# People really don't understand pet rats :/



## Squitchley (May 23, 2011)

I am incredibly shocked & slightly angry right now. 
I just uploaded an adorable picture of one of my rats onto Facebook. Only to get a ton of abuse about how rats are 'vile, disgusting, ugly creatures'
I am so shocked, though I really should of expected it. Rats aren't renowned for being pets around where I live. But this girl actually put 'Erghhhhhh weres my rat poison?!' 

I really wish people understood rats. They are beautiful, intelligent animals, who are cleaner than a lot of animals. Definitely a lot cleaner than most dogs I've met & more intelligent than most. 

I don't know if this is in the right place, if it's not then feel free to move it. I just needed to vent my anger to people who hopefully understand


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## ratsrulesok (May 30, 2011)

I had the same problem in a pet shop once I was admiring the rats and this bloke and his chav wife sneered in revolution "horrible things I feed them to my snake." I quickly back lashed with "shame because unlike a snake which remains unpredictable and untamable rats are intelligent, clean, gentle loving animals that unlike a status pet like a snake which most people get to pounce off rat lovers are usually the kindest people you will meet because they can see past the lies and myths to see the true beauty a pet is." after flicking the guy the bird I made my purchases at the till and got a five pound voucher off the clerk who heard my tirade, I was just so sick of rats being insulted that and it netted me a voucher which was awesome ;D


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## Squitchley (May 23, 2011)

Haha, that's amazing. Good for you for standing up to those people and defending rats  
With this girl that gave me & my rats abuse, as soon as I started defending them, she started saying that it was a joke. But i'm sure that if I said to her that I was going to kill her dogs as a 'joke' she wouldn't take it so lightly.
*sigh* but I guess people like that are always going to be close minded.


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## halfmoon (Mar 29, 2010)

I once had a classmate make a comment about how he doesn't understand why people keep rats as pets whennthe human race has been trying to exterminate them for centuries or something like that. He said that they're unclean and useless and we should get rid of them all. I just said "well that's what hitler tried to do with the Jews and I think most people frown upon genocide and extinction."

You really get used to the snide comments and outright meanness you get from people who don't really know anything about what they're talking about. Don't let it get to you.


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## HuncaMunca (Dec 29, 2010)

It always makes me sad and upset when people can say such outright aweful things about rats. I'm not really suprised but it still hurts. My husband has a friend who always refers to them as 'vermin' and acts like they're the most discusting animals. Luckily my husband isn't like that, though he's not crazy about them like me, he can be sweet to them sometimes.


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

The best way to deal with is is to invite people to your home and let them meet the rats. I converted several people like that, including a lady who was raised on a farm and almost choked when she found out I had rats. It took about 5 minutes before she sat on the floor with one of the girls on her head, grooming her hair...... she smiled and I was so proud of my little charmers. If you have curious social rats, they will win over most non-believers.
Prejudice is best met with love.


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## ratsrulesok (May 30, 2011)

Why thank you thank you 
Most anti rat people have never met or known a domestic rat in their lives and base their opinions on wild ones and (oh god I hates this BS) the plague.
If I hear one more idiot go "they carry the plague you know?" I shall scream and probably be forced to hit them over the head repeatedly with a history book, the plague was carried on WILD rats and by the fleas on the rats not the rats themselves, the rats on the fleas could live on dogs and cats to so conveniently people neglect that not to mention we were all such filthy blighters back then that if the plague hadn't got us something else would have( referes to open sewers, lack of generl hygiene ect.)

The simple answer is to look these people in the eye and saw straight faced "I knew it I knew I was coming down with something ....wait isn't the plague highly contagious?" then watch that idiot back away like your typhoid Mary and let the doctor deal with them panicking over the phone for a shot in their behind for a disease they dont have, lets hope the doctor has a sense of human and gives them a shot with a blunt needle up the bottom.

sorry but this is a top close to my heart been subject to these comments alot.


