# Need advice! Family wants me to get rid of rats



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

So now that I've stopped crying long enough to see my computer screen i thought i'd reach out to the people who i know would understand and hopefully have some suggestions/advice to offer me. 
I'm planning on moving back home for four months of the summer because i wont be going to school for those four months and i have a job to go back to were by family is. Its my way of saving money for school. So i'm moving in a week. My parents have made threats about not letting the rats in the house but i never thought they were serious. Now i'm realizing that they aren't joking. They said the best they can do is let them live in the shed in the back yard. I'm absolutely heart broken! I reeeeally reaally dont want to give up my girls. I love them to death. I dont know what to do?? Any advice you guys could offer would be great.


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

Any chance you can smuggle them in? Maybe hide them in the bottom of your closet or something? I went through the heartbreak of having to adopt out my Golden Retriever after moving to WA when my now ex-best friend decided that she didn't want to let him in the house. If I had known that beforehand, I would have made other arrangements!


----------



## Zero (Apr 12, 2013)

That is horrible for them to make you give away a loved pet or make them stay in the shed which could be harmful if it is too cold or hot. Perhaps ask if they can stay in your room 24/7. They won't have to see or hear them AT ALL. You can try to compromise with them but since they are your parents you can't do much beside try. If not maybe a friend can watch them (with you paying for food,treats and cleaning their cage)until you can leave your parents house or maybe you can sneak em inside. :c good luck


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

There would be no way to hide the fact that im feeding them unfortunately. And my room is small. It would be hard to not hear them. I never thought my parents would be like this. They let them come home for christmas and were fine so long as i kept my bedroom door closed, and ya they stayed in my bedroom the whole time. But they escaped one night (just so that they could sleep in my underwear drawer, no harm done) and now they decided they dont want them in their house, even through ive fixed the problem and they havent escaped since. If i had knew it would come to this i wouldve never got them, but i didnt. And now im attached to them and dont know what i can do. None of my friends like rats unfortunately, so that's not an option either


----------



## Zero (Apr 12, 2013)

bbrats said:


> There would be no way to hide the fact that im feeding them unfortunately. And my room is small. It would be hard to not hear them. I never thought my parents would be like this. They let them come home for christmas and were fine so long as i kept my bedroom door closed, and ya they stayed in my bedroom the whole time. But they escaped one night (just so that they could sleep in my underwear drawer, no harm done) and now they decided they dont want them in their house, even through ive fixed the problem and they havent escaped since. If i had knew it would come to this i wouldve never got them, but i didnt. And now im attached to them and dont know what i can do. None of my friends like rats unfortunately, so that's not an option either


I am really sorry this is happening to you. Try and talk to them very seriously maybe whomever is easiest to talk to and find out the problem with them coming and tell them it will break your heart. My mother hates rats,ferrets, mice, anything that LOOKS like a rat. I had to sneak them in before and after her learning I LOVE them and would die without my babies she will let me keep them in my room without her seeing them at all. If I take them out they have to be in a covered cat carrier or pocket (without her knowing). Try and talk to them. If not maybe PAY a friend to let you borrow a spare room or basement.


----------



## sunshadow (Apr 5, 2013)

i can only imagine what you are going thru :/ i am lucky in that my daddy loooooves all my animals, even though he thinks some of them are a little weird. i agree with them, sit them down and have a serious talk with them. Tell them how it affects you and hiow disappointed you are in that they are trying to make you get rid of beloved pets.


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

Ya you're right Zero and Sunshadow. After i calm down i'll try and call them and talk to them (hopefully without crying haha). Cuz i really dont see the problem with them staying in my room like they did last time. My parents honestly dont even know what they look like (except for a cute pic i showed them haha) just because their cage was in a corner in my room for christmas break. I really don't know any friends that like rats or that i could trust to take care of them (i know that sounds bad but everyone thinks i'm crazy for feeding my rats veggies and letting them run around my apartment, both of which are typical of good rat care. So who know what they would do to them)


----------



## Zero (Apr 12, 2013)

bbrats said:


> Ya you're right Zero and Sunshadow. After i calm down i'll try and call them and talk to them (hopefully without crying haha). Cuz i really dont see the problem with them satying in my room like they did last time. My parents honestly dont even know what they look like (except for a cute pic i showed them haha) just because they cage was in a corner in my room for christmas break. I really don't know any friends that like rats or that i could trust to take care of them (i know that sounds bad but everyone thinks i'm crazy for feeding my rats veggies and letting them run around my apartment, both of which are typical of good rat care. So who know what they would do to them)



I hope it works out.  . Also I meant like pay them to just let you use the room for the rats. You could personally go over and take care of them. They wouldn't have to touch them. I hope your parents can understand and try to let you keep them. Let them know if you had a dog or cat you loved they probably wouldn't see and issue. Tell them your rats are your babies and how upset you would be. 
If they say no still, say okay and just keep them and keep saying you'll get rid of them or you can't find a good home. lol


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

@Zero. Ya i was thinking about that too but all my friends are from university and live near there. Which is a 2 hour bus trip from where my parents live (i dont drive). And ya i'll try being straight with them and telling them how important they are to me. I like the idea about keeping them and just saying im trying to find a good home hahah.


