Ontario County, Toronto Rat Control Situation:
Do Rats Make Good Pets?
This is a very controversial topic. Parents from previous generation could not even think about giving the kid a rat as a pet. But now many scientists are saying that some of the myths associated with rats are not true. So if one is careful then they can allow the kid to have rats as a pet. But parents need to be aware of a couple of things when it comes to getting a pet rat. After all rodent type animals do carry some kind of virus so one needs to be careful when they handle these types of animals.
Anyway, getting a rat as a pet is not easy as people living near you will be a little curious. They know a lot of things that rat viruses can do. Do not get nervous; just tell them that rats are not poisonous until they are beaten by wild rats. This is exactly like getting a dog. You can keep the rat safe from rabies virus.
One of the major benefits of getting rat as a pet is that unlike dogs or cats, rats clean themselves regularly.
There are a lot of people who already have rats as pets. If you want to be one of them then here is your guide to finding the perfect rat for you.
Allergic kids
There are kids who are very sensitive; some kids are allergic to even dogs. These kids still have a rat as their pet. But as a parent you need to find a rat which is hairless, if your kids are allergic. You can also try to get Rex Rats as many surveys proved that even very sensitive people did not have rashes or cough around these kinds of rats.
Buy two rats
You may not know this but rats are very social animals. They lobe human contracts and they also live in groups. If you buy one rat then it will get lonely in his cage. They also die sooner as they get sad. This is a fact. So if you are thinking about keeping rat as pet then please get two of them at a time. You need to put the two rats in a big cage and you will be amazed to see how much the rats play.
Sex
There are some people who like to get a little adventure with their pet rats, like train them like a cat and dog. For these people, getting a female rat will be the ideal solution. Female rats are very curious and they are also much calmer than the male rats. You can actually train the female rats.
Before we end the article, here is another quick suggestion, do not buy pet rat, and adopt them from animal rehabilitation centres.
Toronto Rat Control Tip of The Week
Rats And Black Pepper
Rats eat almost anything. In their search for food, they can gnaw on plastic, wood, and even electrical wiring. A rat presence in your home can cause a lot of economic damage.
When this expense is added to the health problems rats' body fluids can cause, the best thing a person can do is getting them out of the house as soon as possible. The most common extermination way is using traps or rodenticides. However, there are more natural methods such as the use of peppers that cause unpleasant odors and tastes for the rodent and quickly drive them away.
Odors That Repel
Using repellents with unpleasant odors for rats is a way to keep them away from you in a friendly way. The advantage of not having to deal with the rodent's carcass can be worth the effort of constantly using these temporary methods. Rodents use their sense of smell to socialize as well as to survive. An odor such as ammonia often drives them away because it is very similar to the urine of large animals that could devour them. Spicy odors are perceived as dangerous chemicals that are also often avoided at all costs.
Black Pepper
Spicy food odors are unbearable for rats, thanks to their high capsaicin content. These natural compounds give the food its spicy effect, but they are also often very irritating to the mucous membranes and lungs of rodents. If ingested, they can cause a burning sensation in the taste buds and olfactory glands. Pepper is known to be able to scare away rats temporarily although this is not scientifically proven.
For all those people who are afraid of having to deal with poisons or homemade traps, finding new and less harmful options is a headache; however, homemade repellents like black pepper avoid harming other animals and humans, being a perfect choice. In any case, even if they are harmless odors, it is advisable to seek the advice and follow the instructions of a professional in the field.