Adopted 2 rats | Imamother

Petra

Mon, Jun 24 2013, 11:06 pm

Isramom8 wrote:

I have a cat, kittens and rabbits, but I seriously don't know how I feel about having pet rats (although we did have hamsters). Usually you try to kill rats - why is it different when they're pets? I guess you have to be careful with extermination, since isn't it designed to kill, for example, rats?

I even dreamed about this thread. Not sure if it was a nightmare or not.

but pet rats are domesticated. Apparently they lose certain traits that wild rats have plus they don't have diseases that wild rats can carry.

I'm a little disappointed to find out that I can't just feed a pet rat anything that is remotely edible. They are sensitive I guess. For example, can't give them regular tap water if there is fluoride in it. Causes brain damage apparently. Sure don't want a brain damaged rat! No peanut butter. No green potatoes.

I would still freak if a I saw a wild rat in my house. Seriously. Those things are huge and they scurry like the sneaky trespassers that they are!

FranticFrummie

Mon, Jun 24 2013, 11:14 pm

Pet rats are captive bred and hand raised to be familiar with humans from birth. That makes all the difference in the world.

I don't understand why people have to go "Eeeeew!" and shock

when you mention pet rats (or any other pet for that matter). If you don't want that pet, don't get it. No one is forcing you. I suppose if you go to someone for a meal and the pet is staring at you, you could request to have the pet moved, or move your seat.

I know people who LOVE tarantulas, and tell me how gentle they are if you know how to handle them. Um, OK. I'll just take your word for that! *backs away slowly* "I'm sure they're fascinating creatures, and I'm happy that you have a pet you can relate to."

No need to make anyone feel bad, just because they've invited one of Hashem's creations into their house!

Mama Bear

Tue, Jun 25 2013, 12:45 pm

Maybe if they wouldnt be called 'rat' it would be more appetizing. When you think of a rat you think of the slimy creatures that invade your house and run so fast you end up screaming on top of the dining room table and calling the exterminator asap.

Maybe if pet rats were called something else, not the same name as the icky wild creatures, there wouldnt be such recoil. Gerbils and hamsters are rodents too and somehow it doesnt induce nausea in ppl the way a RAT does....

greenfire

Tue, Jun 25 2013, 1:13 pm

my dd had a white rat with red eyes that her friend gave her ... she insisted it was the most wondrous pet alive ... well considering it was a rat that was indeed alive - I suppose to her it was ... I mostly didn't say much ... but then one fine day she put it on my arm and it crawled up my neck and I really couldn't help but scream to GET IT OFF ...

thankfully her friend took it back ...

and the kitties we now have, according to my other dd, look like big rats ...

why do people keep pets in their house anyways ?! a query that I will always ponder