# Rats as classroom pets?



## Maddie (Jan 13, 2014)

I've started teaching in a school that I love! I hope if things go well I can stay there for a long time. In this particular school the classrooms can have class pets, and I've seen a big variety of class pets. I've been considering getting a pair of rats (not taking my guys/girls from home) to bring in as our class pets. From what I can tell in the other classrooms the kids are very helpful with the animals, and during the classes they literally will just pass the class pet down the line and let them roam on their desk or sit on their shoulder ect. 

I know on all rat sites I've visited it's always been a big push to encourage showing others that rats are great pets, intelligent and not disgusting. I thought "this would be a great way to try that!" What do you guys thing? Obviously I would still be doing the major caretaking of these animals, and I go in and work on the weekends. It's not like they would be left there alone with no attention. I know with the kids we would have to spend some time talking about the best way to handle them and what they should and shouldn't do ect, but I thought it might be a great learning experience for the kids.

What do you guys thing? Are there any teachers out there that have done this? Successful or not I would love to hear about it.


----------



## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

I wouldn't but I have a bias against children and do not think they should be around animals for the safety of the animal.

If you did go forward I would advise a pair of older, large, heavyweight males that are relaxed and calm. They will be able to handle any mistakes without easily getting injured, move more slowly than babies or females, and males tend to be much more cuddly and calm.


----------



## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

I have never been in a class that had a class pet but my brother did. They had a guinea pig (forget it's name) that lived for a couple years (or more I'm not sure, I was young at the time) and the teacher even let students take it home on occasions (my brother got it twice before it unfortunately passed away) but I think rats would be good for younger classes that can play with them and give them the attention they need since as people grow older they tend to lose the want to play. Personally I don't know about leaving them in the class room over night though but that's just me since I get really anxious when I don't have them around me or easy for me to check on.


----------



## Mrs.Brisby (Jan 4, 2014)

My high school biology teacher kept a chinchilla as a classroom pet for a bit but had to take it home because kids would poke him through the bars with fingers, pencils, really whatever they could get a hold of. They shoved paper and plastic and who knows what else into the chinchilla's cage. Also the classroom was always really loud. It was just a really stressful environment for the poor chinchilla. If you did get a class pet I would suggest getting something that could be kept in a tank like an interesting fish, hermit crab, or small lizard/snake. That way the kids wouldn't be able to poke the animal.


----------



## Pandorascaisse (Mar 12, 2014)

It depends on the age of the students you're having handle them and the particular class you have themselves. For some classes, this would be great! For others... a disaster.

However, the whole not letting kids handle small animal things is exactly why so many small animals end up being neglected or abused by even older owners. If you never had dogs as a child, you'd have a super hard time learning how to train/deal with them when you were an adult if you'd never been exposed to them before. Accidents with pets and children happen when children aren't properly taught beforehand how to handle animals. 

If you're using them for younger children, I would go through "lessons" first - get little rat-sized pillows and teach all the children how to pick them up, carry them, etc, etc. Only let the most soft-handed children handle the rats first, then as the other kids start to pick it up by the modeling, they can handle them as well, with hawk-like supervision.


----------



## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

Mammals don't make good class pets and I hate seeing them in class. Maybe for high schoolers in an advanced Biology class but Elementary/Grade school is to risky. Even if you go in every weekend, there will still be large periods of time left alone in a dark and hot or cold classroom. Every school I have ever been go turns off their AC at night and on weekends, or has it run very limited. You would have to have a plan for breaks and summer as well. Do kids take them home, do you take them home? It is also a loud and noisy enviorment that can be very stressful, and the lights in most schools are harsh. And you might have good kids now but all it takes is one. Heck you even have to worry about the janitors. My AP Bio teacher had a near perfect self contained saltwater tank that the janitors and some adult ESL students who barrowed the class one time, destroyed. Most classes don't have the space needed for most animals aside from maybe mice or hamsters. My daycare as a child had a bun. Someone took him home every weekend and a kids brother killed him. Threw him at the ground. I'd second either a fish tank (with lid) or calm reptile. Something easier to control its enviroment.


----------



## PawsandClaws (Jul 22, 2014)

It just isn't very practical as others have stated. Children in a classroom setting are too unpredictable and I can guarantee that accidents will happen. It is difficult enough teaching one child how to handle and treat an animal correctly, let alone a classroom of kids. I understand what you are trying to accomplish, but I just do not think it is a great life for a pet.