----------



## Zero (Apr 12, 2013)

bbrats said:


> @Zero. Ya i was thinking about that too but all my friends are from university and live near there. Which is a 2 hour bus trip from where my parents live (i dont drive). And ya i'll try being straight with them and telling them how important they are to me. I like the idea about keeping them and just saying im trying to find a good home hahah.


I had to use that one in the past with a few of my pit bulls. LOL. Hope everything goes well. Keep us updated!


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

Zero said:


> I had to use that one in the past with a few of my pit bulls. LOL. Hope everything goes well. Keep us updated!


That's hilarious! haha. Thanks for the advice! I'll keep you posted


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

The only real option is to introduce your parents to your rats preferably on neutral turf. The word rat does not describe the animals you have come to know and love.

Today I took Fuzzy Rat and Amelia to our safe site, which is a giant park and Fuzzy Rat was walking at heel while Amelia was digging in under my T-shirt when a drop top 2012 mustang pulled over and an elegant middle age gentleman called out "Are you walking your rats?" "No leash, smarter than dogs." I replied and he called back "I can see that!" started laughing and drove off. When we got to the kiddie playground a must stop spot for my 7 year old daughter... one person after another came over to me as we sat on the bench, the rats and I, and took turns sitting next to us and petting Fuzzy Rat and Amelia when I dragged her out from under my shirt. And one by one they remarked that they had never met a rat before and each thanked me for the experience, the adults called their kids over and some kids brought over their parents... but everyone had to touch and pet my girls. I think I saw one person walk away out of the corner of my eye, but overall everyone else was thrilled to see us there. 

Rather than try and hide your rats, you have to convert your parents by having them meet your rats. The other day at another playground a young lady grabbed Amelia right out of my arms and after she was already holding Amelia asked me what she was after I told her she asked "Are you telling me I'M holding a RAT!?" It took some quick explaining but after she got over the word "RAT" she asked to hold Amelia 3 more times and I was lucky to get her back. 

I usually start to explain that they are not really "RATS" they are "highly trained fancy rats that NEVER bite"... then I work my way back to the inevitable reality that they really are rats, but by that time the people have gotten to know Fuzzy Rat and Amelia and don't care anymore.

Your parents may never let R-A-T rats into their home, but they might allow two "highly trained fancy rats" that they know and like to live with them... Don't fight people, just convert them and you convert people to rats using rats.

Fuzzy Rat has made hundreds if not thousands of friends that includes a chapter of a motorcycle organization, members of police forces, children of all ages and their parents, professional animal trainers and is welcome in the a state nature conservation complex, various restaurants, stores, municipal buildings, banks, parks and public beaches, this includes places where dogs can't go. I'm pretty sure none have an official policy that allows rats either... but Fuzzy Rat is a welcome and popular guest. She's not welcome because she's a rat, but despite being a rat. Everyone loves Fuzzy Rat and now Amelia and in the classic parting line of one teenager... "I really like Fuzzy Rat, she's great, but I still hate rats."

Think about it, if your parents got to know your rats would they still hate them? Is there a safe neutral setting you can use for a meet and greet? How you are going to go about getting them together is up to you.

I'm a dad, with 2 rats and a 7 year old girl, you can have them message me if you like, or there might be other sympathetic parents more similar to yours in this forum that might be able to help talk to your parents. 

Best luck.


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

@ Rat Daddy. First let me say that your ratties sound awesome! Glad they are working to change the terrible misconceptions people have about rats!

Your completely right Rat Daddy! It's not my Basie and Bandit that they don't like, because they dont now them; its the misconstrued popular culture reference of a rat. I know this is definitely true for my parents because they think rats carry diseases and i think they quite honestly think my rats are going to give them the black plague haha (my parents arent dumb, just misinformed.) I try telling them that domesticated rats are different then the wild rats, and that is even evident by their colouring. But they just don't listen. They also think that they are going to escape, eat through a wall and then chew all the electrical wires and insulation. REALLY frustrating to say the least! My mum, is more so terrified of them i think; its their tails. I had thought about it during christmas of just walkng down with Basie (the friendlier one) on my shoulder and saying "Surprise! isn't she cute!!" haha, but i thought that would forsure get me kicked out haha. 

Basie has been great so far in changing peoples perceptions of rats. One of my friends thought they were gross but after seeing them for a while and having me make him give the ratties treats he started to think they were cute. Then the other day i took Basie out and went to get the nail file so he could help me do her nails and i came back and Basie was sitting on his lap while he was affectionately feeding her ice cream (not the best thing for rats but it was a sweet bonding moment that melted my heart). The thing with him though is that he was more open to rats; thought they were gross but didnt absolutley hate them. My parents on the other hand seem pretty petrified of rats. During christmas break if i accidentally forgot to close the door my mom/dad would come bolting downstairs freaking out and id have to run up there and close it. I just dont think they would give me the oppurtunity to change their minds. Doesnt mean i'm not going to try though. They are gonna come in the next few days to help move some stuff, so they dont have to do it all in one day, and they will see the rats then. 

