# Buying fabric (or accessories) for cages -- The reaction of employees



## Rozlyn (Nov 5, 2011)

I'm not a sewer myself and can't make hammocks or anything neat like that, but I have gone to fabric stores a few times to buy some yards of fleece to make liners out of. (We have to use that non-stitch fabric glue to hold it together, since neither my boyfriend or myself can sew!) And of just those few times I've gone to get fabric (at various places now, depending on where I've lived), the person cutting the fabric for us has always asked something along the lines of, "So what are you going to be making?" I'm sure they're only trying to make conversation and being friendly, but answering honestly normally creates some unfavorable reactions.

The first time my boyfriend and I bought fleece to make our own liners for our cages, the lady at the fabric store looked completely stunned when we told her what it was for. She got totally silent, didn't respond at all, and just acted like she never even asked the question! The people around us too seemed shocked and even grossed out, making faces. Since then, we just say, "They're for a small animal cage," and leave it at that. It's none of their business when it comes down to it, and I'd rather avoid getting into it all with strangers.

Has anyone else had similar experiences when getting fabric or even toys or accessories or whatnot from stores?


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## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

Yes, I make and sell a lot of hammocks and liners so I am at the fabric store often. I no longer tell them what it's for, I usually say "It's for cat beds" and they smile and say how nice that is.


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

I tell them it is for rats and enjoy explaining how wonderful they are as pets and that I am not sewing for wild rats.


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## VanceVEP72 (Oct 6, 2011)

I get that reaction as well. If they don't like it, they can stick their attitudes where the sun don't shine!


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## Blarklark (Oct 31, 2011)

I go to the fabric stores too and have been asked that. I get people who ask me more questions. They are curious how it works. I tell them the huge benefit of why people should use fleece in certain cages. I'm a talker though. Put me in any room .


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## LilysMom (Sep 7, 2011)

I usually get looks of disgust from people but then shortly after they become very intrigued and after debunking the common myths about rats, they wind up accepting them as normal animals and often consider getting one themselves. *knock on wood* My area is very tolerant of "misfit" animals like reptiles, rodents, certain breeds of dogs, etc.


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## calisphere (Oct 25, 2011)

I remember when I ordered 8 or so sheets of Coroplast with my last set of guinea pigs. I asked for the cheapest color (white) that was blank. I was asked what it's for and I went into how C&C cages are the accepted cages for guinea pigs. The sign guys offered to drive the sheets to my house because I didn't have a truck and asked for lots of pictures. It was a very positive response.

However, when I go to Hancock Fabrics to buy bolts of fleece (I use it for everything animal-wise), I get the worst reactions. It doesn't matter what type of animal I say I'm using the fleece for, from dogs to cats to turtles to spiders to rats, I always get this look like I'm the scum of the earth. I just don't understand it as I generally buy at least one full bolt of fleece every few months. Do you know how expensive that stuff is? You would think they would be a little bit friendlier for a regular customer who spends a lot of money. Not that money is everything.

I sometimes bring my skinny pig, Hippo, with me to Petsmart and other errands and I get the greatest responses. Everyone asks lots of questions because who's seen a hairless guinea pig? I haven't brought the rats anywhere because they are still tiny, but next summer, I'm sure I'll take them with me to some of the places I go (car shows if it's cool enough) and maybe I'll bring them to the local Harvest Fest next fall.

In general, I think the people who have negative reactions are the people who are more close-minded than a box in a storage unit and I'd rather not surround myself with that type of person.


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## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

I would not consider these people close minded per se. Just uneducated on these animals, if you grew up in a home where you were told rats are gross and that was drilled into your head, then yes you will hate rats. As long as those people leave me alone, I leave them alone.

I choose to not talk about my rats around people I KNOW won't have good reactions. For instance my SO's grandparents, they are used to thinking of rats as pests, and when my SO tries to show them pictures of the rats and they are 'ewwing', it makes me very uncomfortable even though everyone else takes it in stride. So I choose not to talk about my rats unless I am sure the situation is not going to turn into a one sided war of me defending rats.

I have once or twice mentioned rats at the fabric store, and my reactions were less mean more "WHAT?!" lol, like shock, but they were all very nice and saod things like "Hope they enjoy their beds!"
so my experiences have not been so bad.

