# Harnesses and "Shoulder Rats" (Lots of Reading, Sorry)



## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

So before I start, please know that I in no way consider myself a shoulder rat expert, and this isn't me talking down to people, rather it's a caution/rant/thoughts sort of thing.



When I first became a rat owner, I had no clue what I was doing. I wasn't even planning on really paying much attention to my rat, I just thought she would be this thing in a plastic bin in the corner of my room, for the most part left to her own devices. I never intended on forming a relationship with her. Then I found Rat Forum, and as I learned more about my rat, I saw how awesome she was, and I was even more excited when I found out that there were many people who took their rats outdoors. I HAD to try it, I wanted to take her to Petsmart, but because of the sign on the door saying "leashed and vaccinated pets welcome", I thought I needed a harness in order to bring her in. I rushed out and bought one, and when I tried to get her into it I found that she HATED it and kept easily wriggling out of it. Then someone told me that I didnt need one to bring her in Petsmart, so I returned the harness and just brought my rats in my hoodie. From there I learned about true shoulder rats, and so I decided to train one of my girls to be one so that she could go places with me. 
So the topic of harnesses always comes up on the forum, and almost always someone chimes in that harnesses are not a for sure guard against your rat getting hurt or running away because rats are designed to wriggle out of tight spaces, so a harness isnt escape proof. Harnesses can make you feel like your rat is safe, and that's where you get your guard down, and then that's when disaster happens. I used to think a harness was a good idea too, until I learned all that from this forum. So today on the infamous Rat Fan Club Facebook page, a person posted this:
---"I just took my most affectionate ratty on a walk with me but want a leash because he's too precious to lose! Please offer up advice and opinions on various rat leashes."---
So then here's how the discussion went from there:
ME:---"Leashes and harnesses are not a fool proof way to keep a rat safe. Rats are designed to be able to contort their bodies to slip out of tight spaces. If your rat isn't the type you can trust to put him/her on the ground and they won't run off, then it's best to keep your rat indoors. You wouldn't want to put your trust in a piece of rope, you want to be able to trust your rat to stay by your side outdoors as well as have the right balance of caution, curiosity, and willingness to respond to commands. Just a thought, I take my rat outside too, but I don't use a harness, she's a trained shoulder rat. Stay safe!"---
OP:---"He stays on me but I'm just like "WHAT IF he got scared or something and jumped?!"---
ME: ---"If he's the type to startle and jump, it's probably not the safest to be taking him outside. Taking a rat outside is never a safe thing to do, but if you do decide to, you've got to have a rat with the right kind of personality. You've got to be able to know that in the event that your rat gets off you and touches the ground, they won't freak our and run off and get killed. Otherwise, it just isn't safe to take them outside."---
By this point, the OP stopped responding to me and directed her comments to the others who commented telling her what she wanted to hear (which harnesses are best)
Then someone else chimed in and said to me:
---"Kaitlin, rats just like all other animals are never 100% bomb proof. Things happen and it is best to have just a back up if possible. Just cause I have a mouse that will happily sit on my shoulder and nest in my hair doesn't mean that if something spooks him that he is going to go on instincits and try to bolt. Same with my STO, she is getting to the point she will chill on me but the first loud noise or a sudden movement has her bolting for cover... normally it is her pouch but she has this weird bolt that normally over shoots her pouch and she is on the floor.---"
ME: ---"Yes of course, accidents do and will happen. And for most rats, due to their natural instinct to startle and run for cover, should not be taken outside, purely for the safety of the animal. I have four, and I only take one outside because she is trained and she has a special personality. I take her places with me, and I willingly put her on the ground to use the bathroom/explore. The other three I have no idea what they would do if I put them on the ground of if they got away, but I know it would not end well for them because they just don't have the right personality. There's nothing wrong with that of course, all rats are special in their own way, but not every rat is outside adventurer material.---"
It seemed like they werent understanding what I was trying to say. I think they thought I was saying a harness wasnt necessary, when actually I was saying a harness is a bad idea overall. 


Before I ever read anything by Rat Daddy, I thought that any rat that sat on someone's shoulder was a shoulder rat. Then of course, I learned about the difference between a rat put on a shoulder, and a true shoulder rat. What I found most interesting about all of it was how not every rat has the potential to be one, how it has to be one with a special personality. I have one true shoulder rat, but we are very new to it all and we still have so much to learn as rat and trainer. And as much as I would love for all four of my kids to have that kind of personality, they just dont, and they never will. They're great in their own way, but they definitely aren't true shoulder rat or even limited material, and knowing that I will never take them outdoors, no matter how badly I want to or no matter how much I tell myself nothing will happen to them. I dont know how they will react if they fall or somehow manage to get on the ground, the only thing I am for sure of is it will not end well. So I guess a major issue with people taking their rats outside is they fear the rat somehow falling and getting on the ground, and the reason they fear that is because they dont know what will happen. They cant trust their rat once it touches the ground and is out of their hands, so to combat that they think a harness will do the trick. Of course, its always extremely dangerous to take a rat outside even with a trained shoulder rat, so you still have to be alert and observant of your surroundings and anticipating any potential danger, but for the most part if your rat is on the ground you know how they will react and you can anticipate what they might do next. 
What I was frustrated with in this Facebook discussion was how this person clearly didnt trust their rat on the ground, and yet was still determined to take it outside and thought a harness would eliminate any danger. It just didnt make sense how she needed to take him outside, despite her fears of him startling and jumping/falling off her shoulder. If her rat just isnt the type for the outside world, she shouldnt try and force it to be and by doing so put its life in danger.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Odds are that you were the only person on that face book page that actually had a clue what you were talking about. You did what you could to help, that's all you can do.

Most likely the OP isn't even going to get out of the bedroom before their rats slips out of the harness and saves his own life.

Be kind to those folks that don't know what they are talking about, you can't outshout a crowd of ignorant people. They don't own a true shoulder rat, they don't understand the risks, most never even took their rats outdoors and yet they are giving bad advise that someone else that doesn't want to hear the truth is looking to hear.

When browsing sites that are 100 years behind you, be very careful what you say, they burn what they can't understand. And the people who do know better don't want their membership to know better ways of doing things because it undermines them as experts. 

You tried, I respect you for that. Just remember, there's nothing to be gained by picking a fight with people who don't want to know better or people that know better and don't want to be undermined by the truth. 

If someone asks for advise, I'll help them, but if they don't listen I still with them the best of luck and let them find their own way... When their way doesn't work most people figure it out for themselves. Then it's up to them what they do.

You did your best and you learned a valuable lesson. Don't let people who don't want your help or don't let you help upset you.


----------



## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

That's why I wish more rat owners were on this forum, there's so much to learn here. But people will think what they want, and it's even harder online for people to misunderstand you, and so easy for them to ignore you. Oh well :/ 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

*even more likely (not harder)


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------

