Interview with Jane Adamo, Louise Dux, and Janet Girard.

JA: Remember, my experience regards 4 sister Rattus rattus, orphaned as pinkies, raised by rehabbers and taken in by me as children. Since my experience is limited to this situation, my information can’t be assumed as representative of the whole species although SOME of my observations certainly were.

Positives attributes of Black Ship Rats?
JA: There were breeders in the UK who were raising and domesticating colonies of "pet" rattus but these animals were all lost during WWII. Keeping Rattus rattus is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to have a personal, mutually-rewarding relationship with a wild animal. They’re physically adorable. They’re very clean (although maybe that’s just the girls…) They judge you on an individual basis: if they decide they like you, they are totally loyal and trusting to you alone.
LD: Having now rescued two Rattus rattus the positives are they are very quick to domesticate and are easy to train with food rewards. They tend to be shyer than the more common Rattus norvegicus and settle to one on one very quickly. Our two girls, Lucky and Scruffy, both prefer to spend time with me on my shoulder or under my shirt than with our children who also handle the rats. I suppose you could explain it like loyality, when both girls arrived they were ill and emaciated and I honestly didn't think they'd survive the night but our vet gave us a full bag of hartmans intravenous solution to rehydrate them and within 12 hours were attempting soft moist foods. They have identified myself with food and comfort and tend to be very affectionate.
JP: Very intelligent and resistant to illnesses domestic rats have. Very loyal and bond with individuals.

Negatives attributes of Black Ship Rats?
JA: They are challenging and should be taken in by experienced ratters who usually rescue rats and like a challenge. They chew more, they climb better, they jump higher, they are more active than Norways. They maintain SOME wild behaviors which cannot be adjusted, for instance: they are more nocturnal than Norways so they are almost comatose during the day. If disturbed while sleeping in the nest, they will automatically “bite first, ask questions later”. They can’t help this: it’s almost like sleepwalking. You can’t train them out of it so you must understand it, allow it and respect some of their inevitable wild responses. But note that they have a characteristically weak bite. Even though mine were very relaxed in their bathroom: whenever they got out (escape, vet), they were very nervous: difficult to hold on to, difficult to catch if they got loose. Others have had rattus that were perfectly relaxed all over the house. I don’t know if this is a girl/boy thing, or just my girls, etc.
LD: I suppose you would have to look at the damage they can do to houses and crops. We found they would always chew our saddles and bridles which were stored in the feed shed and chew through bags of horse feed, but if you consider things like this occuring it is easy to avoid problems by rat proofing around the outside of houses by removing all edible rubbish we bought, using tin feed bins to store our feeds in, and placing all our saddles and bridles and leather harnesses in a secure cupboard. JP: Can get nippy if woken suddenly (much like me LOL!)

Anecdotes/stories regarding your experience with Black Ship Rats?
JA: I loved having them and would do it again in a heartbeat. It’s like having your own zoo exhibit but you can interact and develop a wonderful relationship with these animals. Ways to get ship rats: let wildlife rehabbers know you will take them in: rescued rats are always deemed “unreleasable wildlife” since no wild colony will accept them. Also, in warm states like Georgia: look in pet store tanks: every now and then, a rattus gets in and decides to stay!
LD: Well when we obtained scruffy she was in a sad state. She came in a cage with Norway and you could tell they weren't the same species. Her cage mate was a black hooded girl who was rehomed after 3 months. Scruffy required treatment for a skin disorder and emactiation she did not enjoy the medicated baths but loved the towel drying, and by the third bath tolerated them as she learnt very quickly that a sweet biscuit treat would be available to her. By the fourth bath she would sit lying along my left forearm and I would vigorously rub her dry with a soft fluffy towel. She would groom me along the length of my arm and when you finished she would leap up to my shoulder and sit under my hair and groom my neck.

