{"id":186150,"date":"2022-07-18T11:10:03","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T11:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/"},"modified":"2022-07-18T11:10:03","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T11:10:03","slug":"do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/","title":{"rendered":"Do giant African pouched rats make good pets?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#Do_giant_African_pouched_rats_make_good_pets\" title=\"Do giant African pouched rats make good pets?\">Do giant African pouched rats make good pets?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_big_do_African_pouched_rats_get\" title=\"How big do African pouched rats get?\">How big do African pouched rats get?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_long_do_African_giant_pouched_rats_live\" title=\"How long do African giant pouched rats live?\">How long do African giant pouched rats live?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_big_is_a_giant_African_rat\" title=\"How big is a giant African rat?\">How big is a giant African rat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#Can_you_have_giant_rats_as_pets\" title=\"Can you have giant rats as pets?\">Can you have giant rats as pets?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_long_do_African_giant_pouch_rats_live_for\" title=\"How long do African giant pouch rats live for?\">How long do African giant pouch rats live for?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#What_is_the_biggest_rat_you_can_have_as_a_pet\" title=\"What is the biggest rat you can have as a pet?\">What is the biggest rat you can have as a pet?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_long_do_Gambian_pouched_rats_live_for\" title=\"How long do Gambian pouched rats live for?\">How long do Gambian pouched rats live for?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_big_are_African_pouched_rats\" title=\"How big are African pouched rats?\">How big are African pouched rats?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#Can_you_have_a_giant_pouched_rat_as_a_pet\" title=\"Can you have a giant pouched rat as a pet?\">Can you have a giant pouched rat as a pet?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_much_do_African_pouched_rats_weigh\" title=\"How much do African pouched rats weigh?\">How much do African pouched rats weigh?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_long_does_an_African_giant_rat_live\" title=\"How long does an African giant rat live?\">How long does an African giant rat live?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_big_are_African_giant_pouched_rat\" title=\"How big are African giant pouched rat?\">How big are African giant pouched rat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#What_is_the_biggest_rat_in_Africa\" title=\"What is the biggest rat in Africa?\">What is the biggest rat in Africa?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#Do_African_giant_rats_make_good_pets\" title=\"Do African giant rats make good pets?\">Do African giant rats make good pets?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_long_do_pet_giant_rats_live\" title=\"How long do pet giant rats live?\">How long do pet giant rats live?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#Do_African_giant_pouched_rats_make_good_pets\" title=\"Do African giant pouched rats make good pets?\">Do African giant pouched rats make good pets?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_long_do_giant_rats_live_for\" title=\"How long do giant rats live for?\">How long do giant rats live for?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#What_is_the_biggest_pet_rat_you_can_get\" title=\"What is the biggest pet rat you can get?\">What is the biggest pet rat you can get?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_big_can_domesticated_rats_get\" title=\"How big can domesticated rats get?\">How big can domesticated rats get?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#Whats_the_biggest_rat_size\" title=\"What&#8217;s the biggest rat size?\">What&#8217;s the biggest rat size?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#Are_Gambian_pouched_rats_good_pets\" title=\"Are Gambian pouched rats good pets?\">Are Gambian pouched rats good pets?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_big_do_Gambian_pouched_rats_get\" title=\"How big do Gambian pouched rats get?\">How big do Gambian pouched rats get?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#Is_pouched_rat_edible\" title=\"Is pouched rat edible?\">Is pouched rat edible?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/do-giant-african-pouched-rats-make-good-pets\/#How_big_are_African_giant_rats\" title=\"How big are African giant rats?\">How big are African giant rats?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_giant_African_pouched_rats_make_good_pets\"><\/span>Do giant African pouched rats make good pets?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Gambian pouched rats <b>generally aren&#8217;t good pets for children, as they need careful handling and a knowledgable owner to keep them tame and meet their care needs.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_big_do_African_pouched_rats_get\"><\/span>How big do African pouched rats get?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Description. The Gambian pouched rat is native to Africa and is the world&#8217;s largest rat, reaching <b>up to 9 pounds. The average size is 3 pounds, measuring 20-35 inches from the head to the tip of the tail.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_do_African_giant_pouched_rats_live\"><\/span>How long do African giant pouched rats live?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Pouched Rats live a long time, compared to most domestic animals, their life span is more akin to that of a Dog or Cat and owners should be prepared for this. They need a good quality run for 2 hours every day, 365 days a year, for <b>8  9 years<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_big_is_a_giant_African_rat\"><\/span>How big is a giant African rat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The giant pouched rats (genus Cricetomys) of sub-Saharan Africa are large muroid rodents. Their <b>head and body lengths range from 2545 cm (1017.5 in) with scaly tails ranging from 3646 cm (1418 in).<\/b><b>They weigh between 1.0 and 1.5 kg (2.2 and 3.3 lb)<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_have_giant_rats_as_pets\"><\/span>Can you have giant rats as pets?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite the fact that these rats can be very destructive and some can be aggressive, <b>the non-aggressive ones DO make delightful pets. They are extremely playful and fun to watch as they bounce here and there, throw their heads back in excitement, and rolling over to have their belly scratched.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_do_African_giant_pouch_rats_live_for\"><\/span>How long do African giant pouch rats live for?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>8  9 years<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_biggest_rat_you_can_have_as_a_pet\"><\/span>What is the biggest rat you can have as a pet?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Gambian Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambianus)<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_do_Gambian_pouched_rats_live_for\"><\/span>How long do Gambian pouched rats live for?