# Taking pet rats places



## experimentallain (Jun 18, 2016)

So I have been taking my pet rats with me to other people's houses (with their OK, only places with no other pets and such). I was wondering, because my big carrier has broken, if it is possible to take just one of the three with me places in a small carrier? Or would I be better off waiting until I can buy a large plastic carrier and secure it with mesh? They do seem to enjoy meeting new people and such I'm just nervous to have them on shoulders (especially with three of them) with the whole other people might freak out on public transport thing. I don't think I'm allowed to take them on public transport without a carrier anyway.


----------



## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Don't put them on your shoulders in public transport, way too dangerous. People will freak out and if they fell on the ground (likely in busy situations) will be step on intentionally or not.


----------



## experimentallain (Jun 18, 2016)

:/ Thats why I said I don't want to. I'm asking if I should take one with me in a carrier while I get myself a big carrier.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

OK, so I train shoulder rats...


Maxi Rat









Fuzzy Rat
https://vid.me/bYiW

https://vid.me/3edL

Misty Rat
https://vid.me/SgmU

Cloudy Rat









These girls were/are highly trained true shoulder rats. Misty Rat is still with us, and I'm currently working with two more girls and a boy.

Training shoulder rats and working with them is about the most dangerous thing you can do with rats, especially while you are learning to be a trainer and handler yourself. If you have the right rat and you become a skillful rat trainer and handler, there's absolutely nothing more fun you can do with your rats, but it's also the very best way to get your rats killed or lost and it only takes one mistake.

http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?51718-Shoulder-Rats-and-all-out-of-home-rat-activities

Here's a link to my post on the subject... If you have a special rat and you are willing to invest the effort and time, shoulder ratting is doable, never safe, but you can keep the odds in your favor. But just taking your rats outside without training and testing them first is going to end badly... 

It's one of those things you want to do right or not do at all. As to how many rats to work with... I'd recommend you only take one out with you. Having two rats in training take off in two opposite directions is something I don't recommend for beginners... I've been training shoulder rats for years and two weeks ago was the first time I ever took 3 (one true shoulder rat an two trainee rats) out on shoulder... It was like having a fur collar, but my daughter came along to assist in case of emergency... I had to do it... being the Times Square Rat Cowboy works with 3 shoulder rats and I just had to give it a try, but I walked along a highway to get to the store and when the tractor trailers blew by... it got pretty hairy with two rats under my shirt and the other in my arms... I did also draw a little attention walking into the store covered in rats. To be honest, three rats was a real challenge. I should be doing it again soon and maybe I'll do a vid. I'm actually not doing as much work with the three girls as I should, because I'm also training a boy, who can't go outside with the girls... and he's just so much fun and so easy to work with. 

But seriously... I've trained four true shoulder rats, I've also coached some other people with their shoulder rats... At any time there are no more than a hundred to a couple of hundred true shoulder rats in the world... (many people don't even know they exist) and there's a very good reason the fraternity is so small... because you only need to screw up once and you come home with one fewer rat than you started your day with.

It's all or nothing... please do it right, or don't do it at all.


----------



## Kelsbels (Aug 12, 2015)

You can take one of them in your small carrier just as long as they aren't stuck there all day.

I take my rats in plastic carriers on public transport and no one bats an eye. Then again the Berlin transport is very relaxed (you can even take miniature horses on the train). If the carrier is small enough you can put it in a breathable bag to give them more privacy. I fill my carriers up with fleece so they can burrow during travel. I don't know if I answered your question


----------



## experimentallain (Jun 18, 2016)

Rat Daddy, I've started reading the thread and while I think one of my previous rats may have been a candidate to be a shoulder rat, im not sure if any of my boys are (if only because I haven't worked with them long enough to know them well enough). There's one of them, Junkrat, who maybe could be an indoor shoulder rat. I'm obviously quite cautious (as anyone should be) about training them but I'll definitely keep training them with basic commands at least and if I want to train them further I might come to you if that is okay. I'm disabled (mental illness stuff) and do well with a constant companion while outside, which unfortunately isn't always possible. You've given me a lot to think about and consider! I think I've known one person with a true shoulder rat (though she didn't call her such because she didn't know the term). Went with her everywhere, loud places and everything. Wore a loose collar/necklace so people without taking it off ever (a small strip of leather that would slide over her head) so people could see she wasn't a wild rat.


----------



## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

Yes, you can take one rat in a small carrier with you until you are able to replace your larger carrier.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I've known one shoulder ratter who had her rat listed as a legal 'companion animal'... If I recall correctly her rat was also disabled...(deaf). Which no doubt helped with loud noises. 

Yesterday I had all three girls at our safe site and today I took Spot. Spot's working on walking at heel and well the girls are just being nuts... Even at our safe site Bunny discovered the wonders of digging under masonry features and Spot discovered a fenced in area we couldn't follow him into... And Misty discovered a drain pipe and a luxurious hiding shrub, which she scent marked for Spot... Misty found a little girl with a hoodie to snuggle with and Bunny had fun being chased around by a flock of kids... Lucky isn't being very social with strangers and neither is Spot although he's actually making the most progress otherwise and we've discovered he's got some real tree climbing skills. Obeying 'come' is still pretty situational for everybody... Training 4 shoulder rats at once is something of a flying circus... But most importantly we're working at our 40 acre safe site. Which by the way was a lot safer with only one rat to manage at a time... Even with 40 acres to work with three rats heading in different directions can test the abilities of 2 experienced rat trainers. And it appears that both Bunny and Spot have twilight fever... They go bonkers at sunset... Which is kind of fun at a safe site, but would otherwise be an issue everywhere else....

