# A rattie confession



## madihicks4 (Jul 2, 2014)

I think these are some of thing everyone has done although most won't admit it

1. Closed the cage door on a paw or tail 

2. Chosen a rat according to colour instead of personality

3. Lost one

4. Fed them too many treats

5. Snuck a rat into a NOPET store

Although some of you probably haven't done these things. Some of you can relate. I feel so bad and just wanted to confess. I'm a bad owner lok


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

Guilty of all but the last, but I'm sure that'll change soon if I'm able to successfully shoulder rat train. I've done A LOT of stepping on tails too. They just choose to stand right under my feet when I'm trying to do things and. Try to avoid them but they constantly move! I always feel terrible. And this one awful, awful time Naydeen was running around on the floor and I was sitting in a rolling computer chair trying to catch her (he wasn't allowed free range yet) and I rolled over her foot! I tried to roll off of it but ended up just rolling over it again and again! I felt HORRIBLE. I peeled some skin, but other than that she was thankfully okay! I haven't sat in that chair with them out since. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Aeyna (Jun 16, 2014)

I've done all but #2 and #3. Now my birth mother at one point bought me a rat because of color instead of personality, but since it wasn't me I'm not counting it, lol. I took the rats to a pizza place and fed them stuff from the salad bar once, but that was 5 years ago with my first rats. 

And two weeks ago I shut the door of the rats old cage on Olivia's hand. I felt really bad, but to some extent think it was her fault too... She reached up so fast.


----------



## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I've pretty much done just about all of these at some point. >.<


----------



## Jessiferatu (Apr 30, 2014)

Too many treats, yes. Lol. It's hard not to! And I did close the cage on Opie's tail once. I felt SO bad.


----------



## Mischief (Jun 27, 2014)

I'm laughing at the rolling chair story but I also feel SO horrible about it! Lol! I was just in shock at the story until "...ended up just rolling over it again and again!" LOL OMG. Poor ratty. <3

I had to move myself and my rats home to my parents this summer, and since I let them free range ALL the time in my own house I often leave the cage door open until I leave the house. They like to explore the top of the cage but I also want them able to access their food and water in the cage. One day I forgot to close the cage door before I left for work and when I came home 14 hours later two of the three were nowhere to be found. I immediately hit panic mode because until then I was unaware that they'd figured out how to get to the floor from the cage (I have a Critter Nation) and my mom's dog is overly fascinated with the rats and would probably kill them if face-to-face. I destroyed my entire bedroom and ran through the whole house hoping to find them before my mom did. Eventually I found them, after having to tell my very angry mom that two rats were missing. They were hiding out behind the drawers of my end table. -____-


----------



## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

Here's all of mine explained a bit more, but I think I could come up with multiple ones for each one.

1. Closed the cage door on a paw or tail - Many times. My old rat Molly used to get her toes stuck on a certain part in the doorway of the rat manor.

2. Chosen a rat according to colour instead of personality - Pastoolio was chosen according to color. Molly and Toast were also chosen for their color and gender. 

3. Lost one - When I first caught Lynn outside I lost her again in my car until my boyfriend and I managed to catch her after looking for her under all of the car seats. 

4. Fed them too many treats - They are starting to get smart with their tricks. I am going to have to think of new ones because their old ones are too easy now. Pastoolio has also stolen a giant chunk of a chocolate chip cookie from me before. >.>

5. Snuck a rat into a NOPET store - I recently took Pastoolio to eat ice cream with me. Toast has been into my local grocery store, and he once went to the bowling ally with me. The employees there loved him and disregarded the "no pet" rule. Lol.


----------



## madihicks4 (Jul 2, 2014)

I'm glad I'm not the only one that does these bad things! Full of regret! One time I bought a blue fancy rat an she turned out to be evil. I never thought a rat could be evil but jelly-bean was. I made the mistake of buying her because o her colour and she was terrified of people and no matter what I did she still wouldn't trust me. If I free-ranged her she would hide and not come out. She wouldn't let me touch her and she bit everyone. She made me bleed. I still loved her till the end. She died month ago and shortly before she died she began to sleep in my arms. This was probably only because she was sick but I think she actually liked me. Anyway, I made 2 mistakes. Choosing her for her colour and getting her from a petstore


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## annoellyn (Sep 19, 2013)

ooooh, i used to accidentally catch tails in the door of the cage. made me feel terrible all the time. since i've gotten the critternation i haven't had it happen once thank god.
the only other thing i've done on that lost is feed too many treats - but come on, who can resist there cute faces?

i may, in the future, be guilty of picking a rat by color but both times i've gotten my pairs (one pair of from a pet store and one pair from a rescue), they were the only ones available.

i've never snuck a rattie into a store but i've always wanted too, lol. 

and thankfully i've never lost one.


----------



## Jackie (Jan 31, 2013)

1. Closed the cage door on a paw or tail 
YES AND THIS IS THE WORST. Lucky in a DCN the doors are nice and don't do that but I got toes and tails in the rat manor and it's heart breaking.