----------



## Raticle_Rats (Oct 8, 2014)

I agree with Pandorascaisse, depends on the age of the children. I honestly think the rats would be safer with a younger age group rather than older. Being taught how to treat a living creature with love, care, and kindness before they can be corrupted is such a great idea. You could also teach them about classical conditioning! Bonus! 
I don't think allowing the kids to take them home would be wise. I also don't think it would be ok for them to be left alone for breaks or long weekends. But, if you already own rats you know all of that.
My vote: go for it!


----------



## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

I say go for it, but be very wary. Since you're new to the school, take a bit to get a feel for the types of kids you'll have in your class (yes, I know, they'll be different every year, but you can get a feel for the age group). There are so many things that can go wrong, but I feel like proper preparation and planning could help to avert most disasters. If you decide against the rats, I suggest a good hardy omnivorous lizard (preferably one that can't lose its tail >.<).


----------



## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

Whatever you do please don't get a reptile.

They have very delicate systems, much more so than any mammal, are more likely to bite (depends on species) and it's very easy to roast or freeze one out if a child tampers with heating or lighting. 

There is no place for such a creature in a classroom. They deserve better. Frankly so do rats but they are more forgiving and understanding than most reptiles and harder to kill by accident.

Really, I wouldn't do it at all. It makes my stomach churn to think of it. A school is high stress no matter how you cut it.

Maybe an ant farm or even a nice madagascar hissing roach or a colony would be much better choices. Or millipedes. None of the above are super sensitive or delicate, not easy to stress, not dangerous, really easy to care for, and awesome look don't touch pets. All herbivores. Kids can be involved in feeding them things like bananas and strawberries.


----------



## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

This comes back around to the never-ending rant about getting kids pets. It's ultimately the job of the adult to make sure that the animal has what it needs and that nothing is being tampered with. Honestly, it's not all gloom and doom with kids. Yes, there are going to be some little jerks in the making out there that want nothing more than to pester a poor animal, but that's why it's up to the adult in the room to separate that child from the animal. I personally think that reptiles are a wonderful learning resource since most kids probably don't have a reptile in their home and they're so different in the way that they live. As I said before, getting a feel for the situation first is essential. If it's a public school where they're now cramming 40 kids into one classroom, then no, that's just an accident waiting to happen. But in a small classroom, I think it would be a wonderful education opportunity.


----------



## Pandorascaisse (Mar 12, 2014)

Kinsey, I feel like many more kids would be freaked out by hissing cockroaches or millipedes than even a snake. There's also the fact that if some kid goes home and says "mom! we have cockroaches in the classroom!" that really probably wouldn't go over very well. Quite a few parents would overreact to it.


----------



## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

Maybe things have changed a lot since I was a kid, but my science classes growing up always had snakes, tarantula's and other reptiles and insects. Seemed popular during my middle school years. Most of the science teachers took them home during any long breaks. I don't recall any problems, but the ones I remember them having fairly elaborate set ups. Only one the teachers allowed touching and she had a very large snake of some sort. It was really pretty cool. 

children at really young ages-I think I would rather have animals that are more of something you watch than interact with. Preferably something that doesn't mind being in a cage, can handle some touching, but doesn't really require a lot of human companionship. Some of the larger bugs do come to mind.  Antfarms are interesting as well, though don't last long. Some of smaller rodents maybe. My 2nd grade class raised Monarch butterfly larva-I'll never forget it. The release was so beautiful.

What is fun for them however, is to ask local good rescues to come in and speak about their specialty and bring some really nice ones in that the kids can pet. I used to do regular visits when I ran the ferret rescue to the elementary schools. I would bring a couple of my own ferrets that were really mellow and liked children. We started this when a teacher called me to ask questions about keeping a ferret as class pet. visiting seemed a better option for an animal that has high companionship/out of cage time needs.

Maybe you have local rescues-you could make it a monthly or twice a month thing. You could have domestic type pet rescues and even wildlife rehabbers, exotics ect. Makes it a little educational.


----------



## cccgina1 (Nov 11, 2012)

I have a rat that is a former classroom pet. I have no idea what happened to him, but he is definitely traumatized. He abhors being picked up to the point that he would rather leap to his doom on the ground than be held. He is a real sweetheart, but rarely leaves his igloo. Sometimes if the cage is open, he'll wander out a little, but if I move he'll dart right back into his igloo. I can pet him, but I try and do it with just one finger so he doesn't think he's going to get picked up or grabbed or anything. He does not like to be picked up even in the cage. He definitely has PTSD. He's never tried to bite or anything, just super shy and happy to stay in his igloo. He has his sons with him now and I think he likes their company. But he sure does not trust people.