But im worried that if they do have a legitamate fear of rats then me forcing them to be near them will make it worse. If they have a legitamite fear then wouldnt it be better that they feel like i will respect them and not make them encounter my rats?? I just dunno. Theres really two approaches to this; convincing them that rats arent bad by exposing them to my ratties, or reassuring them that the rats wont bother them and they wont have to ever see them or hear from them. At this moment im not sure which approach to take. Probably best to do a bit of both. Show them how sweet they are and reassure them that i and my ratties will respect their space and ill keep them confined to my room. 

Thank you so much for your advice Rat Daddy and for you're offer to talk to my parents. My parents are pretty stubborn though (my dad is an old country Italian who believes rats should be killed, not housed and fed haha) so if any one were to convince them it would have to be their teary eyed daughter haha.


----------



## Opheliona (Apr 6, 2013)

Mmm the only advice I can give is what Rat Daddy said: introduce them to the rats somewhere neutral. I've known plenty of people who were afraid of rats or thought they were "disgusting". Some of the things I've used to help people see:

-I usually start by explaining how clean rats are. They constantly clean themselves like cats (I'm sure you know that already though!) and don't use the bathroom outside the cage unless they really really have to. They wouldn't even smell the cage if you cleaned it regularly (like I'm sure you do already  ). They don't carry any diseases that people can catch, and they're much MUCH cleaner than more common small pets like hamsters.

-Explain how smart they are. I've wowed friends and family after I show them my rats come when called. I tell people they can learn tricks and commands, and enjoy being cuddled like dogs. Instead of using the term rat, sometimes I call my boys my "little puppies" because they really are like that sometimes! On the off chance they DO escape they more than likely won't wander from your room...or chew through walls or wires...they recognize you as their "human" and want to stay near you because they're comfortable and trust you. They won't go ravaging through the house like pests.

-If they're worried about the tails, explain that they need them for balance, and they're not "scaly" or "dirty". If they're worried about those getting dirty let them know you can clean them daily?

Can your mom handle hamsters? If so maybe see if she'd be willing to at least SEE one of your rats. Maybe have her watch how they behave. They're not going to just leap at her and bite her--in fact tell her they don't bite unless hurt or provoked!

My mom thought rats were gross when she first got me one when I was a kid...(I moved out of state from my dad's to my mom's, and he had gotten me one and I couldn't take him. I cried and cried til my mom took me to the pet store) but shortly after she bought me one she fell in love after interacting with it. We ended up going back a few days later and she picked out a hairless baby. She continued to get rats through the years. I'm not saying your mom will be like that per se...but perhaps she could be tolerant of them. As for your dad, maybe as long as he doesn't see them it'll be fine. He might warm up to them eventually. 

Maybe even offer to "pay rent" for your rats, a little extra money to allow you to keep them. It sucks, I could never have rats again at my dad's until I moved out. Best of luck to you sweetie, keep us updated!

If the above doesn't convince people I usually show them some videos!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A07gDVLe14 15 Incredible Rat Tricks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6TOtvo7iyI Such a docile little baby!


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

@Opheliona. Thanks for your pointers! I'll definitely make note of your points when I call to talk to my parents. Have to remember to mention all of those things while presenting my case! haha. So i'm gonna take it that its better to introduce them to my rats then to not ever make them have to see them. I can't really introduce them to them at a neutral location tho, so i guess my apartment will have to do. 

I'm worried, though, that Basie, being the playful attention seeker she is, will do this thing she always does when me or someone else comes close to the cage; she will lunge at the door from where ever she is in the cage and then hang there clutching onto the bars until i let her out. Its adorable and entertaining for people that like her but i think for someone who is scared of rats it might terrify them to see a rat lunge at the cage door and stay there staring them down while trying to press their face threw the bars haha. 

I think my mom can handle hamsters because i remember her making a remark about it while she was very unhappily driving me and the rats to her place, saying why couldn't i have just gotten hamsters (and i said hamsters stink and aren't as nice and friendly and smart as rats). Convincing my mom is key for sure. She was the one that convince my dad to let me have a bird when i was a kid, even though my dad has a phobia of birds after he saw the movie _The Birds, _haha_. _She was also the one who convinced my dad to let them come home for christmas. So hopefully i can pursued her.

That video of the 15 tricks is already on my favorites list! It is fantastic! And great idea with that! I'll definitely show her those videos.


----------



## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Find a bunch of different rat info websites and print out stuff about them or email them the links. 

Things they are probably worried about and that need to be addressed diseased dirty destroy things violent 
Find a webpage to address each of those. Maybe if all else fails ask a vet to talk to them about the rats? if they hear it coming from someone with a degree maybe they will listen. Good luck keep us posted

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

If your parents absolutely won't give in, you can find someone to babysit them for the Summer. It's not that long. All you'd have to do is find someone you can trust to watch them. 

We had to do that with our pets when we went to Germany. Of course, we needed a babysitter for 3 years and it took quite a while to find the "right person".... 

Since you'll only be in your parents house for 4 months, it might be easier for you to find someone.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

OK, So I've done thousands of intros and I still have a standing on the chair screaming type absolute rat phobic in my own home. My wife would actually leap up onto a table if she saw even a mouse, much less a rat... And yet we have two rats and a rat phobic living under the same roof.

