# So I applied to pet land to work. And today I met the feeder rats...



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

Hello!

So I'm new as of a few minutes because I had a quick little fantasy that I now am considering more of a crazy weird and not so sure if safe idea.

To start I am a college student and I'm currently taking classes over the summer. I am an Animal Science Major with a focus on Pre-Vet and I hope to be knowledgeable in a lot of fields. I have also thought about getting avian certified, possibly exotic animals as well. 

Anywho back on topic, so just to say I'm not sure how much they check our dorms over the summer and since a rat wouldn't be loud (and I feel like I could keep them fairly out of the way if needed) I could possibly keep one with me in my dorm. That being said, I of course don't know if that's even a humane thing to do let alone appropriate for the poor little one.

Now my original thought was to see if I could 'sponsor' one of the rats at pet land. Really what I wanted to do was get my 10 gallon tank and bring it to petland, separate two that seemed healthy and consider them mine only they'll stay and live at pet land. Of course even though they have been raised to be feeder rats they need lots of care and attention. There's no way I could successfully bring 2 home because my mom would kill me and if anyone at my college found out (RA wise) I would be forced to find a new place for them. 

So anywho I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions, I personally at first liked the adopting and keeping them at pet land if I could some how convince my mom to let me bring them home but I don't know if it would be better to let them just be feeder rats and not go through the trouble of actually trying to make them into pets....I don't like the idea of ignoring them but regardless I know they'll have feeder rats and that they'll continue to sell them....


Any suggestions? Ideas? Thoughts? I've always wanted a pet rat but I'd have to discuss it with my roommates and of course down grade my fish tanks so I don't have those everywhere. I guess I would love to be able to adopt 2 in need but I don't think that's smart...at all...


----------



## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

I think the dorm is a bad idea have you asked if you can keep rats? I know some landlords don't consider caged animals as pets. 

Petland... if you do manage to convince them to let you seperate two what's to keep them from selling these rats you've now got feelings for? One day you might accidentally tick off some jerk and before you know it they've sold your rats as snake food and you can't stop it. Also 10 gallon tank is far too small for one rat let alone 2. 


Rats need lots of attention round the clock. I'd suggest waiting until you graduate you can get your own place and not have to worry
Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

I agree with zurfaces, it sounds like a bad idea on all counts; all it would take is for someone to be busy and not fully paying attention and the next thing you know, your rats have been sold. There's also the problem of typical pet shop illnesses and bugs that inevitably go around sometimes, which would be putting your rats at risk if they remained at Petland. Since you wouldn't be there often enough to give them all the attention they deserve and take them out, I don't imagine they'd be very happy, especially in such a small tank. Even if you found you were allowed to keep them in your dorm, there'd be no guarantee that you'd then be allowed to take them home later (unsure family members can change their minds back and forth at random, it's happened to more people I know than I can count) and you'd have to face the sadness of rehoming them. Sounds to me like waiting a while might be your best bet and for the mean time, just settling for making sure the feeder rats in Petland are living as comfortably as possible while they're there.


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

Unfortunately I'm sure we're not allowed to bring them with us to our dorm but of course during the summer there's hardly anyone to regulate anything. Although it would then be a question of how my roommate feels about the whole thing. So although I wanted to imagine a world where I could take the terrorized Cockatiels and feeder rats home and all would be well I defiantly know that's a dream that cannot happened while I'm 1. Living at my college and 2. Still at home. I know several of the people there don't like the rats so I would defiantly be doing more by just increasing their care. Do you both have a suggestion I could do? They live in what looks like a 10 gallon tank. Yesterday here was maybe 4-5 each, I do have a 10 gallon tank that was given to me that I don't want to use for fish (since it was a gerbil home and is older so my fear is that it wouldn't hold water too well. I could always bring that to separate males and females to prevent unwanted babies. I haven't been accepted and the manager won't be in until tomorrow anyway so hopefully if all goes well Ill be hired within 2 weeks. So I guess any suggestions to make them happy? Before they get fed to snakes


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

Like I said to zurfaces the only thing that's logical is to figure out how to make them as comfortable as they would allow me


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Well, way back when I lived in a dorm and campus apartment I had just about everything on the banned list... Actually in retrospect... we probably did have every single banned thing on the list. Overall we kept very good relations with our neighbors and we were generally left alone. 