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## Squitchley (May 23, 2011)

I absolutely love all the stories that you've just told me, they've certainly brightened up my day a lot 

halfmoon - Thanks for the advice, I'll try not to let it get to me. But I may have to use the whole Hitler Genocide comeback if anyone ever says anything like that to me, if that's okay 

HuncaMunca - I'm glad your husband can be sweet about them & an understand the difference between wild and pet rats. It's horrible though when people say horrible things about pet rats though, they're amazing animals, granted not everyone's going to love them, but it'd be nice is people kept their opinions to them selves sometimes..

ratjes - I have one very social rat, one very timid rat (who is slowly getting more confident) but right now, the very social rat has a tendency to have a bit of a nibble at socks, which hurts a lot :') but I will definitely try your idea out when she's got over this, if she gets over this. It's great to hear a success story though 

ratsrulesok - Haha, your reply made me laugh so much! That's pure hilarious. You have a very valid point though, people were disgusting back then (not that they knew any different) and were dying off here there and everywhere. It was just a matter of time before something came and wiped most of them out. (wow, that sounds incredibly depressing)..


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## Qku. (Apr 29, 2011)

Meh, I never really had any hateful comments, and any negative comments don't really bother me. My boyfriend lives on the countryside (or whatever that is in this overcrowded country) and there rats simply _are_ vermin, so when his mom reacted a bit weirded out to me having rats, I wasn't exactly shocked. They never made hateful comments or anything, just couldn't really believe why someone would want those animals as pets.
My mom doesn't like rats either, but that's because her sister used to have hamsters and she once saw mommy-hamster eat her babies.. And she's still kind of traumatised by that and just doesn't like rodents anymore


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## ratsrulesok (May 30, 2011)

might have converted someone, our post man met me at the door and nearly peed himself, I was wearing a tiny ballerina top over which a massive baggy jumper in which my rats sebastian and Ceil were playing, he hands me the mail and Ceil pokes her head out sniffing his hand, then he screams like a girl, sebby hears the noise points her head out my collar and when he stops squirming he asks to pet one, Ceil does one better runs up his arm to his shoulder and snuggles down in his collar looking up at him adoringly her whiskers twitching, he is going to talk to his wife later about having some of the babies XD
he was nearly a hour late with everyones posts after he had met all the rats, once people meet them and touch them they understand.


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

I have certainly had a few people do this, but almost every one of them changed thier mind when they saw how sweet my rats are!

Once, I was waiting outside blockbuster with Romeo, and a random man walked by. He saw that I had a rat, did a double take, and asked, "Aren't rats filthy? How often do you need to bathe him?...He is cuter than I expected." And when I explained he never got bathed and was in fact a very clean animal, the man wanted to hold him. By the time he was finished, he was raving to a friend about them, and he wanted some of his own!

And then there are stupid people. 

For example~

I was coming out of an appointment with Romeo, he was 6 weeks old and TINY, in my hand. He was being shoulder trained, but still spent a lot of time just being held. A woman saw him and stopped to look, asked if he was friendly. I said yes, and as she reached out to pet him, she asked, "What is he?" and I said, "He's a rat." and she screamed, jerked her hand back, and looked horrified.. she thought he was cute until she knew he was a rat.


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

The word needs to get out that rats are the best pets, especially for kids. I work with young families and I always tel them that. 
And how fun it is when people tell you that they used to have rats as a kid. I always reply that keeping rats is not just for kids. They bring back the kid in you.


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## sorraia (Nov 10, 2007)

That's when you know who your true friends are. Time to filter your list!


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

yes, sounds like you need to find some less judgemental friends 

i was at a scummy local pet store once, where they don't handle their rats at all. i thought i'd give them a bit of attention and take them out of their nasty pine tank for some fresh air. i was holding a sweet little blue boy, and two young girls approached me like "aww it's so cute, can i pet it?" anyway i held him out so they could stroke him, and their mom came storming over and yelled "get away from that rat, they carry diseases!" and grabbed them by the arms and pulled them away from me. i continued to hold him, lifted him in the air, kissed his tummy, nose, etc. and the mom was so awestruck she told the girls to go see the hamsters instead... i stuck my tongue out at her as she turned around and the girls both started laughing. it was great. 