2. Chosen a rat according to colour instead of personality
My first 2 girls were the only ones there but I had like 10 to pick from for my 3rd girl and picked the cutest one. Temperament was even though across the board as well as for my newest two girls. There were a bunch of siamese so I just picked one and then my other girl was both super cute and friendly.

3. Lost one
No none have escaped. Phew!

4. Fed them too many treats
I actually don't think I've done this. I try not to let them have a ton of bad stuff.

5. Snuck a rat into a NOPET store
No. I have taken one rat out only once and didn't go into any stores.

How about... 
Gone without cleaning their cage for too long? I hate that but it's happened to me before. No good excuse for it.


----------



## cammipooh (Apr 26, 2014)

I'm guilty of the first two. /: whenever I closed a paw or tail I immediately open the cage, pick them up, and give them lots of hugs and kisses and profusely apologizing. Haha

Love, Cameron and Sneezes


----------



## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

I've done all but # two :/


----------



## ratswithfoxandbear (Feb 12, 2014)

I did not do many of these, but I have rushed introductions that led to some injuries. This is my big confession because it was such a stupid mistake on my part! Whether you have done the ones listed or others... mistakes definitely happen!


----------



## xColdBones (Jun 21, 2014)

I've definitely closed the door on Jenny's paws before. I feel so bad because she yelps when it happens and I always pick her up and hold her, making sure she's okay. I've fed them too many treats before as well, very rarely, but I have done it. I've never lost one, but Pepper did run off when I first got her and it took me and hour to catch her. I will never sneak one into a no pet store, just because I'm too scared someone will hit one out of fear, or security throwing me out. Too risky. I actually have done #2.. when I got my baby Heaven. There were two rats available, a champagne one with ruby eyes, and a hooded black and white one. I already have two black and white girls, (Jenny is capped) and this one looked a lot like Pepper, who is hooded. They both seemed sweet, and I felt bad for the one I left. I made sure to put my hand in and see how they reacted, and they both sniffed but I picked the champagne one, just because of the reason I stated. I don't regret it though because Heaven is really sweet, and we did some good bonding before the long drive home.


----------



## Skoll (Jun 24, 2014)

I've done all of them too, including the added "not cleaning the cage as often as it should be" one ^__^; I always felt so bad for smushing poor Moo's little toes, but she just wanted out so bad I had to be fast to keep her in the cage!


----------



## Marie5656 (Jun 1, 2014)

OK, I did close the carrier door on a paw once, unhappy rat. I am on the fence about the choosing because of color one, I knew we wanted females, and the only two they had at the rescue were Roxy and Miss Daisy. SO, it was gender and color here. Though Rick was thrilled to get red eyed rats.


----------



## madihicks4 (Jul 2, 2014)

It is ok too choose a rat according to gender because there is reasoning behind it. A cute rat might also be a anti-social rat. You never know. If you're somewhere that all the rats are kind and friendly, then you can choose according to colour. This is just my opinion


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I do advocate some choosing due to color. With five Greys, two hoodeds and three blacks, my mischief is hard to tell apart. If I were to add, it would be a new color so I don't seem crazy when I'm the only one who can tell who is who. 

I have;
Over fed treats (ESP. Ones I knew weren't the healthiest)
Put off cleaning the cag
Closed the door on half a rat!
Lost several of my rats, some at the same time, some as babies. 
Other bad owner traits would be unsupervised free range (which I advocate against) or skipped free range for no reason really
I hve gotten mad at my rats, person to person like. 
I have allowed them to play In or with stuff I probably shouldn't have but had no particular reason to stop them (currently this is a bag of ht blocks that got smushed to dust so mehhh)


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## rainbowrats (Jul 25, 2013)

Ugh, the closing door one should be easy to NOT do when you have a CN, but I managed to ALMOST close a door on Olivia's entire head because she was on the second level and had put her head out and down to look at the floor... I started to close it and she squeaked really loud and I had to pick her up and give her some cuddles before she stopped being scared of me. I felt SO bad...


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

rainbowrats said:


> Ugh, the closing door one should be easy to NOT do when you have a CN, but I managed to ALMOST close a door on Olivia's entire head because she was on the second level and had put her head out and down to look at the floor... I started to close it and she squeaked really loud and I had to pick her up and give her some cuddles before she stopped being scared of me. I felt SO bad...



Same here!



Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

I did pick Cricket for her color... She is so pretty and her red eyes sealed it for me. But honestly for me if i didnt use color as a factor sometimes I'd have all the animals. Doesn't always work, i've tried the color thing with other animals and just fallen in love so then I go with my heart. I squished Cricket's head at the top of the door omce when she jumped on my hand and tried to run out. I didnt realize her head was out till i lifted my arm to block her. Freaked me out but she didnt seem to mind at all. I am so worried i will shut a tail or pawn in the door....


----------



## gotchea (May 4, 2013)

Ahh so many stories that have me laughing and cringing at the same time. I haven't shut my rat in a cage yet (but he is still just a few months old.) But when he was very small I under estimated his jumping abilities and he jumped out of the container I had him in when I was sleep and came into my bed and was sleeping in my hair and I rolled over on him  I didn't know he was there and he squeaked and I kinked his tail!! It is straight now, but I felt AWFUL when it happened.