A friend adopted a lab rat and kept it in her dorm without any problems. 

Sadly, most colleges have rules about pets. Most don't actually enforce them until someone complains which leaves pet owners in limbo. The reason colleges don't issue formal approvals is that when something goes wrong it would tie their hands as to how they can respond. Like my friend, who was very popular and very pretty and had a very friendly rat, your rat can become a floor mascot, if you tend to tick people off you are going to wind up in trouble.

One last thought, rats aren't hamsters. They are social creatures much like dogs. They need to belong to a family, not sit in a cage in a pet shop. Actually that's about the worst thing you can do for your rats. Even if the psychology department or the biology department might be willing to board your rats, they are going to be really screwed up by the experience as rats need several hours a day of human interaction. Simply put, if you don't keep your rats as your personal pets, there's no reason for doing it at all.

Maybe there's someone with rats near you that will let you share in rattie play time with their rats. For example we take our rats out to the park every week and we often let people play with our girls. For me it gives me time off rat management duties and for the folks that don't own their own rats it's a fun experience.


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

Rat Daddy said:


> Well, way back when I lived in a dorm and campus apartment I had just about everything on the banned list... Actually in retrospect... we probably did have every single banned thing on the list. Overall we kept very good relations with our neighbors and we were generally left alone.
> 
> A friend adopted a lab rat and kept it in her dorm without any problems.
> 
> ...


Oh trust me, if it wasn't for the fact that my current roommate for this year said absolutely no animals (besides my fishy) and my parents saying no I would have as many rescued animals as I could handle! 

I ended up working at Petland for only 2 months (they let me go because I wasn't making enough money...may have been I was playing with the animals too much or who knows). And in that time I got to see the feeder rats and I felt so bad for them. I made it a point to make sure they had clean water and fresh food (not a lot of people were interested in doing that). Well yesterday I went back and mentioned to one of the workers how I'd love to rescue a rat and she mentioned they just had some born. Of course it would be a while before I could take any in anyway.

And yes the rules say that any animal that doesn't have gills is not allowed. The dorm I will be in next year should allow me to have an extra friend or two and I thought I could take in a little fellow in need. And truly the rules depend on the RA and if I'm on the first floor it'll be a lot easier to bring things in and out.

And I realized how bad that would be for them. Since then our neighbor rescued a ferret (who was found wondering around tractor supplies) I realized a lot. She does not have a cage for her now two rescues because they go every where with her. They go to work and errands and everything like that. She also use to rescue lab rats and did the same thing with them. And with the fact that I'm usually done by 5 (schedule will be changed by next semester) or sooner I can take them with me. I would definitely be taking the little one all over the place (if they were up to it of course). 

And I don't know of anyone with rats near me (except for the ones trying to sell their babies on Craigslist). But it would be a few months before I wold take on any critter. They would also be completely my responsibility and I know that my parents wouldn't be too happy. But I would have a smaller size cage because when I'm in my room I would allow them to enjoy the space (rat proofing it of course). My other question would be if someone is looking for a home for a single rat should i consider a play mate or if I spend a good amount of time with them they should be ok? I never like the idea of animals being alone and I definitely wouldn't mind adopting another critter. 

Mainly I just want to start really doing some research because I wouldn't get one unless it was a rescue type situation and once I get them there is no turning back. I also want to make sure that they get all the love, care, and proper diet they can have. Half of me knows I should wait until I'm out of college and the other half wants to take the opportunity to rescue a little guy in need


----------



## Korra (Dec 11, 2011)

Petland is one of the ones that makes me so sad. The one in Athens where I live in HORRENDOUS. I know several people that have gotten rats there(myself included) and none have ever lived more than a year and a half. Their health is terrible due to their upbringing and bad breeding. I have had to take several animals home from there. I will notice an animal with a broken tail or leg and point it out to the staff and sometimes they will give it to me hoping I can help the baby, knowing that their store usually cant. 
They are also one of the biggest pet stores to receive puppy mill pups. They make a HUGE profit on the bulldog pups because we live by UGA. Like 2000 per puppy.


