# Bringing Rats to Work?



## LizLovesRats5 (Mar 28, 2007)

I was thinking today, as I sat in my square little boring office, how nice it would be to have one of my squishy man rats sitting on my lap while I worked, or having one of my girls crawling on me and my desk. I wonder how much trouble I would get in if I brought them to work with me once in a while.....


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Most workplaces have a 'no animals, with the exception of service animals' policy.

Plus some people simply do not like rats or may be allergic to them, that could get you into trouble.

Not to say I have thought of that too.


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

i think you and your rats would love it, but you would only get offended at the people who don't like your rats, or even try to harm them. plus, they'd poop everywhere, and yeah, i think many places have a no pets policy (unless they're working). otherwise, i'd do it too.


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## LizLovesRats5 (Mar 28, 2007)

It would make works so much more enjoyable though....


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

amen. we hear you on that one.


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## gems2022 (Apr 13, 2007)

I have brought my guinea pigs to work with me. I work in a small law firm and the vet is only up the street from work so if they need to go the vet then they have to come to work with me. I haven't had the opportunity to bring the rats to work because I haven't had to bring them the vet. My boss hasn't seemed to mind so far. I suppose its better to have me at work and put up with my pets than have me at home being unproductive.


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

I would ask around and see what the policy is.

My father-in-law took our rats to work with him one day - he had been looking after them for us while we were away and we were picking them up that day. Most people were all "eww! you have rats in there?", but once they saw them they wouldn't leave them alone.


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## dreadhead (Mar 1, 2007)

Some people are funny about rats... I had a friend over the other day and he was real curious when he saw them. He asked to hold Lucy so I let him hold her... after a minute I could tell he was uncomfortable by something so I grabbed her and he was like "im gonna go wash my hands now" He was definitely scrubbing the **** out of his hands too... it was pretty funny.


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## Stephanie (Mar 25, 2007)

that's hilarious dreadhead. I took mister sniffles up to get the kids from school yesterday and some random guy came up and asked to hold him. I knew sniffs wouldn't mind so i let him and the guy started giving him kisses and all he said he was going to go get some rats for himslef when he got off of work LoL i told him to check out the breeder i go to and told him if he had any questions to let me know I was so proud that Sniffs converteed a non rat owner lmbo!

As far as the wrok thing goes I would definitely ask and see if you could put a little travel cage on your desk that wya there is food and water when needed and you could put the little one away when work was busy.


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## LizLovesRats5 (Mar 28, 2007)

Before we moved buildings we had a "bring your pet to work day" at my company.  But now we're in a "corporate" building, and they spent a lot of money making it look all modern and ritzy (why 40 inch plasma tvs around ever corner are realistic, I dont know), so I doubt they would be up for another day like that. One guy did bring his dog in on Halloween, it was dressed like a superhero, lol. And another guy here has fish, but they don't count. Yeah, I mentioned rats last week when someone was introducing me to a new person and mentioned I had a lot of rodents. You should have seen the look on his face... just utter confusion. My coworkers that know me are used to me takling about the antics of my various animals. Oh well, at least with my job I can work from home a couple times a month, and I leave their cage open all day next to my desk so they can visit whenever they want.


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## Stephanie (Mar 25, 2007)

Well if you are really missing them through out the day perhaps get one of those digital photo frames and upload a small video onto it?


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

That's the dream, isn't it? There were times when I was in my cubicle and wished I could just have the ratzels running around.

I'm unemployed at the moment though, and it has been great for bonding with my rats. I know their sleep schedule now (When I get up, around lunch, and of course at night are when they are really active), and sometimes I can just open the cage and they'll run all over me (Which *really* hurt my sunburn, but what are you going to do?). It's been nice, and I'll miss it when I have a job again.

Shame I can't find a place that would let me work from home.


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## LizLovesRats5 (Mar 28, 2007)

I wish I could work from home every day. I really enjoy being able to work and still interact with my animals. It's a shame people still latch on to the antiquated idea that physical presence automatically equates productivity.


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

i had to pop 2 the pet shop on my way home from the vets wiv roobs the other day and the ppl who worked there got all freeked out lol they sell them but dont like seeing them no surprise that the rats their arnt treatd well!


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## Sara_C (Mar 10, 2007)

I've taken both my rats to work quite a few times....but then, i do work in a pet shop so it's a bit different from an office  I actually got Oscar from work, and have taken him back a few times to show everyone how he's getting on, and when i picked Moss up from the breeders i took him to work as i picked him up on my way there. I jump at any chance to show off my furkids though


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## cuteanduseless (Apr 26, 2007)

I am an art student and I take my rat to class with me quite often and I almost always have her with me when I'm in the art building working after hours. I keep her hidden in a fanny pack when need be. She instinctively wants to stay hidden when she hears unfamiliar people so it works out nicely for us, although everyone in the art dept. pretty much knows about her and likes her. I can get away with it though 'cause I'm the insane problem child that lives in the art building. They worry about me being lonely and I'm a good student so they don't say anything about it.