i used to take my old chill boy miles around town just to get peoples' reactions... most loved him, some were grossed out, but thankfully no one ever outright freaked out about it. the workers at a local video store i used to visit loved him and would give him bits of popcorn from the popping machine  whenever we went in there he would crawl out of my hood and sniff the air frantically trying to find the popcorn lol

another one of my favorites is when i took one of my rats to the vet, and there's this frou frou type women there with her teacup chihuahua princess with the pink collar and fluffy jacket... and i go in there with the cage covered with a towel, sit down, and she tries to make conversation with me... asks me what's in the cage and freaks out when i tell her it's a rat, telling me "people actually take those to the vet? couldnt you just buy a new one?" ... i just laughed it off. some people are so ignorant.


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## jadeangel (Jan 7, 2009)

My hubby was one of those people when we started dating xD He just didn't understand them and refused to have anything to do with the "plague bearers" as he called them. It wasn't until I got my Shiva, that he actually attempted to get to know them. He's the one who named her and fell head over heals in love with her. Shiva was definitely my baby, but I think he was more affected than I was when she passed.

I think the most horrible thing that's ever happened to me was during a visit to the pet store. I had Shiva on my shoulder and this guy kept staring at me. I later overheard him talking to one of the sales associates about "how do you even let people like that in here? what if the little pest gets loose?" to which the sales lady replies "If Shiva ever got loose, I can guarantee that as soon as her owner called her, she'd go running back to her. Rats are quite intelligent and make excellent pets sir"

I think the fact that the sales lady knew my rat by name shocked him xD and I'm not sure he actually heard anything after that, but I feel better that there are definitely people out there who stick up for rats.


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## Janet04 (Mar 17, 2011)

All though my life I have had pet rats. I also live in NYC were I have seen wild rats in the subways. I have heard people scream because they saw one were I wanted to throw them some food . But all my GF's have loved all the rats that have been in my love especially the ones I have now. They are my 15 year old daughters first rats. But she grew up knowing how loving they were. It is my Husband that will feed her, talk to her, but not hold her. And I have found this true of alot of men. Atleast the ones I have known and my male friends on FB think I am crazy and my female friends there leave loving comments. Look at it this way, it takes a smart, caring, human being to love a rat. And they are cleaner than most animals. 


Janet...Snowflake & Abby's mom


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## distancel (May 14, 2011)

Janet04 said:


> It is my Husband that will feed her, talk to her, but not hold her. And I have found this true of alot of men.


I've noticed this too! With most small animals in fact. My boyfriend is a exception; he absolutely loves our rats and guinea pigs and is always cuddling them. But my step dad for instance always called my rats 'vermin' and 'useless' yet I would catch him giving them food and talking to them through the cage. A male friend of mine was always making fun of my guinea pigs and saying they should be eaten (guinea pig is a delicacy in some place?! Gross) and I asked him why he was so mean about them and didn't want to pat them and he said
"Because I'll look like a wimp or something, it's not very manly to like small animals."
*rolls eyes* Boys are strange animals.


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## Squitchley (May 23, 2011)

See I know a guy, in his 40's. He's a BIG guy. Used to be a biker. But he's one of the loveliest people I've ever met. And he LOVES rats. He used to have a rat back in his biker days, that used to sit in his pocket while he was on his bike, then pop out and scare people when they got to the pub


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## ratsrulesok (May 30, 2011)

alot of men think its unmanly about the small pet things dont get it tho


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## jadeangel (Jan 7, 2009)

My hubby was and still is afraid that he's going to hurt them, but he still picks them up or has me hand them to him while he's sitting in the chair so he can play with them and bond xD


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## Janet04 (Mar 17, 2011)

I thought it had alot to do with the wild rats we see in NY. In Manhattan they are everywhere. But that can't be it if my GF's love them. I don't think all men hate rats. But movies, and the media haven't been kind to the rat and that must affect men more than woman. I cuddle with mine, kiss, share food and so does my daughter. men are just odd.


