RATS!!
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: RATS!!

Ratlady

Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 12:21 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I just couldn't help starting this thread :) I saw a couple about other pets, and thought, HEY! Why not! LOL
I now have 18 rats. I just bought a new one less than a week ago and let me tell you, she is the cutest little rodent in the world (next to my other 17 of course! LOL). Right now they live in a huge cage that is 36" x 30" x 24". I'll be getting another in the near future.
I was just wondering if someone can explain to me why so many people don't like rats. Is it because they are rodents? Squirrels are rodents and LOTS of people like them. I am not here to pass judgement on those who don't like them. I am just really curious as to why not and maybe change a couple of minds along with maybe disproving some of the myths about them. Such as they did not actually cause the bubonic plague. It was their fleas that did it, not the actual rat itself. And they are extremely smart! You can teach them to do tricks and potty train them along with so much more! And they are sooooo cuddly!! REALLY!! They will even give you kisses!! LOL I know, a bunch of you are probably saying "EWWWWWWW!" But it's like a dog giving you kisses.
Anyway, I hope someone will give me alittle insight on what some think are so bad with rats :) Thanks guys!! :)

Kady

Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 05:15 am EditMoveDeleteIP
EWWWWWWW!! :) You actually have 18 rats. I am shocked. I never knew people had rats as pets. I've seen people with mice. Honestly, I never thought of rats as a pet. But then again lots of people have snakes and I don't think of them as pets either. WOW, I don't know why I never thought of them as pets. I was just brought up thinking they were dangerous with their bites. Is that not true? Now I know how you got your handle Ratlady.

Rissa

Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 06:01 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Ratlady, I used to have hamsters that I bred for a local pet store when I was a kid. Well, that's not quite right, will try again.... I used to have 3 hamsters that kept having babies and was lucky enough that I could find pet stores that bought them from me. LOLOL Anyway, in University Zoology we all got our own rats. You probably won't be pleased to know after a couple months of various (non-invasive, maze-type) experiments, they were disected. But I will agree with you that they would make GREAT pets. They are extremely FRIENDLY. You can handle a rat much more then a hamster or gerbil and they are not jittery like guinia pigs either. I know that not one student from my particular class ever got bit. I prefer my pets much bigger {G} but if I ever had to get a rodent again.. I probably would go for a rat.

Fruitbat

Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 06:59 am EditMoveDeleteIP
My sons had rats for pets for years. Stanley would come to his name. :) They are very smart and a great little companions. Louis followed my oldest son to college and spent the first 2 years with him.

Because they are smart and social it is easy to put them out on the floor and play with them. They do not scurry under the dishwasher, never to be seen again. We used to watch TV with them on the couch. They would busy themselves and drop in for a snack...frequently. Loved potato chips.

I LOVE rats.

Hillbilly

Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 08:22 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Well...ya know...I had a hamster and a parakeet growing up ....and they were both nasty to clean up after. The only pet I care to have in my house is a house trained dog and a litter box trained cat....and I would actually prefer the cat to do most of its buz outside. But that's just a personal preference...I say to each their own. PS...I wouldn't have a squirrel for a pet either!

Juju2bigdog

Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 08:34 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Hahhahaha, better get Wink over here to weigh in on the squirrel issue.

Sia

Thursday, September 05, 2002 - 12:45 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I like rodents, Ratlady--except the sort of wild varmints who come in the night to eat the dry food I leave out for my domestic outdoor cats. I had about forty mice in aquariums (no water, SpongeBob, just air and bedding!) when I met the man I later married--and plenty of cats, who did not bother the dear little mice. He was not fond of them and insisted that I get rid of all but six of them.

We have a 17-year old housecat that my hubby is adamant will NOT be replaced if something should happen to her; he says 'NO MORE HOUSECATS.' I tried to buy a hooded rat about three years ago, and he had an absolute fit. So did my m-i-l. You know, you've given me a wonderful idea: if/when we are looking for another house-pet in the future, I will buy a rat. Do you have a specific type that you recommend?

The local pet store, a small, single-proprietorship business, carries hooded rats occasionally, but I've never known them to have any other variety. I don't patronize the chain-pet-stores at the mall, because their levels of sanitation do not meet mine. I would be afraid their animals might be unhealthy.

Ratlady

Saturday, September 07, 2002 - 12:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
WOW!! That makes me sooo happy to know that so many of you like rats! :) LOL I am so easy to please, aren't I?
Anyway, Kady, a bite from a DOMESTIC rat won't hurt you. Trust me! I have been bitten a few times by 2 of my rats, and they drew blood. They thought I was a treat ( the little brats!). I will admit, it hurts like hell but there is absolutely NO danger in getting bite. LOTS of people have rats as pets. They make terrific pets. Especially if you have limited space. Like I have said, you could train them to do tricks and even potty train them! They are extremely smart. They are smarter than mice ( no offense to the mice people), at least that is what I have heard. There are also tons of different varieties of rats. I went to the animal shelter today and saw a white dumbo masked (has a marking that looks like it is wearing a mask, kind of like zorro) that I absolutely fell in love with but my hubby wouldn't let me get her since she didn't look very healthy (vet bills are extremely high for rats!).
Rissa, I'm curious, why were they disected? Why not adopted out? I know that alot of Univerities and places that do experiments on them adopt them out.
Sia, I TOTALLY agree with you! I don't particularly care for the wild rodents that chew everything up. We have a couple of wild rats around here (thanks to my neighbor behind me who doesn't know how to keep a compose pile enclosed!). Now, I'm trying to find a way to catch them humanely and let them go.
I would recommend a dumbo. They are sooooo cute!! Once I get my camcorder working, I will put a picture up of a couple of mine. I don't see how anyone could turn down a dumbo, they have their ears on the side of their head instead of the top and are bigger than regular ears. Also, they always seem to look like they are smiling! :) If you ever do decide to get a rat as a pet, GET TWO!! They get very lonely if they are alone and are so much more fun than just one. Also, let me know if you get any, I have a diet recipe for them (the packaged diets are not very good for them, they lack alot of what they need and has so much junk in them to make them unhealthy). Plus, I have TONS of toy ideas and hammocks and... ohhh just LOTS of stuff! LOL I got most of my dumbos from Scamps, only because they were from a breeder and were in perfect health. They were $13 and $20. The food they were feeding them was also pretty good. I haven't had any problems with them at all. BUT most pet store chains are just Terrible when it comes to the care of rodents! They pick them up by their tails (BIG NO- NO!! It could really hurt them!), their pens aren't very clean and their water looks dingy.
Soon, I want to get a pair of hairless rats and breed them. Someday, I would like to have my own rattery. But, I will have to talk my husband into building on another room for that! LOL So, obviously, that is going to be a while! :) Ok I think I'm done now! LOL