Where I live in NY, nothings weird. Someone could walk in with a pink and purple Mohawk on stilts with a Cinderella bal gown and few would be seriously phased. So rats are nothing odd LOL


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## calisphere (Oct 25, 2011)

I guess it all depends on how you are raised then. You did make a good point. My mom, for example, is an animal lover but not nearly as much as I am. She thinks the bearded dragons are freaky, but deals with the fact that I have snakes. My grandmother on the other hand, I would have to say is close-minded. Basically, if it's not a cat or dog, she can't stand to even think about it. She didn't even like my fish and certainly can't stand any of the other animals. She tolerated Freddie, my first guinea pig, but he was sweet. She literally turns her nose up at anything else. My sisters can't seem to understand the animal thing, though they do sort of like reptiles. They would fall under the uneducated title though. I'm the animal guru of the family and they always call me before calling a vet, which they will only do if I highly recommend it.


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## Maltey (Jun 26, 2011)

I know that uncomfortable feeling you get. It's happened many a time. On two occasions though I've had some pleasant reactions. I was in a hurry and couldn't find the baby food in the supermarket so I asked where it was and they didn't have any so she sent me to some places and anyway we got talking and she said what's it for? When I told her it was for a sick rat (after about a minute's pause!) I was expecting an eurgh... but she just laughed and said how sweet it was.
And another time in the fabric shop i bought a whole ton of fabric and co-ordinating fleece and she asked what it was for and when I told her she was like omg that's so cool.
However, my own work colleagues often take the mick out of me. I usually buy fabric on my lunch break and when I bring it back they give me stick about it.
I have one colleague who hates rats so much so I don't bring up the subject with her- she makes me angry!!


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## Pirate Huntress (Nov 21, 2011)

Haha, I'd sew if I had a sewing machine. Sometimes I hand sew, but it takes forrreevver.. Although, I found out their favorite bed that I make is the non-sew one. If they ask, I just say I'm making it for my rats. Sure, I might get some negative reactions, but I'd rather not lie, and who knows, maybe the person won't give a negative reaction.


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## sonoma (May 26, 2007)

Oh yes. I’ve just started telling the people at the fabric store that I'm making 'pet beds.' In my experience the vast majority of people aren’t interested in learning about rats as pets anyway, and I get little annoyed with the ‘you’re a nut job and might possibly have the plague’ looks.


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## sonicboom (Sep 3, 2011)

I'd still say it's for rats. I often tell people I know I have rats, and some go eewwww, but so what. They're the single minded people with the problem. To be honest, in a fabric store, I might not say just as it's none it's their business what I'd buy fabric for lol. I'm not good at pretending or hiding my feelings, and I imagine I probably come across sometimes to those people that disregard my rats like I think they obviously don't understand animals... I mean, I thought ant and dec on I'm a celebrity tonight obviously have issues thinking rats are gross lol


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## sonicboom (Sep 3, 2011)

I like to tell people that my rats are equal to my dogs and other animals iv had. Makes them thinks maybe rats are not all that bad, or at least compares rats to their dogs which they probably take as an insult!


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## TheHermit (Nov 15, 2011)

This summer I had a garage sale, and had Lilly in my sweater sleeve (it was early morning). She kept poking her nose out to see what the commotion was all about and I would lift my hand to talk to her. A lady came over and asked what I was doing, probably convinced I was a little batshit.
She didn't even see Lilly, and when I told her what was in my sleeve she literally screamed and ran away. A forty year old, burly woman screamed shrilly and ran away. I expected some "EW OMG GROSS" after that but her friend calmed her down, and she actually came back and asked to see her! She freaked again when she did (the squealing and hand waving near the face, complete with foot shuffle), but she did her best to face her fears - she clearly had a phobia, but she said that Lilly was "pretty" and that if she could have brought herself to she would've asked to hold her. I was really happy to see someone be mature about their fear, and she even admitted that if it weren't for the tail, she wouldn't be afraid, but she didn't know why it bothered her so much.
Some people are just ignorant, or biased. Some people are open-minded but are swayed by stereotype, and some people may have just had negative experiences with wild rats and can't handle the notion of a domestic one. It's really an individual thing and that is VERY unprofessional of that lady to have suddenly changed her attitude. In all my job training (all customer service), maintaining a good attitude when working with customers has been DRILLED into my very skull and I would have asked to speak to her manager, depending on the severity of the change in her mood towards you (if she really was happy to speak to you, then suddenly went silent and alienated you, that warrants a little chat. You'd be surprised what people call you out on when you work at McDonalds, or any other fast food joint, so I'm sorry if that seems harsh to anyone else)
I'd rather be proud to tell the truth then allow people to remain ignorant. I hate how people underestimate rats as pets, and any chance I get to explain how great they are as companions, I go on ridiculous tangents. Most seem skeptical afterward, but I can tell I made them think!