----------



## Ratpax (Aug 24, 2014)

Lita said:


> Mammals don't make good class pets and I hate seeing them in class. Maybe for high schoolers in an advanced Biology class but Elementary/Grade school is to risky. Even if you go in every weekend, there will still be large periods of time left alone in a dark and hot or cold classroom. Every school I have ever been go turns off their AC at night and on weekends, or has it run very limited. You would have to have a plan for breaks and summer as well. Do kids take them home, do you take them home? It is also a loud and noisy enviorment that can be very stressful, and the lights in most schools are harsh. And you might have good kids now but all it takes is one. Heck you even have to worry about the janitors. My AP Bio teacher had a near perfect self contained saltwater tank that the janitors and some adult ESL students who barrowed the class one time, destroyed. Most classes don't have the space needed for most animals aside from maybe mice or hamsters. My daycare as a child had a bun. Someone took him home every weekend and a kids brother killed him. Threw him at the ground. I'd second either a fish tank (with lid) or calm reptile. Something easier to control its enviroment.


This.

I'm not a fan of classroom pets in general.

As someone else said--it ends up not being a great life for the pet(s) involved.

The issues with temperature control, access of other staff and kids to the room, breaks and days off, etc, etc, all that in addition to the dangers posed by handling accidents with the kids themselves.

Having worked for years in guinea pig and rabbit rescue (and the occasional hamster or gerbil), I can tell you the ones who come in as abandoned classroom pets (not saying you would do this) are usually fairly traumatized, and they don't typically live the normal lifespan of that species.

Could you somehow do a virtual pet? Like, sponsor a pet at a sanctuary or rescue? Show videos of the pet, let the kids be involved in choosing who you sponsor, do some class projects for the animal, perhaps get the rescue or shelter to bring the animal in for a meet-n-greet/visit one day?


----------



## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

I think a pair would be great if you took them home every evening. Like most said leaving them there wouldnt be right. When I was younger wr had a class pet that was a rat and we got to take him home on the weekend. Thats how I came to love them. So as someone who was introduced to rats as a young child who kept that love for them, I think its a great idea with some tinkering.


----------



## Maddie (Jan 13, 2014)

I'm not sure what type of school you guys attended, but in from the south. Almost every student I have lives on a farm(I live on a farm). They know how to be respectful of animals and frankly I wouldn't tolerate mishandling anyway. I work from 6 am- around 8 pm at night, so they wouldn't be lonely. The janitors actually had pet rats and we talk about them often. I would be perfectly fine with any pet I had being around him. My classes are also small 15 kids is a large class for me. Teachers rotate taking class pets home. Some teachers have snakes, GP and rats. I've honestly not seen a case of mishandling, and our kids are so well behaved. 

I asked for opinions, so I'm not getting all defensive honestly, but I'm surprised by the lack of confidence in children. Most of my students have to get up at five to help on the farm before school. I'm extremely confident they would enjoy and respect a class pet or I wouldn't even consider getting one. Again not being defensive just explaining my class and setting and my own confidence in these students.


----------



## Adeliek (Jul 28, 2014)

I think that being a rat owner you have a lot of knowledge and you would be willing to teach the kids and put a lot of time into it. I agree that there are things that could potentially go wrong, but properly supervised I think this could be a great idea. Kids need to be taught about animals and how to handle them, I see this as a brilliant opportunity to do so. I think you would probably need to take them home at weekends though? I second getting a couple of older relaxed males rather than hectic girls. We need to get more animal education across to children, animals are such a huge part of our lives and their popularity is constantly growing. Children need to understand how to care for them properly. If it doesn't work out and you can see the rats becoming unhappy/unwell...well hey two new rats for you!!! I don't think you should let the kids take them home either, rats are quite sensitive to a lot of things. Although there are a lot of things to consider overall I think this would be a good idea.


----------



## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

I think this is doable, with the right precautions, and a great opertunity for the kids. I've personally brought a number of my rats into school or other groups of kids. They handeled it really well as long as you take your time, have the right rats and a good set up. I would suggest somethign like this

*Get your rats from a breeder with very stable gentle lines, or be prepared to have the rats at home with you for some time so you can train them well (say get them before the summer break)
*Id get 3 or 4 rats, that way you can have one rat out at a time, or alternate them a bit and they get company
*Have one cage set up at home, and the other (simialr) at school, take the rats with you at minimum at weekends and holidays, ideally in the evenings too
*Pick a school cage with narrow bar spacing and traing the rats to be bar safe (i always stick my fingers in the cage bars from a young age and make sure they are trianed not to bite. 
*Assign rotas and such to do things, but ultimatly its up to you to make sure they are fed and looked after (fairly obvious lol). I also wouldnt send the rats home with kids for holidays, at that point you have no control, unless they are people you know well and would trust to rat sit under normal circumstances

There are tonnes of ways you can use rats to help with silabus', i've gone through nutrition, reproduction, careing for others, medical stuff and so on with actually quite young kids. They loved an A3 i made up showing kitten developement, espeically the little milk bands.