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>about 5 to 7 years<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_big_are_African_pouched_rats\"><\/span>How big are African pouched rats?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Description. The Gambian pouched rat is native to Africa and is the world&#8217;s largest rat, reaching up to 9 pounds. <b>The average size is 3 pounds, measuring 20-35 inches from the head to the tip of the tail<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_have_a_giant_pouched_rat_as_a_pet\"><\/span>Can you have a giant pouched rat as a pet?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Gambian pouched rats make interesting, intelligent, and playful pets. They also are fairly quiet and don&#8217;t take up a massive amount of space. However, their diet can be complicated because there aren&#8217;t commercial foods made especially for them. And they need a lot of attention to keep them tame.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_much_do_African_pouched_rats_weigh\"><\/span>How much do African pouched rats weigh?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Pouched Rats live a long time, compared to most domestic animals, their life span is more akin to that of a Dog or Cat and owners should be prepared for this. They need a good quality run for 2 hours every day, 365 days a year, for <b>8  9 years<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_does_an_African_giant_rat_live\"><\/span>How long does an African giant rat live?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Gambian pouched rats <b>generally aren&#8217;t good pets for children, as they need careful handling and a knowledgable owner to keep them tame and meet their care needs.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_big_are_African_giant_pouched_rat\"><\/span>How big are African giant pouched rat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Gambian pouched rat is native to Africa and is the world&#8217;s largest rat, reaching <b>up to 9 pounds. The average size is 3 pounds, measuring 20-35 inches from the head to the tip of the tail.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_biggest_rat_in_Africa\"><\/span>What is the biggest rat in Africa?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Gambian pouched rat<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_African_giant_rats_make_good_pets\"><\/span>Do African giant rats make good pets?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Gambian pouched rats make interesting, intelligent, and playful pets. They also are fairly quiet and don&#8217;t take up a massive amount of space. However, their diet can be complicated because there aren&#8217;t commercial foods made especially for them. And they need a lot of attention to keep them tame.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_do_pet_giant_rats_live\"><\/span>How long do pet giant rats live?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Gambian Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambianus)<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_African_giant_pouched_rats_make_good_pets\"><\/span>Do African giant pouched rats make good pets?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>about 5 to 7 years<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_do_giant_rats_live_for\"><\/span>How long do giant rats live for?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Gambian pouched rats make interesting, intelligent, and playful pets. They also are fairly quiet and don&#8217;t take up a massive amount of space. However, their diet can be complicated because there aren&#8217;t commercial foods made especially for them. And they need a lot of attention to keep them tame.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_biggest_pet_rat_you_can_get\"><\/span>What is the biggest pet rat you can get?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Gambian Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambianus)<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_big_can_domesticated_rats_get\"><\/span>How big can domesticated rats get?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Size. The average body length of adult rats is 9 to 11 inches, plus a tail of 7 to 9 inches, according to the American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association. Your pet rat could grow to be <b>up to 20 inches long from nose tip to tail tip. In rare instances, an adult male pet rat might grow to weigh 2 lbs.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_the_biggest_rat_size\"><\/span>What&#8217;s the biggest rat size?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Rats can make great pets! Rats are easy to care for, have very little odor, and they rarely bite. They are affectionate and intelligent animals that often will bond quickly with their owners and easily learn new tricks.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_Gambian_pouched_rats_good_pets\"><\/span>Are Gambian pouched rats good pets?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Gambian pouched rats <b>generally aren&#8217;t good pets for children, as they need careful handling and a knowledgable owner to keep them tame and meet their care needs.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_big_do_Gambian_pouched_rats_get\"><\/span>How big do Gambian pouched rats get?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One you might come across in the occasional newspaper headline is the giant rat. In fact, the giant rat is just an oversized black or brown rat. They can be dangerous because of their sheer size and should only be approached by a professional pest control company. The giant version will usually live <b>around two years<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_pouched_rat_edible\"><\/span>Is pouched rat edible?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Description. The Gambian pouched rat is native to Africa and is the world&#8217;s largest rat, reaching <b>up to 9 pounds. The average size is 3 pounds, measuring 20-35 inches from the head to the tip of the tail. The body is gray to brown in color, with a lighter belly.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_big_are_African_giant_rats\"><\/span>How big are African giant rats?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Gambian pouched rats make interesting, intelligent, and playful pets. They also are fairly quiet and don&#8217;t take up a massive amount of space. However, their diet can be complicated because there aren&#8217;t commercial foods made especially for them. And they need a lot of attention to keep them tame.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents Do giant African pouched rats make good pets?How big do African pouched rats get?How long do African giant pouched rats live?How big is a giant African rat?Can you have giant rats as pets?How long do African giant pouch rats live for?What is the biggest rat you can have as a pet?How long&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[622],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-186150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-care"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186150"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=186150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186150\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=186150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=186150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=186150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}