Lucky was a feral we have had for only 5 months. She was under out house stuck in the bottom of a feed bin I had taken down to hose and clean out. She was so dehydrated I managed to pick her up with a towel and take her up stairs. I still had a bit of hartmans solution left over so put some into a shallow dish. She surprised us all by drinking. I put her in a quaranteen cage and kept feeding her every two hours she then got a week of medication for respiratory problems. She's nipped a few times but only when she's had too much stimulus. Sadly, she has scarring on the lungs and wont be with us for much longer so is kept in with a blind Norway we had. They have free range for two hours every day and get treats. Lucky is quite happy to shoulder sit but doesn't like the petting and attention our Norways do and we do know she is probably very old but really have no idea of her age. She has been treated for internal and external parasites and her coat has gone from rough and dry to a lovely sleek dark agouti colour. She has the typical longer ears and tail of the rattus species and the accompanying fine body and bone structure. We will probably have her taken to a taxidermist to keep her skeleton but the amazing thing is that for a feral she settled very quickly and realised that if she could tolerate the cage she would have food and water, and if I had not gone down stairs to clean the bin that day she probably would have died. So at least we have given her a better quality of life for some part.
JP: Check for Ike-ola's story 3rd pic down on left: http://www.jagwearjewelry.com/LiveRats.htm

What is their average lifespan?
JA: Mine lasted two years. Others report more.
JP: I've talked to several people who estimated about 4 years for their rattus. Ike-ola was 3 yrs 9 mo when she passed

How well do they interact with people?
JA: Norways judge others by species, “I like people, I like dogs.” Rattus is more of “one-man rat”, “I like YOU but not necessarily any other human.” Once they like you, they love you and are loyal and trusting. Mine would leap out of the vet’s hands to get back to me. They were INSANE if the vet tried to give them a shot: but they allowed me to do it. If you entered the room, no matter what they were doing, they would race to get to you. They will groom you even more avidly than Norways do.
LD: As a species they are quick to settle into a routine can be shy but do like company. They're not as aggressive as Norways and very intelligent they prefer to sit on your body rather than being petted and touched. JP: She licked my hand the second day after I rescued her. When out she would run around on my shoulder & not get onto the floor.

How easily do they train?
JA: The girls used the litter box better than any Norway I ever had. They kept their cage wonderfully clean. They are very smart and you can often “get through to them.”
LD:I've found our two very easy. Very motivated by food but the trick is to find that one favorite food for each rat. For Scruffy it is broccolli and for Lucky it is toast with peanut butter. As soon as you find the one food that they love training is just a matter of positive reinforcement and operant conditioning. Using a clicker is very simple, they are an intelligent animals who really enjoy intereaction and food rewards.
JP: Very easy, but still with a mind of her own.

What size and type of enclosure do they need?
JA: They are active, super climbers and jumpers and I feel they need a lot of space. Mine lived out their lives free-range in my bathroom.
LD: I like the bigger the better. I think as a minimum 2 cubic feet per animal. They love climbing and sitting in the tree branches we put in the cages and hammocks, so preferably a tall enclosure and under stocked rathered than fully stocked they will thrive.
JP: See attached photo- this was a homemade cage. Approx 2-1/2' x 1'

What do you feed them?
JA: Same as Norways: rat block plus fresh fruits, veggies, grains, treats, etc.
LD: I feed both our Rattus rattus and our Rattus norvegicus a Complete horse mix called Workhorse mix. They also get fruit and vegetables raw and cooked, every second day they get chicken or some type of meat protein at least once per week and in winter they get a rat porridge which is a soup mix base made up of perl barley, yellow and green split peas and red and brown lentils. This is cooked in either meat or vegetable stock and excess rice or rolled oats are added to absorb any excess fluid it is then served warm on very cold evenings. this also has an additive of either childrens multi vitamins or a grape seed or olive oil for coat conditioning, and is one of the most inexpensive feeds to prepare.
JP: NutroLite kibble (low protein- 14%) & fresh fruit & veg

How destructive are they for an average household?
JA: They chewed up my bathroom door, my towels, my pajamas. No matter how many lectures I gave them, it didn’t affect their chewing in the least. I didn’t really care: I figured it was payment for the privilege of having them as guests.
LD: Like all animals they can be destructive. My rats have a large play table and have toys and castles and things to rummage through. They don't free range in the house as we also have a cat and dog and that is a recipe for disaster. I do find they will chew wooden nest boxes and keeping a supply of hard shelled nuts like Brazil/walnuts or maccadamias available they will chew those instead for the reward inside. So if kept away from electrical cords and such I've had no problems with our rats destroying household items.
JP: As destructive as domestic rats. I have ventilated t-shirts everywhere :>)