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## calisphere (Oct 25, 2011)

Not at a fabric store or even an employee, but last summer I brought one of my leopard geckos with me to Petsmart because I had to have her for sizing a hide. I always end up buying the wrong size. Anyway, she was such a good girl just laying in that space between my shoulder bone and breast. She just sat there and could have been a design on my shirt for all she moved. I was over at the fish wall talking to one of the employees as I do and this woman came out of one of the cat food aisles. I turned to make sure I wouldn't have to be on my guard with an oncoming dog, as some people allow their dogs to jump up. This woman saw the gecko from about twenty feet away and completely freaked out. She stopped dead, asked me if the gecko was real in a horrified voice and when I said yes she literally threw the two trays of canned cat food she had in her hands up over her head. She screamed. She was 20 feet away and panicked over a non-moving gecko that was only 5 inches long and mostly asleep.

I still get a kick out of it. I would be more sympathetic if she had be anywhere near the gecko, you know like close enough that the gecko could have tried to jump on her or bite her, not that Banana was so interested in doing so. The guy who I was talking to was standing half a foot from me and the gecko couldn't care less. I thought the whole throwing of the food was a bit much. But, as stated before, I have a very low tolerance of people in general. I'm deathly allergic to wasps and bees but when I see one, or god forbid one lands on me, I don't act like I suddenly gained a few thousand ants in my pants. I calmly explain that I have a fear of them and either stand still until they leave or (unless it's on me) walk away slowly. I don't fling my arms in the air and go screaming down the street. Maybe I'm just too lazy to do so and I should look at trying the freaking out thing just for the exercise.


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## blenderpie (Sep 10, 2009)

My experience wasn't a bad one, the woman asked what the fleece was for and I told her I was making hammocks and liners for my rat cage. She said "Yeah, we have another woman that comes in to make beds for her hamster, too."


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## Buddy (Mar 13, 2011)

Oh wow. :/ I've never had bad experiences with store people. A couple times at the pet store I've been asked what my bedding was for and I'd tell them "oh, it's for my rats." And then I get asked if they make good pets. 

My favorite time I had someone freak out was when I was at my sister's grad party. I was sitting in the dark chatting to my aunts and Templeton was sitting on my shoulder having the best time, when the caterer comes over to help my mom clear the table and Templeton moved to face her and she screamed. I started laughing. XD 

But she came back as soon as she recovered and said "I'm so sorry, I didn't see him and when he moved it scared me."


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## Rat lover (Dec 28, 2011)

I say it is for my rats and alot of times I get good response like "oh do rats make good pets?" or my absolute favorite "what do you do with them" then I explain how they are just like any other pet and say I let them out in my room and have a ton of fun with them.


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## Lioness (Nov 11, 2011)

Teehee. It's old, but I sort of like this thread.
Bigglesworth, one of my hairless girls, loved to shoulder-camp and I took her out often. My favorite weird comment was, "Eeew, is it slimy?" Really? REALLY? It's a mammal. Also, does she _look_ slimy?


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## BigBen (Nov 22, 2011)

Lioness said:


> Teehee. It's old, but I sort of like this thread.
> Bigglesworth, one of my hairless girls, loved to shoulder-camp and I took her out often. My favorite weird comment was, "Eeew, is it slimy?" Really? REALLY? It's a mammal. Also, does she _look_ slimy?


"Yes, can't you see the mucus on her FUR??!!" People!???


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## sewbama (Oct 1, 2011)

The one time I told the people in the fabric store I was getting stuff for rats I got a good reaction. Mild curiosity. But I work in a pet store, and when we talk about our rats there, we get some crazy reactions. There's one woman who comes in for dog food and won't even walk around the register because that's too close to the rats (like 20 feet away). The rats are just above the hamsters, and most people are really ok with them. It's fun to teach someone that rats are great pets and very social. It does get insulting sometimes. Like one guy just walked up while I was showing a rat to someone else and said (in a very disgusted voice) "who the HE1L would want a RAT as a PET?!?!" I just looked him square in the face and said with a smile, "Me. I've got three". I usually answer that question that way, but that guy wasn't scared or curious, just had completely given in to a stereotype and wasn't willing to find out it wasn't the truth. I hate that. But most people are really happy to learn about rats as pets.