----------



## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

Yea I think its a good idea to tell the truth. As for taking them home, well our class pet rat was killed by a class mate who threw him into a wall. Personally not alot of people handle my rats without me there. Im just protective that way.


----------



## CleverRat (Mar 9, 2014)

Rats need to bond to someone so if you were to get rats in a classroom you or one student would need to be the caretaker.


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I'm concerned as to how a classroom pet can have it's needs met for example human companionship and free range


----------



## CatsRatsVeggies (Aug 18, 2014)

I personally don't believe in classroom pets. I don't feel their needs can be met irregardless of the animal. I understand that children need to learn about different kinds of animals and the care they need but when I was in school we had day visits off people with different kinds of animals. My OH works in a care home and the people also get these kinds of visits (it's a Dementia home so they really benefit from them). I feel the classroom would be too loud, some of the kids would go out to hurt the animal (we all knew these kids in school) and the poor thing wouldn't get the care & love it needs to be happy.


----------



## Perocore (Jan 6, 2014)

Having worked with young kids and animals, and also having been in several classrooms with class pets, I don't think a pair of rats is a bad idea. However, I'm not sure if having the classroom be their home is a good idea. I can't bring Isaac into school for projects anymore because he reacts badly to the light system and paint smells if they're redoing a part of the school or something. What might work better is just bringing a rat or two in from home every day or every other day. You get to show the kids how great rats are and encourage open mindedness in that department, educate them on good pet care, and the rattie(s) still get to go to a secure home every night, where they're safe and secure without worry of possible chemical issues (say a janitor uses a nasty sort of cleaning product and the rats get ill over night, that'd be very bad), and they have the security of you as a go-to person.

Depending on what you teach, or if you even teach a specific subject, animals can be very beneficial to a classroom. In middle school, we had a pair of guinea pigs (and a giant pen for them) in our science class. The teacher taught us how to handle them and care for them, and encouraged us to do research on them to learn more. They didn't distract from classroom activity, and for kids (like me) who had some issues with making friends or anxiety, it was awesome to be able to relax and snuggle the pigs at the end of class. 

Another class during my first HS year had a betta...that was traumatic for me because the teacher kind of forgot about the fish and bad things happened. A couple bio teachers keep or have kept tarantulas in class, which is cool but kind of freaked some kids out. My animal science teacher has a large number of animals in the class, but that is animal science so they have an educational purpose there. 

As I said, I've worked with younger kids and animals together. Where I worked the kids were there specifically for the animals, so it was great for all of us. I loved the little kids. They were awesome, I could show them how to hold an animal, teach them what they eat, show them they don't have to be afraid, etc, and they absorbed everything I told them like a sponge. It was just very rewarding to see their eyes light up when they were interacting with the animals, and most of the animals loved the attention and meeting new playmates. For the animals that didn't like kids, we just didn't let the kids hold them. The big issue I had was with the older kids, the people only a year younger than myself who didn't think they had to listen to me, and wanted to show off to their friends how "cool" they were by chasing down a peacock or trying to punch a wallaby. I had to really get after them to not chase the prey animals, (except the wallabies, one kid learned his lesson when the wallaby punched him back), not to mistreat the small animals, etc. Most of the little kids didn't have this cocky attitude, so they were pretty good. Of course most of the major cleaning, handling, feeding, and watering was left to us. And it was hard to tell the kids "no" when they wanted to go play with the lynx or an animal had just been neutered and couldn't play. Overall it was the younger kids that were more receptive to lessons and more genuinely interested in the animals, and a lot of them gained comfort from the animals. It was great when I had this lonely little guy come into the reptile room and nervously ask if he could hold an animal, repeat many times that it couldn't be one that bit, and then eagerly sit on the floor when I told him (no one was allowed to hold an animal while standing), and then to see his face when I plop this giant bearded dragon in his lap, to go from nervous fear to just pure delight and happiness and love when I showed him how to pet the lizard, and how to tell when it was happy. A lot of the kids really liked being able to make the animals happy, and loved hearing that; "see his eyes vibrating like that? It means he's happy that your scratching behind his ears!" when they're holding the lonesome rat whose companion had passed the month before. 