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

-No tanks
-Cage size minimum 2 sq ft per rat, 4 sq ft minimum technically because need 2 rats. No, doesn't matter how long they'll be out or how long they'll be in. They'll be in while you sleep (8hrs) and while in class/work (8hrs).
-Rats live 3 years. Do you have enough stability to guarantee they'll be cared for in 3 years? 
-Rats should never live alone unless it has aggression issues.
-Rats need to roam an area. You say you'll rat proof, but do you know how destructive they are? Wallpaper, wires, pillows, bed frames, mattresses...
-Rats cost a lot of money. A good cage will be about $80. A vet visit is about $40 visit, $20 meds lowest. They take emergencies (just had to run a girl in and spay her or she would've bled out...do you drive? it was a thirty minute drive and $350 surgery at 10pm...).
-Rats can limit your option to find housing. Not too many people want rats anywhere near their apartment, no one wants them in dorms.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I don't want to be a buzz kill, but I'm reading some of the most common elements of a bad plan between the lines.

Everything depends on how other people react to your rats, from roommates to RA's to your parents... Now to be entirely honest, I got away with way more than just rats in college. And I had a friend that had a lab rat that she rescued that became the floor mascot, even when rats weren't allowed... So bad plans do sometimes work out, but the day the campus fire department found my neighbors giant dope plant growing in his dorm room and complimented him on it... things could have just as easily gone terribly wrong... had a different fire inspector walked in...

That said when I was in college, my friend had a pet rat she adopted from the lab and it became the floor mascot, even though it was against policy. She was very attractive and very popular and everyone liked her and she had a very nice rat which again everybody seemed to like. With the collusion of your roommates, and floor mates and RA and the likelihood of campus authorities turning a blind eye and a little basic subterfuge and stealth, there's a good chance you can pull off a couple of rats, but one jealous or rat phobic student on your floor and you might be screwed. And with your parents not on board, things get worse...

As a plan, it's a bad one... Will it work out? There's no way to know before you try it.

The giant dope plant wound up being our floor's ad hoc Christmas shrub and made for tasty holiday brownies afterwards.... the story had a happy ending even though it had every reason to go sideways along the way. The Christmas tree we intended to have got impounded by the police because the fellows that promised to bring it got busted with a saw and a tree on someone's front lawn, coincidentally the homeowner was missing a tree of similar dimensions... so not all bad plans have a happy ending.


----------



## brundlefly (Mar 27, 2014)

I would advocate against this for numerous reasons. One being if you do decide to bring a rat in anyway when the rules exclusively say no, what would you do with them if you got caught? You'll have to give away rats you've become attached to. Another thing is I hate nothing more than Petland. I worked there as kennel staff for a few months before I joined the military, and I have not stepped foot in one since. Unfortunately their rats are bred to be feeder rats, and unfortunately that's going to more than likely be their fate. I know it's really sad and you want to help them, but by giving Petland your business that opens up the cage for another sick or mistreated rat. It's sick what they do to all of their animals.


----------



## Leraine (Feb 21, 2014)

I also don't think it's a good idea to hide a rat in a dorm room. The last thing you want during finals or midterm week is to scramble to give up your beloved pets, or find alternative housing and go through the hassle of moving. Also, if you are forced to give them up, it will be emotionally difficult on both you and your rats. Additionally, having a pet brings in all sorts of complications that are not ideal for a student to have to deal with - pet illness, vet costs, transportation to the vet, etc. What if your rat gets loose in the dorms? Do you have a car to drive your rats to an exotic vet in case of an emergency? Do you have a few hundred set aside for vet bills? What if there's a fire drill when you're in class? (By this I mean: in both undergrad and grad school, when I dormed, if there was a fire alarm, the RAs were supposed to check EVERY room to make sure people evacuated. We'd get in pretty big trouble if we we didn't evacuate. If you woke up late to class one morning and forgot to hide your rat cage, and if there is a fire drill when you are in class, and an RA checks your room, they might see your rats.) 

As somebody else mentioned, rats are social creatures and they will need you to spend time with them to have a good quality of life. College students have a lot of things on their plate. Will you find the time to give your rats adequate daily attention while working part time, studying full time, partying occasionally, spending time with your friends, keeping up with extracurriculars, and participating in campus life? What if one of your rats becomes sick enough to require special medical attention? Will you be able to juggle school, your job, and your social life? Do you have a significant other, best friend, or roommate who is willing to help take care of your sick rat if it comes down to that? 

