Rats & Toads offered at the Pet Emporium

Please note that all pets sold by the Pet Emporium are specially bred for longevity and intelligence. Muggle owls and toads are wild animals and not meant to be pets (not to mention you have to have a special license to own an owl!). Having a Muggle pet is a big responsibility, and should not be taken lightly. Thousands of cats and dogs are euthanized each year because their owners didn't want them anymore. Please be a responsible owner!

Toads -- 5 Galleons In general, toads are squatty and plumpy creatures with a rough warty skin and poison glands. They are found across the whole world, and can inhabit more dry environments than frogs because of their drier skin. It is probably the most widely introduced amphibian in the world. In China, they see the "toad" on the moon, not the "man" of the moon. The toad is also considered there as "one of the five poisons of yin." They say that eclipses happen, when the "toad in the moon" tries to swallow the moon itself! The lifespan of a toad is generally between 4 and 15 years. However, the Common (European) toad seems to live up to 40 years! Toads are carnivores, that is, they eat other animals, typically bugs and worms. Toads are beneficial to humans, because they eat so many insect pests. Toads hibernate in burrows or bury themselves in mud. Toads are cold-blooded and their body processes slow down as the outside temperature drops. This is why you sometimes find sluggish-acting TOADs on cool mornings in the spring. Frogs' bodies have some natural antifreeze built into them, but some kinds of frogs who live in especially cold climates can even survive being frozen solid.

Rats -- 5 Galleons Like other pet rodents, rats are small, clean, quiet and easy to care for, but they have two characteristics that set them apart. First, they're much more intelligent than other small pets. In fact, rats can learn their names and will come when they're called. Rats also are smart enough to learn a variety of tricks. Second, rats are social butterflies that love to be with people and beg to come out of their cages to play or be petted. Rats are smart enough to play games with their owners such as tag, hide-and-seek, tug-of-war and peek-a-boo. Rats also will wrestle with your hand, much as a kitten will. Like all pets, rats have some behaviors that can annoy. First, because they are rodents, they like to chew on things. This is an individual trait; some rats seem to chew on everything, while others don't chew at all. But you must expect that rats, especially when young, will chew on at least some things, especially wood, paper, soft plastic and fabric. Second, many rats tend to mark their territories with urine. This behavior is different from urination--when urine-marking, they leave only small drops of urine that don't stain and can be washed out. Males tend to urine-mark more than females do, and fortunately, neutering almost always eliminates urine-marking behavior in males. The only other disadvantage to having a pet rat is their short life span. Currently, the average life span is only two to three years, but some rats live up to six years. Feeding a proper diet is the best way to ensure your rat lives as long as possible. Colors and Varieties Rats come in a variety of colors, including blue, lilac, chocolate, amber, mink, pearl, champagne, fawn and cinnamon, as well as the more common black, beige and agouti (wild color). Some of the colors are available in both solid colors and patterns, such as Siamese and Himalayan. The most common pattern is the hooded, where the rat appears to be wearing a colored hood over a white coat. Another common pattern features a white belly and feet. Many of the colors and patterns are available in both the typical smooth coat and a rex, or curly, coat. There are also hairless rats, which are mostly pink, odd-eyed rats, and Dumbo rats, whose ears are on the side of their heads. For people who dislike the rat's tail, there are manx rats. Because the tail is the rat's heat regulator, these tailless rats must not be allowed to become overheated.