# New



## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

Hi my name is Megan. i am new to the forum and i just got my first rat named Sprinkles. she is very nice and cute. i cant add any pictures of her becuase i have no camera. she is white. i used to have 2 hamsters but i found them a new home to get Sprinkles. i love Sprinkles so much  she is living in a big cage in my rom!


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Welcome to the forum.

Rats really shouldn't be kept alone - they should be kept in at least pairs. Have you considered getting her a friend? 

Where did your hamsters go to? It's quite sad they went elsewhere just to be replaced with a different pet


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

i found a nice lady who wanted them. she likes them, her kids wated to have nice pets and they really love them. they have had hamsters before and still have one. and now they have 3. i want to get Sprinkles a friend soon, my mom said maybe next week we can go find one. i have her in a big cage.


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## Kimbo (Jul 9, 2009)

Awww.. a rat named sprinkles. So cute


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## Corpseflower (Jun 12, 2009)

I hate how people play the pass-a-long game... Pets should be for life. 

I hope you don't do the same thing to Sprinkles.


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## AMJ087 (Aug 27, 2008)

Have fun. I like the name!


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

my hamsters bited me too much. my mom did not like it. she wanted to get rats instead.


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## chiklet1503 (Jun 12, 2009)

Glad your hammies have a good home now.

Make sure you handle your rat EVERYDAY for as long as possible. Rats are also perfectly capable of biting so the more time you spend with them, the friendlier they usually tend to me (in most cases)

I hope you can get Sprinkles a buddy- she would really love it. They are so funny to watch together when they play and all


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

Thanks! They were mean hamsters and my mom did not like how the bit me so much. i have too many scars from them, all over my hands. they were really mean and i wanted a nice animal but the person who has them now really likes them and spends more time with them. she is trying to teach them not tobite. im hopeing to get Sprinkles a friend on friday?


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

sprinkleslove said:


> my hamsters bited me too much. my mom did not like it. she wanted to get rats instead.


You gave away hamsters that were "nice" but bit you to children who wanted a nice pet? 
that doesn't sound like you looked for the best home. Another member of the "throw-away-pet society".
Don't understand the parents of these members, they are the ones responsible for that attitude. Children only practice what they learn.


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## chiklet1503 (Jun 12, 2009)

I think a lot of things said on this forum are slightly uncalled for. Instead of scaring away young members who we think are doing something "wrong", why don't we focus on education WITHOUT bias or judgement? It's hard for some people not to judge someone by the decisions they make, especially if you don't agree with them, but insulting someone is honestly not going to fix the problem.

Sprinkleslove, thats great that you might be able to get Sprinkles a friend on Friday- it is definitely a big plus for her. To make sure your rats don't start biting, really keep in mind that they need to be handled as MUCH as possible.


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

Thank you Chiklet!
my hamsters bit me and the person i gave them to were more expirenced with biting animals. the mom of that family wanted them and to teach them not to bit. the kids will then get a nice pet. thanks for assuming the worst, people on here arent very friendly. you guys need to chill out and quit judging everyone.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

We respond to the information that is given and it is not always what you want to hear. 
Even though responses are not always friendly, I think we all must agree that they are in the animals' interest, not just to please everyone. Sometimes it is good to get a wake up call. In this case you and your parent(s) could have educated yourself on fixing that biting by going to hamster forums who are supportive, and get the help you need so you could enjoy your hamsters again. You then would have had way more satisfaction because you had helped them. 
I am getting tired of the CL syndrom that causes 4 - 5 million pets to be euthanized in shelters alone, only talking about dogs and cats here :'(.


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

no, i dont tihnk its in the interest of the animals at all.
you guys need to understand that maybe sometimes its okay to give your animal to a better caretaker. i will agree that if you buy an animal it is YOUR responcibility to take care of the animal and give it a good home. but sometimes if you are no longer capable of the circumstances that it is perfectly fine, and the more responcible thing to find the animal that you love a better home than the one it currently has. my hamsters bit me too muh and my mom hated them. she didnt like for me to get them out because she was tired of them biting me. i wanted a pet really bad and tried to play with them. they kept biting me. the lady who i gave them to wanted to work with them, i couldnt. so the best interest for the animals in this case was to give them the new home with the poeple who could love and work with them. if i kept them they would have never been played with or handled.
so i thnk you guys need to be a little bit more open minded about some of these situations. this is not a friendly forum at all.


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

begoodtoanimals said:


> We respond to the information that is given and it is not always what you want to hear.
> Even though responses are not always friendly, I think we all must agree that they are in the animals' interest, not just to please everyone.


maybe instead of starting out unfriendly and not knowing the whole story but just what the information that is given, you should start out friendly and get more information. In this case you and your parent(s) could have educated yourself on being a little more friendly to people. I am getting tired of the jerks on this forum that start out so angry and mean. try to be a little friendlier becuase to me it sounds like alot of rat owners are mean and unaproachable


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## Corpseflower (Jun 12, 2009)

"i used to have 2 hamsters but i found them a new home to get Sprinkles."

