# Gotta have a little rant



## Fraido

I just really need to have a bit of a rant about something.
I've had my rats since October, only my dad knew I had them (I live with my grandparents, my dad, and my uncle), so it was risky and all because it's my grandparents house and they didn't want any more animals in the house. (Yes, I know. Bad, bad me. I saved them, I couldn't help myself.) 
Anyways, they recently found out about them a couple weeks ago. ("They" being my grandparents.) Nobody had the nerve to say anything to me, they just pretended it was nothing, and it made me freaked out to be alone with either grandparent because I was worried about getting nagged at about it, I got over that after a week of nobody saying anything. 
Then last Wednesday, my aunt (who lives a couple houses down, and I am very close with) texts me saying that my Granny had texted her asking about why I had rats, as she is the one who asked that no animals be brought into the house in the first place. I told her about it all, and she nagged me into getting rid of them (though my Granny and Grampy still had yet to say ANYTHING to me about them). 
Whether or not I'm in the wrong, this is obviously going to upset me. They're my only company these days, they make me happy. Nothing really makes me happy like animals do. But, I told her I'd put them up on Kijiji or something, as she tried suggesting I give them back to the place I saved them from, which I would NEVER do. 
I talked to my dad about it, and he said I should hold from doing anything until the people who own the house speak up about it, so I at least made a post about having to give them away on here.
I think it was the next day, my aunt texted me again, asking me if I had placed an ad on Kijiji or the buy and sell group on Facebook. I told her I didn't want to talk about it, but she persisted, which obviously caused much ranting and probably lot's of attitude from me. She got all mad, and acted as if I wasn't going to do diddly squat about having them, which I never said, or even implied to her. I told her, I didn't know what she wanted from me, as I already told her that I was going to put an ad up, I simply said I didn't want to talk about it. She should have respected the fact that I didn't want to talk about, but she didn't, she just went on and made me seem like a good for nothing, spoiled brat, who never appreciates what anyone ever does for me. (Which is NOT true.) 
That's just one part of this irritating thing, though. The reason I resulted in coming here for a rant is because of what happened today. 
I'm not the only one hiding a few rats in this house. My dad, who has the whole upstairs of the house to himself, also has a couple rats hidden up there. So, I came home from school today and my dad had asked to come see him upstairs, I obliged, wondering what on Earth I did wrong this time. He tells me that it's his fault, but the door to the upstairs got opened by one of the stupid cats, and one of his rats got downstairs and walked over my Grampy's feet when he was sleeping. Nobody knows my dad has his rats, so *I* got the blame for this, now I MUST get rid of my rats, because my dad won't own up to the fact that I had absolutely NOTHING to do with what happened. I cannot believe he would let his daughter take the fall like this, it is SO cruel. He acts like it's no big deal, just told me I'm to bring them upstairs and hide them there instead. NO WAY. The last thing I want to do is stash them away upstairs where I'll never be able to see them.
GOD, this all makes me BEYOND mad. I clearly wasn't being forced to get rid of them before, and now I have to because of something I had nothing to do with.
I'm not so shallow that I would just 'rat' out my dad about his rats, but I'm not getting rid of mine yet, not until somebody decides to say it to my face, and when they do I will most certainly bring up the fact that MY rats have never been an issue and that it had ZERO to do with me, I will definitely be telling them it was my dad too when that time comes. It's not fair that I have to suffer the consequences of something I was not a part of.

If anybody takes the time to read all this, I applaud you. I just really needed to get all this out. I hate being so passionate about animals.


----------



## abratforarat

That must be so hard. I mean, so, that's really kinda awful. I'd hate to be in your situation. I know it's hard to sell animals, and I don't know what your family is thinking, here. I know that you love them, and your family should see that, too. I'm sorry, tell me how it works out!


----------



## erikablanchettexo

That's horrible . 

