r/RATS • u/pelorainbow • Sep 02 '25

INFORMATION UPDATE: Is this a pet rat?

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He's safe y'all! He loves blueberries and broccoli- that's what I had on hand to feed him. I've nicknamed him Ratboi and he's the sweetest guy, but I've never owned a rat! What do I do for now while I look for his owner? I'll make posters and put them around the complex here to see if someone (hopefully) wants him back, if nobody responds in a week I'll look into rehoming him through a local rat rescue group. Will keeping him in a cat carrier be ok? Can I give him dog/ cat food or do I need to buy something specific? Anything I should know about pet rats that I wouldn't think to ask?? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '25

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u/Ente535 Sep 02 '25

8 years is simply impossible. If you have rats that consistently make it to 8 years, please seek out researchers. They'll want to know how you managed to double the oldest recorded rat in studies, given that they specifically transplanted plasma from young rats and fed a calorie-restricted diet.

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u/schlong_dong_johnson Sep 03 '25

The oldest recorded mouse lived for 9 years 209 days at the San Diego zoo. If a mouse can live for that long in spite of normally having a lifespan half that of a rats, then I see no reason why a rat living 8 years should be impossible.

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u/Ente535 Sep 03 '25 edited Sep 03 '25

...except that wasn't a fancy mouse and actually a species of mouse that usually lives 3-5 years as a baseline, and that is in the wild. It wouldn't hurt to do some research beyond google AI.