That was all we really had to go on before you said anything about biting. It sounds awful. And I agree entirely with begoodtoanimals. Animals are what you make them [generally], if you don't hold them and just lock them in a cage they will probably bite you because they don't know you. 

Anyone else having deja-vu from that thread about the girl who gave away her rats to get a ferret?  I hate that this is becoming so common these days.


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## FeffOx (Feb 8, 2009)

Corpseflower said:


> Anyone else having deja-vu from that thread about the girl who gave away her rats to get a ferret?  I hate that this is becoming so common these days.


Seems like its happening more these days . Its good that rats are becoming more popular pets but its sad that the owners have this throw away attitude with them. Most people say they bit so they gave them away, they must of read on the internet somewhere that neutering can help with biting? I think its cruel, how would you like it if your parents gave you away because you argued, or said something nasty? Animals also have feelings just in case you didn't know.


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## this_wallflower (Apr 19, 2009)

She sounds pretty young, guys. Probably too young to legally be on this forum according to those rules and laws, anyways. I agree it's pretty crappy to give up one pet to get another, but :/ you're yelling at the wrong person. Just because you can't scold her parents doesn't mean you should scold her.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

Wallflower, that may very well be true. So let's invite the parent (s) to the discussion by asking Sprinkleslove to let her parent(s) read these comments.
I think this would be a good "teaching moment".


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

you guys are really really mean. im going to a different forum with friendly people. i want to learn and not be yelled at. 



Corpseflower said:


> "i used to have 2 hamsters but i found them a new home to get Sprinkles."
> 
> That was all we really had to go on before you said anything about biting. It sounds awful.


maybe before you assumed and yelled at me you should have asked me more questions.


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

you guys dont give any care about other people. you only care about your precious little rats, well people have feelings too. 

do you yell at your rats everytime they chew their cage liner or spill their food or escape from their cage? if not then why are you yelling at me?


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## chiklet1503 (Jun 12, 2009)

sprinkles... you have a message from me in your inbox. Sorry everyone is giving you such a hard time on hear :-( I dont feel like it's the most friendly place either which really sucks. If you need anything or have any questions, please feel free to message me about it. I'm definitely not overly knowledgeable about rats but I will do my best to help you out without being rude or insulting.


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## this_wallflower (Apr 19, 2009)

*shrug* I've had hamsters. They bit. We handled them gently and frequently, they were housed in a great cage, and they still nipped frequently. Hamsters do. They're kinda known for it. They're actually not nearly as keen on being handled as people think they are, and make poor pocket pets for kids. Dwarf hamsters in particular really prefer to be watched, than cuddled.

People don't know this. People think hamsters are great starting pets. Rats are MUCH better starting pets because rats will bond, cuddle, play, and have much more distinct personalities.


I can't blame a parent for getting rid of an animal who is biting their child. People do it with dogs who nip kids too. 

I wouldn't personally do it, because I think in 90% of cases there are ways to rectify the situation without giving up the animal, but you have to understand that a parent is not going to sit there very long and keep putting bandaids on her daughter's bleeding hands.

I don't think we can make assumptions in either direction. Don't assume that the hamsters bit because they were handled poorly, and don't assume they were handled correctly. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

But ostracizing a little girl from a forum of information because of something her parents decided is a really immature decision, in my honest opinion. Invite her parents to read the comments, but don't chase her away. We all could be resources so that the rat too does not become a biter and lives a happy and fulfilled life with this little girl.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

chiklet1503 said:


> sprinkles... you have a message from me in your inbox. Sorry everyone is giving you such a hard time on hear :-( I dont feel like it's the most friendly place either which really sucks. If you need anything or have any questions, please feel free to message me about it. I'm definitely not overly knowledgeable about rats but I will do my best to help you out without being rude or insulting.


How about Ralph's story? Wasn't he replaced with new one(s)? 
Chicklet's message in another thread:"Ralph is actually going to his new home tonight. I found a suitable home who is willing to work on introducing him with other males over time in hopes that he will learn to get along. I'm really excited about it and she has had much success and experience doing this sort of thing in the past so my fingers are crossed."

Why didn't you get the help needed to help him yourself? Or keep him as an only rat. They only live a few years so he won't be ruining your life. That's why this forum is so helpful. 
Oh, and we are not yelling, just saying like it is......


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## Corpseflower (Jun 12, 2009)

Honestly sprinkles, I have more care for my animals than most people. As for animals, I can't yell at them every time they do something wrong because they're different from humans, _they don't know any better_.
You're the one being insensitive here, you can try and turn it around on us all you want. But there's two hamsters out there who got treated like dirt and that bothers me. As an animal lover, and a hamster owner.


