# pet rats for my toddlers



## sjyoung (Feb 6, 2016)

I have 2 year old triplets and was wondering would rats be a suitable first pet


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Please don't take this the wrong way, but 2 years old is way too young for a child to have a pet of their own.

If the rats are for you, & you have the time, space, money to care for the rats yourself, then fair enough, but at this age, & speaking as a rat owner myself I wouldn't even have let my children handle them, let alone care for them at the age of 2.


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

I don't think 2 year olds are old enough to have the responsibility of their own pets. I think you would be better looking for a 'family' pet that your children can be involved with as they get older or waiting until they are a few years older and able to learn how to look after an animal.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

I agree with what has been said already. Not a good idea.

In addition, rats actually need a lot of care and attention to keep them happy, including time out of the cage to "free range" which would be tricky with such young children IMO.


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

Not only are two year olds too young for ANY pet, but very young children should not be allowed to handle very small creatures - they are unwittingly heavy-handed, and can accidentally injure or kill a small animal And may be bitten in the process.

And with 2-y-o triplets, I would imagine that you haven't got much time to give the animals the attention they need yourself.


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## sjyoung (Feb 6, 2016)

Thank you all for the comments , we are still going through the process of suitability and not just rushing in .


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

sjyoung said:


> Thank you all for the comments , we are still going through the process of suitability and not just rushing in .


That's great to hear  also bear in mind rats have very short lifespans, 3 is generally the oldest, so even if you waited until your children were 5 until they were able to do gentle, supervised handling, your rats would be very elderly & frail by then.

I do rate rats (& also guinea pigs) as family pets over most other rodents & rabbits, because they do form bonds with people.

Hamsters are sweet, but nocturnal so not always great for the hours children are awake; gerbils are lovely, but difficult to handle as they are fast; mice are tiny & quite fragile for small hands; rabbits often prefer interaction on their own terms & are one of the most 'boring' pets from many childrens' perspectives, as they like to pick up & cuddle, rather than watch & possibly wait for the animal to come to them.


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