If I was in your situation I would sit my grandparents down and have a discussion about it. That way it shows that you care about their point of view but want to get yours across too. Explain why you wanted them in the first place and how they're helping you (if they are) and how they're keeping you company. Maybe if you lay everything out on the table then they will let you keep them. I find sometimes older people don't want to say certain things in fear of hurting your feelings so they get other family members to do it (hence maybe why your aunt did all that?) regardless, I hope everything works out for you


----------



## erinsweeney

I'm sick of the "their house, their rules" attitude in general. Your parent/guardian is OBLIGATED to provide for you, not hold basic necessities over your head to get you to conform to their every wish. On the other hand I can understand now wanting animals in your home.... but your grandparents don't see too zealous about enforcing that? Either way you just have to show them how smart, clean, and personable rats are!


----------



## Fraido

I'll be honest, I totally expected to get a lot of flack about the fact that I brought them in without their knowledge in the first place. It's nice to hear people do understand my side of this story!
They're actually pretty darn good at enforcing that rule, I don't know why they didn't say anything (especially my Grampy, he's very rude) when they first found out. I expected to get screamed at by my Grampy when he saw Nixon running around in my room. My Granny is the nice one here, my Grampy? Not so much. He can be VERY rude and in your face about things.
Talking to them about everything would require me to tell them about my dad's rats. That is the only reason I'm not confronting them about this whole issue. (My dad was the one that said my Granny told him that now they HAVE to go.) So until someone tells ME, to my face, that my babies need to go, they're staying with me.
Like, I get that it's their house, there's already a lot of animals here, so they don't want anymore. I get that I was in the wrong for bringing them here. But honestly, they were here for four months before anybody knew, thu clearly weren't causing any kind of problem. My animal-loving side is difficult to control, what makes it even more difficult is living in a house where only one ther person shares your passion. My ONE passion. There are very few things in this world that I am passionate about. Ugh..
I will certainly let you all know what happens in the end, but I can garauntee it will be typed with much tears, whether they're tears of joy or tears of sadness.


----------



## artgecko

First... Yes, you were wrong to bring them in without permission.... And this is coming from someone who was not allowed (by my parents) to have the pets I wanted while living in their house.. It is their right to decide what they do and do not want in their home... I lived by my parents rules while in their home and then got what I wanted when I lived on my own. It took time and patience, but it was worth it. 

Erinsweeney- It is not about the parents holding basic necessities to force their rules on someone. It is more about the person they are permitting to live with them and providing for abiding by their rules as a sign of respect for them. If they are providing for you, it would be rude and disrespectful to go against their wishes on something like this. (to the OP, this is not directed at you, but to clarify a point). 

Back to the issue at hand... It sounds like your family has some issues going on (deeper than rats). To that end, those need to be cleared up as well. 

If I were in your shoes, I would first have a sit down with my dad and tell him how his actions make you feel as his child. That he is making you take the blame for his actions and that this is not what you expected your dad to do. Tell him how this makes you feel and how hurtful it is to you. Explain to him that you want to sit down with your grandparents and talk with them about it all and see how he reacts. 

I agree that you should sit down with your grandparents. Sometimes, when you love someone, it is hard to confront them when they are doing something wrong. In this case you did something wrong by going against their guidelines, so that needs to be made right... No matter what it takes. It is far more important to have a good relationship with your grandparents (and if possible your dad) than keeping or not keeping your rats. As unpopular as this will sound on this forum, rats will live generally 2-3 years, people live much longer and your relationship will last with them for their entire life and a great deal of yours... Because your actions may have grieved them, I would deal with that. They may let you keep them, they may not, but you need to do right by them. As for your aunt... Tell her that you are talking to your grandparents about it and will abide by their decision. If nothing else, you may end up being the "adult" here and giving a good example that your father may follow.. More than likely, they know that he is not abiding by their rules too, but they are too hurt or saddened by it to talk to him.

I will be praying for you and your family's situation. I know you love your rats and I hope that things work out for them too, but there seems to be greater things at stake here. In the worst case scenario, you may have to rehome your rats now, but when you leave and live on your own, you will be able to own rats again...This time by your own rules.


----------



## Fraido

I agree with everything you've said, but trust me when I say I'm better to wait for them to approach me about the issue.


