# What made you decide...???



## giddy4ratz (Sep 14, 2007)

Hello ppl,

I was just pondering the question on what makes people decide on keeping rats.

The reason I first started keeping rats as pets (although I have none at the moment :roll: ) is because I was given one by my brother who decided that he didnt really want a rat after about a week. So I took him on.

He was absolutely gorgeous, loving and kissy.  

But before that I had 3 beautiful female mice. I loved the mice but always wanted rats. I do love aaaaaaaalllllll pocket pets they are my kind of pets  I've also had rabbits. The only things I have not had is Hamsters(as they are not sold in Australia) and guinea pigs. Have no reasons for the guinea pigs just havent had them yet  

Anys, what made you decide on rats as pets?
Why did you decide to have bucks/does??
And also, do you have bucks or does??

Thanx!


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## vawny (Sep 19, 2007)

Hi there!

Actually, as a young child, I used to be dog mad, I think it was the diversity that attracted me... That changed when I was chased and bitten by one bigger than me. 

A few years after that, one of my friends got a hamster and I had my first up close look. I have been a rodent warrior ever since! After that I owned gerbils, mice and hamsters, but I always wanted a rat. Rats were always the forbidden fruit, as my mum was never keen on having them in her house. When I moved out, I got a pair, and convinced my parents to let me bring them with me when I came back every now and then. They are more beautiful and more appealing after owning some. My mum even came to liking them!

I had bucks because I wanted a big cuddly rat who would sit on my shoulder. Out of my two babies, one of them was that! I don't have any at the moment, but I'm going for males again.

Incidently, I now have a dog, and he is lovely if not a bit demanding, but I still need rats in my life. xx


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

I first got rats because my sister was getting a hamster and my mom told me I could get something furry (meaning not a reptile). I wanted something more playful than a hamster and I fell in love with the rats at Petsmart. 

I started with boys because thats all petsmart carries, I loved my first boys. They completely spoiled me as a first time owner, I was never bitten (with the exception of Atlus, who bit me the day I had him put to sleep because he was seizing and could no longer move his back legs, he bit me during a seizure). That was when I was in high school, and really needed a good friend. Those boys got me through a lot, including the sudden death of my father. They all passed by the time I finished high school.

Now I'm in my second year in college and with an apartment of my own I decided rats should once again grace my life. When Im sad or stressed there is nothing better than watching their silly antics, whether its transferring the contents of their food dish to the empty cereal box and then blocking the entrance with toys and shredded cardboard/paper (Jenner and Brisbys current activity) or sleeping _on top_ of their igloo (Johnathan and Justin). This mischief is completely full of mischief, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Well anyway, thats my rather long explanation of why I have rats, why I got rats and why boys


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## vawny (Sep 19, 2007)

I agree completely about the stress relief factor. There's nothing like a chirping rat in your hand to make your troubles seem so far away. I have never got that from another animal, oddly enough! xx


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## giddy4ratz (Sep 14, 2007)

Woow cool! Thanx. I really enjoyed reading thoses. Its rather fasinating reading about why others got their rats. Thanx...


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## dkg04 (Sep 20, 2007)

Well, for me it was kind of an unexpected situation. My best friend got Lucy, a very sweet and affectionate rat about a 6 months ago, recently she has been having some personal issues and is unable to take care of the rat. I offered to take care of Lucy until everything gets resolved in her life. The only problem is that I don't think I want to give her back, my fiance and I have really grown attached to her! :lol: (I am only kidding, as hard as it will be to give her back I will do it)


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

My first experience with rats came because of my sister's 4th grade class. They had two PEW rats, and were doing an experiment on why kids should drink milk (or something). The two girls were fed the exact same foods, the only difference was that one was given just water to drink, and one was given just milk. Each kid in the class had to bring the rats home to take care of for a weekend, and when it my sister's turn, I convinced her to let me take care of them. They were so cute although I didn't really play with them (the kids had instructions not to handle them much, especially the smaller water-drinker). Now I realize they were kept in pretty bad conditions - very small cages made of plastic, nothing to play with or do in them, being kept alone, not really being handled.

Some years later when I was 15, I convinced my parents to let me get a pet. We had tried hamsters before but they weren't very friendly and managed to escape (we never found either hamster - either one of the dogs or the cat got them first, or they made it outside). I did a lot of research on different animals, and really wanted a rat. But my mom said absolutely not. She hated their tails, and probably just the idea of a rat. So I gave up on that and got a guinea pig instead (he was awesome!)

Last spring, I made friends with a guy who had a pet rat. She was so cute and sweet and he loved her so much, I decided it was high time I got a rat of my own. After a lot more research (information had changed in those 7 years) and a bit of convincing my grandma (who I live with right now), I finally got my first two rats!

