I've been trying to convince my aunt that she NEEDS a couple of rats

[knuckles]

my aunt and my parent are here for a visit and I couldn't believe how fast the rats warmed up to my aunt.   warmed up isn't even really the case.  The first time I let them out for play time, they almost swarmed on her.  luckily, she thought it was great having 4 or 5 of them sitting on her shoulder.    

So now I'm trying to convince her that having a couple of rats would be good.   She is in her mid 70's and has no yard, so a dog would be ALOT of work for her.   She has thought about getting a cat.   She is worried that cleaning the cage and stuff would be alot of work.  

So anybody that has both rats and cats, which is more work to take care of?

[Panda]

Hey knuckles, I'm sorry, I don't have any rats at the moment, but i DO have a cat...the only thing we need to do for him is change his water every day, feed him catfood about every 2-3 days (he's not a fast eater, really) and change his litter box about..every week-8 days...(and less if it gets skanky! ) So I would think a couple of rats wouldn't be that much of work   I think they would do fine, as long as you don't let the cat and the rats interact.....(without supervision/or at all) cuz you know what THAT will lead you to... *snif* *snif*  

I'm sorry If i didn't help, good luck with trying to convince your aunt to get a rattie or 2 or 3   Cya!

Chow!

[afmommie]

I've got both. And honestly my cat is less work. But my cat is also more boring. She has her moments but they are few and far between compared to my ratties.

I would really ask her what type of pet is she wanting. Something that may be a little more work (the ratties.) or something that is less work but not as much enjoyment as a rattie.

Good luck. I hope she choose rattie but which ever she chooses their both great. I love my cat and my ratties.

[swub]

Sorry, but cats are easier.

Maybe you could offer to help with the cleaning etc.

[Benisato1084]

I have both a cat and five rats.  I have to clean the cage frequently with my two adults, about three times a week, whereas I only scoop out the litter box for my cat once a week, and actually change the litter every week and a half to two weeks.  

Feeding is no problem because it's cheap for both animals.

If the rats ever get sick, it would be pretty costly to fix, but cats are also medically expensive (i.e. shots, spaying, etc)

Heh my cat also isn't boring, he's like a big rat, but he's also a year old, so he's still young.  The cat's lifespan is also alot longer.

All in all, the cat is easier, but it doesn't mean it's better.

[ckhs]

  I would think the cage cleaning could be a problem,altho i don't know your aunt and she could very well be up to it.in that case i would definitly go with the ratties.

[Panda]

In my opinion, as the cat gets older, he becomes more boring  and boring, lol...We got out cat when he was about 1 (man was he a winner   ) and he was always jumpy....he was awesome!   But 8 years l8er, lol,   he is REALLLLY boring...I try and cuddle with him all the time but it doesn't seem to please him as much as he was younger....maybe because we let him out a lot and he's really fat....sorry I'm getting off the topic haha!!  

I think cats are a lot easier, but they get boring as they get older, I have no idea if that's the case for rats...is it?  

[Blue]

A cat would be even easier to care for if you/she could buy an automatic litterbox.. either littermaid or even litterfree. Both are kinda pricy tho.

[DebW]

I have 3 cats plus my rats and the rats are definately more work.

How healthy is your 70 year old aunt?  A cat can live to be 20.  If she passes away in 10 years, will there be someone to take the cat in?  Rats have a much shorter life expectancy.  I'm not sure I'd get a cat at 70 unless I knew there would be someone to care for it if something happened to me.

[BlueMoonGoddess]

I don't have a cat, but I often spend time with the cats who live at the barn where I volunteer. And if I hold one of them for five minutes, I end up covered in cat fur.   That never happens with the rats! (Is there such a thing as a non-shedding cat?)

From reading these posts, it seems that rats are more work, but also more PLAY, and that makes it worth it.  

[Mousie's Mom]

I have both.  We have 3 cats and 7 ratties.  And I agree with everyone else.  Ratties are a lot more work and a lot more needy (although I have a pretty needy kitty).

If your aunt had only two ratties and well build cage from Martin's or one of those, they can be pretty easy to take care of.  I mean a smaller cage can be no more work to clean than say, the cat box.
Does your aunt have some younger person that can come scrub her cage once a month or something?

Also, kittens can be ALOT of work  

[RatStalker]

One thing I know about older ladies is that they are FUSSY about their houses & furniture and want everything just so.  They don't want cat hair on the couch and they don't want cats jumping on the countertops to rest.

She'd be better off with rats.  She can contain those when she needs to.

[Panda]

And if I hold one of them for five minutes, I end up covered in cat fur.   That never happens with the rats! (Is there such a thing as a non-shedding cat?)