----------



## Vegn

Why can't you put the rats in with your dads? Can't you go in and visit still? I understand this is a tough situation so maybe not but it's an option. The thing with the "wait until they approach me" is that it seems in a way they have. Your dad was told to tell you to get rid of them and it may be your grandparents way of trying to not start a fight. At least talk to your dad. Ask him how it's fair that he keep his and you have to give up yours, especially since it kinda sounds like you had yours longer. And is it possible to rehome another animal instead of the rats? If the rats are your babies and best friend, maybe giving up another animal that just isn't as special is better for you if it would allow you to keep the rats. Although I do realize that that is a VERY hard thing to do no matter what animal it is.


----------



## Fraido

Vegn said:


> Why can't you put the rats in with your dads? Can't you go in and visit still? I understand this is a tough situation so maybe not but it's an option. The thing with the "wait until they approach me" is that it seems in a way they have. Your dad was told to tell you to get rid of them and it may be your grandparents way of trying to not start a fight. At least talk to your dad. Ask him how it's fair that he keep his and you have to give up yours, especially since it kinda sounds like you had yours longer. And is it possible to rehome another animal instead of the rats? If the rats are your babies and best friend, maybe giving up another animal that just isn't as special is better for you if it would allow you to keep the rats. Although I do realize that that is a VERY hard thing to do no matter what animal it is.


Very good advice, I appreciate it.
My dad's rats are females, mine are males, and I know he'd end up with baby rats if they were up there. He's not the most responsible person to be completely honest..
It seems as though everybody has moved on from the situation, surprisingly.


----------



## Vegn

Well now that's a perfectly good reason not to move the rats in with your dad's XD That's good news that they moved on, just hope it stays that way. Maybe introduce your grandparents to the nicest rat you have and really show them how nice and sweet they are. Also, small ones and cute ones tend to go over a lot better than a larger PEW. Solid brown tends to look too "sewer rat" for some people. I think that's a dumbo in your avatar? Those go over really well with people. The huge ears dim down the rat effect, try to sorta, shield the tail, maybe clean it first so it's not as dirty as they tend to get. A LOT of people get caught on that.


----------



## Fraido

Lol, yup! I think my grandparents would be pretty upset if we ended up with babies! 
They also aren't new to rats, they've had pet rats here before, both of my uncles had them. Ruebin, the dumbo, is one of the sketchiest rats, lol. Possibly the cutest looking rat to people new to rats, but Murlow (a PEW) and Nixon (the brown guy) are my two sweetest rats.


----------



## Vegn

Ya one of my dumbos is pretty wacky and doesn't want handled so I would use one of the standards but hen I got another little dumbo girl, such a sweetheart, an absolute doll. Stunted when she was young I think as she's kinda small but really just like a "true" dumbo persona.


----------



## Fraido

Welp, they hadn't moved on. I guess they just assumed I actually got rid of them. 
My Grampy confronted me and said something about how him and my Granny had asked that I get rid of them, then said that he saw one in my bedroom window. So apparently him and my Granny talked about it and I have two weeks to get rid of them or apparently he's going to do it himself. (I thought for a moment he was threatening to kill them, but he clarified and said he wouldn't and that he'd find somebody to take them.) 
I walked into my room after letting him know that MY rat never ran over his foot in the middle of the night and that perhaps he should talk to my dad.
When I went to throw something in the garbage a few minutes later he was in the kitchen and tried telling me he wasn't trying to be mean, and that him and my Granny moved my bedroom to get away from all the filfth and stink of the animals upstairs. I wanted to tell him that MY rats were not causing any stink, the only thing causing the nastiness of upstairs is crap not being cleaned. But all I said, for some reason, was that I had them for months. Which obviously did nothing for my side. I don't know why I said that of all things, oh well.
So now they have to go. I guess if anybody knows somebody in Southern Ontario who would be willing to adopt my boys, let me know.. something about putting them up on Kijiji makes me uncomfortable, I don't want to have to do that. I couldn't imagine how awful it would be if somebody lied to me and seemed so perfect for them, and then fed them to their snake..


----------



## AdequateRat

>_> I would honestly be like, "Well... You seem. I've had them for weeks and you haven't noticed, so what does it matter?" 

