Rat study throws new light on animal consciousness - rats behave with empathy

(NaturalNews) An animal whose very name is often used as an insult may harbor more "human" traits like compassion than previously suspected. A recent study by University of Chicago researchers suggests that rats are capable of behavior which seems based on empathy for others of their kind.

Compassionate rats?

Arguments against animal testing tend to center on those animals most like us, such as the great apes, or on animals humans frequently keep as pets like cats and dogs. Meanwhile, arguments for animal testing often center on the notion of animals as dumb beasts operating solely on instinct, unlike the finely tuned higher impulses of the human species. Yet rats in the recent study, published in the December 9, 2011 issue of the journal Science, went out of their way to free another rat that was trapped.

Psychologists at the University of Chicago conducted a series of experiments in which they put one rat inside a clear cage which could only be sprung from the outside. They left another rat to roam free outside the cage for an hour at a time. The free rat initially circled the cage, attempting to dig beneath it or bite through it. After several times of seeing its trapped cohort, the roaming rat learned how to open the cage and free the other rat. "It's very obvious that it is intentional," says study coauthor Inbal Ben-Ami Bartal. "They walk right up to the door and open the door." After the trapped rat was freed, both animals engaged in excited running.

The experiment was designed to determine whether the rats would act merely from curiosity about the mechanism of the cage. Rats who encountered an empty cage were less likely to learn to operate its latch. Twenty-three out of 30 rats who saw a trapped rat in the cage learned to open the cage, but only 5 of the 40 rats who saw an empty cage learned to work the mechanism. Rats reacted to seeing a stuffed animal in the cage in the same way as they did to seeing an empty cage.

Choosing kindness over chocolate

The rats received no reward for rescuing their caged cohorts. In one part of the experiment, food was actually offered as an alternative. Roaming rats were presented with two cages, one with a trapped rat another containing chocolate chips. "These rats adore their chocolate," Bartal notes. Researchers were surprised to observe that the rats were equally likely to free their fellow rodent as they were to open the cage with the chocolate.

Not only that, the rats engaged in sharing. "The most shocking thing is they left some of the chocolate for the other rat," Bartal says. The rescuer rats left some chocolate for their newly freed fellow rodents in more than half of the trials. "It's not like they missed a chocolate," Bartal says. "They actually carried it out of the restrainer sometimes but did not eat it."

Gender may play a role in rat behavior, according to the researchers. Study author Peggy Mason noted that female rats displayed more empathy than males. All six females in the study freed a trapped rat; 17 of the 24 males did so.

The researchers say the study demonstrates that pro-social empathy is not limited to humans and primates. "There are a lot of ideas in the literature showing that empathy is not unique to humans, and it has been well demonstrated in apes, but in rodents it was not very clear," said Jean Decety, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Chicago. "We put together in one series of experiments evidence of helping behavior based on empathy in rodents, and that's really the first time it's been seen."

Sources:

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336819/title/He%E2%80%99s_no_rat%2C_he%E2%80%99s_my_brother

http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/rats-show-compassion-help-free-friends-from-cages-in-experiment/story-fn5fsgyc-1226218051507

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/12/08/study-rats-compassion/

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/034715_animal_consciousness_rats_empathy.html#ixzz1v8Rpvt00

Rat adoption

5 Things To Know Before Deciding To Keep Rats As Pets

Rats. Just the name alone makes some people cringe. It couldn't be helped though, as wild rats do have some bad reputation. Rats are thought of to be dirty, that they are thieves, they destroy things, and that they carry deadly diseases. But those are the wild ones. Kept as pets, they become these smart and agile animals wowing people with their antics. Keeping rats as pets isn't as simple as putting them in a cage though. Here are some basic things that you need to know.

1. Rats are playful by nature and as such, they need room to play. Take note of this when you go looking for cages for your rats. The rule is, the roomier, the better. The more room they have, the happier they are, and healthier too as they will be regularly exercised while playing. Wide cages offer great space for rats to run around their cage. Tall ones, when equipped with horizontal bars, create opportunities for rats to climb and explore.

2. Rats are social animals. It is important that they spend their time with other rats. If not, they might suffer from behavioral problems that will one day annoy you. So when keeping rats as pets, it is best if you initially take 2 or more to share one cage. This way, their social needs will be adequately met. It is also widely thought of that keeping rats of the same sex is better than having male and female ones in a single cage.

