Could I keep rats in my bedroom?

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creative animal lover

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Hi I am new here and I really want rats, but I think if I got them they would be have to be in my bedroom. All my pets have always been in my bedroom and I enjoy having them here with me. Although I hear they are very loud and I am just a little unsure if I should get them and then put them in my bedroom. I have little sisters and a dog and I am protective of my pets and like them to be somewhere safe like my room instead of somewhere around the house. Much less my room is pretty quiet and if people are over they probably will not go in my room. So I feel as though my room may be the best spot. I have a hamster that runs on her wheel and climbs around, but she is honestly not that loud especially compared to how people talk about rats. I know I could help by not getting bell toys and loud toys, but it sounds like they play loudly anyways and especially people talk about them fighting and making noises. It will probably a long time before I get rats because I am still learning and just doing basic research. I can see if there are other good places to put them and so if they are too loud I could move them somewhere else, but like I mentioned I prefer my room. I have a white noise machine which helps block out the hamster noises so maybe I could just make that a bit louder to help me fall asleep. I am a deep sleeper in most cases ( once I fell off my bed and hit my head on a table and still did not wake up), but I am very anxious so I would have to get used to not being worried about them fighting if they are just playing or squabbling for dominance. And I think the main thing for me is just falling asleep because I am a night owl and so I naturally already stay up way later than I should. Also I have heard about playing with them a lot during the day so then they are not awake when I am falling asleep, do you think this could work? I know they need regular play time, but if right when I get home from school if I play a lot then let them sleep do you think that could help keep them tired until I am asleep? Sorry for all the questions and thanks so much for any help!
 
I think it is great that you are doing research!
There is a lot of good info and ideas shared on this site so happy reading :)
I have had rats since 2004 and am still learning

Rats can live in your bedroom - I would suggest a critter nation cage because it is the best cage for rats and because of the other pets you have.
As for noise, some people get used to it and it doesn't bother them, others find it is a problem.

Please know that rats will kill hamsters if they can reach them ... even through cage bars.
I know of a hamster that was grabbed through her cage bars and ripped apart by a pet rat who was out playing and climbed up to her cage.
Your hamster may be very frightened by the sound and smell of rats (predators) living in the same room.
If you take your rats out in your room, please make sure your hamster is in a safe place in a different room because her life is not worth the risk.

If you do keep rats in your bedroom pleas buy an air purifier with a permanent hepta filter and a replaceable carbon filter. Do not get an ionizer because they cause health issues. Made sure you get one that is large enough for the room. Rats will smell more in an enclosed space like a room with the door closed then in a large open space with a lot of air flow.

I hope this info helps.
 
Thanks for all the info! Critter nations have always been my top rat cage. Ever since I found out about them I have been looking at prices because I love the style and everything about them. I did not even think about how my hamster would react since I have had fish and a small lizard I did not pay much attention to having one pet escape and harming the other. I am so glad you mentioned this now because I probably would not have even thought about it and it is obviously very important!
My hamster is in a thing called the detolf ( in case someone would like to know) it has glass sides, but an open top, she is up high on unit, but obviously I would carefully watch. I can try to make a mesh lid because if I did get rats that would for sure help me relax more.( although it would be a bit hard since my parents and I aren’t good at building things like that) I have heard of the honey well Hepa filter would this work? I guess I will have to think about my hamster a lot and how rats will affect her. I am planning to put them on the opposite site of the room, and have a playpen made of card board or like a tall wire ferret playpen and just keep it around the cage and for play time let them out in that. I also have tons of windows could I keep thease open to help with smell when it’s summer and clear weather? Or would that affect their respitory systems? If there is a lot of pollen I could close them or only open my windows far away from them.
I also like the idea of 4 females rats or at least 2-4 around there so I would hope since they are females they will not mark as much even though I know dominate females mark and no matter what there will be smells. Would more rats make it worse? ( I know the answer is probably yes, but I just wanted people’s experiences) also would cleaning once a week be good enough? Or twice? I could try like every weekend and also around every Wednesday to replace the fleece or other beddings, would that be good enough? I don’t have too too much time so I would like to get away with cleaning as little as possiable while still making sure their cage is clean and they stay healthy. Again thanks to anyone for answering my questions! I know I have a lot.


Edit: I was searching for filters and I actually realized that I have this filter in my room already that my family just bought, it’s called the “ GERMGUARDIAN 3-IN-1 AIR CLEANING SYSTEM” and I looked at the description ( you can also search it up if someone wanted to and look on there) and it says
HEPA filtration captures 99.97% of particles.
Pet odors are reduced with activated carbon filter.
Powerful UV-C light kills germs, bacteria and spores.
Processes air in approximately 155 square feet per hour.
Ultraquiet operation adds convenience.
And
WHAT'S INLCUDED:
HEPA filter
Carbon filter
UV-C bulb
Would this work? I know SQ mentioned a hepta filter is this different than the hepa filter mentioned? It is not super strong however so I may still buy another one, but it would be sweet if this one worked or at least helped and it said about 155 sq ft per hour my room is about 187sq feet with 2 ceiling vents and lots of windows. Maybe I could buys a second filter of the same version or if this is not the working one I could just buy a different one entirely. Again sorry for so many questions I don’t want anyone to feel forced to answer them all or something just if anyone can answer anything at all it would be super helpful. Again thanks!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't know about the UV light but the hepa filter is good ... I typed it wrong
I thought you might have, but just wanted to make sure... sometimes 1 letter can make a huge difference.
 
Our fuzzies live in our bedroom. Once you get used to it, the sound of rats in a wheel can be very comforting-- it means you're at home, probably relatively safe, and at least one of your rats is happy and well enough to be active and enjoying their exercise in the night. The Mr. and I have a hard time sleeping in hotels or at the hospital because of the lack of rat noises.

When they're young, they may squeak while wrestling or protesting the theft of food by a cagemate, but they're not unreasonably loud creatures. A good wheel (we use the Super Pet Silent Spinner) won't make too much noise either. You usually get metal-on-metal squeaking from cheap wheels that are poorly designed (the metal ones with bars or a grid can lead to damaged tails and toes), but a plastic wheel that is well-made and well-maintained shouldn't make too much noise at all. It's mostly rat feet that you hear.

Rats are nocturnal for the most part, so no matter how much you play with them during the day, they'll likely still be active at night. Their activity in general tends to ramp down as they get older. Once they're past the rambunctious youth stage, you won't have to worry as much about whether the "murder noises" are serious or play. If you pick out a pair of sisters or brothers (or a mixed pair with one neutered or spayed before putting them together) you'll have less to worry about in the way of serious conflict.

Most of it just comes down to getting used to the sounds. Once you're used to them, those sounds become part of life's background noise, like the creaking and settling of a house or the sound of a fan. You might even come to find the sounds of cardboard-chewing and water-bottle symphonies comforting.
 
Mine have always been in my bedroom. It's comforting to see & hear them! Initially it might take some getting used to at night, but as SqueakingJellybean says, you get used to it. -Except a noisy wheel - that you won't get used to! Get a quiet one (and you can always oil it with vegetable oil if you need to)
 
I am not completely sure about rats. If I get a pair they will have to be in my bedroom as well (because I have housemates).

But I used to have a guinea pig when I was a child. (Yes, I should have had two but I was young and did not do enough research.) For the first couple nights her weaking and running annoyed me (just a little). But eventually I got used to it and even found it comforting. When my little girl passed I actually had trouble sleeping because I could not hear her sounds anymore.

I hope it will be the same with rats.
 
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