# Pouch Rats



## elliotulysses (Feb 8, 2015)

I'm interested in african pouched rats down the road. I just need to know if anyone has any experience with them. If so, how do they compare to a regular fancy rat? I know the husbandry is similar, but scaled up. How is temperament? Ease of training? Anything else a person who is considering the idea in the next few years.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Currently, I'm not aware of any place you can actually get a pouched rat in the US short of catching one in the Florida Keys. But nothing is impossible. I'd likely start off with seeing if you can actually even get one, then find a vet who can treat it. I've known of people who have owned unlawful, endangered and even technically extinct species. They come with special challenges that have little to do with their behavior and temperament.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

As Rat Daddy said it is extremely difficult if not impossible to get a bred one in the US. In 2003 they were banned from being imported to the US. they were also banned as pets but that ban was lifted in 2008. But since they are banned from being imported & were banned as pets, it makes finding someone who has them a bit difficult. 

They are far different from our fancy rats. They are not fully domesticated and from those I have known to own them, they can be biters & their bite is not fun (mostly males tend to be a bit aggressive). They also tend to be far more destructive. 

More exotic pets can be fun but they also come with alot more issues and work. There was a thread about them not long ago I would try searching for it.


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## elliotulysses (Feb 8, 2015)

Rat Daddy said:


> Currently, I'm not aware of any place you can actually get a pouched rat in the US short of catching one in the Florida Keys. But nothing is impossible. I'd likely start off with seeing if you can actually even get one, then find a vet who can treat it. I've known of people who have owned unlawful, endangered and even technically extinct species. They come with special challenges that have little to do with their behavior and temperament.


Really? Maybe that's why it was too hard to find a breeder. I don't think I'll be venturing in the keys trying to hunt down a baby APR. Though this plan is for grad school or after grad school, so maybe then the trade will make it here. I just see things about them in the UK and it makes me jealous!
Though I think that perhaps there may be one breeder or two in the US. I've seen some APR in movies; such as the remake of Willard, at least if my memory serves me right, they made Ben an african pouched rat. Unless that was totally CGI, which I kind of doubt, but who knows!
I'm sort of used to the PITA of vets, as I do own some other exotics, like snakes and lizards. Their check ups are more pricey than it would be to take in, say my cat. It would just have to be a manner of finding someone with such a "new" animal in the exotic trade.
Thank you!


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## elliotulysses (Feb 8, 2015)

moonkissed said:


> As Rat Daddy said it is extremely difficult if not impossible to get a bred one in the US. In 2003 they were banned from being imported to the US. they were also banned as pets but that ban was lifted in 2008. But since they are banned from being imported & were banned as pets, it makes finding someone who has them a bit difficult.
> 
> They are far different from our fancy rats. They are not fully domesticated and from those I have known to own them, they can be biters & their bite is not fun (mostly males tend to be a bit aggressive). They also tend to be far more destructive.
> 
> More exotic pets can be fun but they also come with alot more issues and work. There was a thread about them not long ago I would try searching for it.


I'll search for the thread. I've heard of their destruction and bites, but I'm more confused on the legality of the issue. Is this under the lacey act? I might be able to find something if I can look through some legal papers.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/mammals/gambian-pouch-rat/ 
https://www.rightpet.com/small-exotic-mammaldetail/gambian-pouched-rat#

This seems to be the official page:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2008-09-08/pdf/E8-20779.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/african-ban.html

*also it seems some states have outright bans on them as well such as florida (& possibly california too im not sure) as it says in one of the links above. 

I got the links from this thread btw:
http://www.goosemoose.com/rfc/index.php?topic=4049278.0;nowap


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## elliotulysses (Feb 8, 2015)

Thank you. Maybe the legalities will change. I'm in the reptile hobby and right now HSUS is trying to ban all exotic reptiles, including little innocent geckos. It seems these things are always in limbo with laws.


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## FiMarie (Jan 19, 2013)

They are not legal to own in any US state because they were deemed responsible for a monkey-pox outbreak several years ago. There is a long list of African rodents that are banned in the US because of monkey-pox. I highly urge you to NOT catch a wild baby as they are typically very territorial. Cage aggression is common and if they're allowed to roam out of the cage they decide the entire home is their territory. Do a LOT of research and you will find that they don't make ideal pets. They're awesome and each is an individual; not all are aggressive or so territorial, but certainly one caught in the wild with zero domestication will not make a good house pet.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

FiMarie said:


> They are not legal to own in any US state because they were deemed responsible for a monkey-pox outbreak several years ago.


As you can see from the above links I posted FiMarie, the ban on owning them as pets was lifted in 2008. It is still illegal to import them & some states still ban them.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I don't think there was ever a truly domestic pouch rat. And the wild ones in Florida came from captive stock a breeder released... If you can get a small enough pup I don't think it would be much worse than getting a captive born pup... But just about any adult wild rat can be a nightmare to socialize. And Gambians are bigger with bigger teeth.

Some years ago, I met a woman who was a nanny for a family that owned a pet Puma. She said it was well cared for and loved, she didn't stay at that job long however. I had another friend that kept pet vipers. Some folks do have the financial means and the personality to keep very uncommon "pets". Often these relationships don't end well, but other times they work out magnificently. 

The only real problem with exotic pets is that there is rarely a plan B when things don't work out. There are no shelters that will take in exotics, few vets that can treat them and not many other people that can help or would adopt the animal if it proves to be anti-social. This kind of means your working without a safety net. Which, again doesn't mean it won't work, it just means it will be a whole lot harder than either brown or even black rats. And by the way, I've raised a part wild brown rat, and even that animal was a real challenge. She was a one family animal, she was sweet and friendly to us but she was absolutely vicious to strangers, I couldn't even imagine a vet that would have seen her, or anybody in their right mind who would have adopted her from us, if we couldn't keep her.

There's a lot to consider when taking on an exotic animal. I don't mean to imply that things can't or won't work out, but it's a big responsibility.


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