I used to think that when I grew up, I would have a complete zoo, because I love all animals. And I'll get a dog once I move out, because I've always been a huge dog lover, and my boyfriend wants a cat, but when it comes to small animals, I'm so satisfied with my ratties I don't have much desire to get other pets anymore. (Although I may get a pair of sugar gliders someday!)


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## kaylaface (Sep 6, 2007)

I decided to get rats because I love to have pets that interact with me lots. I have a corn snake, but snakes don't really play. I have a cat, but he can't live where I'm at right now, for our landlord hates cat's. Hamsters and mice tend to bite and not really play. I remember that when I was in middle school there was this adorable rat named ringo that was always just dieing for attention. I remembered him and how loving and playful he was, so I decided on rats. I've only had them a week, but so far they have been awesome. lol they like to lick my hands for some reason, and one has a thing against my finger nails, he's always biting at them. lol. Oh I have bucks. hehe.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

I got one because my sisters had had them when we were all children (those poor rats ). Everyone else grew out of rats, I did not. Three years back I discovered rescues and shelters, etc. I had been thinking of getting a rescue cat once the rats I had passed on, but then I realized there were a ton of people around to help those rescue cats but very few for the rescue rats, and I could do more good for them. I then went gung-ho into rescue work.


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## Meliss (Sep 1, 2007)

I first got hooked onto rats when my sister from Cali came home for the summer. I ended up falling in love with them. Plus they are the only pet I am not allergic too. When my sister left she couldn't afford to keep all of them So we got 4, now we only have three. But I love them and they are a great stress reliever.


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## renay (May 30, 2007)

Lol I bought my first rats to agitate my parents, and after them passing away, I waited about a year before getting my next rat, and I was attracted to her because she was a himalayan in a tank of black berks, she just kinda caught my eye (as i'm sure she would have anyone elses) Then I found myself here... and i give credit to the other users for my GGMR syndrome, I now have a half full family of 7  all the while growing, and all the while making my boyfriend more and more nuts


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

It's a cascade effect, really. 

My roommates aunt got a rat (yes, just one, and he's still alone, poor boy. Her threat is that if that children don't treat him well enough he comes to live with me. His name's Princess, by the way. 8O )

So, my roommate, wanting to see if she could handle a pet, got Bacardi. After he got lost under their couch (her cousin dropped him on the floor) she didn't want to take him out of his cage anymore. 

When I came to live with her I thought Bacardi was lonesome and got Pernod. They got a bigger cage and hung out. But she'd really wanted a black one to begin with (Baba's agouti) so when I spotted a black one, we got Guinness (and another new cage!)

Then she got a dog (what she'd wanted in the first place but was too impatient to wait for). And now, as far as I can tell, they're mine. But if we split up, she will claim Bacardi back (  Maybe I can talk her out of it...) and she wants to keep Guinness as well (Super mega  )

Oh right, she got a male because they didn't have any females. I got males because NO BABIES! Woo!


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## giddy4ratz (Sep 14, 2007)

Thanx guys they are such awesome stories I loved every moment of them...Fantastic! 
*FORENSIC:* I hope that you get to keep Baccardi and Guiness if you guys move into your own apartments one day


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Yeah, me too... Thanks.


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

i live in an apartment complex where all the leases quite clearly states "no pets". my daughter (beckoned) suffers from depression and anxiety, and our doctor suggested that we should get her a pet. one of her friends had a rat, and beckoned wanted one, too. i got her to research them, and found out that they should be at the very least, in pairs... so off we went to get a couple of ratties and all the accessories. they were ginger & loco.

a few months later, i was at a different pet store and noticed soot looking at me... so i brought her home. the next day i went back and got ash... and another cage.

a couple of months later, beckoned mentioned that her friend was going to give her rattie back to her mother as she (the friend) had a toddler who's greatest joy in life at the time was harrassing the poor rat! i said to beckoned to tell her friend that meggsy can come live with us, i'm sure the other girls wont mind.... they didnt.

meggsy lived with soot & ash for a few months, with ginger & loco's cage being about 12 inches away, so the girls could all see each other, and they all spent their free-range time together. my aim was to get a big enough cage that all the girls could live together... and that happened in august. they now live in a ginormous cage that can hold up to 14 ratties (i plan on getting two more)... and they have asked me to tell you that they have a song. its "so happy together" by the turtles. for those of us in aussieland... its the smiths chips theme song of the moment...


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## giddy4ratz (Sep 14, 2007)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaw thats such a happy wonderful story. Thanx for that. And thanx for the song girls too.


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## mollylovesherrat (Sep 24, 2007)

I got my first rat because my little brother rescured her from being snake food, he took care of her until he moved up to Indiana.
From then on she was my pet!
Rats are one the best pet I have ever had.


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## mishbob (Jun 5, 2007)

My daughter wanted a dog. We researched a discovered that rats are also loving and loyal. We're hooked for life!


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## giddy4ratz (Sep 14, 2007)

Cool! 

