All the best with you and your boy. :) If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Let me know how he does.

One of my best rats was a Norway brown non-fancy rat. She was the ever vigilant one, keeping an eye out. More aloof when the others were alive. But once they were gone, she stepped up to the plate and became the super affectionate one. I dearly miss her.