3. Pet rats have this tendency to spray urine over you, and on your possessions. This is called scent-marking. Scent-marking is widely practiced by lots of animals, rats included. These scent markers are likely olfactory signals having territorial implications. In some cases, they are signals of ownership of something. Rat urine however is not really that offensive when it comes to its smell. It's the idea of being urinated over by an animal that turns other people off.

4. Rats have short life spans. A rat's life can last for up to 5 years, but the average figure is a short 2 to 3 years. Compared to cats and dogs and other larger animals who live longer, your pet rats can only be there for you for a few years. Dealing with the loss of a pet can happen often.

5. Like any pet, rats need veterinarian care too, but not often. Rats are relatively healthy creatures so having a veterinary clinic close by is not that important. It would help though to have one just in case.

Choosing rats as pets can be an excellent choice because of their natural playfulness, their diminutive size, and their intelligence. They like to please too, and they love showing off what they can do.

Dean Ramilo is a webmaster, web designer, and graphics artist specializing in logo design. Check out his new websites at Rat Cages. a site for people looking for Rat Cages For Sale

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dean_Ramilo

Rats types

Rats are rodents that belong to the Rattus genus of the family Muridae. These are the most dominant species on earth. There are several species of rats in the world. Most rodents are herbivorous, but some are omnivorous. In general, there are two basic types of rats. They are black or roof rats and Norway or brown rats. Both are thought to have originated in Asia and are now widely distributed throughout the world.

The brown rat, which is also known as the Norway rat, house rat, gray rat, barn rat, and wharf rat, is one of the best-known and is the larger of the two. Their scientific name is Rattus norvegicus. They are mostly grayish-brown, with a lighter colored stomach. A fully-grown brown rat is 18 to 26 cm long and weighs between 400 and 600 gm. They have a tail shorter than its body and their nose and muzzle are blunt. They prefer moist conditions and nest in deep burrows.

Roof rats (Rattus Rattus) are also called black rats and ship rats. They are usually black, slender, 16-21 cm long and weigh about 80-300 gram. Their tail is longer than the head and body and their nose and muzzle are pointed. As the name suggest, roof rats are climbers. Their paws enable them to climb and build nests in upper parts of dwellings, attics, rafters and crossbeams of buildings.

These rats breed when they are three to four months of age. They breed 1 to 13 times a year and produce 1 to 22 in a litter. Black rats and brown rats eat about the same things. Their diet typically includes seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, fruits, cereals, meats and invertebrates. They consume about one-third of their weight in food every 24 hours.

They carry lethal diseases, damage structures and contaminate food. Some of the diseases potentially fatal to man that spread through rats are Weil's disease, plague, salmonella food poisoning and toxoplasmosis.

Rats provides detailed information on Rats, Rat Terrier, Pet Rats, Rat Snake and more. Rats is affiliated with Electronic Pest Control.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva

Pet rats

Anyone looking for a new pet wants a pet that is clean, socialized and well trained. Most people don't know that these are all qualities of pet rats!

There are many misconceptions about rats. People think that rats are unclean and carry disease. In fact, rats are quite clean and groom themselves several times a day. These aren't sewer rats we're talking about. These pet rats, or fancy rats as they're called, have been domesticated and bred in captivity for at least 150 years. Pet rats are quite tame after living with humans for so many generations and you'll find that they are nothing like their stereotypes.

Rats are very intelligent animals. Some consider rats to have intelligence close or equal to that of dogs. Rats are capable of learning to come when their names are called. They can even be litter trained just as easily as training a cat.

If you have any experience with other rodents such as hamsters, mice or gerbils you may be afraid of biting. Although biting is common with other rodents, it is almost unheard of with domesticated rats. Unlike their rodent cousins, rats are generally docile creatures. Most of the time rats just like to lay around, especially males. Rats can easily be trained to be good lap or shoulder pets.

In the wild, rats live together in colonies and have a complex social structure. These social instincts carry over to pet rats. Pet rats tend to develop strong bonds with humans and with their cage mates. So much so that it is common for rats to become very depressed when a cage mate passes away.

There are many apartments that won't allow dogs or cats, and it may simply not be practical to have larger pets in some houses. In those situations a pet rat is the perfect solution. Cages for pet rats usually don't consume much room at all, usually just a two foot by two foot space, which makes pet rats great for small apartments.