The real difference, though, is that these kids were at this camp specifically to be around the animals, because they love animals. I've had little monsters come over to my house and want to play with all of our farm animals, they wanna grab the rats by their tails, the rabbits by their ears, chase the chickens, think its funny to scare the parrots...these are the problem kids, the kids whose parents never taught them to respect animals, and need to learn a serious lesson. I can't leave animals alone with kids like this, not for a moment, and this can be problematic in a classroom. You really have to stay on top of it. Put the animals somewhere easy for you to see, not near any desks (if you have desks), so kids aren't tempted to bug the animal when trying to do school work. Make sure you know already that the rat/animal is kid-friendly and can be handled safely (so baby rats would be a bad idea). Depending on the age of the kids, maybe don't let them hold it at all, but just let them pet. Teach them why they can't throw the animal, teach them the animal does have feelings and if they hurt the animal then they can not be around it. I think an important lesson is that if they yank a cats tail, and the cat scratches them for it, the kid deserved what they got. Animals have a right to defend themselves, and if you a kid understands this, they are less likely to abuse the animal. If you, instead, show the kid that if they can hurt the animal and have the _animal_ get in trouble for defending itself, then they learn nothing except that abusing the animal is okay and has no consequences for them. I would probably have the parents sign a consent form allowing the kid to come into contact with the animal. You'll have issues if a rat bites a child and the kid goes home crying and the parents had no idea what could possibly happen.

I think it is doable, and can even be a great idea, but you've got to do it right. I for one love both little kids and animals, and was raised by a mother who thought it VERY important to teach me that if I am mean to an animal, it is allowed to be mean back, so I should always be nice and gentle. I do not believe animals should be "taboo" for small kids. I was raised around all sorts of animals, and was out helping to feed horses and raise chicks as soon as I could walk. I was taught what I could and could not do. When I picked up this huge snake by the tail, held it up, and was bitten in response, I was made to understand that it was my fault, because I mishandled the animal. I learned from it, and have to say I'm a lot better off for it. So I have a lot of personal experience with dealing with kids and animals- even animals as small as a baby sugar glider or as big as a fully grown camel- and I know it can be both very good, and very bad, depending on the kids, the animals, and above all the teacher. 

Hope I helped a bit XD I may have rambled....a lot. But it may also be enlightening or something.


----------



## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

I have to disagree that them being raised on a farm would make them safer around animals. I live in farm country and work with a lot of farm raised people and deal with customers who live on farms and were raised there. In my experience they are kind to animals to a point. They respect them to a point. But I am not treated kindly when I mention i keep pet rabbits indoors. I am considered insane, as rabbits are clearly outdoor animals even if they are a "beloved pet". And rats are ment to be fed to something or caught and killed. Cats should have free range of outside and inside, dogs can be kept in kennels outside either entirely or for a large portion of the day regardless of weather. Now i don't think they are trying to be curel or mean, but that doesn't mean the animals are getting correct living arrangements. That being said, education has to start somewhere. I really like the idea of guest speakers bringing in animals, you could introduce a large number of diffrent animals to show and teach the kids. I wish growing up i had been able to have something like that. If you really want to have a pair or small group of rats in your class though, maybe don't have a class pet. Get a pair of rats, older lazy bums or very calm youngsters, and have them be your pets and train them to be spokespersons. Have them be pets you get to take to work everyday. A pet shoud have an owner and a class doesn't make a stable owner.


----------



## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

I agree that any rats should be taken home daily. There's really no feasible way for them to get the attention and bonding they need if they stay in a classroom full time. This really applies to any pet that way if you happen to wake up one morning and the pet is ill (or dead) you don't end up with an oh **** moment when you get into your classroom.


----------



## rudecrudetattooedfatgirl (Aug 30, 2014)

So I teach too, and I honestly would trust my kids with my rats (I have four year olds during the day and schhol age in the afternoons) but would only ever bring them in as a treat to visit. And I'd only bring Mort, Binky has a heart condition and I'd worry the stress would be too much. So sure, show them how fun and sweet rats are but don't subject an animal to an unstable environment, there are just too many variables. I vote hissing roaches as a pet.