The most important thing to know is that you need a good safe site to train your rat at. Start with only one rat and train and test it there. Some great indoor rats just freak out outdoors and some crazy indoor rats somehow stabilize when they hit outdoor stress levels and become real winners... But you can't tell anything until you get to a safe site to start training and testing... You pretty much need things to go wrong so you can work on fixing them... Some things you can train your rats to do or not do, and some things you have to learn to manage or avoid. 

I'm going to add a new twist on shoulder rat training with 3 rats... after a whole evening outdoors our rats have gained a new self confidence and desire to explore... and they are tearing the house apart looking for excitement and adventure... When rats become shoulder rats their mind set changes... they become more alert and awake and curious... their world has suddenly gotten much bigger along with their ego's and sense of independence... Normally this isn't a big deal but with 4 rats all "evolving" at once in competition with each other life in the house isn't safe anymore... and I think I might be coming down with PTSD....

Now.... the Times Square Rat Cowboy... likely the only professional shoulder ratter works with 3 true shoulder rats... he charges people for photos with his rats, we don't charge... So I'm not giving up until I have some photos of three rats on shoulder... and maybe 4.... even if it turns out that Spot is going to be on top of one of the girls while my daughter snaps the pic... (actually I'm kind of hoping that someone talks me out of this particularly stupid idea) But I think 4 trained rats would be the record on shoulder in public at once. In any event, for those of you who follow snap chat someone posted Spot to their account today... 

I do work with a relatively select small group of people to train their shoulder rats every year. This is a very dangerous activity and I only work with people who take their rat's safety seriously. I follow the methods I outline in my thread. I understand that everyone I work with is going to be a risk taker, but I don't work with people who are more reckless than I am. And in the end, I can't promise anyone that they aren't going to get their rat killed or lost. Teaching someone to jump motorcycles (for example) isn't the same thing as catching them when they hit the ramp off center... If you are serious about finding a safe site and doing a little training and testing there, PM me and I might be able to help keep the odds in your favor.

Best luck.


----------



## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

Rat Daddy do yourself a favor and get Spot neutered. You know you don't want to have to find homes for 14 more. Is that what you meant by talking you out of that stupid idea? Did it work?


----------



## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

3 pregnant girls = 20 to 45 baby rats. It only takes 1 second per rat, literally- no one can react quick enough to stop that.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Thank you Raindear and Gribouilli.... keep reminding me that it only takes a few seconds for rats to do what rats do... To my knowledge no one has ever worked with 4 shoulder rats outdoors at once, especially an intact mixed group... 

It would be so cool to be the first.. and to get a vid or a photo of it... And Spot is really coming along nicely.... Misty is great and the other girls, well they are tweaky but manageable... And I can almost see myself in the vid or the photos.... It's so tempting... I have the rats.... I have the place.... I've got a spotter and photographer.... I have a travel cage to take Spot safely in the car.... Then there is a good chance with everything else going on outdoors that Spot would be too distracted to do what rats naturally do, at least until I get a video or some photos.... And maybe the girls won't be in heat.... And I'll be right there to break things up before they go too far...

And then I get flashes of all of the rats piled up on my shoulder having an orgy... That might make for a pretty hilarious picture or video, but 20 to 45 pups would be a nightmare that won't go away... 

By nature, I calculate risks and when I feel the odds are in my favor, I go for it... but by the very nature of all of the variables involved with taking 4 rats outside together in a mixed sex group, something I've never attempted, things can go terribly wrong... very quickly so I can't begin to calculate the odds... which makes this a go for broke kind of thing.

So I'm right on the fence... and I appreciate your help in keeping me from going over the top and yes, at least it worked for today. The girls are safely in their cage and Spot is on top keeping them company... safely separated by bars.... and yes, he's figured out how to press himself between the cage and the wall to get his belly or back preened when the girls are in a good mood. Later on, he'll get to hang out in their cage while they free range.

Again, thanks for the good advise and support for my better angels. Three rats free ranging outdoors is pretty impressive, and it's fun and challenging enough for now. It's even more fun when other kids and people get involved, but dang, wouldn't an outdoor play session with 4 rats be something to see? And yes... I know down deep it's a stupid, stupid and stupid idea....

So here's Spot now... he used the litter box on my desk, avoided stepping on my keyboard and had me open the screen so he could hang his head out of the window... it's 30 feet up so he won't jump out... and now he's exploring my office... he really is a very good and well behaved boy. And that's likely to last about three seconds if he gets into direct contact with my girls... I do know better... but it's so tempting....


----------



## Fu-Inle (Jan 22, 2015)

Well if you get him neutered you can have them free range all together


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I unfortunately live in one of those places were neuters and tumor removals are big bucks. Since the State has picked up the tab for many if not most cat and dog neuters they aren't looking for extra business. Most won't even see rats, and those that do charge 'exotic animal' rates. Given a choice I'd rather have the girls neutered for health reasons. Maybe if Spot didn't have such a nice disposition and good temperament things might be different....

We just got in from the park and today Spot let a couple of people hold him... He's not big on strangers yet, but we are making progress... Our park has been turned into a pokemon go site... So I wasn't the only person at the park with a wireless interactive handheld something... there were hundreds of young people communing with their handy phones... Seriously... I was walking a rat and for the first time ever... I felt more normal than everyone else there. Oddly enough I also met a few people who owned or had owned fancy rats and one that wanted them... I always get the ferret or guinea pig comments, but today 4 people recognized Spot was a rat and one ever called out to me "Nice Fancy Rat!" Can the world actually be changing? I guess it's a brave new world with internet gamers and shoulder rats taking over the park. And there was even still a dog walker there, boy did she look confused.


----------