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## Lioness (Nov 11, 2011)

sewbama said:


> The one time I told the people in the fabric store I was getting stuff for rats I got a good reaction. Mild curiosity. But I work in a pet store, and when we talk about our rats there, we get some crazy reactions. There's one woman who comes in for dog food and won't even walk around the register because that's too close to the rats (like 20 feet away). The rats are just above the hamsters, and most people are really ok with them. It's fun to teach someone that rats are great pets and very social. It does get insulting sometimes. Like one guy just walked up while I was showing a rat to someone else and said (in a very disgusted voice) "who the HE1L would want a RAT as a PET?!?!" I just looked him square in the face and said with a smile, "Me. I've got three". I usually answer that question that way, but that guy wasn't scared or curious, just had completely given in to a stereotype and wasn't willing to find out it wasn't the truth. I hate that. But most people are really happy to learn about rats as pets.


Right. I think this is the thing that I don't like about most people (all topics, not just rats).
Why do they need to make nasty comments? Why is their goal for the day to make somebody feel inferior?


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

I've been lucky - both the gal at the fabric store and the fellow at the home improvement store were nice and very helpful. I'm sure they thought I was crazy, but they were at least polite about it.


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## RatMama13 (Aug 20, 2011)

i don't typically have reactions because the only time i've had to buy fleece (got a whole bag of large scraps free) I bought a tie blanket and so no one asked what it was for. But all my friends think i'm crazy because of the time, effort, and money i put into my rats. they still love me though


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## GhostMouse (Sep 6, 2011)

I went fabric shopping shortly after Christmas. Because of all the negative reactions I've heard about, I only told the woman cutting my fabric that I was making hammocks for "my pets." My mother was with me and she prompted, "Your pets, which are..." So I clarified that they're rats, and to my surprise the woman was very nice about it and told me about her daughter, who wants a hamster. I told her that a pair of rats would probably much friendlier and that I much prefer my rats to the hamster I used to have, and she said she'd look into them. 

The fabric store is right next to a Petco, so maybe they get more animal people in there than other fabric stores.


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## shawnalaufer (Aug 21, 2011)

LOL I had the woman at our fabric & craft store pull a face when she asked the same question and I told her the fleece was to make cage liners for our rats' cage. I thought about telling the next one that I was making a dog crate liner, to avoid the nasty comments they THOUGHT I couldn't hear after I walked away, but then thought "why should I care what she thinks? My rats are freaking AWESOME!" 
I have seen/had sweeter rats than most dogs and cats I have met, LOL!


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## Heathcliffe&Darcy (Feb 2, 2012)

I haven't faced any issues with keeping my adorable boys as pets (but it has only been a few days). The fleece we had around the house (my poor mother bought it 6 years ago to make blankets...never did). I keep reptiles, so people aren't too shocked to discover I also have pet ratties. I'm a crazy animal lady.


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## RatMama13 (Aug 20, 2011)

many people find my ratties fascinating. I took one into petco once and ended up spending 1.5 hrs telling people about them as pets. One lady spent 5 minutes petting cora before she said " I just remembered I don't really like rats but she's just so darn cute I can't help myself!"


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## kamii (Mar 14, 2012)

I'll be buying some fleece from a local shop I found recently... Curious to see what their reaction will be if they ask!


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## kamii (Mar 14, 2012)

Just thought I'd update on this.. Not only did one employee have rats and the little old lady who owns the place say she likes them, but she also said they have a guy nicknamed 'the ratman' come in with his ratties to buy hammock material for them! Thought it was brilliant


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## Lucys_Mom (Feb 27, 2012)

I got the same reaction yesterday. I told her how smart and sweet my rats are, while thinking in my head about how much fun it would be to bring them in with me to pick out their own fabric next time...i'd love to see the looks on those snobby ladies faces! haha! 

I am kinda pushy about my rats. When we have people over, I won't bring them out if the person is deathly afraid, but if they just say "gross" i bring out one of the babies or little ones, and say "isn't this adorable?!" Then i show them my favorite boy, he is huge and grey, and even scared me a bit at first. They are usually warmed up to them by then. I feel like if more people see how great they are, even if they don't want them as pets, maybe they won't set those cruel traps in their houses, or when someone tells them how gross rats are, they might say "my friend has a rat, and it's actually pretty cool"


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## moongate (Mar 12, 2012)

I'll never forget the night I brought home Pinky and Nichademus. I was on the bus and they were huddled in their carrier. I know prejudices people have against rats so when a girl leaned over and asked me what kind of animal I had in the carrier, I reluctantly told her and braced for the inevitable "Eyew!" But I was delightfully surprised when she leaned over, looked into the carrier and then commented on how cute they were. Moral of the story? People will fall in love with the babies.


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