I would suggest concentrating on your studies and your future first. After all, that is why you are shelling out the money to be there. There will be time in the future for you to have pet rats, maybe when you are more financially secure, and have more control over your life and your schedule. 

When I first started undergrad as a biochemistry and premed major, things were easy. The introductory science classes were a breeze and I found myself with a lot of free time. Like you, I love animals and I badly wanted a pet, but the dorms did not allow pets besides fish. I got a betta fish about halfway through college, but in my senior year, my classes finally became challenging. Very challenging. I had an exam for a class every week. I had extracurricular club council responsibilities to uphold. I had a class to TA. I had a part time job doing research at one point, too. I was barely able to see my best friend (who lived in the same building) on even a weekly basis, and I wasn't able to clean my fish's tank as often as I would have liked - and that was just a fish, who didn't require daily cleaning or daily emotional attention like a rat does. It didn't get sick nearly as often as I have seen feeder rats get sick. I never had to take it to the vet, but I still had to worry about it when I took weekend or spring break trips. When I got to medical school, **** really hit the fan in terms of academic demands, and I had even less free time to devote to my fish. It died when I was in medical school, and I feel bad that I wasn't able to spend as much time with it. Now, I don't know how demanding your major is, but it is probably not a stretch to imagine that your classes will become more difficult as the years go on, and that you may have to put time into increasing your chances of getting into Vet school.

I have heard that it is even harder to get into vet school than medical school, and let me say, getting into medical school was definitely demanding, at least in terms of time. Letter of recommendations, extracurricular leadership roles, research and publications, volunteering at hospitals (or possibly in your case, animal shelters/vets), shadowing doctors - each of these activities required dozens, sometimes hundreds of hours. I found it hard to spend enough time with my best friend (who had way more free time than I did), let alone be responsible for another being's life. 

That being said, I know that if you are determined to get a pet rat in college, I will not be able to talk you out of it. To spare yourself the difficulty of dealing with being discovered keeping a rat in the dorms, have you considered moving out of the dorms and renting a pet friendly apartment next semester? For both undergrad (NY) and med school (NYC), renting off campus was cheaper than living in the dorms. In both situations, the quality of the living arrangements were MUCH nicer off campus for a MUCH cheaper price - but required commuting (do you have a car? or live in a city with great public transportation)? Additionally, I will also mention that for both undergrad and grad, it was much easier to be socially involved when you live on campus. I noticed a lot of my off campus friends missing out on impromptu get-togethers or other activities, so if you decide to move off campus, this is something you should consider. It's also convenient to roll out of bed 15 minutes before class begins.


----------



## binkyhoo (Sep 28, 2008)

Never hide a rat in a dorm room. It is only going to lead to heart ache for you and the little crtiter.


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

Korra said:


> Petland is one of the ones that makes me so sad. The one in Athens where I live in HORRENDOUS. I know several people that have gotten rats there(myself included) and none have ever lived more than a year and a half. Their health is terrible due to their upbringing and bad breeding. I have had to take several animals home from there. I will notice an animal with a broken tail or leg and point it out to the staff and sometimes they will give it to me hoping I can help the baby, knowing that their store usually cant.
> They are also one of the biggest pet stores to receive puppy mill pups. They make a HUGE profit on the bulldog pups because we live by UGA. Like 2000 per puppy.


I worked there so I know about the conditions. Thankfully our petland here is somewhat trying to make things better. The puppies we get I can say are not from puppy mills but still I don't like the idea of it all anyway. And our feeder rats and mice are kept in the back and not seen by the public. I go every so often to see the various animals that are there but it's sad. And with the feeder rats they're all kept in the same tanks (some separated I think depending on when they came in) so they breed and then the 'pinkies' are used to feed other animals. I really don't like pet stores but they won't go away because we don't always have great breeders either.


