by Angela <:3---}~~~~ M.
Member since:
August 8, 2006

Mom I want a pet rat!!

September 12, 2006 10:39 AM EDT (Updated: September 28, 2006 02:57 PM EDT)
views: 561 | comments: 27
 Your standing in the pet store and your child is yelling at the top of their lungs they don't want a hamster  that they want a pet rat.  What do you do now.  You have heard that rats carry diseases or they will eat you in your sleep if they  get half a chance. I was afraid I'd go to sleep and wake up with rat bites all over me if one managed to escape from it cage.

We were introduced to rats at a place called cosi. We just finished watching two females playing basketball and that was just so amazing but I still never wanted a rat in my house. That is when i heard the  "mom I want a pet rat"  now i had heard this a few times before because when we would go out of town we would always stop at cosi to see them play.  But on this day I was venerable and my kids new it. I had just found out that both of them had to have surgery. My son had to have his tonsils removed and my daughter had to have major sinus surgery.  And they knew if they asked for the moon that day they would get it.  But all they wanted was a pet rat.

So we preceded to ask the girl about where do we get rats like the ones that were playing basket ball. She told us to get them at the same place they did at the local pet shop.  See these rats were just regular rats.  Not some super rat that was smarter than the average rat like I  had imagined they were.  Then she said to bad you don't have a cage with you we have three that are up for adoption.  Little did she know that we were rodent crazy and never left home on a trip with out a cage in the trunk.  Just in case we found the perfect hamster or a hairless cavie. We were always on the look out for the unusual rodents. Never did i dream that one day a rat would be coming home in that cage.

 I told her that we did have a cage and she sent me out to get it because she had to inspect it for rat worthiness.  So out I went to get the cage my heart was pounding with fear. Oh my what have i done im taking a rat home and it will eat us in our sleep. We signed the papers and picked out our rat. When I picked him up he preceded to lick me which scared the crap out of me. The girl assured me it was a sign of affection. I figured for sure he was tasting me for later!! That's when he went directly into the cage and the top was locked shut.

We headed for home and half way there i noticed that the rat was running and playing in the back window of my car. And my kids were laughing and playing with him. I had no idea the  effect this guy would have on us, he became our best friend. And brought a lot of joy to us during his short life. He earned his name kisses because he loved to lick you when he was happy. So if you are ever lucky enough to hear  "mom I want a pet rat"  then go ahead and buy it because everything you think will happen and all the fear you feel is for nothing because rats are wonderful pets.
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Comments: 27

♯ ♪ Sep 12, 2006, 10:43am EDT
My only warning is: they have a terrible bladder control problem. Otherwise, they are really nice animals. Very friendly and people-like!
**AngelEyez** a. Sep 12, 2006, 10:50am EDT
hahaha.. good luck.. I would NEVER do that Id be deathly scared and lock the thing away lol...
Cheri C. Sep 12, 2006, 10:55am EDT
My cats would have lunch. We had two mice and they were lunch. We had two birds and they were lunch. We had two ginea pigs and they survived. Cats didn't want them. Allwe have now is cats and dogs.
Angela <:3---}~~~~ M. Sep 12, 2006, 11:04am EDT
lol one of are cats though he was going to have lunch on a rat we called mad max. he was a double rex that had very little hair and he had a mohawk on his head that is how he earned his name. the cat went after him and then the rat turned on the cat and attacked there was cat fur every where by the time we got max off him. Some rats are very equipped to take care of them selves. And after that we never had a problem with the cat.
Cheri C. Sep 12, 2006, 11:23am EDT
lol The only thing around here that my cats stay away from is possuims. Smart cats.
Amanda K. Sep 12, 2006, 11:25am EDT
Two things: Rats are a lot of work. They need a lot of attentioin and care, plus a clean cage, quality food (not the mix at the pet store) and fresh water. While they are the most rewarding of pets, buying one is not a decision to be taken lightly.