Hahaha.


----------



## AdequateRat

Oh.. I didn't read the last part.. That sucks. D: I'm in St.Catharines, Ontario....


----------



## Fraido

Months actually...... but yeah, that's pretty well my mindset during all this. Like, they haven't caused any problems since I've had them, ZERO. So why should I have to get rid of them?
But then I have to think about how ai brought them in against my grandparents' wishes. So.:/

Where's that? Lol


----------



## Fraido

So far.. Lol


----------



## artgecko

Sorry to hear that and I hope you find a good home for them. Are there any rat rescues in your area that might be able to help you place them? One positive thing that could come of this (if you could call it that)... They'll still notice a smell after yours are gone, then they will find the "real" problem :/ so you may end up being at least partially vindicated in the end.


----------



## AdequateRat

Lame. I would've moved out by now. 
D: I'm sorry, I totally would've stole... adopted them.

I currently have 6 bros that are super easy going.
(Successfully introduced 2 little bros to them about a day or so ago.)


----------



## Fraido

I'm not sure if there are any around here, I'll have to look.
He is well aware he's not smelling them.. the only smell in this place is that of upstairs, and he knows it. He's just trying to say I brought the smell downstairs with me, when I haven't. Like, he had no idea they were down here until he actually SAW one.
It's frustrating, I'm not allowed to have my kitty down here with me because of him, he won't let her down because he says she's going to "spray" all over everything and make it stink... Did ya catch that? HER.. SHE.. ugh. And now he's taking away my only other companions, this sucks.


----------



## Fraido

AdequateRat said:


> Lame. I would've moved out by now.
> D: I'm sorry, I totally would've stole... adopted them.
> 
> I currently have 6 bros that are super easy going.
> (Successfully introduced 2 little bros to them about a day or so ago.)


I'm only sixteen, and I moved in with them because of issues with my mother. -_- if only that were an actual option...


----------



## AdequateRat

Fraido said:


> I'm only sixteen, and I moved in with them because of issues with my mother. -_- if only that were an actual option...



:c I'm really sorry to hear that.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? *Stalker mode* Maybe I'll go out on a mission when (hopefully) I get My G2 next week... Lol


If it makes you feel any better, I live at home too and my mom was really adamant about me not getting any rats. Hahah.
I got 2 to start off with, now 6. She kind of loves them too (secretly..)

The last 2 I kind of got randomly, I was only supposed to be allowed to get 1 more (after the initial 4). But I just couldn't say no.

As I went back home, I was all "So, you're gonna be really pissed at me.. I got 5." THE LOOK ON HER FACE, SHE TOTALLY WOULD'VE LET ME KEEP ALL OF THEM.... But then I opened the box and there was 2, she was sort of relieved.

TL; DR WHERE DO YOU LIVE? If it's not so far maybe I can come rescue them.


----------



## Fraido

Lawl. x3 I live near Peterborough, lol. I think you might consider that far.


----------



## AdequateRat

Two and a half hours, not that bad. Maybe I could make a thing of it. I'll keep you posted, but stay on the look out for other people for sure!


----------



## Fraido

Rooaadd triipp, lol. Okie Dokie!


----------



## Fraido

Well, I haven't really made an effort to find any homes for them, and yesterday was my last day. My Grandfather questioned me about it, he makes it seem like nothing and it ticks me off.
I walked into the kitchen a few minutes ago and he said, "You know sweetie, today was your last day. How'd you make out?" That seriously irritates me, like, don't act like you're not forcing me to get rid of something incredibly important to me. 
But anyways, yeah I was kind of rude about it and walked away telling him to try for himself... it all comes out on its own. I don't try to be rude. However, it is better for everyone that I just walk away, because I can most definitely feel myself wanting to just blow up and yell.

I'd also like to say that, yes, I do still realize that this is all my own fault. That doesn't take away my hurt feelings about the whole situation.


----------



## Tedology

Fraido, I'm just now catching up on this thread.

I'm sorry you're going through this. I was a teenager once and having SOME control was so important to me. I get where you're coming from.

