All the literature I’ve read says pet rats only live 2 to 3 years on average. I just recently purchased a pet rat from a pet store and have been taking good care of her…nutrition, vet visits, exercise, etc. I am just wondering if there’s anything I could do to prolong her lifespan because I love her so much! Thanks.
Can a pet rat live longer than 2-3 years?
Previous post: my cat won’t eat natural pet food?
Next post: Pet Owner psychology when buying products for their pets?
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/
sorry,,two to three years………..
we’ve had lots of Rats over the years and a lot of them lived longer but the longest was just over 5 years… you have to accept they have a life span and its short in human terms but a good diet and care and love must have helped ours live longer and its not hard to do that for a rat… i wish you well but just enjoy them while you have them don’t stress now
THJE CLOCK STRIKE NINE
THE MOUSE WENT DOWN
HICKORY DICKORY DOCK
I found this, it claims to double the life expectancy, but I haven’t tried it yet.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Recent-Discovery-By-Cancer-Researchers-Can-Double-the-Life-Expectancy-of-Your-Pet-Rats&id=232695
Website says: A recent huge breakthrough was the discovery that rats given a supplement called Inositol (chemical name Inositol hexaphosphate or IP6) had almost double the normal life expectancy as rats in a control group and almost never got cancer!
Inosital comes from high fiber foods such as brown rice, wheat bran and sesame seeds. The net result for your rattie is fewer cancerous tumors and a higher degree of overall health, since the study found that it aids your rattie’s body in its metabolism for healthier bone marrow, liver functioning, calcium absorption, and a few other things.
2-3 years is the average, but that doesn’t mean they can’t live longer. The average life span of a hamster is 1 -2 years and my daughter’s hamster just died at almost 5 years!! Lots of love, proper food and vet care when needed can do amazing things.
Most rats do live on average 2-3 years, however, proper care is a great start to a longer life. I have had a little over 12 rats all of which have lived to be 5 and 6 years old. Only two died at three years. What do I do? Well first, I spent the money to buy a food dehydrator and made them lab blocks myself, using ingredients found in a supplement called inositol. I also will take them every month to a vet for checkups and in addition to this, give them a two week round of antibiotic every month. Bedding is changed everyday, I prefer using aspen as carefresh seems to produce an odd odor with my rats, not sure why. They get two hours of socialization time with me, and I buy or make them new toys periodically so they don’t get bored. Treats are fruits and veggies only, no sweets! Sometimes an occasional salt lick. Their cage is neither too big or too small. For two rats, 24″x30″12″ is suitable enough. People will say that “Bigger is better” as far as cages go, but too big poses problmes. I tend to keep two to three rats to a cage only to prevent overcrowding, depression, and increased aggression. None of my male rats are neutered. I spend about 250-300 dollars a month on my rats, and I realize that it is a bit excessive, but I believe that pets are like family, and should be treated as such. I’m not saying that by doing all of the things I do, your rats will live longer, but I know for certain they will appreciate you much more, and a longer life will be an added bonus. Goodluck to you!
2 to 3 years is the average sadly.
But my first two rats lived to the ripe old age of 5 years and 10 months for one and 5 years and 6 months for the other one.
I now have 4 bubs that I hope will reach that age!
Yes but it would be a very slight chance two maybe three is amazing
They usually live about 2-3 years but can live much longer (I’ve heard of a rat living to be 7). My rat is 2 years and 7 months and she’s had tons of health problems.
Just be sure to feed your rat healthy foods and take him or her to the vet for any illnesses. If your rat is a girl and she develops a mammary tumor, getting it removed can keep her healthy. My rat has had 7 or 8 tumors now but she’s old and active because I had them removed early.
The life span average for rats is much more like 3-4 years.
i read up to 5 years