----------



## Blackthorn (May 14, 2007)

Classroom pets as a whole can be a very tricky thing and I admit I'm not fond of the idea. They *can* work as classroom pets with a small group of older children, if supervised carefully with the children and obviously with their primary caregiver being an adult who is willing and able to care for them when school is out and take them home at least on weekends, but I think it is very rare for it to truly work well in the best interest of the rats. It is much harder for someone to stay on top of care issues and making sure the rats get what they need in a busy classroom.

As a rescue/shelter worker I tend to see much more of the negative aspects of classroom pets - it very often ends up becoming a problem for us (I can't tell you how many guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, mice, rabbits, etc. get surrendered at shelters/rescues at the end of the school year, and many have been horribly neglected and/or traumatized). I currently have a pair of 1.5 year old "classroom pet" rats that were ousted from the school because the school changed its rules - they came to me with mites and respiratory infections and quite skittish.

A lot of parents will freak out at the thought of rats in the classroom,so if you do it you may get a lot of backlash - be sure they are welcome and get it in writing so the school can't change their mind. If kids fed treats through the cage bars or mishandle them, a rat could bite, and that would be a big problem especially with the whole rat bite fever hoopla. Also, kids can be quite cruel and thoughtless - can a teacher truly keep an eye on them with the rats all the time? I have had classroom rats surrendered with tails degloved, rats that were utterly terrified of humans, rats that were thrown at other students to make them scream, rats that were morbidly obese due to being fed a constant diet of junk food with horrible bumblefoot, etc.

Also, frequently with class pets kids get excited about them, pester their parents for rats of their own, parents buy them with no real research, and kids then lose interest, and the rats end up neglected or abandoned. I know several teachers with pets in their classrooms and they get pestered to take students' unwanted animals all the time. 

I think it's best if the teacher has rats that they occasionally bring in for visits, rather than the rats staying there.


----------



## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

Parents are also likely to react to a snake. I own roaches and 13 snakes. I got my first cockroach when I was 5 and that little guy was a great pet for a kid. Near impossible to upset, he lived 6 years and escaped more than once and was none the worse for wear. The roach I have now was crushed under a water bowl and is missing his feet, among other parts, and he gets on great with a bit of extra TLC. I rescued him.

As someone getting into breeding snakes I can tell you I would never send one of my little ones to live in a home with small children (unless there is a separate reptile room) nor would I ever allow one to go as a class pet. Being heavily involved in the reptile world, I know others who would also never allow their stock to end up in the hands of a child or anywhere near one. An unplugged heater could make my beloved angels very ill if the plug was pulled on the wrong snake. Or, god forbid, the temp gage turned all the way up to red, which could toast a snake.

The only contact my guys ever get with kids is during educational events, I control them and am able to remove the animal if they get upset.

I really really don't like this idea. I still would push toward roaches or another invert. They're much hardier and less sensitive to noise and such.

You might check out having someone come do a presentation in class instead.


----------



## Ratpax (Aug 24, 2014)

Lita said:


> I have to disagree that them being raised on a farm would make them safer around animals. I live in farm country and work with a lot of farm raised people and deal with customers who live on farms and were raised there. In my experience they are kind to animals to a point. They respect them to a point. But I am not treated kindly when I mention i keep pet rabbits indoors. I am considered insane, as rabbits are clearly outdoor animals even if they are a "beloved pet". And rats are ment to be fed to something or caught and killed. Cats should have free range of outside and inside, dogs can be kept in kennels outside either entirely or for a large portion of the day regardless of weather. Now i don't think they are trying to be curel or mean, but that doesn't mean the animals are getting correct living arrangements. That being said, education has to start somewhere. I really like the idea of guest speakers bringing in animals, you could introduce a large number of diffrent animals to show and teach the kids. I wish growing up i had been able to have something like that. If you really want to have a pair or small group of rats in your class though, maybe don't have a class pet. Get a pair of rats, older lazy bums or very calm youngsters, and have them be your pets and train them to be spokespersons. Have them be pets you get to take to work everyday. A pet shoud have an owner and a class doesn't make a stable owner.


Lita beat me to it.

I, like you OP, live in The South. Granted, I am just that side of the Mason-Dixon, but believe me, the culture here is very Southern.

The farm kiddos around here have roughly the same views Lita detailed above. My dad grew up on a farm, and a cat was something to help keep mice and moles out of the barn and the pastures, a dog either survived living outside or it didn't, chickens were for eating and getting their eggs, cows were a pain to vaccinate and deworm, but at the end, they were yummy.

All of that is by way of saying, farm life can form a rather more pragmatic attitude towards animals than I think most here would want shown to companion animals.

