You probably wouldn't find a more misunderstood and maligned creature on the planet than the rat. Myths and legends abound about them, that they will attack by jumping up at a persons face is one of them - they are trying to find an escape route through the gap over your shoulder. This page will try to give you a more balanced background of the rat, in the hope that they will be less misunderstood. Rats are part of a large family of mammals known as 'rodentia', their more acceptable cousins include rabbits, gerbils and hamsters. The name rodentia comes from the latin verb "to gnaw" and a rodent can be identified by it's long chisel-like front teeth. The family rodentia is the oldest mammalian order on this planet (respect deserved for this alone). Much of the hysteria surrounding rats can be blamed on horror films, depicting a blood drinking sewer dweller, and from the plagues for which they were only partially to blame. The bacterium actually occured in the stomach of the flea 'Xenopsylla cheopis' which lived in the rats fur feeding on blood. Because of the rats close living with humans the fleas were able to transfer easily to them, and in the process, spreading the bacteria. You cannot catch anything life threatening from the fancy (pet) rat today. Rats are extremely resourceful and careful animals, which means that mans attempts to cull their numbers is fraught with difficulty, they soon get used to any poisons that we devise by observing another rats death, or treating any uknown substance with suspicion. Rats have even been observed eating certain so-called poisons enthusiastically, without reaching any harm. They have a condition called 'neophobia' - which translates into a fear of anything new, be it surroundings or food, this has probably helped them survive for so long. As a pet they are rewarding little friends, that will amuse with their antics, and can be trained to respond to their names when called. They are extremely agile, and can conquer most obstacles easily (protect your curtains!). Female rats are smaller than males and exhibit more curiosity, where a male rat tends to be happy sitting on your lap being "fussed". Whichever you choose, you can be sure that you will have a friend for life. There are many different housing arrangements available for your new rat, some pet shops sell "rat starter packs", which include a glass fish tank, bedding and the necessary bottles and food containers. In practice we have found that these do not offer the best housing, as they quickly become damp with condensation, a much better alternative being a wire topped plastic cage, sometimes sold as a guinea pig cage. These offer more sanitary conditions for your rat, with the advantage that you can maintain better contact with your rat.If you decide on this type of cage, please don't be tempted to slide little treats through the bars while your rat is young, until they get to know your smell, they could well associate anything (including fingers!) as food that enters this way. I could ramble on forever, as we haven't even begun to cover many more topics, but should you require more reading, please see my book recommendation below. Enjoy your rats, and don't forget to send us an email, either with stories, or a picture of your little friends!.