Rats are friendly and intelligent animals and make great first pets for children. Being clean and easy to care for makes them great companions for the elderly. Go out and get your pet rat today!

Scott McHenry and his wife have had a large number of pets of many different species. They have several years experience with rats and together run [http://www.ratanswers.com] a rat informational web site.

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Rat breeders

Young male rat pups are easy to sex, even before maturity, by the relatively long ano-genital distance. The testes should have descended into the scrotum by about three weeks of age. Hold the buck (male) in a vertical position, with its head uppermost, to be sure of spotting the testes if you are in any doubt. A rat can withdraw them back into the body but nipples are visible in does (females) about one week after birth. It is common practice to separate rats into single sex groups by the time they are seven weeks old; after this time they will be approaching sexual maturity. Does are not usually used for breeding purposes until they are about thirteen weeks old and over 200gm (7oz) in weight. By comparison, males of a similar age under 275gm (9.7oz) are not usually recommended for stud purposes.

Various mating systems can be used. One particular method is to place one or two males with up to six females. This will serve to stimulate oestrus, or pheromones in the does as they respond to the male odors. Female rats cycle about every five days. Because of this, successful matings are likely to take place soon after the introduction of a buck. The level of lighting appears important for successful breeding, since their natural proliferation declines during the darker days of a temperate winter. Ideally, provide sufficient artificial light to give a total daily exposure of about fifteen hours. The normal gestation period is three weeks, or so, but will be longer if mating has taken place almost immediately after the doe has given birth. She will be ready to mate again in this so-called 'postpartum' breeding period within two days of producing pups, but the developing embryos will not implant into her uterine wall as rapidly as normal. It is often best to remove the doe to separate quarters to give birth, especially if she normally forms part of a colony. Two does may be housed together quite successfully in this way.

A litter may consist of up to fourteen pups. These will be independent about three weeks after birth with each young rat weighing about 50gm (1.8oz) at this stage. The doe will be ready to mate again within a week of weaning being completed if she did not conceive at the 'postpartum' heat. Rats can breed almost until the end of their lives but their reproductive capability declines after a year or so. Rats generally live between two and four years under normal captive circumstances but older individuals are not uncommon.

Visit Legacy Cages for a quality rat cage and cat cages to keep your pet rat safe during play time.

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Pet rats

Fancy rats make great pets for the right people. Even with the recommended minimum of play-time outside of the cage on a daily basis your pet will still spend the majority of his or her time inside of the cage called home. These animals are active pets and very intelligent creatures. Because of this, it's important to make sure that you provide a fancy rat cage that will allow your little friend to exercise physically, as well as, mentally.

The minimum floor space that is recommended for each pet rat is 24 inches by 12 inches. Please keep in mind that this is the absolute bare minimum recommendation. It is, also, recommended that if you can afford it and have the space that you get a larger cage. Vertical space can give your pet some added space. Vertical cage space isn't important and floor space but it is much better than no space at all. Fancy pet rats are very active and will utilize any space that they are given.

Ventilation is important to the health of your pet and the quality of the air you breathe. Decomposing fecal matter and urine give off ammonia gas, among other things. Many respiratory problems in rats can be traced back to ammonia gas and poor ventilation. Because of this, it is recommended that you get a wire mesh cage to use as your fancy rat cage. The open walls of these cages make ventilation a breeze when compared to aquariums or other glass tanks. You can put some litter down on the floor to help absorb the droppings. Regardless of the use of litter, you should plan on cleaning your pet's home, at least, weekly. Wire cages are, also, very handy when it comes to hanging hammocks, toys, or water bottles. Try to find a cage that does not use plastic. Rats need to chew to keep their teeth from getting too long and they will chew through a plastic cage or floor.

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Fancy rats

Compared with mice, there are relatively few color forms of the Fancy Rat. They can be divided into two groups: the basic colors and the recognized pattern markings.

Basic Colors

Rats are, certainly, among the most popular varieties with the pet owner - possibly because they appear clean! There is a Pink-eyed White, which is also known as the Albino. Young rats of this variety tend to become creamy in color as they get older. There is also a distinct Self Cream strain.

Most of the colors developed in mice are also seen in rats. The Agouti most closely resembles the ancestral Brown Rat, but the depth of brown coloration has been increased, becoming richer overall. A Silver counterpart, known as the Silver Fawn, has silver guard hairs set against a rich orange fur. The pink-eyed mutation here again exerts a diluting effect on overall body coloration. The Cinnamon mutation has an intermediate effect, creating a russet-brown shade of coat color with longer chocolate guard hairs.