My wife sent me out to get a pet for my daughter and it was either a $1800.00 Lopos Opso Dog or a $2.49 rat pup. I guess you all know which way I went. As my wife couldn't be in the same house with a free ranging rat we had to train Fuzzy Rat outdoors as soon as she became more agile. No body told me that there were no such things as true shoulder rats, until Fuzzy Rat actually became one. Now my wife is still rat phobic, when she was a child after an earthquake flattened her house she had to live in a shack with her family that was infested with roof rats, that sometimes fell from the rafters and would look down on her at night with their shiny eyes. She was traumatized for life and that isn't ever going to change.... But one day after my wife could finally be in the same room as Fuzzy Rat she watched my daughter lying on the floor snuggling with Fuzzy Rat and she looked up at me and said... I think that stupid animal actually loves Emily. It was a light bulb moment, until that second she saw Fuzzy Rat as some kind of a monster that was going to bite and hurt her daughter. After that I've seen my wife handing a plate of food my daughter while she was sitting at the dinner table with Fuzzy Rat on her shoulder. My wife can actually get within 2 feet of Fuzzy Rat now. She still can't be on the same floor as Amelia out of the cage and if she sees Amelia free ranging she still runs away in terror, but if she sees Fuzzy Rat lose she just calls for someone to get her away. My wife spent the first year with Fuzzy Rat bleaching everything Fuzzy Rat touched, table tops, counters floors, lots of things have bleach stains... She saw Fuzzy Rat on her bed and ran the covers to the laundromat. Someone told my wife that rat pee as deadly poison and that turned into a circus... My wife refused to allow us to have a rat cage for over a year and a half. Don't even ask where our rats lived until last Christmas when my daughter insisted that she wanted a cage for Christmas and I bought her one and assembled it while my wife stomped about in fury.... And the rat cage couldn't be located near any chair she might want to sit on and rest... And I won't even talk about how freaked my wife got when our part-wild rat shredded my neighbor's hand he was recently x-Delta Forces and his arm was wrapped in a towel dripping blood. 

Still my wife knows Emily loves her rats, and the rats love Emily. And she knows the rats are clean and safe with her, but she's still a phobic and can't change.... She can go within two feet of Fuzzy Rat, but can't be on the same floor with Amelia out of the cage. But we make it work because everybody loves our daughter. In fact, for a rat phobic to go within two feet of a rat is amazing in itself.... but only Fuzzy Rat, again the rat particular changes everything.

So if your parents are rat phobics they will never be able to hold your rats, but there is progress that is possible.... Otherwise let me explain how we deal with normal people...

First, forget the photos and stories and vids. When you show someone who is afraid of rats a rat photo they get scared, sometimes they even get angry. When you talk about rats they pretty much tune you out. So little is gained by that either.

We meet most people in stores or at the park and from a distance. I will use the park as an example... People see us holding or playing with Fuzzy Rat from a distance.... You need at least 15 foot of room for a rat phobic to feel even remotely comfortable around rats. Then people notice the rats and observe us playing for a while, sometimes Fuzzy Rat is walking at heel, or napping in my lap... usually kids approach us first, but sometimes it's the adults and once the first one works up the nerve the others follow in mob formation. At the magical distance of 15 feet the first person will ask the icebreaker question... "Is that a guinea pig, (insert ferret, hamster, gerbil, mouse or anything but rat)? People think if they say rat they might offend us. I always give the person a big smile, it really is amusing so I'm not faking it and say "No this is Fuzzy Rat she is a highly trained shoulder rat, she is very friendly, she never bites and she would be happy to meet you." You can hear the echo through the crowd in whispers... "it's a trained rat... she's friendly... she doesn't bite" Then the first person comes up to meet her and touches her fur, and if it's a kid they usually call out "She's so soft!" and the mob scene starts with everybody petting and scratching and poking Fuzzy Rat. Then the first adult in line will begin with "I've never heard of a trained rat, don't they run away?" To which I reply that they are smarter than dogs and put the rats on the ground and have them follow me around a bit. At this point of the meet and greet everybody wants to hold a rat and we accommodate as many people as possible. Some folks stay at the 15 foot mark and marvel at the amazing animals, some folks stop at about 5 feet, some touch and some hold... But everybody asks questions, what do the eat?, are they clean? are they like wild rats? why have they never seen a shoulder rat before? and on and on. Meet and greets can last a very long time as they continue to attract new people... Until last summer, when Fuzzy Rat was in better shape, we ended the event by putting Fuzzy Rat on the ground and telling her "car" and she would lead us back to the car, often with the crowd following in disbelief and amazement, but we got out of there.

And people go home and tell other people the stories of Fuzzy Rat... One day a young man came running up to us dragging his girlfriend who was wearing some very unfortunate high heals and cantering along totally off balance, as we were walking Fuzzy Rat across the bridge at heel. They were both out of breath and the boy pointed down and Proclaimed..... "See, I'm not crazy! There really is a Fuzzy Rat!" 