I spent my summers on that same farm my dad grew up on--but somehow I always felt animals were my friends and deserved the best I could do for them. I am NOT a vegetarian or vegan, though, and do believe in and respect the circle of life.

That said, I feel those animals we choose to keep as pets deserve the best quality of life we're able to provide for them, and that is our ethical responsibility.

While part of me in intrigued at your idea of perhaps passing that lesson on to your class, and perhaps fostering a love for rats in some of those children, the sad reality is it's far more likely things will wind up as Blackthorn detailed, above.

THAT has been my experience, with classroom pets--lots of missed/untreated illnesses and injuries, lots of traumas, being passed from home to home, inspiring impulse buys from some kids' parents, and a lot of the resulting mess having to be cleaned up by various rescues and shelters.

I'm *glad* you're a champion of your kids, and that you view them with such a positive outlook, but it only takes being a bit wrong about one of them, it only takes underestimating the risk on one day, or even one minute of one day, and well...bad things could happen. 

If you do go into this, have a Plan B, C, and D, just in case. For one thing, you do need to get in writing who is responsible for any vet bills, and whose insurance will cover any incidents that may occur.

I think there is a teachable moment each day you sponsor a shelter pet with your class--or even a wild animal at a sanctuary/refuge, or you could sponsor a pair of adoptable rats with a rat rescue.

I know it's not YOUR intention, but I have known some kids (and parents) who seem to sort of expect school to provide some sort of petting zoo experience, and well, those rats shouldn't have to do that job.


----------



## rubysrats (Jul 28, 2014)

Yet another viewpoint that hasn't been discussed... As a teacher I would never have a classroom pet that anyone could be allergic to or get bitten by. It is a huge liability and the NEA and your district are not going to cover you legally if something happens. Even if a kiddo is harassing the rat and it bites you will be found at fault and they could go after your license for negligence. Hate to be a downer...


----------



## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

Ruby has a great point too. A ratty is a sweet pet but they can bite. A reptile too, and in the herp world it's said it isn't IF you get bitten, it's when. No matter how sweet your herp is it will screw up, and same goes for a rat, it might just try to have a treat it thinks you have but a finger got in the way.

The world of exotic owners does not need any more reasons to lay down regulations. I'm already looking at being unable to ever move out of state because of my large boa.


----------



## dakotah999 (Aug 25, 2014)

My friends first rat was from a classroom pet, she took her home during vacation to care for her and fell so in love she had to keep her


----------



## Pandorascaisse (Mar 12, 2014)

Rats should never bite unless in dire straights or ill. I have a boy who had never really ever interacted with any other human besides me, accused of "biting" by my dad, took him to the vet... who proceeded to squish and poke and prod him and pull his ears. Nothing. Not even a fluff.

If vets can handle rats safely during an intense clinical checkup like Tarot had, even on a rat who has had limited human contact, then a well-bred, well-socialized rat has a far lesser chance of biting than a reptile. Rats that bite aren't pets; they need a lot of work and attention. I can honestly say I would trust any of my boys with a gentle child. The reason that so many kids go through their childhood being unfamiliar with animals is because people are terrified to do anything these days. When I was younger I _slept_ with our dogs, sneaking out of my room, I wrestled with them and got growled at and learned that that is why you don't mishandle dogs. I learned to respect them on their level. If I had never had that, I would have no idea what I was doing with animals. There's just a connection children are able to make when their minds and imaginations are still open that is _lost _when they grow older. 

Perhaps only bring the rats in on a Friday. Set up a "points system", where only children who have 5 points for good behavior get to go to the "rat circle" and hang out with the rats while kids who don't meet 5 points get to do something else? Make it a reward, something the kids want to work towards during the week. I know we had that sort of thing when I was in elementary school, and it was great.


----------



## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

Pandorascaisse said:


> Rats should never bite unless in dire straights or ill. I have a boy who had never really ever interacted with any other human besides me, accused of "biting" by my dad, took him to the vet... who proceeded to squish and poke and prod him and pull his ears.


 It depends on your definition of biting. Nips and nibbles which are common with some rats can be seen as bites by peole not familiar with it. I have never been bitten by any small animal in my house, but i've had some hard nips when the younger ones were learning. My dog was accused of biting, she put her mouth on a girl who was harassing her even after three adults told her to stop. No force, just mouth on skin. And to the kid that was a bite for her to run and tell mom. So while a well socialized rat shouldn't bite, doesn't mean some wont saythey were bit. Also about reptiles, I'd never recomend a snake for young children, the calmest ones I've ever seen are far to big to be around small children. I was thinking more bearded dragon, even the neglected one we rescued when I was younger never bit and never had an issue being picked up. And he wasn't as socialied as most others I've seen. But regardless reptiles only work if the teacher knows and likes their care.