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

Men are weird, they tend to be less willing to like small animals.

My boyfriend is a big softie, though, and he loves my rats and mice. He's always petting them and he thinks they are cute..he baby talks to his dog, too. XD


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## LoveLivid (Jun 7, 2011)

It's so unfortunate that people don't understand, because rats are such wonderful little critters.

I only got mine a week ago (first time having rats), and before that happened, I was in a store looking for an alternate cage (for when I clean the big one). I asked a lady looking there for help, seeing as how they were out of the one I was looking for, and thought perhaps they had more in the back that they just hadn't stocked yet. She told me to follow her, and walked into the back room, with me waiting at the door. Someone was back there as well, and I was shocked to overhear their conversation:

"Do we have any more of those....[cages] back here? I have a girl back here looking for a cage for her rats."
"Eww, that's nasty."
"That's exactly what I was thinking.."

It was just...amazing. And not in the good way. Prior to getting the rats, I had done research so that I knew how to care for them and what to expect. And pretty much every source I came across warned about people reacting negatively to rats. I guess I was in denial, and never thought it would actually happen. 

It's so weird. I seriously wonder what about them freaks people out. They're just so cute and lovable...


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## distancel (May 14, 2011)

I wonder that too, LoveLivid. I guess it's because wild rats are not something you would keep as a pet. But pet rats are DOMESTICATED, they're tame and loving =/ I mean, people happily have dogs and cats as pets and don't have a problem with it, but you obviously wouldn't have a feral cat or wild dog. But you wouldn't walk into someone's house and say 'ewww a cat/dog, they have diseases.' Because everyone is quite aware that a pet cat/dog is not the same as a wild/feral one you would find in the wild. I dunno, just my musings on it.


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## noMoreFaith (Apr 28, 2010)

And I thought it happens only in Greece! (where I live). It took me half a year to find a pet store with rats. Once, I went in one and asked if they had rats and everyone in the store burst out laughing. Another time, they asked if I want the rat frozen (!). Now that I have, I like talking to people about them to see how they react. Most of them (even my aunt, who hates animals) admit sooner or later that they are funny or cute. But, of course, there are exceptions. At school for example: a girl asked how it's possible to keep such _a thing_ for a pet. I said that just because they're uncommon in Greece, it doesn't mean they're not popular in other countries. She answered: That's because foreign people are crazy! (What the--???) 
Oh, and another girl asked me once: "Do you touch them?" What, so I have my pets locked up and never go near them? The disease stereotype is very common. They also believe (like my parents, at first) that rats will crawl up at night and eat your face/toes/nose etc. 

I believe the Hindus that worship rats in that Rat Temple would understand us more 

People also say rats can't be pets. I've been thinking about that. Rats might be familiar with humans, friendly and social, but sometimes I feel it's bad we keep them in cages and all. Today there was a demonstration in Athens concerning pet stores. They demanded animals shouldn't be kept in cages at stores. I wanted to join them, but didn't have the time. Then I thought that I _do_ keep animals in cages. Of course, as every small animal owner, I have the biggest cage I could afford and let them free range etc, but I still feel some kind of guilt. Sure, these fancy rats could not survive by themselves, but still...I'd love to be able to give them a whole big garden to live in, not a cage. Off-topic, I know...has anybody felt the same?


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

JadeAngel said:


> I had Shiva on my shoulder and this guy kept staring at me. I later overheard him talking to one of the sales associates about "how do you even let people like that in here? what if the little pest gets loose?" to which the sales lady replies "If Shiva ever got loose, I can guarantee that as soon as her owner called her, she'd go running back to her. Rats are quite intelligent and make excellent pets sir"


Oh that just made my day! 


Any time people give me the 'don't they bite?' crap I just throw back at them the FACT that their precious lab breed has bitten more humans then most any other breed. How many reports of rat bites are there?


