The Rat Lovers Club! ~MODS PLEASE LOCK!

[rachaelandrats]

Five years is not long enough in any species to develop diabetes or cholestoral problems.

Rats don't live to 5 years. But even so, yes, they can develop diabetes.
Kidney problems are fairly common in older males too.

[Lance Corporal]

Rats don't live to 5 years. But even so, yes, they can develop diabetes.
Kidney problems are fairly common in older males too.

Rats can live up to five years with proper care, I had one that was three days shy of six years old when she died and my male was four and a half when he passed away.

[rachaelandrats]

Sorry but I never believe when people tell me their rats for to 5, 6, 7.

3 is a great age, rats really don't live beyond that, I wish people would stop trying to make out they do!

[Metallic Dragon]

Sorry but I never believe when people tell me their rats for to 5, 6, 7.

3 is a great age, rats really don't live beyond that, I wish people would stop trying to make out they do!

"Pet rats live on average 2-5 years, though the oldest rat on record - a lab rat called Rodney - reached a purported age of 7 years and 4 months according to the 1995 Guinness Book of Records"

You can choose not to believe people, but it is a fact that rats, if properly cared for and well bred, can and do live to 5-7 years.

[rachaelandrats]

Yes... just one rat recorded that lived to 7 years old. So how likely is it, when the lifespan is "2-5" that so many people (mostly just on this forum) claim to have rats living to 4, 5, or 6? If you read any rat forum, there's a load of really experienced rat owners with years of experience and none of them have had rats at that age. These are rats from pet shops, rescues, and good breeders. Sorry, but I don't buy it. That website doesn't really seem like a reliable source of information either.

I've had well over 100 ratties now and none of them reached that age.

[Zoker]

Hey, just wanna pop in and say, that this club inspired me to dress up my ratty here :B :-

Pet's name: Octus

[-.,]

So if you've had about 100 rats by now, considering time line and how many would have to be owned at once, just how much attention could you have possibly spared for each individual?
Frankly just having three-four rats at once seems like they'd have to do a lot of competing for your time.

[rachaelandrats]

So if you've had about 100 rats by now, considering time line and how many would have to be owned at once, just how much attention could you have possibly spared for each individual?
Frankly just having three-four rats at once seems like they'd have to do a lot of competing for your time.

I didn't say anything about what length of time I'd had them over or how many at once did I?

None of my ratties have went without attention. I've been homeschooled since I was 10, so I was at home all day everyday, still am right now. Considering that and the fact I have a playroom just for them, they all got more than enough attention.

[rachaelandrats]

Kvirk, how many ratties do you have right now?

[-.,]

Since my dad was 16 he's always had 1-3 rats at a time, and only stopped getting them when he was almost thirty years old. In that time he only had around 30 rats total.
Given that I highly doubt you're anywhere near 30 years old and still apparently have had around 100 rats, that does kind of say something about the length of time, and how many you would have to care for at once. You would have to devote every hour to playing with them, and about how much money you'd have to spend to keep their health up, especially with any contagious sicknesses that could bring the health of the others down... yeah no.
I have one rat. And yes, she does take a lot of time.