Are there any problems associated with their nails?
JA: No.
LD: If they aren't kept down they can scratch to avoid this we rather than cut the nail use a human nail file and swipe the point of the nail two or three times and it is so simple my daughter was taught this method at four years of age it is safer and less stressfull for the rats and after a while they come to settle quite quickly as they have learnt a treat is forth coming after the nails are filed.
JP: Same as domestic- wee scratches on arms are part of life

Do they have scent glands or an offensive smell?
JA: Nope. I found my girls WAY cleaner than Norways.
LD: I have not found so, but like all animals kept in cages that live in their bedding cleaning the cages regularly is a must. Some beddings are much more absorbant than other, some help with odour control but basically good regular cage cleaning. Rvery week our cage is stripped down, all hammocks washed, nest boxes washed, the cage is washed out completely and then when every thing is dry and clean it is replaced, water bottles sterilized with a Chlorine sterilizing solution, feed bowls washed and refilled that is for over very large cages, the smaller cages with only two or three rats in is done every three days, the smaller the cage the more often the cleaning. In winter I use a lucern pellet as a bedding as it breaks down and can generate warmth. In summer we use either paper pellets but these are expensive or we get donations of huge bags of shedded paper which helps reduce the cost of our rescue bedding.
JP: Not at all

How messy are their dropping and can they be litter trained?
JA: My girls litter trained better than any Norway I ever had. They even peed in the litter box which my Norways rarely do. My rattus girls kept their environment wonderfully clean.
LD: Well they can be messy but with perseverance they can be litter trained. First scoop up a few poops and place them in the litter tray and keep doing that evey time and you will need to observe where they mainly defecate and urinate in the cage and that is the area to use the litter tray. Also having a different type of litter in the litter tray than the normal bedding will help. It will take time but perseverance will win out and then when you get them out for a play taking the litter tray out and putting it where they free range will help cleaning up.
JP: I never tried. Since she was smaller than domestic her droppings were smaller as well. I cleaned her cage once a week.

What vaccinations/vet care should be expected?
JA: My animals went through health protocol at the wildlife rehab center where they were raised. When I adopted them, they were seen by my vet at Animal Medical Center in NYC. On physical examination, he believed them to be perfectly healthy wild specimens and advised that it would be highly unlikely that they were carrying Hanta Virus or Strepto Bacillus. With regard to Leptospirosis, he said I could either avoid contact with their saliva or have them tested to see if they were carrying and treated. Well, I kiss the rats on the mouth so I decided to bypass even the testing and just go directly to treatment which I believe (but am not sure) was a single shot of penicillin.
LD:JP: I took her to the vet once when I first had her to make sure she didn't have parasites. She had a clean bill of health and he was amazed how tame and cooperative she was.

At what age would it be best to get one?
JA: Best to adopt them BEFORE they are weaned. Mine were rehabbed as pinkies at a wildlife center and hand fed before I got them.
LD:JP: As young as is safe- maybe 4 weeks on average is a good age.

Do they breed easily?
JA: They don’t become fertile as young as Norways do. They can get a “moody” just before giving birth. They have very small litters: 5, 6.
LD:JP: I don't know, I never introduced her to another rattus.

Other Consideration for owners of Black Ship Rats?
JA: In the wild, Norways are aggressive toward ship rats. I raised the two species together, adding the baby rattus to one adult Norway and they made wonderful, happy, loving companions for each other (and me). Later in the rattus’ life, I added more adult Norways and they continued to get along very well.
LD:JP: They have lots of personality & will steal your heart!

What kind of person should own these animals?
JA: Someone who likes rats, has a lot of experience with Norways, likes rescuing, likes a challenge, understands that these are wild animals in captivity: they can be tamed but they are NOT domesticated so their quirks must be anticipated and patiently tolerated.
LD:JP: Someone who loves & respects animals - probably not small children though.