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## distancel (May 14, 2011)

noMoreFaith said:


> They also believe (like my parents, at first) that rats will crawl up at night and eat your face/toes/nose etc.
> 
> People also say rats can't be pets. I've been thinking about that. Rats might be familiar with humans, friendly and social, but sometimes I feel it's bad we keep them in cages and all. Today there was a demonstration in Athens concerning pet stores. They demanded animals shouldn't be kept in cages at stores. I wanted to join them, but didn't have the time. Then I thought that I _do_ keep animals in cages. Of course, as every small animal owner, I have the biggest cage I could afford and let them free range etc, but I still feel some kind of guilt. Sure, these fancy rats could not survive by themselves, but still...I'd love to be able to give them a whole big garden to live in, not a cage. Off-topic, I know...has anybody felt the same?


You hear a lot of stories about cats eating their owner's bodies while they are asleep, or after they die, but no one stops having pet cats because of this! Maybe a rat would do it if they weren't in their cage and they got hungry enough. Oh dear, that's not a nice thought 

I often wish that our rats could be totally free ranged in our house, but it simply isn't practical due to their love of chewing electrical wires. I'm wondering if it might be possible to rat proof our whole apartment actually. We're renting so we can't do a _lot_ but maybe we could cover all our computer cables and things hmmm. We let them run around on the lounge room or bedroom floor under close supervision, and whenever we're home the cage doors are open so that they can run on the couch. But yes, I do feel it is rather a small area really. Jasmine and Belle aren't too fond of their floor time they will usually wander a little bit then climb up onto me and want to go back to the couch. Our newer girls quite enjoy exploring though.


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## LoveLivid (Jun 7, 2011)

@distancel- Exactly. People seem to think that pet rats are wild rats, when in reality, they’re completely different. Like when I told my mom that I was going to get rats, she freaked out. I kind of question/prodded her about it, trying to understand, and she eventually told me that the image she had in her head of rats was influenced by the Willard movie she had seen as a kid. So I took her to a petstore with me, and showed her the _pet_ rats, and she even had to admit that they’re cute and totally different than what she was picturing in her mind.
She still says their tails disturb her, though. But a lot of people seem to hold the same view. (I think they’re cute, personally).

And yes, I’m with you on feeling a degree of guilt from keeping them caged. It’s really too bad that we couldn’t find a way to let them roam around the house…but then there’d be the danger of them slipping outside…and so many other things. I guess all we can do is give them a big, fun cage and take them out often <3


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## Rattitude_Rescue (Aug 19, 2011)

I was living with my parents when I got my first rats. I'd brought up the topic many times with both of them and every time I mentioned it, it would result in a yelling match. It eventually got to the point where I would even say "hey mom..?" and she'd say no. 

Finally, I decided that I was working and as long as I supported the rats and kept them clean, healthy and fed, she should have no say. (I don't recommend this to anyone under the age of 18, you don't want crazy drama ) So I came home from work one day (I worked at Petco) with a Russian Blue Dumbo and an Agouti standard and all their necessities. I had everything set up and ready before my mom even wandered into my room. She didn't talk to me for a week.

She spouted off all of the nonsense about diseases, omg they'll eat you, and the weirdest I've ever heard "don't you worry about std's?" (no clue where this one came from. HOPEFULLY she'd only heard about blood borne stuff or something... either that or we need to restrict her internet access -shudder-)

Now though, she'll give all seven of my girls yogies and she'll even hold Merlin (the Russian Blue.) She's coming around slowly but surely. Dad however can't get past the stigmas. Although we did have a breakthrough a couple of months ago when, while I was cleaning the cage and Merlin was crawling all over me trying to "help," Dad walked by and said "Well, that sure is a friendly thing, isn't it."

The road can be slow, but rats win people over quickly. When I worked at Petco, I'd get a random rat out of the habitat every day and work at the register or whichever area I was assigned to that day with the rattie on my shoulder. We converted so many people that way and soon, we had a lot of people buying rats for pets.

They're wonderful creatures and your life is so much more colorful with them in it.


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

Too funny!!


