Just because rats are small, don’t go thinking that you can give them any less care, commitment and love than you would give to a bigger pet. The more you get to know your rat (Latin name Rattus norvegicus) the better.

Rats make excellent pets, especially for older children and adults. They are clean, intelligent, friendly and inquisitive. They love a bit of problem solving and you can even teach them tricks and agility. They bond well with people and rarely bite.

Although rats are sleepy-heads all day long they are usually up in the late afternoon and evening. Bright eyed, long tailed and ready for action.

Wild rats can be found all over Europe and the USA although they originated in Asia. The population spread across the world when the rats were sneaky stowaways on merchant ships – or so it is widely believed.

Domesticated rats are very clean, intelligent animals – not like their wild cousins. There are many colour variations among rats, and three types of coat – smooth haired, rex and hairless.

If you own a pet rat why not give Burgess Suparat Ray Royal a try. It is a complete rat food created especially for pet rats and each delicious nugget contains the perfect combination of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Unlike muesli style food, Burgess Suparat Royal is designed to prevent selective feeding.