*Mishbob:* I tell everyone to try a rat before they get a dog. I actually think I may have convinced a older lady that a rat is the way too go if they dont want a dog but would like one that is similar in loyalty etc! :lol: 

You could see her brain really thinking about the idea  

*Mollylovesherrat:* Sounds similar to how I got my first ratty :wink:


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## Bandit (Jul 30, 2007)

My friends sprung two little rats on me a long while ago. They were a mix gendered pair and the female had 11 babies. That went horribly wrong though and most of them died from lung issues. I now think it was because of the bedding. I was so heart broken.

I had a lone female rat for awhile named Luna. She was the love of my life. After she passed I waited a year and now I have five ladies. I did way more research this time around and am determinded to get things right. My first rat experiance was just awful but this one is has been going wonderful.


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## giddy4ratz (Sep 14, 2007)

That is awesome that your ladies are going good


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## ladada2001 (Sep 23, 2007)

to me, it's the companionship, I don't feel so lonely when I'm near a creature that actually at least pretends to care enough about me to stay near me and kinda cuddle in that sense.


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## giddy4ratz (Sep 14, 2007)

cool


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## MagicalLobster (Jun 30, 2007)

Well, when I was younger I had always wanted a hamster (probably like third grade). My mom never let me because I was, well, irresponsible and probably would have forgotten about it. Then in sixth grade my mom's boyfriend had brought up how cool pet rats were and how smart, etc. they were. Some time after that I had been browsing the petstore near my house and somehow had a good sum of money to spend. That was when I kind of jumped in head first and got two male rats! That pretty much changed my life, seeing as I never knew rats to be the intelligent creatures that they are. Ever since then rats have always been part of my life. :]


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## Fuzz16 (Sep 8, 2007)

well i have had anything from rabbits to guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils...cats and a dog.  i actually fell in love with a lil rat at work...she died from URI im guessing. it was the next day after i got her....so i never thought to reconize the problem. 
then i had a big cage...with no rats. my cat slept in it, lol. 
so then there was this little blue rat, last of them all and i took her home. because she ended up being female.
then i fell in love with this bigger momma rat...she was given pinkies/fuzzies/hoppers to take care of. my manager let me take her home. thats Ryan.
then of course...my pew...i dont even know. i was cleaning out the bedding in the cages and she was just so interested in what i was doing and not scared of me, and i got her. 

out of all my pets i like my cat first then my rats then my hammy. but ya, rats are the best rodents! very very smart


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## nepenthes (Jul 29, 2007)

I was just concidering what kinds of pets to get after the fire, i wanted something fuzzy, i had Turantulas but i couldnt hold them like i could a rat, and I just for some reason really wanted a giant gambian rat (after watching a special on how they cleared mines in Africa) but found out they were illegal to import or w/e and no one in the area breed them (dont know if they even are breed in the states). that was months b4 the fire, and i started looking up a bunch on how to keep them and found out they were illegal in the states, ended up having the fire and months later my mom asked what kind of pet we should get when we move back in, and I thought that a Gambian rat would be cool and explained they were illegal to have in the states) she ended up telling me about how she had rats b4 i was born but they were aggressive, and i asked if we could get some, she wanted to think about it. And i kept telling her how they could be friendly and all this other stuff, and she was ok with it, so i got 2 boys!.


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## giddy4ratz (Sep 14, 2007)

Coool interesting stuff :-D


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## Holly (Dec 31, 2006)

We have 3 dogs, 1 indoor cat, several outdoor cats, and, at the time, we used to have 2 large aquariums.

But we knew, after awhile of having this menagerie, that our goal was to, eventually, "slim down" the animal family, because, as we all get older, it's getting tougher to care for all of these animals. We decided that I could have one aquarium, and one dog...eventually.

I started researching fish, and originally thought that I wanted an "Oscar" for my aquarium. But the more I researched, the more I realized that I didn't really want a fish for my "little friend" at all.

Next, I researched the reptiles and amphibians, but they didn't seem to be up my alley. I wanted someone very smart, and very affectionate.

So, I started researching all of the "small furries," including Sugar Gliders. I decided that a rat was the pet for me, from what I had read, and from conversations I had had over the net.

Eventually, when the home was ready for him, I adopted Gregor Samsa, my heart rat, and brought him home. ~He~ is the one who taught me about rats, and made me realize that I always wanted to have rats in my life. I didn't know that big love like that could come in such a small, furry package. I loved Gregor more than I can say, and still miss him every day.

When Gregor got sick, I brought Augustus home, mainly to help me through the experience, which he did. After awhile, I got him a little brother...Buscemi.

So now, we're working towards a "pet family" of one dog, and two rats, long term.

I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS love rats, and keep them, and give them the very best lives that I can.


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## giddy4ratz (Sep 14, 2007)

Wow! Yes, I've done lots of research and feel that rats are definitely for me and although I love dogs and cats, I dont think I will be getting them again


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