So... here are the rules for meet and greets.... FIFTEEN FEET (15 feet)!!!!!!!!!! You need to keep your rats at least 15 feet away from you parents when they meet or they will panic and your cause is lost. At 15 feet your parents can observe your rats from a safe distance. No free ranging until your parents feel comfortable. My wife can go within a few feet of out rats if we are holding and controlling them. If she sees a rat on the floor free ranging she goes into terror mode. Loving interaction... My daughter likes to do a rag doll routine with the rats, where she squishes their faces and swings them around a little and holds them like a doll, it makes people laugh but it also breaks the remaining tension. When people witness the rats actually playing and interacting with a little girl or walking at heel or napping on my lap their brains start rewiring. Fuzzy Rat stops being a R-A-T and becomes a real and tangible friendly little being. And when people leave they say "Good bye Fuzzy Rat and good bye Amelia, it was nice to meet you, hope to see you again." And moms tell their children "Go, say good bye to the nice rats." Then they thank me for the experience.

We've even had a few rat phobics try and get over their phobias, most freeze and start uncontrollably shaking at about three feet away, a few have managed to touch Fuzzy Rat with one finger before recoiling backwards.. A few have even gotten control of their fears but all have thanked us for letting them try.

You need to feel comfortable with your rats and with meet and greets for them to work, that's why I gave you some experiences. You don't try and sell the rats, until after people show interest and you absolutely never crowd people with your rats. You let people's natural curiosity hook them and reel them in.... then once they are hooked you begin to calmly and matter-of-factly make them comfortable and answer their questions. 

If your parents are true rat phobics 15 feet is the best you will do and you need to convince them that they will never need to get closer, and that the cage is secure, that your rats pose no danger to you or to others and that they aren't poison. If your parents are normal, again you need to start with at least 15 feet and slowly draw them in by letting you see how you interact with them and how much you love each other. You will also have to convince them that your rats are personalities that love you and that you love them. And most of all that your rats make you happy.

I know it doesn't sound easy... but look at the attached photos.









This is a little girl meeting Fuzzy Rat for the first time... Fuzzy Rat is wet as she had been swimming... Still notice how calm and normal everyone in the background is behaving.... There's a real live rat walking up to a little girl and no one is panicking! Not even her parents. I'm taking the photo and Fuzzy Rat was mainly on her own that day.


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content









This is what calmed my wife down... a loving embrace between rat and child. What mom has the heart of stone required to break this up?

And this causes mob scenes...










And this still creeps the heck out of my wife...















See the last two photos wouldn't bother you, but are guaranteed to freak out a rat phobic.

I hope I helped.

Again good luck.


----------



## missinasworld (Feb 1, 2013)

Is the shed totally out of the question? I live in FL and keep some of my rats on the back patio becuz I don't have room for 2 ferret nation cages inside my office, and the ferrets get to stay inside 24/7 now, although when I lived with my dad the rats and ferrets had to stay outside on the patio and my one ferret Smokey lived to be my oldest fuzzy at 12 years, and my oldest rat Whiskers was also kept on the paito and I believe he was 4 or 5 when he passed away! My rats have always done really great. On days when it gets a little to hot, I give them frozen water bottles, set up a fan to help keep the air circulating (although this is not a huge issue as we get a really nice breeze in the back), and I have tile for them to lay on to. In the winter I just give them lots of blankets and use a cage cover. I have never had a rat suffer from heat or cold. 


At any rate, its just an idea-I don't know the condition of this shed but if its well kept and allows for air circulation, its still something you can consider and then you can keep your babies with you. 


Goodluck,

Missina


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

About the eating wires etc... your parents are unfortunately right... Fuzzy Rat eats wires and Amelia defaces dolls and steals anything not nailed down. My part-wild rat could literally walk through walls slipping through even the tinyist cracks and she was absolutely vicious towards strangers and small animals. Don't try and convince your parents that rats are perfect unless yours are. If you are lying, your parents can tell, I mean they raised you and know you. Explain that you can manage the negatives and get their input on how it will be done, or try to steer clear of bad points if they don't come up or try and turn them into funny stories to disarm the point, but don't lie, it makes everything else you say less credible. 

When our part-wild shredded our neighbor's hand, I turned the conversation towards the fact that my wife didn't much like the neighbor in the first place, and he had committed the mortal sin of trying to grab her, making it all about who got torn up not who did the tearing up. I think my wife actually liked that and appreciated the rat more for it. Now as my wife was also a complete stranger to that rat a different spin might have made her much more uncomfortable.

Stick to the positives, undersell the negatives, address your parent's legitimate concerns and value their input, always be up front and honest. Your parents will appreciate you sharing and addressing their issues with a padlock on the cage door or a throw rug on the floor or a door closer on your room door or something tanagable that will make them feel safer than your reassurances that everything will be OK and that rats are great... As to the shed idea, rats die if the temperature goes over 85 degrees, if they are willing to air condition and refurbish the shed you should feel free to explore that option with them too. But most likely your dad would rather the rats live in your room than to pay the AC bill. My part wild lived outdoors for the whole summer on her own, if the shed is cool enough it isn't a bad place and I've read that some breeders in the UK actually build rat houses in their yards. Don't be afraid to explore all reasonable options with your parents, hopefully with your rats comfortably napping in your lap.


