# Can she be a wild rat?



## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

Okay so I adopted my Agouti Berkshire rat named Gypsy from this really awful petstore that takes in rats from literally anywhere, you can walk in with thirty dirty sick rats and they will take them and throw them in a tank, females and males mixed together and everything. I walked into the petstore one day because they are the cheapest place to buy fish tank filters and I was getting a new one for my dad and I just had to go see the rats, it's automatic. I know better then to adopt anything from there but when I saw her my eyes lit up and my boyfriend went straight to an employee and pointed to Gypsy and said "we need that one" next thing I know I'm bringing this scared beautiful little girl home in a chinese noodle container (yes that's what THEY put her in) that she could barely fit in. She looks a little different then any other rat I've owned and she makes different noises and walks different and is just different lol but I love her. She is very shy and skiddish and it's hit or miss if she lets me pick her up. She just started letting me pet her without running away and she no longer runs up to me just to bite me. Do you think it's possible that she was a wild rat or has wild genes in her? Does anyone here have any experience with a wild rat or half wild rat?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

PEG said:


> Okay so I adopted my Agouti Berkshire rat named Gypsy from this really awful petstore that takes in rats from literally anywhere, you can walk in with thirty dirty sick rats and they will take them and throw them in a tank, females and males mixed together and everything. I walked into the petstore one day because they are the cheapest place to buy fish tank filters and I was getting a new one for my dad and I just had to go see the rats, it's automatic. I know better then to adopt anything from there but when I saw her my eyes lit up and my boyfriend went straight to an employee and pointed to Gypsy and said "we need that one" next thing I know I'm bringing this scared beautiful little girl home in a chinese noodle container (yes that's what THEY put her in) that she could barely fit in. She looks a little different then any other rat I've owned and she makes different noises and walks different and is just different lol but I love her. She is very shy and skiddish and it's hit or miss if she lets me pick her up. She just started letting me pet her without running away and she no longer runs up to me just to bite me. Do you think it's possible that she was a wild rat or has wild genes in her? Does anyone here have any experience with a wild rat or half wild rat?


I have experienced both.

The original Wildings at 4 weeks of age (never been handled and it shows)









And the picture of Teya that started experienced rat owners into suggesting her halfwild state.









this group ranged from timid, to sweet to fear biters.

the next batch, also never handled and the woman was offering them as pets :









this group were VERY aggressive and would lunge and bite (they weren't allowed out of their cage at all)

the last ones were born here when a male wild rat found its way into my apartment'
I still have 2 boys here
Java









He was neutered 2 days ago and he was handled from birth









THIS is the younger wild boy I caught









and THIS is the other wild boy someone brought me thinking it was a domestic female. LOL. He was going through heat prostration when she found him, but once he felt better he reverted to wild behaviors.









As for your girl, can you post a pic of her? I am pretty good at figuring out who are halfies or not. 

With any unsocialized rat, it takes time and even more time for a frightened halfie. Have you tried all the trust tricks and left the handling (which terrifies them even more than unsocialized domestics) alone?


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## ema-leigh (Jan 24, 2010)

Great post Lilspaz. Loving all the pictures of your wildies!!


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

My new camera broke before I could take any pictures of my girls but I managed to get one video which I posted on youtube. If you watch the video you will see her, hope that helps!
Here is the link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLeujmCK-Ns


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## hannah (Mar 19, 2010)

Domestic rats rarely lunge and attack, that sounds like a wild rats behavior. I once hand reared a litter of wild orphans and having handled them since birth, was surprised when they suddenly turned out me. They had once run to me for protection and comfort and one day they all turned into aggressive WILD rats. i released the whole litter.I think that your rat is probably at least half feral...


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

I was finally able to take a picture of her today so here ya go:


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## ema-leigh (Jan 24, 2010)

hannah said:


> Domestic rats rarely lunge and attack, that sounds like a wild rats behavior. I once hand reared a litter of wild orphans and having handled them since birth, was surprised when they suddenly turned out me. They had once run to me for protection and comfort and one day they all turned into aggressive WILD rats. i released the whole litter.I think that your rat is probably at least half feral...


If you take a wild rat and raise it in captivity they loose a lot of their wild instincts to survive and become accustomed to being fed. It was very irresponsible of you to let them loose just because they became too much for you. Who knows what happened to them, they likely just multiplied a bit, then got killed off by other sources. Instead you should of looked into spays or neuters.. or even giving them to a wild life shelter.

You rat does not look wild to me, she has a pretty domesticated face shape to her. Although I guess you will never know for sure. Some domestic rats will lunge and bite. If this girl was from a pet store... she likely was not bred to be friendly or healthy and prob very under socialized. Wild rats tend to be more twitchy and skittish, with different conformation.


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## PEG (Aug 19, 2010)

Wether or not she is wild, half wild or not wild at all I love her ^.^ I'm thinking about using that picture of her as a tattoo since I really love it!


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## hannah (Mar 19, 2010)

[/quote]

If you take a wild rat and raise it in captivity they loose a lot of their wild instincts to survive and become accustomed to being fed. It was very irresponsible of you to let them loose just because they became too much for you. Who knows what happened to them, they likely just multiplied a bit, then got killed off by other sources. Instead you should of looked into spays or neuters.. or even giving them to a wild life shelter.

[/quote]

Sorry i didn't go into detail on their release process, of course I didn't just let the whole group go one day. I spent several weeks weaning them off of normal rat food and letting them learn to forage. I even rigged up an outdoors pen for them to live in until they were full grown so that they wouldn't be shocked by the temperatures or have to struggle with other wild rats while they were still small. When the litter was released all showed wild behavior and I felt that each one was ready and fit for a feral lifestyle. I loved these little guys, and would never have released them without thinking through ALL of my options and making sure I was content with the decision I made.

Anyway, I'm glad you are happy with your little rattie! She's adorable, and I'm sure your guys's bond will only strengthen over time!


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## ema-leigh (Jan 24, 2010)

If you take a wild rat and raise it in captivity they loose a lot of their wild instincts to survive and become accustomed to being fed. It was very irresponsible of you to let them loose just because they became too much for you. Who knows what happened to them, they likely just multiplied a bit, then got killed off by other sources. Instead you should of looked into spays or neuters.. or even giving them to a wild life shelter.

[/quote]

Sorry i didn't go into detail on their release process, of course I didn't just let the whole group go one day. I spent several weeks weaning them off of normal rat food and letting them learn to forage. I even rigged up an outdoors pen for them to live in until they were full grown so that they wouldn't be shocked by the temperatures or have to struggle with other wild rats while they were still small. When the litter was released all showed wild behavior and I felt that each one was ready and fit for a feral lifestyle. I loved these little guys, and would never have released them without thinking through ALL of my options and making sure I was content with the decision I made.

Anyway, I'm glad you are happy with your little rattie! She's adorable, and I'm sure your guys's bond will only strengthen over time! 
[/quote]

Oh its sounds like you went about the release the right way. Thats good! So many people would just throw them outside and expect them to figure it out for themselves!!


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