Rats are hated by many, but to some they are fantastic pets. What could be better than the world's largest rat as a pet? Capybara's make good pets, but are best for large amounts of land such as a farm. They must have some kind of watering hole such as a pond. They need this for their skin, plus it makes them calmer around the water. Adapting to a climate is not a problem usually.
Capybara is a semi-aquatic rodent that looks like a huge Guinea Pig. Staying under water for long periods of time is common for these gentle giants. Swimming abilities are excellent also. They are from South America and are 2 feet tall and can be 4 feet long. Adults can tip the scales at 100-175 pounds. For a large animal, they are not aggressive. In fact, if you have the space they make an excellent exotic pet, since they adapt well in captivity.
A Capybara gets along well with other people and animals such as pigs and dogs. In fact, if raised as a baby, they may even think they are a dog or pig. Can you see the reaction walking a dog on one side and a Capybara on the other? It would be a Kodak moment.
Like dogs, they can bark. Communication is essential to a Capybara. In the wild, barking is used to warn of danger. Also, Capybaras love to talk making a series of strange clicks, squeaks and grunts.
While, they are good pets, do not allow them inside. Like other rodents, they must chew on things to keep their teeth from growing too large. Inside, they would chew on anything they find, such as tables, rugs and wires.
In captivity, Capybaras eat large rodent pellets, and fresh fruit and vegetables. For treats, they love melons, squash and corn on the cob.
They can be taught many tricks and enjoyed the attention of people. You can put a collar and harness on a Capybara and walk it like a large dog. They respond to treats and whistles, just like a Rottweiler.
Capybara is active at night while in the day spending its time sleeping and basking in the sun. They are more comfortable around the water and will come up to you for its massive head to be petted. If you want to feed them by hand, you can do that also. After petting their head, they will want their belly rubbed. This will often lead to them taking a nap. A Capybara sounds like a spoiled dog to me and would forget it's the world's largest rat.
Having a Capybara as a pet is much more like taking care of a large breed dog or even pig than a rodent. If you have the space, this is definitely an unusual interesting pet. Besides, if you have guests you don't like, the world's largest rat may scare them away just by sight.
