Category: Animal House
We have recently reserved a young, gorgeous female rat as a pet, what are your views on these intelligent and loving rodents. Have you ever considered letting one of these incredible animals into your life.
Living without a ZeRatte is not worth livin'..Rats, just gotta luv them. They ScAmPeR and ScItTeR too! <<grins>>
Then too in other words ~
Aw yer pith.
Dance yer lane.
Auld saws speaks suith.
As ae door's steekit anither opens.
It's a blate chittie that maks a prood moose.
We niver dee'd o winter yit.
Connie ~ Grace
I would want a pet rat myself. If I had my own house, I maybe would get one, since my dad as it is does not like most of the 5 dogs we already have and would definitely not be happy to know we would have more pets. Also, I wouldn't have a place for it and Azi (although usually very calm) can growl at other dogs and doesn't even like cats, so I can immagine what he might do to a rat. Penny is big and might also try to get to it, as she can even be unpredictable with smaller dogs. And although Star is small, I'd be scared that they could hurt one another. So even if I could, I'm not sure how that would work out. Would y'all have a separate room just for the rat or dogs, or would the rat be kept in it's cage? Because those would be the only things I can think of that I might need to do if getting a rat.
Ah woops. I don't know if that post made any sense. *smile* I meant that since I'm living with my parents, I could not get a pet rat both because my dad wouldn't be happy and because I don't have a place for it. And It'd be hard to get one at all because of how my dogs would react to/treat it. I'm still curious about those questions I asked in the above post though. *smile*
I had no choice in letting rats into my life, they were already here when I moved in. I agree that they're intelligent even though we once caught a whole family in just one of those glue traps.
Dogs, particularly terrier types or greyhounds, will naturally attack a rat. The rat would need adequate excercise as they develop distressing repetative behaviour,if left in the cage all day. Plus excercise extends their life span and rats are the most curious of all the rodents.
..rats are the most curious of all the rodents...
hmmm and to think of sometimes a cat dying out of curiousidy..
Now me cat would not be in a particular mind to be called a rodent.. she so fine you know..and oh how I treasure SOME rodents..IF they have Character Appeal you being of an understandin' heart I be a trustin'.. not anything ordinary, rather totally awesome and outta this world..in a manner of speaking.. Screeeeech *THAT Noise* and flick of ze aire and ScAmPerScItTeR zeRodent for SOME Cats-are-toxic..
*Pondering/Giving thot..maybe one day A Writer I shall be, Create-tive now don't ya be a knowin'
Connie ~ Grace
*sniff sniff..Mmmmm ChEEEEEse Cake... perhaps!
oh Goodness!!
I will grant taht they are intelligent. Wonder if bigger ones could be traned as guides? Guide Rats for the Blind? <G> Seriously, though, I probably wouldn't want one as a pet. I'm a dog person myself.
Rats dont need to go out on a cold wet night, for a walk, when your warm and comfortable and can't be bothered getting up
they're vermin.
In response to post 7, aww, well maybe I can't get a rat then. *disappointed* I don't know whether any of my dogs are terrier mixes, but supposedly Penny looks like a retriever mix and she had sometimes played rough with a dog we had when he was a puppy by picking him up and shaking him. I think she can be unpredictable like that because she hasn't done that to Star, or maybe it's that she's never had a chance to be alone with her. I'm not totally sure what Azi is, as he has some chihuahua features but yet is too tall and big-boned to be a chihuahua. Plus not sure how he'd react toward a rat. And I know Star would probably chase after it and also can have an attitude at times, for being small. So unless I had the dogs closed off to another room/area (which I could probably do with my own house), I couldn't have the rat out of it's cage. But I wouldn't want the rat stuck in there all day either. So the rat would not be happening anytime soon.
To the person suggesting a guide rat, that would be pretty cool. *smile* They probably would only be good for shorter people though because I don't think they could be as tall as a dog or pony. Not to sure how they'd do out in public either; they'd have to be pretty desensitized to dogs and cats, which I don't think would work. *smile* I wonder if they could or would be trained as service animals though, to help people with mobility problems like to pick up things or push buttones for appliences. That would be neat too.
...Oh what a Royal Python this is! Aye mean to say, think about this one for a moment will ya now ..Talk about say, Venomous S.n.a.k.e.s.. .I feel for these sometimes almost helpless *no that is a BAD word and I sorry..it is just these li'l rodents are at times up against s.n.a.k.e.s.. well they do need protection *the rodents that is
.. take for example: Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes, genera Crotalus and Sistrurus. They belong to the class of venomous snakes known commonly as pit vipers. (This is only one example of many...)
I really have to trust at this point Goblin that if a rodent you acquire that you shall be found faithful by not providing zeRodent as s.n.a.k.i.e food... I mean what with having a lad in thy home and all.. Now I am not talking against s.n.a.k.e.s. for in their place they are good to have yet I be a trustin' that the Rodent will be found HEALTHY and oh what a sweet pet to hold *though personally I would prefer not to..