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

@Zurfaces: Ya sending them info or website links is good idea. Hopefully they will at least read what I send them. The vet idea is a good plan too! I know a super nice awesome vet that lives near their place. I can’t drive so I would need one of them to take me. It would be win-win. Vet visit with an awesome vet for my ratties and my vet could inform them about how great rats are!

@Kalilca: I don’t have any friends that could watch them. BUT I did find what will hopefully be a good plan B in case my parents do not let me bring them home. I found someone on craigslist that was advertising pet sitting. This person has some female ratties already so she knows about rats. I obviously have to go check them out, but I feel relieved knowing that worst case scenario isn’t me trying to find someone to adopt them.

@Rat Daddy
I love how you got rats because they are cheaper than a dog but still devoted as much time to taking care of them that you would for a dog. Everyone I know thinks I’m dumb for treating rats as kindly as I do even though they only cost ten bucks.

Having you describe what someone with a rat phobia is like, I am pretty sure my mum isn’t rat phobic. I have sent my mum a picture of my girls (a carefully selected picture, with no tails in it haha, that is so cute it would melt anyone’s heart haha) and she didn’t react with disgust. It was actually after I send her the picture that she let them come home for Christmas. Also when they escaped during the break , I kinda may have freaked out slightly (I know, I know, not a good thing to do around someone that already doesn’t like them, but I just worry about my girls) and asked her to help me. Well her helping me was standing on a chair with a broom. But when we did find them cuddling in my bra in my underwear drawer she actually admitted that they looked cute (and she got kind of close to them then). So I think it’d definitely safe to say she doesn’t have a phobia.

That’s funny about your wife being paranoid about rat germs haha. My parents are the same. When my rats escaped my mum insisted on washing EVERYTHING in my room. And when I feed my rats my dad would be shouting from downstairs asking if I had washed by hands, before I so much as touch a doorknob. Same sort of thing with your wife thinking rat pee is poison. They pick you these wrong facts about rats (or facts about wild rats in the 14[SUP]th[/SUP] century, and apply them to domestic rats now, haha) and then cling on to them and do not listen when you try and correct them and inform them about rat cleanliness.

Also hilarious about the cage not being allowed anywhere where she might want to sit hahah.

I love your story about what happens with people in the park. Super funny!! Haha. Fuzzy Rat sure seems like an awesome little rattie though!

Okay so fifteen feet, got that (like I said my mom isn’t phobic, just strongly dislikes them, but for my dad who is pretty freaked out). But when my parents are going to come to my apartment (when they will see the rats) they will probably request in advance that I put the rats in another room. How do I combat that? Do I just say,” I want you to at least see them?” or do I just say yes and not listen and have my rats there in their cage when they walk in? Or do I put them in another room and try to get my parents to go it? And ya you’re right about the free ranging. My parents would lose it if they were running around!

In reference to the rag doll routine that your daughter does (which sounds adorable!) I was thinking that maybe I could teach one of them a trick. Just an easy one like “spin” or something like that so that when they see them (in their cage) I can say spin and show the trick and it will help my parents to realize they are pets, not vermin. I know that may sound a little farfetched, seeing as I only have a week til move out, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to try. With my dog, I had a few people that were afraid of dogs but my little guy could do a bunch of really cool tricks, and I found showing them a trick (and showing that he was trained to listen to me) would reassure them and calm them. But ya, may be bit of a reach for my ratties to learn something in a week, I dunno, I feel the need to at least try haha.

Hopefully the fact that I love my rats and that they make me very happy, will help convince my parents that I can’t possibly live without them. They know I’m an animal person and that all through my life I have much preferred the company of my pet to a person, so hopefully they then know how much my ratties mean to me.

Ya it think the fact that the cage is secure is going to be something I will really have to emphasize. The incident where they escaped really freaked them out.

The pictures are awesome! I love how Fuzzy Rat runs around on the beach and goes swimming just like any other dog. Soo cute!!

My rats are good about not chewing wire,....but Basie chews doors. But neither of them would chew through a wall and live within the walls of the house knowing on wires and eating insulation. Which is what they are afraid would happen if they escaped. Which brings me to that other point about me reassuring them that the cage is secure and they won’t escape.

Haha Great way to convince your wife that a rat attack was a good thing hahah. Love that!

Your right, correcting their misperceptions, informing them as to the positives and downplaying the negatives, while addressing their concerns (rats escaping and damaging their house) and letting them know what I will do to prevent such things from occurring.

As for the shed idea, the text I got was “Ok not in the house but mum and I will prepare a cozy spot in the shed. We can add a table and decorate around the cage making it nice safe and warm for them. That is the best we can do.”

I’m in Vancouver, and I don’t want to insult my home, but.... well weather here is pretty crumby. One day it can be 90 and then another it can be so cold you can see your breath and absolutely pouring rain. Not really ideal for them living outside. And another thing is that we live not far from farm land and there are ditches everywhere so there are wild rats in our backyard every so often (another reason why my dad hates rats; they always try and break into the attic. So he has been having an ongoing war with the rats). I would be worried that the wild rats would get into the shed and id end up with half wild rat babies. Maybe I’m just paranoid though haha.