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## FeffOx (Feb 8, 2009)

A few years ago I had a syrian that bit me once and because I was young, I didnt like to handle it (my mam handled him for a while after that). Then me and my mam would wait up till about 12 at night because hamsters are nocturnal and she would hold him, then I would stroke him then I gradually started to hold him again. I still didnt completely forget that he could bite whenever he wanted, but it was enough for me to give him fresh food and water while he was still in the cage and stroke him without needing my mam there. The thing is you *cannot* just give your pets away because they bit you, or you dont like them no more. Its cruel because if you give them away to the first person who offers to 'give it a home' you haven't got a clue who its going to and it could be going into a bigger animals stomach.


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## chiklet1503 (Jun 12, 2009)

> Why didn't you get the help needed to help him yourself? Or keep him as an only rat. They only live a few years so he won't be ruining your life. That's why this forum is so helpful.
> Oh, and we are not yelling, just saying like it is......


If I did decide to keep him as an only rat and told any of you that I was planning to do so, I guarantee I would have gotten absolute **** over it. I never said he would ruin my life. I could easily have kept him alone in his big cage, without any rat friends, taking him out to play every day until the day his time had come. What kind of life is that?

I did not feel comfortable, experienced or equipped enough to try to intro him with other rats without being neutered since he has severe aggression issues with others. I HAD the money to get him neutered at one point, but I have hit a real tight spot with money and can no longer afford to have it done. His new home is providing him with an opportunity I was unable to give him. Wanting something better for him does not make me a bad person or a horrible pet owner in the least.

I do not feel that taking the time to explain my life story, living situation, circumstances, and reasons why I came to the decision that I did would do anyone any good because even if you really believed me, it still wouldn't change your mind and you would still think the way you do about what I did becuase thats who you are and what you believe. That is not a bad thing at all. We all see things from our own individual points of view.

I just wish more people could realize that judgement, harshness and insults will not help spread knowledge or inspire changes in others. Please treat others with respect and be more aware that just because they made a decision you don't agree with, it doesnt mean the decision wasn't well thought out. Until you have walked a mile in their shoes and seen life through their eyes, you will never know the whole story and everything that was involved.


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

chiklet1503 said:


> > Why didn't you get the help needed to help him yourself? Or keep him as an only rat. They only live a few years so he won't be ruining your life. That's why this forum is so helpful.
> > Oh, and we are not yelling, just saying like it is......
> 
> 
> ...


every forum member should read this not only once, not twice, but three times. and learn from it.


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

Corpseflower said:


> Honestly sprinkles, I have more care for my animals than most people. As for animals, I can't yell at them every time they do something wrong because they're different from humans, _they don't know any better_.
> You're the one being insensitive here, you can try and turn it around on us all you want. But there's two hamsters out there who got treated like dirt and that bothers me. As an animal lover, and a hamster owner.


it really bothers me that you assume i treated my hamsters like dirt.


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

this_wallflower said:


> *shrug* I've had hamsters. They bit. We handled them gently and frequently, they were housed in a great cage, and they still nipped frequently. Hamsters do. They're kinda known for it. They're actually not nearly as keen on being handled as people think they are, and make poor pocket pets for kids. Dwarf hamsters in particular really prefer to be watched, than cuddled.


Since I was a kid I've had over 20 hamsters. I don't have any now, but my mam still keeps hamsters and currently has one male syrian. I was only ever bitten twice. I agree that rats are the best small pet to get for a child, but only if they'll be looked after correctly, as they're more time consuming and costly to keep than hamsters. Rats a lot tougher than hamsters and are able to take a bit of rough handling that kids may occasionally do without biting.


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## Kimbo (Jul 9, 2009)

Corpseflower said:


> Honestly sprinkles, I have more care for my animals than most people. As for animals, I can't yell at them every time they do something wrong because they're different from humans, _they don't know any better_.
> You're the one being insensitive here, you can try and turn it around on us all you want. But there's two hamsters out there who got treated like dirt and that bothers me. As an animal lover, and a hamster owner.


I dont see any evidence that they were treated like dirt. Some animals will naturally just bite due to their personality or natural habit, children shouldn't handle biting animals as it poses a health risk for infection. Please know the whole story before making accusations.


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## Corpseflower (Jun 12, 2009)

Deleted my post, very done with this conversation, it's pointless.


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## sprinkleslove (Jul 26, 2009)

Kimbo said:


> Corpseflower said:
> 
> 
> > Honestly sprinkles, I have more care for my animals than most people. As for animals, I can't yell at them every time they do something wrong because they're different from humans, _they don't know any better_.
> ...


i do! she said 



Corpseflower said:


> But there's two hamsters out there who got treated like dirt and that bothers me. As an animal lover, and a hamster owner.



blows my mind. you guys only read what you want to hear. and if its not what you want to hear, you make something up. im done.


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## ChloeLouise (Apr 5, 2009)

I had a hamster who bit, and I called multiple exotics specialists who told me that hamsters from pet stores, which is where the two in question most likely came from, can have serious behavioral issues that require someone with a lot of experience to fix. They are more like wild animals then pets.


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