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## iloverexrats (Aug 22, 2011)

at f ratsrulesok tottally agree i hava a hairless and as you know people cause so much hurt on me tell me how "ugly" and "disgusting" she is and my other hired rat also! people need to calm down and except the fact rats are beautiful creatures that nature will never frown upon shame on those hollow heads


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## Rattitude_Rescue (Aug 19, 2011)

I got a hairless a month ago. I took her into a petstore a week ago and she hung out on my shoulder the whole time. Amazingly, people were more interested in petting her and learning more about rats and hairless specifically. Odd enough, I'd usually get squeals and shrieks when I carry one of my fuzzies in but not with the hairless. Strange world.


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## Ratsanctuary (Mar 24, 2011)

The first negative rat comments ive recieved were on facebook too. Needless to say i dont talk to the ignorant person anymore. I prefer talking with openminded people who can accept my animals. Her negative comments were aimed mostly towards my hairless boys. I dont think i had ever been so angry. I even tried to invite her over and see them in person and hopefully convert her, but it didnt go well , anytime one of them would even step off me onto the couch she would freak out and scare the rats real bad and threaten their lives, so im more careful who i bring over, none of my rats were hurt by her thank god, if they were to have been hurt she would have been in serious trouble, i dont take kindly to somebody mistreating animals especially mine.


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## thebofh (May 24, 2011)

Taken from http://www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/stories/s603439.htm:
_Bites

In 1996 there were 184 reports of people being bitten by rats in New York. In 1996 there were 1,102 reports of people being bitten by other people in New York. The same year there were 9.655 reports of dogs biting humans. 


_My girlfriend hates rats but I've caught her looking at them through the cage doors on a few occasions, even checking to see how Cap'n Jackie's eye was doing! My kids love them but their Mum won't come inside my house anymore as the Rat Mansion is just inside the front door, that's not a bad thing 

If I have friends with kids over I put the rats & kids in the bathroom & it keeps them all entertained for hours.


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## Trance750 (Aug 31, 2011)

People judge rats based on what happened 700 years ago. Yes your 'sewer rat' or trash scavanger ferrel rat may have diseases. But your everyday domesticated rats do not (for the most part)

Saying all rats are 'nasty' is like saying all pit-bulls are vicious


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## prairieorchid (Jul 19, 2011)

I got the same thing when I posted Sheldon's pic on fb yesterday. Even my animal loving friends weren't impressed, tho one said she loved them....for snacks for her cats! These same people adore the baby raccoons that come into my care ( I am a wildlife rehabilitator)......they'll hold them and kiss them and let them lick their faces. I always have to remind them that raccoon roundworms are not something they want to have! Yet they condemn all rats. weird!


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

prairieorchid said:


> These same people adore the baby raccoons that come into my care ( I am a wildlife rehabilitator)......they'll hold them and kiss them and let them lick their faces. I always have to remind them that raccoon roundworms are not something they want to have! Yet they condemn all rats. weird!


OMG, the raccoon roundworms; the reason I won't rehab baby raccoons anymore. I also do rehab for wildlife as a volunteer.Scary stuff out there.


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## prairieorchid (Jul 19, 2011)

I am passionate about raccoons... I'm probably destined to die from raccoon roundworms, I've raised about 30 of them over the years. I could also get kicked in the head by a wild horse,( I'm a whisperer so I get alot of "problem" horses) gored by a bull, get rabies from a skunk..eyes clawwed out by a crazy hawk. who needed forced feeding....but my favorite was pete the punky pelican. He was flying south andbecame ill...we had to catch the fish and shove them down his catcher and he'd try to swallow your arm....but I do it anyway. I call rehab a passion but maybe it's really stupidity! And I just love being momma ****...teaching babies how to search for food...dig dens....I basicly live with them for that first year Ah well, I'm too old to change now. Whatever would I do? I could become the crazy rat lady and have 100 rats! hehehe


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## prairieorchid (Jul 19, 2011)

What are some of your favorite rehabs? and how long have you been at it?


