# Rat allergies



## dkirschling (Mar 20, 2007)

I re-homed some baby rats to a gal last night, and she called me this morning to say she has to give them back. She says she is allergic to them and is having trouble breathing. Is there anything I can suggest to her so she will keep them?


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## Pomperella (Jun 4, 2007)

i'd never heard of someonen being allergic to rats until recently. sadly i have no idea how to get rid of allergies...would something like clarityn work? maybe it's like a dog/cat allergy...too much to deal with? 

sorry about your situation. the only good thing is at least she rang to tell you and didn't just dump them somewhere :/


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Seriously, I would take them back. You can find another home. If you are weird about taking them back she may go to other routes out of your control to get rid of them. I personally wouldn't want that.

Sadly I've seen this happen lots, people are allergic and need to rehome. Yeah she can do Clariten and allergy shots and stuff but if she just got them she hasn't became attached enough to try all the possible routes.

I would say take them back and find a new home. It's going to be hard on you I know but it would be better for the rats.


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

i think that technically rodent allergies would be more common than dog allergies, if as many people that had dogs had rats instead, because rats can cause allergies from their skin and fur like dogs, but also from their poop and pee, where dogs normally do that stuff outdoors.

my favorite doctor at caring hands vet hospital is allergic to rats and guinea pigs, he freaked out when i brought them to the hospital one day to say hi cuz he hadn't taken his meds yet that morning, lol. he also developed allergies to cats and dogs after a few years in the business...

but back to normal stuff (i'm a real rambler, sorry!) i would def say take them back if you can, it would turn out better for the rats in the end.


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## IceLore (May 13, 2007)

Rat allergies are akin to cat allergies. The dander of both animals is simmilar and it causes a lot of people problems. Both my boyfriend and I are allergic to cat dander, but thankfully since the rats are smaller and are allergies aren't quite so bad, we can keep the rats, but cannot have cats.

Take the rats back and find them a more compatible home.


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## dkirschling (Mar 20, 2007)

I guess I kind of knew there would be nothing I could do. My plan is to take them back, in fact she called me because I told her that if there was any reason at any time she could not keep them to please bring them back to me. I was just holding out hope that there was something that could be done...


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## mink (Jun 24, 2007)

Thats too bad. 
I heard that a person will be more prone to animal allergies if they were not around animals much at an early age, and that it is a good idea to have some sort of pet to regularly expose a young child to. Thankfully, my parents dog had puppies the same day I was born, so I think I'm set for life. =^_^=


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## dkirschling (Mar 20, 2007)

Well, she didn't call me this morning to bring them back, so maybe that's a good sign. Maybe she fell in love with them and decided to try Claritin!


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## IceLore (May 13, 2007)

Hee. ^^ Maybe she did! Either way, I hope it works out.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Lots of loratadine (generic Clairitin) keeps my terrible rat allergies under control. It's $12 for 300 at Costco, if anyone's interested (much cheaper than $3 for 10 at Target, Walmart, Walgreens).

And I'd totally take them back, if she can't care for them - rat allergies are horrible, and get worse over time. If she's having problems now, she'll never be able to last 2.5-3 years if she's in constant contact.


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## dkirschling (Mar 20, 2007)

Well they're back. They were welcomed by their brethren with open arms. I am still hoping to find homes for the remaining 15 rats. I've had a lot of people say yes to rats, only to change their minds. Ultimately I want them to go to people that are sure they can care for rats, but it's still kind of a bummer. I will keep them as pets if that's what needs to happen, but it's a lot of work to give them all the attention they deserve-ahh, love! In the end, I'm glad to have them. At least we have a garden this year, helps with food costs.


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