----------



## isabelleharris (Jul 15, 2014)

Ive closed the door once on my one males paw. Ive also lost my little Jane in my room multiple times because shes very sneaky, My little Susie has snuck out of my office and crawled into a hole in our bathroom wall. It took until 1 am to get her out after destroying our bathroom wall


----------



## rileys-mom (May 26, 2014)

1. Closed the cage door on a paw or tail - I try to make sure all rats and their appendages are inside the cage before I close them in. What we have to particularly watch for is where we sit. The cage is right next to the couch and when open the ratties can come out on the furniture. We have to look carefully before we sit down. 

2. Chosen a rat according to colour instead of personality - All my rats have been rescues, so color wasn't really an option.

3. Lost one - haven't actually lost one. My girls are a flight risk so I keep a close eye on them. Riley never strays far from me.

4. Fed them too many treats - yes. Definitely. I must have been a Jewish mother in a former life. 

5. Snuck a rat into a NOPET store - I'd be too afraid they'd run off and get lost.


----------



## rileys-mom (May 26, 2014)

Awww...how sweet that he wanted to sleep with you. I've considered napping with a rat, but I'm afraid I'd roll over on them.


----------



## rileys-mom (May 26, 2014)

Little rodents are so sneaky. I raised 3 orphan baby squirrels last year. I had them in a spare bedroom and one afternoon I let them have the run of the room while I made dinner. When I went back in to check on them two were missing and one was dangling on the edge of the air conditioning vent (it was missing the grate) at the top of the ceiling. How they got up there I have no idea, but I knew 2 of them had vanished over the edge and into the abyss of the duct. 

I was having a panic attack. My sweet, sweet husband went downstairs into the garage and cut a hole in the duct that spans the length of the house. Peering into the duct those two little devils were in their having a ball. I finally coaxed them out with walnuts. 

The things we do for these little creatures.


----------



## bekahbunny (Jun 29, 2014)

I have done #3 and #4,, but I found him! after a night of searching, he went right back in his cage . _ .


----------



## gotchea (May 4, 2013)

rileys-mom said:


> Little rodents are so sneaky. I raised 3 orphan baby squirrels last year. I had them in a spare bedroom and one afternoon I let them have the run of the room while I made dinner. When I went back in to check on them two were missing and one was dangling on the edge of the air conditioning vent (it was missing the grate) at the top of the ceiling. How they got up there I have no idea, but I knew 2 of them had vanished over the edge and into the abyss of the duct.
> 
> I was having a panic attack. My sweet, sweet husband went downstairs into the garage and cut a hole in the duct that spans the length of the house. Peering into the duct those two little devils were in their having a ball. I finally coaxed them out with walnuts.
> 
> The things we do for these little creatures.


I LOVED this story! haha What ended up happening with them? You set them free?


----------



## TatsuKitty (Feb 9, 2014)

guilty of one through four. I think I was more upset than pocky was about the tail. D:


----------



## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

I have fed my rats too many treats a few times. I shut the cage door on my poor daisy's head she wasn't supposed to be looking down and I realized a tad too late. I lost my rat Sophie (RIP) after I went to a friends something was pushing against her cage and made a small opening she was gone for 2 days but I finally found the poor baby. I've gone a little longer than I should have without cleaning their cage  I was looking on CL for rats and had gotten a couple replies. I ended up getting Alice and Daisy because I fell in love with how Daisy looks she's gorgeous but they've been excellent girls so I don't feel too bad. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

1. Closed the cage door on a paw or tail -- I've caused a few squeaks doing this, but I've actually caught Pooka's toes/tail OPENING the door. Not sure how it exactly it caught him, but it happened twice.

2. Chosen a rat according to colour instead of personality -- Since I told the breeder what I wanted before they were even born, I guess I did choose Gus Gus and Bartok by color/ear type. For Silver, I can't say her blue color wasn't a factor, but I think I mostly just felt an inexplicable attachment to her. She also was the sweetest rat at the petstore at the time. I probably would have come come with her no matter what color she was, but her color did make the choice somewhat easy.

3. Lost one -- Define this please, lol. Once Eevee climbed to the roof of the DCN and I didn't notice, but when I realized I didn't see her in the cage I knew where she was. I shook the treat box and her head popped out. Aside from that an an incident where a rat got loose behind a TV (and was promptly caught), I haven't lost any. Pooka almost got loose today after something scared him, though. My arms are all scratched up thanks to it, lol.

4. Fed them too many treats -- Again, define "too many." I don't know what would count as too many. None of my rats are fat... aside from Peaches, but she was fat before I started feeding treats and didn't gain weight because of it. I don't really limit how many treats I give them. I give "as needed" which usually means a few treats for each one or twice a day. I did limit Pooka's intake of treats because he was a baby and I didn't want him to eat anything that wouldn't help him gain weight (he was very bony).

5. Snuck a rat into a NOPET store -- Nope and I wouldn't. I may take Pooka to a Home Depot after I get him trained to stay on my shoulder, but it's not No Pet. One person there even wants me to bring my rats in.


----------