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

nanashi7 said:


> -No tanks
> -Cage size minimum 2 sq ft per rat, 4 sq ft minimum technically because need 2 rats. No, doesn't matter how long they'll be out or how long they'll be in. They'll be in while you sleep (8hrs) and while in class/work (8hrs).
> -Rats live 3 years. Do you have enough stability to guarantee they'll be cared for in 3 years?
> -Rats should never live alone unless it has aggression issues.
> ...


Ok thank you, I wouldn't have them in a horrible place to live but it would be the minimum size. I would definitely have a place for them for 3 years and I have two horses so I know how cost can quickly go up. I also spend practically all my money on my animals and if I really need help my parents will help me pay for what ever they would need. And I do know how destructive rats are, or an idea. We have a Goffin Cockatoo who has plucked all his feathers (before we rescued him) so he gets to anything he can reach and he gets to roam as he pleases when we're home. And the place I'll hopefully be living in next year will be an easier place to keep pets. They'll have to be small and I won't go out and buy any. I'll just take in any critter that is in need of a home so there is no guarantee that I'll actually have someone with me at all. But I'm doing my research and making plans of what if's just so I can be prepared. Because once we take in an animal they do not leave unless we cannot provide the proper care for them.


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

Rat Daddy said:


> I don't want to be a buzz kill, but I'm reading some of the most common elements of a bad plan between the lines.
> 
> Everything depends on how other people react to your rats, from roommates to RA's to your parents... Now to be entirely honest, I got away with way more than just rats in college. And I had a friend that had a lab rat that she rescued that became the floor mascot, even when rats weren't allowed... So bad plans do sometimes work out, but the day the campus fire department found my neighbors giant dope plant growing in his dorm room and complimented him on it... things could have just as easily gone terribly wrong... had a different fire inspector walked in...
> 
> ...


I love your college day stories  But I am putting a lot of thought into the whole thing. Especially because the whole point of this is to rescue and help one in need and not get them for my own needs. So I'm trying to make sure that I can do it all. The great thing about where I'll be hopefully living next year is that I'll have a room within my room. Meaning we'll have our own personally living room and then our own personal bed rooms with our own lock and key to match  and 2 out of the 3 roommates said it would be ok (the other is abroad and I'm not sure who she is). But I would most likely have to agree to free roaming can be only in my bed room. 

I also wouldn't go out looking for a little one until after we'd settled in. I'd also discuss it with my parents before taking in the little one. And that might mean if I get caught and have to bring the little ones home I may need to find them another temporary home. But I also have ideas on how to hide my little ones with our twice a year room inspections. My roommates might also keep alcohol around SO they'll avoid 'ratting' me out (  ). But I am friends with them and we've discussed it so in terms of them spilling the beans I'll be ok. The only thing is that I'll be hopefully taking the babies out everyday (weather permitting) if they want to. And maybe even sometimes to class or work (depending if they sit still enough to go through and hour of lecture, I have a feeling that is too much of a fantasy to think they'll stay in my pocket or in a special carrier the whole time. And I wouldn't want to draw too much attention to myself either).

So all and all I guess I want to rescue one because they are misunderstood animals and to see those little guys in the back of petland all cuddled together because they're terrified was very sad  and has inspired me to want to give the best home I can.


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

brundlefly said:


> I would advocate against this for numerous reasons. One being if you do decide to bring a rat in anyway when the rules exclusively say no, what would you do with them if you got caught? You'll have to give away rats you've become attached to. Another thing is I hate nothing more than Petland. I worked there as kennel staff for a few months before I joined the military, and I have not stepped foot in one since. Unfortunately their rats are bred to be feeder rats, and unfortunately that's going to more than likely be their fate. I know it's really sad and you want to help them, but by giving Petland your business that opens up the cage for another sick or mistreated rat. It's sick what they do to all of their animals.


I wouldn't give my babies away just willy nilly. I have someone who I would trust to care for them until I could come back home. And if not I would get my parents approval before I would take in anyone so they would understand the risk as well as me. I would also wait until I got a feel for all the situation we're in before deciding to do anything. And depending on our RA.
And although the intention of this was to rescue a petland feeder rat it has changed. I'm also a betta fish lover and first I would 'rescue' but really just promote that store to sell more. I've also realized that there are people out there looking for homes for their little babies and that's what I would take in now. I would take a sick rat from petland for free but giving money is not something I would readily do. But they just got hairless babies so I'll be visiting just to see how they're doing.