I know of only one cat that doesnt shed..lol....a SPYNX cat!!! LoL!! (ya know, those hairless ones?? haha )

[SADCAT]

Cats have always been my specialty, and they are easier to manage than rats. They need to be fed daily and have their litterbox cleaned daily, but that's hardly anything compared to a good cage cleaning which takes an hour at least. Cats are also more independent and don't really want as much hands-on attention as rats, and cats can still be very warm, loving, and entertaining companions. The only problem is... cats can live 20 years, and I worry about elderly people getting them because they usually end up at a shelter when their human passes on. 50% of the cats I worked with at the shelter at any given time were there because of that, and they were the saddest animals.

[Taylor Parker]

Lots of rats and one bengal cat... They actually get along! In fact, Caelin is my male rattie Demitri's guardian angel. Everytime he gets out she rescues him . I find Caelin is easier to take care of... food water and a litterbox. You feed her when the food gets low, water changed 1x a day, and litterbox scooped once a week. The rats? hmmm feedings 2-3x a day (and a variety of foodstuffs). Water I have to change 2x a day because my female is nursing and drinks a TON. As for cage cleaning, I have to do spot scoops about every other day, and a full cleaning once a week.
HOWEVER: My bengal cat is quite entertaining, and VERY smart, but she's very different from your adverage domesticated houscat... she's 1/2 tabby and 1/2 asian leopard. I love her dearly, but she still doesn't entertain me quite as much as the ratties. She chooses when she wants to be cute and when she wants to be left alone, the rats are constantly adorable.

[Marianne]

Does you aunt live by you? It would sure be nice of you to offer to help her out no matter what pet she decides to get. With all of us rat lovers here I think you will find that we of course will be pro rat, hehe. I have too many cats, and never enough rats...right now only 35 rats, and 11 cats. No, all these cats were not adopted by me. I live on a dead end gravel road on the outskirts of our small town, and I think that some people find it a nice spot to dump kitties. It is sad. 8 of those 11 are babies looking for homes. Opps, forgot I placed another, now only 7 babies, hehe. Cats are less work, but I do have to admit that I LOVE my rats.

[ruthiechan]

I feed my rats about twice a day, clean the pan once a week, and clean the whole cage, bars and all once a month. When I just do that pan, it's a 20min job. Whole cage included about an hour, sometimes more.
I would get her 2 rats and a martins cage that's easy to clean, and maybe someone would be willing to help her clean the whole cage once a month.
Cats are great too, I love them, but they aren't nearly as entertaining, or so willing to play with you.

[Elaken]

I know everyone has discussed it, but our rats are easier then the cat!!  The cat likes a clean litter so it has to be scooped out a couple times a day.  Plus he is very spoiled and wakes you up when he wants a little bit of soft food, and he is very jerky and refuses to cuddle if you want to....

My rats on the other hand, besides their outside time are so much easier!  I keep suebee's mix in with them for food, and as for cage cleaning.  I have a cage that was semi built by my dad(converted a bookshelf type thing) and since I have plastic placemats over the wood shelfs, and cloth over those, all I have to do is take out four cloth coverings and put four more in, every two days.  Except for the litter box area, which I just use the dustbuster one.  Essentially my cage cleaning is a minute.

[Ali]

I've got rats and cats, and the cats are definitely easier to look after. They go out, so don't need a litter tray (unless they're kept in overnight for whatever reason). Touch wood, they suffer from fewer health problems. They are also far less destructive!

But....... the rats are far more fun. They take up an awful lot of time though, and it's pretty physical, isn't it, all that cage cleaning.

It's a tough call - if your aunt isn't too fussy about stuff getting chewed, and is quite active, I'd say go for rats (given the life-span issues, too). If she would object to chewing and general ratty destruction, and would find it difficult to clean out the cage etc regularly, then I'd suggest maybe she gets an older cat from a rescue. There are lots of old snuggly cats desperate for homes.

Whatever she ends up getting, I hope she enjoys her new pet!

[Maggie's Mom]

Okay, I ahve a cat and all the kids.  The thing is...I don't care for the cat...my brother does.  I just give her tuna everyday for lunch (I'm addicted- she gets my leftovers).  But really, cats are alot easier than ratties.  They even take less attention!  But, on the other hand, i prefer rats to cats.  I mean, I absoloutly ADORE kitties, but I like rats like 10 times as much for no apparent reason!  I suppose you could say I like my cat about as much as having a bunch of gerbil pups (I love it, it's so much fun), but not as much as my hammy, ratties, or puppy.  Cats are great-rats are better.

She should get a millepede, and I think other people here would agree

Ya,so I'd suggest she'd get BOTH cause altho cats are easier, living without rats, as far as I can imagine, is a living hell!  Teehee