Thank you very much for your help though Rat Daddy! I appreciate it very much!!!


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

@missinsaworld. I addressed the shed idea in my response to Rat Daddy,....but then i hit send and realized how long my response was so thought i would save you from reading it hhaah. I live in Vancouver and we have pretty crumby weather. One day it can reach 90 and the very next day it can be so cold you can see your breath. And it rains A LOT, haha. So not really ideal for keeping them outside. I guess if i got a heat lamp and used the trick of hot water bottles and fan I may be able to combat this problem. But another problem is that, living near farm land, and in the part of the city that is surrounded by ditches, we have a lot of wild rats. The rats have gotten into our attic before so I'm worried that they are going to get into the shed and I'm going to end up with half wild rat babies haha. Maybe I'm just being paranoid though, haha.


----------



## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

I really liked these videos a lot when I first got rats. It taught me a lot and she actually knows her stuff. She works for the humane society and so maybe your parents will watch the videos. I think it hits a lot of things people worry about and it also shows how gentle they are. I loved the thing about the rat bridge.


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

@zurfaces. Those videos are great especially the second one that adresses all of her issues! She seems so down to earth and informed about rats. Like I mentioned, my mum isn't phobic of rats so showing her videos or pictures and such wouldn't hurt, but she thinks their tails are repulsive, and im worried she'd be put of by the first few seconds of the video where the rats long tail is hanging down the lady's shoulder and just stop watching the video haha. Im not sure though. I guess it couldn't do any more harm to send her the video, hopefully haha. I think it's really great though. Hopefully it works. And hopefully the part were the rat jumps doesn't scare the bejesus out of her hahah


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

With shoulder rats, 15 feet is no hard trick for me, I just grab the rat and walk out to the car and meet people in the driveway. People have plenty of room to flee back into their car. But most become fascinated with the friendly little animal on my shoulder. How you are going to arrange a 15 foot clearance depends on your rats and your architecture... A long hallway perhaps? A common room? I can't say.

As to the trick to teach your rats.... mostly it's stay on your shoulder when you are talking to your parents! Fuzzy Rat is Thorazine calm and peaceful around people. She actually looks strait at cameras and at cell phones and poses for photos. And she would sit peacefully on my shoulder while I talked to folks and now she rides comfortably on my arm as she can't hang on to my shoulder for very long anymore. If your rats run around like crazy they will spook the heck out of your parents. 

I'm not sure your mom standing on a chair with a broom inspires a lot of confidence. Nor does the "sanitized for your protection" approach your parents have towards rats. Somewhere down deep they most likely feel they are actually trying to protect you from your rats. I tried to download articles from the internet that actually claimed people could safely drink rat pee and how nice they were, but never got the wife to read one. She just threatened to kill me in my sleep if the rat poisoned our daughter. I told her it was a risk I could live with as there was no danger to our daughter and therefore none to myself. 

Self-confidence sells, if you believe, other's will believe you. It's likely too late, but you could always try to convince your dad that the rats he is trying to kill are roof rats and not Norwegian rats. That would make them a different species and therefore a different animal... And BTW the plague rat was a roof rat and not a Norway Rat.

But even if you can't go there, I had a part-wild rat and even though it was the same species it actually was a very different animal! Both wild rats and part-wild rats can make amazing and loving pets, but they are wolves at heart and nothing like dogs or pet rats. Fuzzy Rat who was nearly 50% larger and younger than our part wild, picked a fight once, the part wild had bites around her hips and back as Fuzzy Rat tried to assert dominance .. Fuzzy Rat only had two marks... one rather deep incision on either side of her trachea... fight over! Our part wild didn't play around or fight much, but she did kill well and she was stone cold when she got upset. She didn't kill Fuzzy Rat, but that one bite was enough convince Fuzzy Rat not to tempt fate again. If your dad wants to know the difference between your domestic rats and those in your roof, I can explain it to him. They are very very different animals and require very different care and handling. Or in the case of most wild rats, he's absolutely right, they shouldn't be allowed into your home. Even the trained ones are dangerous.


----------



## monster_paws (Jan 17, 2013)

I noticed you said you live in Vancouver, but where do you go to school? Maybe one of us could babysit for the four months.


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

Just an update. Moved to my parents house today, and being the mature 22 year old that I am (hahah), I made a melodramatic scene about how I would rather give them away to a good home then have them freeze to death in the shed. I also went off, with tears included, about how they deserve something more than living outside confined to a cage. Soooo... They are nice and toasty warm in my laundry room now! So happy!! My dad warmed up to them when he saw Basie trying to get attention and then how calm she was when she was getting her neck scratched. Now play time is going to be a problem though. The only arangement I could work out is hamster balls. I guess that's better than nothing for now; but I'm now confident that my parents will make more progress soon, seeing as they already moved past the freakig out whenever they came close to seeing them thing they were going through haha. I was also thinking that maybe I could try them on a leash and take them in the backyard (obviously that will take a lot of work before I feel confident enough letting them outside on leashes, but it would probably be better than hamster balls)


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

Sorry monster_paws. I just saw your post! Thank you for your suggestion though. Confident that they are now going to be alright with me in my parents place. Thank goodness! I don't know what I wouldve done if I had to part with them for four months!