As for the "bladder control problem", it is not so much a question of control as it is a natural behavior for rats. They can control their bladders, but they choose to mark their scent everywhere, as a way of making themselves more comfortable, and saying to themselves and other rats, "This is a good place to be." or, "This human is really nice. I like her."
Angela <:3---}~~~~ M. Sep 12, 2006, 12:30pm EDT
yup you have to get the right food lab chow is a must now walmarts carries it. Back then i had to special order it. Just like you would not feed a dog cat food, you dont feed a rat hamster feed. No small animal should be bought on a whim but when it comes to, do i get my kid a hamster or a rat. It should be the rat because hamsters are more likely to bite. Hamsters are not as social as rats are. Kids are more likely to lose interest in a hamster than they are a rat because a rat will interact with them. I have raised rodents for years and the rat is the best choice as a pet expecally for a kid and of course you do not want to get any pocket pet until your child is ready for it. Unless you are ready for the fact that one day it will be yours to take care of.
and if you dont like being marked then get females they do not do this well none ive ever had did and ive had over 20.
nyghte shadow Sep 12, 2006, 12:34pm EDT
rats are such wonderful pets! next to cats they are are my favorite (with ferrets coming in a close third, but they're so much work... hehe). i currently have four, two girls in one cage, two boys in another. amanda k. is right, like any other pet you must be prepared to care for them properly. but they are so worth it. :D if you're a responsible pet owner give rats a chance. ;D
Angela <:3---}~~~~ M. Sep 12, 2006, 12:46pm EDT
the worst thing i found out about rat is once you have 2 you will want 2 more. every rat will call to you from the pet store window to come and rescue it. its called addiction :) and at one point i had a bad case of it. after you get the first two i recommend not going near the pet store ever:) because they will suck you in to taking them home ;)
Pam F. Sep 12, 2006, 12:46pm EDT
Great article! I knew someone who had a rat and he lived quite a while and when he finally did pass away they were very sad. We had ferrets and I can definitely say they are tons of work but tons of fun. I would never take that on again unless I had a special room for them and lots of money for medical bills if needed. Its crazy what those babies will get into. I need to do a story with pics of my ferrets... They were a blast!
Angela <:3---}~~~~ M. Sep 12, 2006, 12:56pm EDT
ferrets are work lol my daughter has 3 would love to hear your stories we call ferrets carpet sharks because they will scoot across the floor bite a toe and run off like mad. making giggling noises.
Wendy F. Sep 12, 2006, 4:23pm EDT
That is just too funny, I am petrified of mice so I sure can't imagine owning a rat . Heard one too many tales about sewer rats I guess .
Janet H. Sep 12, 2006, 5:59pm EDT
Hey, we have been to both COSI museums in Columbus and Toledo and have seen the basketball playing rats at both. They brought rats out for us to look at and pet. The caretaker had to hold them though, museum rules.
They said they take all their rats to the vet once a month for checkups and any needed treatment.
Angela <:3---}~~~~ M. Sep 12, 2006, 6:19pm EDT
yup they sure do my rat came from columbus and so did two others :) back before the new building was built. when it was a small dinky place. i pratically grew up in the old building i spent most of my summers there playing with all that science stuff. I have a lot of fond memories of that place
Carol Roach Sep 12, 2006, 7:16pm EDT
well right now, I have 3 cats and a rabbit so that is quite enough for me.
Stacy C. Sep 12, 2006, 7:35pm EDT
I had a pet rat once... "Stumpy"... he was missing most of his tail due to a pre-ownership accident. He was a smart guy... we had to weight down the top of the tank otherwise he would push off the lid and escape.

Currently, we are the proud owners of Stormin' Norma Jean, the basset hound; Sephiroth, the American Toad, and 2 ferrets, Lyme and Fat Boy (he is evil).

Sephiroth came to live with us following a near death escapade with the lawn mower...
La Lady Lisa Westerfield Sep 13, 2006, 5:48pm EDT
Have you read the book "Rats"? Back in 2001 a writer studied the community behavior of rats in a small alley in New York. It is a fasinating read, especially if you have rats as pets. They are so smart and downright human like in their behavior. Did you know that rats, once they have had junk food, will prefer junk food over what they would normally eat in nature such as vegetables? It sounds like Kisses was a good rat!
Jackie L. Sep 13, 2006, 6:01pm EDT
I had rats as pets back in high school, and they were excellent. Very smart, highly entertaining, and affectionate.
Angela <:3---}~~~~ M. Sep 13, 2006, 9:48pm EDT
no ive not seen that book i will have to see if i can find it on amazon sounds interesting. rats will sure leave an impression on you thats for sure with all different animals ive had over the years i have to say my rats were the best out of all them.
Tony Close Sep 13, 2006, 10:32pm EDT
Angela, my youngest daughter insisted on having rats throughout elementary school. They really were great pets. Is there anything as touching as a girl and her rat?
Ladybounty ~. Sep 25, 2006, 10:42am EDT
Yes rats are very intelligent creatures but seems like I'm always the one to get bitten by any pet! Not that I'm afraid of them or that they don't like me, but I seem to get too familiar and too close in their space sometimes. I wish they could just talk to us! My niece's pet hamster bit my thumb once when I reached for him and it was really nasty. Anyway....this is a really nice article Angela. It's funny how kids seem to know what to ask for and when, isn't it?
Angela <:3---}~~~~ M. Sep 25, 2006, 10:56am EDT
hamsters bite just for fun i think even the best pet hamster can get nippy now and then i never recomend a hamster as a pet for kids. i raised hamsters since i was a little kid and i cant tell you how many times ive been bitten by one
Debbie T. Sep 28, 2006, 2:07pm EDT
Rats get a bum rap. They are very intelligent. People like to blame the rat for the plague that killed so many people but it was actually the flea that caused the plague not the rat. I have 5 hairless rats and they are great pets. They all have different personalities and are very social. It is important to have 2 rats at least because they need a companion. (same sex as rats can get pregnant in as little as 2 seconds)You would be surprised how many rat lovers there are out there. I belong to one of many rat forums. And I have never been bit by a rat.
sheryl r. Oct 19, 2006, 10:25am EDT
my niece had rats for a while. she loved them,my daughter tolerated them when she went over until she found out they were going to be snake food.
LeeAnn D. Jun 29, 2008, 9:07pm EDT
I had rats as pets. Started out with only one PREGNANT female. Didn't know she was pregnant when I bought her. She had 13 babies. They were so much fun. I found a pet shop that was willing to trade the weaned babies for supplies I needed. I kept on female along with the mother and bought a male. I had s-ten gallon aquariums (see where this is going) one for the females, one for the male. I bred one of the females, raised the litter, kept another male and sold the babies to the pet shop. I did this a couple of times. It was a lot of fun.

Rats are not the diseased rittled vermin people think they are. Not the domestic rats anyways. They are very intelligent, social creatures. And A LOT friendlier than hampsters or gerbils of which I've had.

Hey Stacy. I'm a proud owner of a Basset Hound and ferret, too. Use to own 3 ferrets,but two have passed away :-( Nice to see another Basset/Ferret owner. lol
LeeAnn D. Jun 29, 2008, 9:09pm EDT
I've never was bitten by any of my rats, but have been bitten numerous times by hampsters and gerbils.

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