My Rats and Kitten

[apipunk]

Spaz Snooping around my blanket


Iggy having a treat


Sally attacking the camera strap!

I've had Iggy and Spaz for 5-6 months now! And I already want more! They are like little dogs!

We found Sally 2-3 weeks ago, well thats what we told my mom.

[Jenny]

They are both nearly the same colour I like rats they are very intelligent. Only one thing that puts me off, is the tumours they can suffer with and vet care required.

[apipunk]

Well I rescued these guys, If you want a healthy rat look for a rat breeder. They have them I was surprised. I don't like the fact that they live for such a short period. They were brothers from the same litter! One has a long hood that falls onto his tail the others hood isn't. Spaz's fur is more ruffled, Iggy has strait fur"

[ratty]

I have made it very clear in past posts that I am in the pest control industry. While I TRULY love ants and termites how on earth anyone could keep a dirty rat is beyond me. You sir might be insane. Call me heartless but I am completely ok with killing a rat in someones attic, its taking out a ant hill that has pushed me into the office and out of the field doing the dirty work!
~RaTTy

[apipunk]

I'm sorry you feel that way.

I hope you understand, rats are very clean, they are very friendly, and make great pets. they are hooded Rats (tame pet rats). Not Sewer Rats! Please, do not come saying my animals are filthy, and disgusting. And calling me insane? You don't even know me... This is rude. You don't have me coming on here saying you are a horrible person for killing insects for a living. So please don't come on here saying I might be insane. For all you know I might have some kind of depression, or mental illness. You have been told by culture, that rats are dirty creatures, that live in sewers. Which is truly wrong!

Rats clean themselves 6 or more times a day
Rats are friendly, and make great companions
Rats fur smells like grape soda
Rats lick your skin to show affection along with bruxing, and boggling.

My rats are TRAINED to use a litter box.

Do some research on certain species of animals as pets before you go bashing them. You would probably say keeping a bobcat as a pet is insane too, right? Well I know some one who has a pet bobcat. Do your research. There are more stranger things in the world than me having loving and affectionate animals. I sincerely am sorry you feel this way, and I'm sorry you are so ignorant.

I hope you realize that Myrmecologists tend to preserve ant colony's, queens pupae, workers males, in alcohol for scientific research. Ohh no horrible myrmecologists, they shouldn't do that they are killing ants.

You would probably say that Roaches are nasty too right? Crickets make better feeders? Crickets are cannibalistic and stink. The right species of EXOTIC roaches (not temperate like German roaches) make great feeders, cannot escape, cannot live in the home (high humidity, and 80*f) and have a high meat to shell ratio compared to crickets, oh yea they don't SMELL like crickets do. Oh wait, but you see it in your house (I would be disgusted too) and it's a pest and it's automatically bad.

I agree with you though, Norway rats, and other rat species can be pests, but not pet rats. They are friendly, lovable, and no different than a dog. If you have nothing nice to say, then do not say it at all. Easy as that.

[Jenny]

Notice

This thread is becoming flamed and will be locked if a dispute continues; RaTTy, please read your PM from me!! Forum rules have been broken.

Admin

[Wood~Ant]

I once knew a 21 year old female staff nurse who kept 2 rats. She kept them very clean and they were very tame, in my opinion their smell was certainly better than mice.
Keeping any pet is a responsible job; but having rats for pets is no different to keeping rabbits, guinea pigs or hamsters, as long as the owner cares for them by keeping them clean and prevents them escaping. More likely any pet rat would be killed by the wild ones anyway

I know that rats and such things as cockroaches are pests, even though I actually keep some live cockroaches as ant food; and that sewer rats spread disease and need to be exterminated.
However, I see no problem with keeping a nice looking pet rat, just as long as the person keeping it is a responsible pet owner and keeps it clean and healthy

My sister kept some pet mice when she was younger, and from what I remember their urine smelled far stronger than the pet rats; but the only thing that ever bit her was a horse, which I found surprising

[Jenny]

Apipunk,
thought you might like to see these pics that a couple of friends sent on their website

www.theyorks.dsl.pipex.com/Rats.htm

[apipunk]

Giving them Baths is Always the best!

Neat, I love the white ones with the ash noses. (not sure what those markings are called again) but its very beautiful.

I would love to get a hairless rat, they are so soft!

[tenant]

Your rats are ADORABLE! I was tempted to get one myself because they're so intelligent, but thought a hamster might be better seeing as I'm only a novice and hadn't kept any caged pets before hand. Holiday is very sweet though, she monkey bars along the top of her cage.
Hope you have a lovely time with your new pets.

Beth

[jay942942]

You 'found' your cat? On the street? You are sooo lucky!