Rats are surprisingly friendly, clean and sociable and make great family pets.

They are highly intelligent and, if you pay attention to your rat, you will observe a host of interesting behaviours.

Being naturally curious and inquisitive, you will find your pet rat will explore enthusiastically any new object which is introduced into its surroundings or living quarters.

Female rats may start to breed from as early as 6 to 8 weeks of age.

Rats will communicate with other rats by “squeaking” at them. Occasionally, humans may hear the odd “squeak” coming from their pet but usually these sounds are out of the range of our hearing.

Rats are sociable animals and should not be kept as singles.

Most pet rats have a life span of 2 to 3 years, although they can, of course, live for longer. Most pet rats will not require frequent visits to a vet but they can be a little prone to tumours and respiratory problems and some develop problems with their ears or may develop skin problems.

Rats which are handled regularly and carefully can become very tame and may even sit on your lap and snooze contentedly. Some owners have been known to carry a pet rat around on their shoulders whilst carrying out everyday activities or household chores.