“Fancy rat blaze” Photo Courtesy of Flickr
By Kawthar Ebrahim
TAMPA, Fla. — When considering bringing a small pet into an apartment, hamsters, fish, and mice are usually the first companion animals that come to mind. Rats, however, may actually be the most suitable, intelligent, and affectionate pets based on biological perspectives and animal welfare research.
It is important to note that domestic rats differ greatly from wild urban rodents despite the fact that they are popularly regarded as such in popular culture.
Sarah Gastelbondo, a sophomore biology major at the University of Tampa, discusses the social stigma surrounding rats and how environmental factors shape public perception.
“I think it’s a misconception,” said Gastelbondo. “All rodents carry a certain type of disease or infection, but it’s not specific to rats as a species. It’s more because wild rats develop in urban areas and tend to live in spaces and feed on environments where disease can spread, such as trash.”
Rather than genetics, Gastelbondo explained, living conditions play a much greater role in disease risk than genetics. Rats are selectively bred for temperament and kept in clean, controlled environments, so they’re not more disease-prone than other small pets.
Beyond health misconceptions, veterinary and humane organizations emphasize domestic rats’ high cognitive abilities and social complexity.
PetMD says rats make great companions because they are gentle, far less likely to bite than other small rodents, and display empathy and sociability.
The Animal Welfare Society explains that rats adapt particularly well to apartment living, thrive on social interaction, and love interactive games and trick training.
For college students balancing tight living spaces and busy academic schedules, small rodents offer practical advantages over larger pets.
“Both a mouse and a hamster are usually ideal pets for college students, or fish and small animals, because they need a more basic environment,” said Gastelbondo. “It’s a lot easier than having a dog, just because a dog requires so much more mental stimulation and care. This is especially when thinking about ethically keeping an animal in a space that mimics its natural environment.”
This is why domestic rats thrive in vertical enclosures that can be easily fitted into smaller apartments. By contrast, dogs and cats need a lot of space, exercise, as well as constant supervision, whereas rats do not need any of these.
Despite these benefits, societal perceptions and media portrayals remain the primary barriers to rat adoption. Gastelbondo noted that social expectations often dictate which animals are acceptable or appealing.
“Society has always portrayed them as dirty, and people fear them because of media portrayals,” said Gastelbondo. “It’s similar to sharks, where there are many misconceptions about the animal, and we view them in a certain way. In an ideal world, cute or pretty standards would be less rigid and more open to interpretation.”
Researchers and animal welfare groups are shedding light on the intellectual and social qualities of fancy rats, in hopes that students will be able to look past the media stereotypes when choosing a pet in the future.