----------



## Pandorascaisse (Mar 12, 2014)

Lita, that's why lots and lots of classes and teaching about how ratties work is a necessity first.  I'm sure OP wouldn't just jump into a class without teaching them first. It would actually make a good lesson that animals use their mouths like we use our hands (though ratties will use both). I know/hear of FAR too many people who give puppies up because they're "nippy"... no, they're not nippy. They're teething. Almost all animals explore using their mouths, even humans to an extent. I think that's an important lesson for kids to learn too. It could also help prevent them, in the future, from giving away small animals for "biting" when they're really just putting their teeth out there to explore. 

It's little things like this that classroom animals open discussions up about. It's invaluable discussion and teachings that wouldn't come up in normal conversations. In fact, perhaps OP could even invest in some "fuzzy gloves" - some sort of protection the children have to wear handling the rats. It won't prevent full-on bites (that shouldn't happen with a well-socialized rat anyway), but it will give children a chance to (safely) learn that nibbles are not biting. 

We have a mouthy dog, and I know that his mouthiness isn't aggressive or even mean spirited; though many people would have given him up by now for biting, more than likely. These conversations are good to have with kids, because not every animal is the same just like not every person is the same. Experience is invaluable. It's kind of like driving; you can read all about it, but even if you pass your permit test and memorize the permit book cover to back, you still won't pass the driving test. I'm certainly not saying that OP should willy nilly throw kids and rats together, however it is much more common to find people with mammals as pets (whether it be small animal or otherwise), and in that regard I feel like (while teaching about reptiles is necessary), it's less efficient to teach children, especially when in mammals a lot of body language is at least similar (baring of teeth, puffing up, sidling, etc), so that children could apply the lessons they learn about rats to other animals and recognize the signs not only to handle them properly but to keep themselves safe around strange animals as well.

...Wow that was much longer than intended, I apologize.


----------



## rubysrats (Jul 28, 2014)

I know most rats don't bite. I have owned many throughout the years and none have. My rats now are shared with my 6 year old. Nonetheless, the behavior page is filled with threads about rats biting and drawing blood. Even the most docile animal has the potential to bite if startled or mistreated. If a lawsuit happened I doubt any union or district would stand up for a teacher in this situation. It could result in a loss of license which means a loss of career. I would look into specific policies and specifically how they are written before bringing anything but fish into a classroom. I would also ask a union rep a what if question and get it in writing. Saying that well socialized rats don't bite is beside the point, and untrue according to many threads in this forum.


----------



## Sabatea (Aug 23, 2014)

If biting is a huge fear then I agree with what another user posted earlier on the thread. Send a consent form home and mention all of the risks and if the adult signs it then they gave their consent to allow their child to play with the rat(s) or other animals and they understand the risks to their child. And if they complain and say "Well why would you have an animal that bites in the first place?" The reply can simply be that any animal has the potential to bite but that doesn't mean they will. If they parent is too worried about it then they just don't give their consent and the child is not allowed to play with the animal.


----------



## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

Well I for one am totally for the idea. My 7th grade science teacher had 3 pet rats as classroom pets and that's where I first met a pet rat. I fell in love with them.


----------



## Roonel (Jan 27, 2014)

I was interested in this thread because my son (turning eight) wants to take the rats to school for his birthday. I'm leaning towards saying yes, with strict conditions, but am still a bit nervous.


----------



## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

If your rats arn't trained for a situation like a bunch of kids letting them go to his class will be very stressful. If they are shoulder rats or have been trained or raised to be use to new and diffrent environments then they may take to it just fine. If they havn't been in that situation before as well they run the risk of spooking and biting a kid, or bolting and getting loose. The latter may be easier to plan for, the former could result in legal action if the kids parents are panicy or very protective. Not to mention if they are bit and it gets infected. Having a class pet, while I still don't approve, is diffrent then bringing a pet into a class. The latter can be more risky.


----------



## shayfoxx (Oct 13, 2014)

We had class pets for most of my life, in 4th grade a guinea pig she was older but got her own section in the back of the room and an anole, in 6th grade my teacher had 2 male rats it went well we were older but even in kindergarten teachers had birds and such. we took our rats to my little sisters preschool and just taught them that they could only pet them with 2 fingers and it worked well


----------