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

Leraine said:


> I also don't think it's a good idea to hide a rat in a dorm room. The last thing you want during finals or midterm week is to scramble to give up your beloved pets, or find alternative housing and go through the hassle of moving. Also, if you are forced to give them up, it will be emotionally difficult on both you and your rats. Additionally, having a pet brings in all sorts of complications that are not ideal for a student to have to deal with - pet illness, vet costs, transportation to the vet, etc. What if your rat gets loose in the dorms? Do you have a car to drive your rats to an exotic vet in case of an emergency? Do you have a few hundred set aside for vet bills? What if there's a fire drill when you're in class? (By this I mean: in both undergrad and grad school, when I dormed, if there was a fire alarm, the RAs were supposed to check EVERY room to make sure people evacuated. We'd get in pretty big trouble if we we didn't evacuate. If you woke up late to class one morning and forgot to hide your rat cage, and if there is a fire drill when you are in class, and an RA checks your room, they might see your rats.)
> 
> As somebody else mentioned, rats are social creatures and they will need you to spend time with them to have a good quality of life. College students have a lot of things on their plate. Will you find the time to give your rats adequate daily attention while working part time, studying full time, partying occasionally, spending time with your friends, keeping up with extracurriculars, and participating in campus life? What if one of your rats becomes sick enough to require special medical attention? Will you be able to juggle school, your job, and your social life? Do you have a significant other, best friend, or roommate who is willing to help take care of your sick rat if it comes down to that?
> 
> ...


I have considered a lot of things. Routinely we only have two room checks each semester. Depending on the RA it's a quick sweep. I was an RA last year so I know the routines and with so many residents sometimes to save time a quick check is all that's needed. I would either have a tube or a box to put their cage in and maybe if they wanted to check my room I could be 'out in class' and have the babies with me and the cage hidden. They only check to make sure we've got our fridge plugged in right and nothing hanging from the ceiling and not leaving food on the floor. I also have two horses so I do have some money set aside for vet bills and if it gets extreme my parents will help me out. We spend all our money on our pets (that's usually why I'm broke lol) I do have my own care and I am am studying Animal Science with a focus on Pre-vet so I have some idea of what to do and when it's time to rush to the vet. And with our fire drills we don't have to check every room because if it was a real fire we'd be burned by that time. But the noise is something I considered would bother the babies but thankfully I believe the dorm I'll be in next year won't have too many going off (usually because people are more aware).

And currently one of my horses is on campus and I go everyday to see him and feed some domestic geese we have on campus. I rarely miss a day (usually because of a study thing or because I need to get things done on main campus). But I make sure that I spend at least an hour with my horse and the geese just to enjoy them. I'm also going to be a senior so I've had my years of experience with what to do with my time and although I suck at managing it with them being in my room it'll be a lot easier for me to spend the time with them. 

I also will not jump into adopting until I have had a least a little while in the dorm and with classes. And I'd also want to adopt an older rat that is less likely to find a good home.

My class load will be a lot next semester and I've considered that too. I'm currently juggling all the things I have now and thankfully I'm getting my grades up. But vet school is no longer an option for me now I'm just looking to graduate with my Animal Science degree and go maybe into a zoo type career and try vet school later. 

And being that it is so hard to get into vet schools (and my horrible sophomore year) I decided that maybe I needed a break. But I found out not to long ago that a LOT of people in my class dropped the vet school idea and only a hand full of seniors got into vet school. And i currently have a betta fish  he's in a cycled tank (which means I usually only need to change his water once a week) and is in a 20 gallon long heated tank. I ended up taking him home though because of spring break and everything and being that it's a lot more stressful to drive 4 hours with a fishy friend than a land friend my parents said they would care for him. Unfortunately his water at home isn't cycled so now I'm in the process of preparing my 20 gallon for a 4 hour drive home and crossing my fingers that the bacteria in the tank won't die before it gets home.

