When did people start keeping mice and rats as pets?

It just seems kinda odd. People think that rats brought the black plague(even though it was the fleas), and think of them as unsanitary. When and why did people start keeping rats and mice as pets? Now we know that they are smart and cute, and generally healthy, but we only know this because they are so common in captivity.. Before that, everyone thought they were nasty and mean.When did people start keeping mice and rats as pets?
Rattus norvegicus , on the other hand, has not only flourished in our sewers; it has given rise to the pet rat, a development that has allowed many people to see these animals differently. (It is thought that pet rats may have been first bred by Queen Victoria's ratcatcher, Jack Black, in the mid 19th century; the first pet rat show was held in 1901).





hope this answers the rat bit not too sure about mice.


rachel xWhen did people start keeping mice and rats as pets?
pet rats actually predate laboratory experiments on rats. i believe rat catchers used to keep them before the first major plague, and it was during the second plague that medical practitioners decided to start testing the rats they suspected of being carriers.


keeping any animal as a pet goes back to the start of agriculture, which was a good... uhh... 2000 years ago?


as someone already said, there are cultures around the world that were not as barbaric in their attitude towards rats as western cultures.
I guess someone got the idea from Asia in a country [can't remember the name] were they worshiped rats. Also rats have been pets for the longest time just not widely spread. Scientist used them for experiments and found out when kept in captivity were completely docile. Then there were the wild rats who were domesticated then bred and there you have it.
Over a thousand years ago the Chinese started keeping pets as rats. But the ';fancy rat'; has only been around for 106 years.
my guess would be due to the big recession years ago parents could afford pets for kids so the kids caught the mice at home and started the trend
I'm witcha on that, kinda odd!!
i don't know


but u could have a big argument about that