----------



## Sugapot (Mar 3, 2013)

Bbrats, that's great yeah... You can only do baby steps.... I currently have a visitor at my house and he HATES rats. If I touch them he immediately ask me to wash my hands etc. I had to lie and tell him that they never go on the couch with us ... Too much dealage if he knows the truth. He thinks they have "the plague". Been great having our mate around.... BUT for my boys sake I can't wait till he goes home. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

@Sugapot. Ya you're right, have to remember that small steps is all I can hope for. I remember when I use to have visitors at ny place that thought rats were gross. It would kill me! I would also be counting down the day's for them to leave haha. So frustrating how people think they have diseases!


----------



## Skaven (Apr 24, 2013)

@bbrats, 
I am so glad that your rats now lives with you! You did great!


----------



## 3 ratties (Apr 6, 2013)

I'm so glad everything worked out for you and your rats!


Sent from Petguide.com App


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

Thanks Skaven and 3 ratties! Now the current problem is playtime. The hamster ball did not go over well with my gals at all! Does anyone have suggestions about how i can get them some playtime in for them in a way that will be alright with rat phobics? Right now they don't want them out of the cage, but i bargained for a hamster ball. Hamster ball went terribly though, have never seen my rattie so scared in her life. Don't know what options i have now, except for possibly a leash and taking them outside. Suggestions anyone??


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I've had two rats that liked the giant hamster ball and one that absolutely hated it. But time sharing is the approach we use with our rat phobic. When the wife is home and awake, the rats need to stay in their cage. After she goes to sleep on the other floor, with two locked doors between her and them, the rats can roam. Also when she is at work, the rats free range. Now I do all of the rat damage repairs, like fixing cut wires etc... and she complains about any mess they create.

Otherwise we go to the safe site or park when the weather is nice.

But other than time sharing and outdoor activities, or having the rats physically under our control as on hand or shoulder... a rat out of the cage anywhere near her starts out with screaming fit and ends in an hours long tyrade about how she feels being put out of her own home and how we are trying to torture her and how she is going to buy a whole bunch of large spiders and let them loose on us while we are sleeping... and that pretty much goes on until she gets tired, puts her broom away and goes to sleep, still cursing the wild mice that snuck into our home and why we haven't trapped them yet and how rodents breed poverty. On the up side, she's promised my daughter she could keep a baby wild mouse if she catches it.... 

As to rat phobics and rats free ranging together... good luck with that.


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

Wow Rat Daddy, your wife really in phobic about rats! My parents main concern is that they are going to damage something in the house. So right now my only option is sneakig them out when no one is home. Which isn't the best option because ill be starting my job soon so there aren't gonna be as many oppurtunities for me to be home alone. Ya the ball I got them was one of those huge ferret balls, and my bravest rat was not having it.


----------



## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Is there a way you can set up some time each day to go in the bathroom and lock the door and play with them? There's rarely anything in the bathroom they can destroy and that way your parents wouldn't have to see them while they were out.


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

@Rumy. I am kind of scared to ask them to be honest. It was so hard to convince them to let them in their house. I had to really reassure them that they wouldn't escape or ever come out of their cage. I'm worried that if i ask them if my ratties can come out then they will say no and lose trust in me. Cuz well, at least now i can sneak them out when everyone is away without them suspecting (not ideal but better than nothing) but I'm worried that after i ask and they say no they might be keeping their eye on me and the rats more thoroughly.


----------



## monster_paws (Jan 17, 2013)

When I had to go back home during college breaks before I got an apt my senior year, I would take super long showers and let the rats run around the bathroom. I'd also stay up til the wee hours of the morning and sneak them out then. 

Mine hated the hamster ball and would fear poop and pee in it. What a pain to clean.


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

@monster_paws. That's exactly what happened when one of my ratties went in the hamster ball. The long shower idea is great! Also goig to have to be staying up late to let them out. Tried lettig them out today when there was nobody home but they were to sleepy to be bothered :S haha. So ya, late night will be better for them too it seems haha


----------



## glider11 (Sep 7, 2011)

Maybe you could try asking your parents if they would allow you to have them in some kind of a play pen?


----------



## bbrats (Jan 21, 2013)

@glider. Ya I was wondering about that too. The spacing on the dog ones from the pet store are too large. I thought about using hardware cloth also, to make my own, but they would be able to climb up and over it. So not really sure how else I can do that. Have to figure out how, bc I think that is a good idea. .


So tonight they had their first nightime play session while everyone was asleep. Oh boy, I never noticed how loud they are until tonight! Haha. I had shopping bags on my floor and Ikea bags from my move and of course they have to investigate them all, inside and out haha. Then they were running around on the wood floor, and well the pitter patter of little rat feet are pretty distinguishable, and louder that I would have imagined. Not ideal for having family members bedrooms on either side of mine.Hopefully with some better noise/rat proofing it will be better next time haha


----------