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## jadeangel (Jan 7, 2009)

Before I knew better, I had Shiva (RIP) on my shoulder walking around petco. I actually heard some guy go up to one of the associates and say "That girl over there has a rat on her shoulder, aren't you going to do something about it?" to which the girl replied. "That's Leah, she's been coming here with her rats for a few years and they actually make wonderful pets. She comes in all the time with one of her girls, it's no big deal." to which the guy replied. "That's just nasty, I don't think I want to buy anything from here today " and he left. The associate and I got a big giggle from that and soon after an older lady with her grandchild came up to me to ask if her granddaughter could pet the rat... needless to say I spread the love of rats a little that day and the little girl began to beg for one of her own xD


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## Rat Attack (Sep 16, 2011)

My pets get a lot of stereotypes when I say rats I get "Ewwwww" and "Rats?" I also own a pit bull and he is also stereotyped and sometimes huskies (which I also own a husky) can be stereotyped. There is so much ignorance in the world, sadly i think it's a fast spreading disease lol. A few things I can't tolerate are ignorance, stupidity, hate and stereotypes.


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## Buddy (Mar 13, 2011)

*:/*

Sorry I'm a little late jumping on the wagon here. But I honestly know where most of you are coming from, although new to rats I've always found them more adorable than gerbils or hamsters and I've always wanted one. 

Well now I have three, and I couldn't be more in love. I often take my youngest boy, Templeton for walks with me. I'm a small girl and I've found the "gross vermin" stereotype to work in my advantage, because people don't usually come up to me when they see Templeton's tail poking over my shoulder. :3 However the people who are curious will yell across the street "WHAT'S THAT YOU GOT THERE?" And I happily respond "A rat." And then yes, I get the typical response "A RAT?!" But it makes me laugh and then I get to talking about how much I love my boys and how great they are. 

I guess if people were more open more rats would have homes.


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## ratjes (Mar 26, 2011)

I visited a friend who wanted to show off her ferrets and "no, they don't bite....". Sure I was bitten in my leg, fingers and arm. I craved the company of my sweet rats then and there. They are the most gentle of pets I can imagine. I am a dog fanatic but my rats come very close to throw them off the first place. Once you have rats, you'll always be hooked.


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## supMike (Dec 10, 2011)

Same feelings here - I was considering getting a dog, but due to my schedule, I simply can't take care of one properly. I opted to adopt two rats, as I had some things left over from a pet mouse I used to have. I was a bit disenchanted with mice, as they can't be litter trained and are generally dim-witted. However, I live in a country where CareFresh isn't sold, and the difference between "rattie" and "rat" is severe. So I don't tell people I have pets at all. When I invited some people over for a party, they were more curious than anything. It turned into a conversation piece for the whole night, and my little girls were more than happy to get all the extra attention. I'm sure if I had said anything beforehand, some people might not have turned up. My grannie was horrified, telling me that I didn't have time for keeping a rat cage clean, that they were dirty, smelly creatures, that no woman would ever have me, etc., why don't I get a kitty instead? Yeah, right, because cats don't need litter changes, don't **** up your furniture with scratches and piss, and their food is cheap when you factor in dry and canned! My rats have shown nothing but unconditional love. They're just as loyal as dogs - just harder to find sometimes


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## calisphere (Oct 25, 2011)

I want to share a little story. I'd brought Push and Plop into Home Depot with me because I'm shopping for possible cage materials. Well, the girls were still small and cute (RIP Plop who will always remain cute in my mind). Well, Plop was in my hoodie pocket. The hoodie is one of those with one big pocket in the front. Anyway, Plop was nice and sleeping in the corner of the pocket and Push was going nuts running around trying to be a pain. I kept on scolding her telling her to sit for half a second and someone was near me. He saw that I was talking to a little baby rat and smiled. You know that smile people give parents when they are talking baby talk? I was doing that basically and got the same smile. It was a good response. Same with this past week. I had ordered a pizza and had forgotten that Push was asleep in my hair on top of my bun. Well, once she smelled that pizza and felt the temperature difference from inside to outside, she popped around my neck to check out the situation. The pizza delivery girl let out a surprised laugh and did the typical "aww!" She didn't ask to pet Push, but it was another really good reaction.

