With their enormous cheek pouches and keen sense of smell, the giant pouched rat is making waves—not just in living rooms, but also on minefields and in hospitals. As a pet, it presents a challenge ...

A veterinary nurse's pet rats have been creating mini paintings ... and that domesticated rats are in fact very different to their wild counterpart," she added.

Pet rats can live up to five years if they are healthy and are taken care of properly but the average lifespan of a wild rat is quite different. The pest control company said: “Wild rats have ...