And in conclusion all I gotts to say is, RattleSnakes be gone!
and long live the Healthy/disease free ZeRodent(s)!
Connie ~ Grace
I have had four pet rats in the past and they were great. I could let them run all over my room and they learned to go back in their cage to do their business. I'd let them run around on my desk and observe them closely. When one of them started to go to the bathroom I'd pick them up. The action of elevating them made them stop trying to relieve them selves and I'd put them in the cage. When they went I'd praise them. That worked very well. If I was carrying them and they went in my hand or pocket, yuck, I'd scold them and they learned very quickly. When I let them loose I would keep a spray water-bottle handy, and if they started to chew something I'd let them have it. They learned not to chew so reliably that I could let them run loose with out worrying about them chewing on wires, drywall, furnature or anything else. They would spend any un-supervised time in their cage, but it was a three level rat cage with an excersize wheel, bedding, hamics, houses, tunnels, food bowls, a water dispenser and several appropriate chewing toys. They might be out of the cage for three to four hours a day. They'd squeek at me when I came home from school and they wouldn't shut up until I took them out of the cage and played with them. The cats weren't safe around them, but my two dogs learned how to interact with them. Amigo would sniff the rats and follow them around, just watching them. He'd bathe them and let them sleep on him, on top of his head or on his back. Audry learned not to hurt them because she once picked Milissa up too hard and she squeeked. Audry put her right down and sniffed her to make sure she was ok. I actually did have one rat get very badly injured by a dog, but that is a conplicated story. Chelsy had been running around the room and my mom opened the door to my bedroom. Snickers, one of our cats got in and went right after her. Audry had been sleeping under the desk and Chelsy ran right to her and between her front paws. Snickers kept coming and tried to grab the rat. She got audry's paw instead. Audry grabbed Chelsy and jumped up on the bed. She stood over chelsy and growled and snapped at snickers until I could get her out of the room. When audry grabbedChelsy up she accidentally broke her leg. I don't think she meant to. She was just trying to help, but she was in a hurry and she had to act quickly to save Chelsy's life. Her left front leg healed funny, but she was still an active little rat. None of them lived terribly long as the maximum life span for a pet rat is around four years, but they were great little pets, Chelsy, Kelsy, Matt and Milissa. Kelsy was later renamed Brittany. I had bad experiances each of the times that I discovered one of them passed on and now I've developed a slight fear of rats. I know it isn't logical but there it is. I'd never had to handel any dead animal ever before that, not even a dead bird that the cat had caught or a dead catipiller in a jar and so I had a very strong reaction. I was only thirteen at the time. When I found Brittany dead I started to pick her up to give her a hug and I had her only five or six inches away from me when I realized that something was wrong. I couldn't even be sad at first because I was so revolted and freaked out. I screamed for at least twenty seconds strait. I got Matt the rat to try and get over that fear, but it just got worss. The last straw was when he passed on. I had lost Chelsy and Milissa long before I got Matt. I might want a chinchilla or a farat some day, but I don't think I'll ever get another rat. I love my dogs and my Siamese very much and they're good enough for me. Power to all the open minded, animal loving people out there who accept and recognize that rats can make great pets.
awww poor li'l Chelsy with outta place paw.. Hurt paws don't feel so good..tender like..and yes me thots are that when given to ponder upon that yes, it is known somehow...that no intentional the pain that was presented..Thinks perhaps at times Creatures more tolerant and forgiven' like than persons creation.. Create-ive thots gives more of one havin' a heart/that what deep within that ones are given to feel, well..all the more so understandin' don'tCha be a knowin' now...
ZeRattes Rule..well, they rank right up there, liken as onto FirstClassMattes, Ahoy! gives cry of ZeCaptain Stormy...be Welcomed aBoard Ship for soon to set sail, never minding the weather, for ~~Storms never last do they darlin'~~ (Song by: WAYLON JENNINGS w/Jessi Colter)...and as a pebble is tossed across the gentle waters ...somehow way in memory the words can be heard..so gentle like, so so ve'r'r'ryy gentle like...~~Islands in the Stream, that is what we are,~~ ..Mmmm the music of Kenny Rodgers and Dolly Parton... ~~sail away~~ and may all creatures find that co'z'zyyy home..that island of sweet bliss... go in peacefulness..may luv rule in our heart/that what truly we are...
Connie ~ Grace
My step daughter just got a pet rat. I'll let you know what I think in a month or two.
Maria
Absolutely not!
Maybe they're not so bad, but I don't really love them or anything... get a hamster.
Awwe I have four, and there wonderful pets, they can be a little bitty if you don't hold them... but hey so can a kitty or a dog...
I don't find anything wrong with them... they are a bit boring, but great all the same.
I personally love pet rats.
The rats I've had in the past were so intelligent.
Cherry was clicker trained.
Incredible pets and they can be cuddly.