I get so many bad reactions with my other pets, it is nice getting good ones so often. Would you believe that people get grossed out by my hairless guinea pig and by my blind (haired) guinea pig? And even my hedgehog gets bad responses sometimes, but not as much as the pigs. The reptiles are the worse when it comes to reactions from strangers. Even sweet little turtles like my Western Painteds. People are strange.


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## GhostMouse (Sep 6, 2011)

I had a pizza guy say, "Cute pet!" the other day when I answered the door with Buster on my shoulder. I suspect delivery people aren't supposed to pet animals in people's homes, for food-safety reasons. I have no evidence to back this up, though. It's pure speculation.


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## cocothesquid (Dec 11, 2011)

I've been in the process of convincing my parents to let me get two dumbo rats (for christmas) and it's been a big push/pull sort of thing. My mom thinks that they're just stinky and gross(but she's only had experiences with mice) My sister thinks they're gross because of their tail, and my dad wont stop going on about "The plague". He's just teasing, but it's pretty annoying. As for friends, my friends all actually have either had rats or wanted rats but didn't have time(or parents permission) to own them. So thankfully there's no mean-ness there. The last time I've handled a rat was in sixth grade (i'm in tenth now) but from my past experiences with rats, I just remember them being adorable balls of warmth and fluff. MY favorite thing was sitting on my legs with my feet behind me on the couch, and having my friends rats run over them and nibble on our toes. It was so cute.


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## Korra (Dec 11, 2011)

Unfortunately, I think prejudice will always be part of a rat's life, no matter what he does. Part of the problem in my opinion is the name "rat". Most people who meet mine when I have them out with me think they are adorable until I say that they are rats. I try to explain that it is EXACTLY the same as a dog and a wolf. They are still the same species as their wild counterpart and can interbreed, but they are totally different. But it falls on deaf ears. If we could somehow find a name to rename the fancy rat, I think people would become a little bit (but only a little) less judgmental. After all, if we still called the dog the "fancy wolf" we would probably still have alot more people hate them for no reason at all.
Take last week, I took Korra with me to this store that sells fish and food and bedding. I had Korra in my hoodie and my dog in her dog bag that she likes to ride in. Korra came out of my hoodie and dove into the bag with the dog. People caught sight of her tail and started to look at me funny. I told them that it wasn't a snake, but a rat and they didn't look any less weirded out  But I went to go grab some more bedding and a little girl and her father were near me. The girl was looking at my pup when Korra popped her head out of the bag as well. The little girl was in love. She was like 5, and asked to hold her. I said sure and Korra went into her hoodie pocket and started licking her hands(the pocket was so small that she was hanging out both side ) She asked me if she could walk over and show her dad and I said ok. Her dad looked and said "That's really sweet. What is it" I told him fancy rat and he looked at me funny. He asked if she was really a rat and I said yes and explained to him that they are liked small dogs and that mine was trained to do tricks and come when her name is called. I don't think he believed me though. The little girl was enthralled though. 
When she was done holding her, I took Korra back and immediately the dad ran his daughter to go get some hand sanitizer off the counter. Funny....he didn't do that when she had her hand all up in the smelly hermit crab tank -_-


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## stephaniechung (Mar 9, 2010)

I guess I'm lucky that I haven't experienced this yet. Most people I know that were iffy about rats held their tongue and after seeing my rats, were convinced that they do make good pets. Today I took my rat to the vet and everyone knows his name (we've been a frequent visitor due to a stubborn infection) and they check-in my rat in as soon as they see us pull into the parking lot. Staff and other guests always admire my rat. I've always had a welcoming experience without any snide comments about how they're "gross". Honestly, I think the people that do make those comments just don't have any experience with rats at all.

I'm sorry about the horrible experiences that I read here and it is quite unfortunate. However, it's always a good opportunity to educate people about rats no matter how rude they may be at the time. Most people don't know that rats are trainable like a dog. Most people don't know the difference between the rat household pest rats and a domestic pet rat. Ignorance is always bliss but when it's interfering with your life because someone can't hold their tongue, it's always good just to give them the 411 on pet rats.


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