Contents

  1. Why Pet Rats?
  2. Introductory Materials
  3. Subject Headings
  4. Seminal Works
  5. Call Numbers
  6. Handbooks, Encyclopedias, and Dictionaries
  7. Bibliographies
  8. Abstracts and Indexes
  9. Journals
  10. Government information
  11. Internet Sources
  12. Associations

Caring for Pet Rats

By Robin Sanford



Image of a rat   Handbooks, Encyclopedias, and Dictionaries

These sources are good places to find general information about rats. Be aware that dictionaries and encyclopedias provide information on all aspects of rats, and for much of history rats have been viewed as vermin and pests. While much of this information concerns rats in the wild, it can be used to understand what pet rats need to stay healthy and active.

  • Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, 2002
    • This is the most respected dictionary of the English language. Look up "rat" to learn the origins of the word and various ways it has been used over the centuries.
  • Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia
    • This online encyclopedia has information about rats in the wild, and also has links to other articles and to dictionary definitions. From the main Encarta page, select "Encyclopedia" from the navigation bar at the top of the page. Once at the Encyclopedia page, type "rat" into the search box. The article on rats mentions that they are kept as pets briefly.
  • Encyclopedia Britannica 2006
    • This is the "gold standard" for encyclopedias, and it does have good information about rats. It is very detailed and scientific. The article on rats mentions that they are kept as pets in only one sentence. This article is has lots of useful information about how rats live in the wild, which can be used to keep a pet rat’s life interesting. The article on pets and why humans have them mentions rats in only one instance as well. This encyclopedia is geared toward adults. It can be found online (the Academic version was consulted for this Pathfinder) by subscription only, and many libraries have a paper copy.
  • Animal Diversity Web
    • This website is maintained by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. This article on the brown rat (rattus norvegicus) has a great deal of information on rats in the wild and also mentions the domestication of rats a few times. This article is very scientific, but does have a lot of helpful information and a few pictures.


Image of a rat   Bibliographies

This section contains books and articles which contain a list of other sources on the topic. The page numbers in these entries refer to the pages that the list (or bibliography) is on. This section has information of interest to rat breeders, or pet owners interested in more in-depth information on the care of their animals. Much of this material is aimed at adults.

  • Levinson, Boris M. (Boris Mayer). Pet Oriented Child Psychotherapy 2nd Edition. 1997, pp 175-96.
  • Levinson, Boris M. (Boris Mayer). Pets and Human Development. 1972, bibliography page numbers not available.
  • Cameron, G. N. and Eshelman, B. D. "Growth and reproduction of hispid cotton rats (sigmodon hispidus) in response to naturally occurring levels of dietary protein" Journal of Mammalogy vol. 77 (February 1996) pp 299-331.
  • Savage, L. M. and Overmirt, J. B. "The influence of sequential information in rats: learning, memory, and the effects of amnestic drugs." Learning and Motivation vol. 26 (august 1995) pp319-322.
  • Whishaw, I. Q. and Tomie, J.-A. "Of mice and mazes: similarities between mice and rats on dry land but not water mazes" Physiology and Behavior vol. 60 (November 1996) pp 1196-1197.
  • Anderson Nina and Peiper, Howard. Are you poisoning your pets?; a guidebook to pet health and sanity. 1995, pp 113-117.
  • Sable, P. "Pets, Attachment and well-being across the life cycle" Social Work vol. 40 (May 1995) pp 339-341.


Image of a rat   Abstracts and Indexes

As with Bibliographies, these resources have more adult content. Using these resources will allow you to search for more information related to rats, animal welfare, and pet health.

  • Handbook of Live Animal Transport
    • An index published quarterly in print starting in 1984 (now ceased, possibly in 1999) which compiled articles, listings, and information on all phases of transporting animals worldwide. Formerly the Handbook of Animal Transportation.
  • Agricultural OnLine Access
    • Published by the U.S. National Agricultural Library. A quarterly abstract and index, also available as a database online. Among the journals it abstracts and indexes is the Advocate published by the American Humane Association, Animal Protection Division.
  • Zoological Record
    • Published by Thomson BIOSIS. This is index to publications covering all aspects of zoology and animal science. International publications are included, such as the British publication Animal Welfare. This is an annual print journal which is also available online.
  • Veterinary Bulletin: a monthly abstract journal on veterinary science
    • From CABI Publishing. Publishes abstracts from the entire field of animal health on a monthly basis. Available in print and online (which goes back around a decade).
  • Biological Abstracts: references, abstracts, and indexes to the world's life sciences research literature
    • Available from Thomson BIOSIS. This semi-monthly abstract and index has been published since 1929 and is an extremely comprehensive source for abstracts and indexing in the biological sciences. Available online and in print, it can be searched by organism, with similar organisms in nearby in the hierarchy.


    Image of a rat   Page 4



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