The idea of keeping rats as pets goes back hundreds of years but still comes as a surprise to some people today.

Rats are naturally inquisitive, very intelligent and, despite their reputation, very clean animals. I've never been bitten by a rat. Like many people though, I've had nasty bites from hamsters and gerbils.

So when I asked my dad if I could have a small pet,he immediately suggested rats. Since then my interest has just snowballed!

Rats might not be right for everyone though. They do need a large cage with plenty of space to move around. And they need company - never keep a single rat on its own.

If you are interested in keeping rats, do have a look around our website, and contact us for the latest on our current and planned litters. We do strongly recommend that you do not buy rats from pet shops:

• Just like with kittens and puppies, commercial breeders standards can be very poor - when you buy from a pet shop you don't see the standards of care provided to the rats by the breeder
• Rats need to be stimulated - having space to move is part of that, but it is also important that they are handled regular and their environment changes to stimulate them. All too often this doesn't happen when they are stock items.
• It's not just about the rats welfare before you take it in; we are often asked to rehome rescue rats when someone has bought a rat from such a store who has turned out to be pregnant - or bought 2 rats and been told they were the same sex!

Even if we currently have no rats, we can put you in touch with other reputable breeders in Scotland.

Compared with other types of pets, rats are inexpensive and very rewarding. Typically they live for 24-36 months, being ready to go to a new home from about 4 weeks (we don't usually let ours go till at least 7 weeks).

Although they can be toilet trained to use a litter tray in their cage for solid waste, they still tend to pee everywhere - so their cage should be cleaned out once a week. They should have fresh water each day.

They tend not to have the chronic medical conditions that seem to be common in dogs so the vet bills aren't too much - but typically at the end of their life their health deteriorates progressively. Cancer is a common cause of death in rats.