pet rat behavior

Question
QUESTION: i am a first time rat owner for 2 weeks now.I love it one of the best pets I've ever owned but am not sure of what to expect.I bought him at a local pet store that is known for taking good care of their pets. It is a male they said he is about 5-6 months old.He is so cute and friendly.Why does he constantly want lick our lips don't get me wrong my 8 year old daughter and i love all the kisses but he tends to scratch her lips reaching for her and my lips are chapped.is this really love kisses or something else? he will ride around the house on my shoulder and i let him have play time on my bed he loves it. So far he has not jumped off the bed.Will he eventually start wanting to get down?I also have a 2 year old female cat. i keep them apart unless hes caged they are not at all fearful of one another.My worry is that he will eventually jump off the bed hide from me and some how come into contact with the cat.

ANSWER: Hi Melissa

Well, I am going to assume your rat is going for your mouth and your daughters mouth beacause of your breathe. Food is one thing they can smell miles away, gum, candy, even freshly brushed teeth.....rats LOVE this stuff.  I purse my lips together real tight to discourage my rats from licking my lips all the time, and I dont want them getting my lipstick or lip gloss all over them so I try not to let them kiss me like that too often, but again, rats just love the smell of our breath!   

Please read my website, sandyscrittercity.com and refer to the page GETTING STARTED.  You MUST get your rat off that bed for play time. this is not an acceptable place for any rat that wants to explore.  I am also confused as to why you would worry that the rat would get down from the bed, run away and hide or get caught by the cat, which  CAN happen and the cat will absolutely kill the rat, even if its by accident. But, if you put your rat back in the cage and make sure the door is latched so he cant push the door open, there is nothing to worry about. I am hoping your not letting the rat live on the bed and do have a cage for him, right?

Anyhow, there are tons of things for you to learn about since your a new rat owner. They are awesome pets, your right, but they come with NO INSTRUCTIONS, not like cats or dogs where you can get dizzy chosing which book to buy on how to care for puppies or kittens.  Rat books are few and the ones sold in stores are usually super out dated and inaccurate from the start. I am a rat care consultant and have taught many rat owners how to care for their rats and also have written several articles, one for a magazine that is being published as we speak.  Anyhow, you need to read on the proper way to house your rat and also setting up a safe play area for him too. You need to also learn about proper diet and also their illnesses that they are prone to getting and how to recognize them.  You will get sucked up into my site, I can promise you that much, so please check it out and start with getting started page, so you can set up a play area for him rather than the bed.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: yes my rat has a cage a very suitable one that i bought from the same pet store. As i said that's the only time he and the cat come into contact with one another when he is in his cage and i am watching. i know he needs a better play place then the bed and i am working on that. why is it  unacceptable to let him play on the bed until i build something else? it is the safest place if i let him on the floor he can fit under the door where the cat is probably waiting on the other side. i do not take my eyes off him while he is out as i do not want anything to happen to him.he doesn't even try to get down. my question was will he eventually start jumping off as of now i cant tell if its to high for him to jump or he just does not have the desire to jump down.thanks for your help.

Answer
Like I said, I was confused as to why you would worry about him getting down and running off, esp if you keep a good eye on him.  Its a bit hard sometimes to communicate through this way, as too many things can be misconstrued and can mislead me into thiking one thing when its really another.    Letting him play on the bed is ok for now, but he will eventually  get tired of it and he will get down. Rats can jump as high as 4 feet, esp when determined enough.