Among the darker colors, Self Blacks (ideally as deep as possible) and Self Chocolate (showing no trace of white) have been developed. Other varieties corresponding to the colors seen in mice are the Champagne and the Pearl, the latter being one of the more recent innovations. A color unique to rats is the Self Mink. Ideally, these rats are coffee colored, with a bluish tint and black eyes. They are, in effect, a dilute form of the Self Chocolate.

Patterned Rats

Undoubtedly the most widely seen of the patterned varieties is the Hooded Rat. The so-called hood extends from the top of the head to the face and down to the shoulders and chin. Another colored area, the saddle, extends down the back and on to the tail. While any color is acceptable to form the hood and saddle, the remainder of the body should be white. It is not easy to produce a top exhibition specimen of this variety. A more straightforward version is the Capped, which simply lacks the saddle but retains the colored head. Another similar variety is the Variegated, which differs from the Capped in having a mixed rather than a white body color, although the belly itself must remain white.

A white belly is also characteristic of the Berkshire, which should also show white feet and a similar spot on the forehead. The remainder of the body is colored. Irish rats, by comparison, are more highly colored, with a white area forming a small equilateral triangle on the chest. White is otherwise restricted to the feet. in France, notably the Himalayan form, which was first seen around 1972. The points are darker than the body coloration, creating an attractive contrast. It does not differ significantly from the identical mutations seen in other animals, including mice and rabbits. The Himalayan itself is predominantly white in color, whereas in the Siamese the fur is pale brown. The pairing of Himalayans together should yield on average two Himalayans for every one Siamese and one Albino. Thus, a quarter of the litters should be Siamese.

For quality rat cages visit apexpetsupplies.com. They, also, offer great ferret cages that work well for pet rats.

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Rat as a pet

Rates are clean, affectionate and intelligent animals. The rat usually kept as a pet is the Norwegian Rat, Rattus norvegicus, not the Black Rat, Rasttus rattus. The average lifespan of a rat is 3 years.

Food

Rats are omnivores; they eat both animal and vegetable foods. Most Human type foods are suitable, but give mainly vegetable type foods and reserve meat for an occasional treat. Most people use a seed based mixture as a basis of the diet, but it should be supplemented with generous amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as fresh green food.

Things to Avoid

Some things are poisonous or undesirable foods for rats. Avoid giving your pet rat:

Alcoholic beverages
Anything known to be poisonous to Humans
Avocados
Bulbs and the leaves of plants grown from bulbs
Chocolate
Green Bananas
Green Potatoes
Liquorice
Onions
Potato Leaves
Raw Dry Beans or Peanuts
Raw Red Cabbage and Brussel Sprouts
Raw Sweet Potato
Rhubarb and especially rhubarb leaves
Seaweed
Tomato Leaves

The same care needs to be taken over the storage of your rat's foods as you should take over your own food.

Companions

Rats are social animals, and it is kinder to keep more than one, especially if you cannot be with your rat most of the time. It you have rats of both sexes, you can reasonable expect babies fairly soon. The females tend to be more active while the males are often more cuddly.

Buying your Rat

Unless you are already an expert on keeping rats, the ideal person to buy from is a serious rat breeder. If you buy from a pet shop, make sure that the person who serves you is knowledgeable about rats.

Housing

I suggest a minimum length for the cage of 24 inches (60 cm) and a width of at least 12 inches (30 cm). In addition, it is better if you can let the rat out of the cage and play with it. Many rat owners train their pet to sit on their shoulder.

Biting

Mostly rats do not bite. If they do it may be from fright, or because they are not used to their owner. In some cases, a male rat becomes aggressive as it becomes sexually mature. If the rat is showing excessive aggression, you may have to consider castration. If you do get your rat castrated, make sure the vet is familiar with the castration of rats.

If you are bitten by a rat, get advice from your doctor. Your doctor may recommend a tetanus injection.

Cleaning

Rats keep themselves clean, but it is necessary to clean their cage frequently.

Although rats only live for about four years on average, our Rat, Tiffany, lived for over four years. To read about her life and afterlife, see: http://www.bettatrading.com.au/Tiffany-Rat.php.

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