I would try taking the rats to work and hiding them from people who might not like them, depending on what kind of job you have and how much you have to deal with people in your office. I live in a dorm and have to hide Walter, but its not much of a problem because I have a single room.


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

It would be awesome if I could take Bert to work with me and hide him in my apron!! We have aquatic frogs, lady bugs, and butterflies there already D:

But yeah I don't think he could stay with it the whole 9 hours that I am there, pushing freight and ringing customers. Plus I used to see this customer there all the time but I saw her at the petstore when I brought Bert and she kept making faces and being disgusted at me holding him. An ugly lady that always looks so sad and depressed and just plain mean all the time. I've not seen her shopping there again, perhaps she thinks I will give her rat germs lol.

But yeah, Randy will say no I know it. I bet I can take him to meetings, I know another co-worker who brought her puppy to the Christmas meeting. He was her Christmas present.


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## cuteanduseless (Apr 26, 2007)

Aww too bad. It's a lot of fun keeping a rat hidden on your person. Walter has wanted to see the world since day 1, which is why I think she was so eager to go with me. She was right up front to be picked up at the pet store and she sat on my shoulder, cuddled up to my neck while I walked around and picked out her cage and such. I knew she was a natural shoulder rat which is what I wanted so I didn't even bother looking at any of the other rats. She has always been very good about staying hidden in my fanny pack, even if I leave it out on a table unzipped for hours. She loads up willingly and doesn't seem to mind staying in there all day sometimes, though I do let her ride around under my shirt when the coast is clear. I took her to art history the other night and she stayed on my shoulder, keeping almost perfectly still under my shirt the whole hour. The girl sitting behind me never said anything and my teacher didn't even notice she was there until I pulled my collar open and she poked her head out after class. I guess they didn't notice that one of my shoulders was bigger than the other.

I've run into a couple of people who aren't fond of rats but no one who has completely flipped out on me (yet). Even people who usually dislike rats don't mind Walter because she's so cute and well behaved. I even got a girl who is terrified of rats to smell her after I gave her a bath in chamomile and lavender baby shampoo (aroma therapeutic rat!).


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Aww! Sounds like a good travel ratty. Bert hides when we are going around the apartment together but always hides in my sweater and moves around constantly! So people either think I have a serious problem bump or know something is in my sweater XD He'll stay on my person, but he just constantly MOVES.

Joshu was a good shoulder rider T_T He didn't like to hide though, just stayed on my shoulder. I took him around broad ripple one day and it exhausted poor Shu. He was so happy yet it was a bit overwhelming.


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## MistressSchrodinger (Apr 27, 2007)

My sweetie kept his little Master Splinter in his pocket and on his shoulder at his job a couple of times. He works at a RadioShack but in our neighborhood none of the people seem to mind pet rats. James works with customers all day and he has had SchrÃ¶dinger and Splinter up there with him on a few different occasions running around his neck and hiding in his shirt pocket. Also, when I sometimes have the car and have to pick James up from work I more than likely have a little ratsie... or two... on my shoulder when I walk in. I don't know about having a rat at work in a desk job/ office environment but something you might try is seeing if it's alright to keep a little travel cage at your feet where it can't be seen by the general office population... 

Sometimes, in fact most times, people are more agreeable about things than you would think. Ask your superior what he or she thinks... 

Good luck!!!


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

I'm sure that if my ferret were ill and needed fed every four hours he would let me keep them in the back (which may happen after surgery D or the same with any pet if I asked, but in a normal situation he's going to say no. It's just kind of dangerous for the pet I think with how much I move around and pick up heavy boxes. And there are many tubes of paint to chew on.

I donno, teachers are weird about things since we've gone more coorporate. But yeah I think or at least hope they will let me keep a ferret or rat in the back if they needed fed all the time.


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## LizLovesRats5 (Mar 28, 2007)

Haha, I think my superior would say something like, "Rats, what the @^% are you talking about?" Haha.


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Mine too >_> They were pretty P.Oed at me the day I called in cause Gidgett was acting sick D: Babies come before stupid retail job KTHX!


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## ManBeard (Apr 10, 2007)

Food service. Its not gonna happen.


Although I did sabotage their rat traps. Theyre boxxes filled with rat poison that looked just like driveway salt... Now theyre just boxxes of driveway salt.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

:? As much as I adore my pet rats, I still don't want wild rats or mice traipsing about in my food.

Plus if the health department were to find them your workplace could be shut down.


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## LizLovesRats5 (Mar 28, 2007)

Nobody wants wild rats messing with their food, but there are no-kill, humane traps for that. I don't see any reason why people need to kill wild animals for doing something that their survival depends on. 

I can't even watch those animal planet shows about all the species in the world that have been displaced by technology and development.... it's just heartbreaking.


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## ManBeard (Apr 10, 2007)

Forensic said:


> :? As much as I adore my pet rats, I still don't want wild rats or mice traipsing about in my food.
> 
> Plus if the health department were to find them your workplace could be shut down.


Im pretty sure there arent any rats anyways. Ive been working there for a few years and havent seen anything more than a spider. Never any raisens or anything.

The traps are new, and I dont see the need for them. I think it was the right thing to do.


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