That being said... as somebody pointed out earlier - it's your grandparents' home. Since they pay the rent/mortgage, they get to decide what goes on under the roof. Is that fair? Maybe not. But it's the way it is. It sounds like your grandfather gave you time to find something. Was it enough time? Maybe not. But it was given to you. He could have said, "I want the rats out TODAY!"

I do hope things work out for you, regardless of what's going on.  As I said, I know it's not easy.

Please keep us updated!


----------



## Fraido

Yes, I understand, I shall keep my situation up to date on here!


----------



## Smilebud

Hey, it's been a bit since this was posted, could you update us?


----------



## Fraido

I certainly can!

It appears as though I've won the battle, whether or not that makes me a bad person is up to you. I'm not necessarily proud of that, but my rats have become a huge part of my life, like, animals are just so important to me and they make every day so much better.
I hid in my room for a couple weeks, only coming out after nine (which by that time my grampy has usually gone to bed). I used my own door to the outside when I left and came home, as my room was converted from a garage.
Not once did my grampy confront me. I even just spent the weekend at the trailer with him and my Granny, nothing was said to me about my rats.
I did learn that my dad had told him I want nothing to do with him, because that is how a currently felt and had talked about it with my dad. My dad didn't just go up to him and say it without reason, though. Apparently my grampy had said something to my dad and told him to get me to clean my room (I slacked on cleaning a bit), and he was trying to say he was making it easier on me, though I have no idea what that 'it' is. Life perhaps? I don't know.
After that, I kind of felt okay leaving my room, there was just something comforting about my dad's support. Things seem to be fine now. I'm thinking if I keep my room top notch, so it doesn't smell, he'll leave me be. We'll see what happens in the weeks to come, maybe he's truly done coming after me, maybe not. (Lawl at the fact that that makes this seem like some horror story..)

I didn't think people were really interested in this whole situation! I even forget this thread still existed!


----------



## JAnimal

Lol that's funny that you forgot. I was actually wondering how it turned out. I'm glad that you got to keep the rats.


----------



## Fraido

Ughhh, that war must not have been won. I think he's just under the impression that I no longer have them.
*groans*
I was getting home with my Granny not long ago, and she suddenly just groaned and said, "you still have those rats". She said she saw them in the window lastnight, and she said that my grampy had apparently gone in to get them and they weren't there. So yeah, I have no doubt that he just thinks I got rid of them.
Let the games begin! He'll probably realize I still have them sometime in the near future, and the war will begin again.


----------



## Fraido

Well my grandfather just came to my room and handed me a little bird cage and told me I can put them in that and he's taking them tomorrow.
When I angrily ask where he plans on taking them, he says "don't worry about it" and that he's "taking them to a friend". As if I believe anything he says, if he was taking them to a friend, he should have NO issue telling me who that friend is. 
These rats are pets, and if he dares send my babies to someone who isn't going to look after them, or to someone who is going to feed them to some other animal of their's, I will never forgive this man.
I can hear yelling outside of my room, because of my dad out there standing up for me, and it's all so stressful and upsetting. Just the fact that I'm being forced to get rid of them is making me cry, and the fact that they're all out there yelling and screaming at each other is making it so much worse.
I brought all of this on..


----------



## Capistrono

Any updates? :c


----------



## Fraido

Oh geez, I never even noticed somebody asked for an update! It doesn't look like you've been active lately, buuut maybe when you return you'll come across this again... did I maybe make another thread about it? Hmm, I don't recall. Oh well, so I still have my rats as a lot of people know, I did stand my ground about them and it caused a huge blowout and my dad and grandfather were screaming at each other and both me and my Granny were both just kind of there, I was yelling at my dad to shut up. It was pretty bad. Tears were shed. Eventually my Granny butt in and told my Grampy to just leave me alone. Now as long as I keep them clean it's all good...... I feel like I did post this somewhere. Hmm..


----------



## Scrappydoo

Why do grandparents hate rats? (some of them) I have 2 rats and my grandma came over and I showed her the rats. She looked disgusted. She didn't say much but she left the room immediately. I don't understand


----------