Although I know a lot of people to be honest all my free time is spent with my animals (or trying to study, sometimes failing miserable with netflix!) and my jobs for next year will only be from 8-5 and work around my class schedule. But the idea of getting a rat is more of an idea. I've got way more to research and even after all that it comes down to if someone has one they are needing to rehome. I've considered hamsters or gerbils because we have a cage for them and they may do better (and more people are looking for homes for them). But I also know that I do need to focus on school. So I guess I started off wanting to save petland rats and now it's more I want to take in any animal that needs a home (that I know I can help). But I am also aware that being in college means I will not be able to provide the ideal environment. 

So all in all it's more that I want to be prepared if someone needs to find a rat a home rather than going out to buy one and bringing it home. I wouldn't mind an aggressive rat either. We have a hospital near by and I know the risks involved. I've also been bitten and scratched by several species and it doesn't bother me. But I'm not stupid about handling aggressive animals either (I know it is dangerous to have a human aggressive animal). I also like being able to show an animal that not all people are bad and earning their trust (but I wouldn't give them away in that case because I wouldn't want them to lose that trust).


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

binkyhoo said:


> Never hide a rat in a dorm room. It is only going to lead to heart ache for you and the little crtiter.


If I decided to there would have to be a LOT of thinking put into it


----------



## brundlefly (Mar 27, 2014)

Ah I'm a prevet student as well. It's tough balancing all the work and honestly you're asking for trouble by breaking rules, but if you're truly determined, then nobody here can stop you


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

brundlefly said:


> Ah I'm a prevet student as well. It's tough balancing all the work and honestly you're asking for trouble by breaking rules, but if you're truly determined, then nobody here can stop you


Did you do pre-vet then go to med school instead of vet school? And since I've changed mind on applying to vet school I don't have to take the second part of OCHM or physics. My senior year is basically just going to be animal science elective classes and some BIO. But one thing is I wouldn't jump into anything. And I like to think I'm a semi rational person  so it would only be in a case where there's one in need of a home and I know I can give them the time of the day. But thank you so much for everything!And for now I'll just keep doing research. I may want to take an internship next summer that's away from home so when thinking about that. An independent wouldn't be a good idea. But that also depends what I get accepted to this summer (which I'm incredibly nervous about).


----------



## brundlefly (Mar 27, 2014)

I still intend on going to vet school, hopefully at Texas A&M. I'm trying to decide if I want to do cats/dogs or exotics and small animals. It's my first year of college, since my three years after high school were spent active duty.


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

brundlefly said:


> I still intend on going to vet school, hopefully at Texas A&M. I'm trying to decide if I want to do cats/dogs or exotics and small animals. It's my first year of college, since my three years after high school were spent active duty.


Oh so you're just starting in pre-vet? And good luck with everything! I kind of wish I was still trying for vet school but I am interested in working with a zoo and also I definitely want to rescue. Also exotic animals are small animals  but I wanted to do everything! Cats/dogs/exotic/equine/farm/wildlife all the anatomy's fascinate me and I love all animals. There's no species I don't like  and I want to help them all


----------



## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

ohmyhi said:


> If I decided to there would have to be a LOT of thinking put into it


Don't. It's not fair to the rat(s).


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

cagedbirdsinging said:


> Don't. It's not fair to the rat(s).


Personally I don't think it would be unfair if I was helping one in need. It would be unfair if I went out and bought one just because I wanted a rat. But my idea would be to only take one in if they needed a home and I knew I had the means to take care of them. I've already looked into rescues and I think I might consider fostering instead of full on adopting. Or being a quarantine foster until they're able to be introduced into other foster homes.


----------



## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

It sounds like you have already made up your mind. Not sure why you are asking for advice, then!

Any rescue worth their salt will not allow rats to be fostered in non-pet housing.


----------



## ohmyhi (Jun 18, 2013)

cagedbirdsinging said:


> It sounds like you have already made up your mind. Not sure why you are asking for advice, then!Any rescue worth their salt will not allow rats to be fostered in non-pet housing.


Oh I haven't made up my mind at all. I'm just looking at different options to think about and I like to hear other peoples stories. And the quarantine type fostering would only need to be 3-5 weeks and depending on who my RA is. It'll be a pet friendly place. Personally I'm really want to help a life in the best way I can and despite how make animals we actually have on campus and animal like departments we don't actually have any animal places close by. It's sad really because id like to volunteer my time some where but a lot of places are over an hour away. Usually closer to the two hour mark


----------

