rats as pets

[dale1988]

lol any of you just use tub enclosures?

 

[Snakewoman]

I used to have rats as pets, and they were great. Some of them lick you, and they love to climb around on your shoulders and play with your hair. I'll always remember when I was in primary school, I had a rat names Sam, and he lived in a cage with my mother's rat whose name was Reggie. They had their own little igloos they lived in, and one day my mother gave them an apple core each. Reggie ran to Sam igloo, shoved the apple core in Sam's face as if to say 'I have this and you don't' and ran away. :lol:

I had more rats a few years ago, they were always very friendly, every time someone walked into the room they'd jump up on the side of the cage and want to come out. As soon as the door was opened they'd run to greet the person. When my Grandmother was still alive she didn't like rats. My mother had Reggie out one day and my Grandmother said "I don't know how you can have that thing running around all over you". She then put her thumb up to the rat, and he wrapped his little paws around it and licked her. She was immediately won over, and from then on when she came around if the rat wasn't out she'd go and get him

They eat anything, and our rats knew the sound of chip packets and would get very excited about it! I loved watching them clean themselves, it was so cute!

 

[Serpentess]

lol any of you just use tub enclosures?

I do. The rats get treated like pets, but they're for breeding snake food. They still get treats, they still get to come out and run around on the couches and have rides on our shoulders, etc, etc.

Previous rats were in a 5ft display tank with 2 shelves.

 

[wranga]

all my rats are pets. i just dont get attached to them as they end up as snake food

 

[KaotikJezta]

I used to have rats as pets, and they were great. Some of them lick you, and they love to climb around on your shoulders and play with your hair. I'll always remember when I was in primary school, I had a rat names Sam, and he lived in a cage with my mother's rat whose name was Reggie. They had their own little igloos they lived in, and one day my mother gave them an apple core each. Reggie ran to Sam igloo, shoved the apple core in Sam's face as if to say 'I have this and you don't' and ran away. :lol:

I had more rats a few years ago, they were always very friendly, every time someone walked into the room they'd jump up on the side of the cage and want to come out. As soon as the door was opened they'd run to greet the person. When my Grandmother was still alive she didn't like rats. My mother had Reggie out one day and my Grandmother said "I don't know how you can have that thing running around all over you". She then put her thumb up to the rat, and he wrapped his little paws around it and licked her. She was immediately won over, and from then on when she came around if the rat wasn't out she'd go and get him

They eat anything, and our rats knew the sound of chip packets and would get very excited about it! I loved watching them clean themselves, it was so cute!

My rat licks me, he is a total sook as well.

 

[dale1988]

lol i want to know if this rumour about wood shavings being bad for there breathing is true or not

can anyone shed some light on the rumour?

 

[KaotikJezta]

lol i want to know if this rumour about wood shavings being bad for there breathing is true or not

can anyone shed some light on the rumour?

Mine were kept on normal wood shavings at the pet shop I bought them from and they both had respiratory infections when they came home. My boys lungs are really weak from it and he gets them all the time now, as soon as the weather gets too cold etc.

 

[dkae1986]

Well I have jsut switch to shavings which are meant to be dust extracted ect from shredded newspaper. With the shavings it is alot easier to clean out the tubs but I am noticing sneezing from my rats so am definatly looking at switching back. May try breeders choice will have to look at it.

 

[KaotikJezta]

Well I have jsut switch to shavings which are meant to be dust extracted ect from shredded newspaper. With the shavings it is alot easier to clean out the tubs but I am noticing sneezing from my rats so am definatly looking at switching back. May try breeders choice will have to look at it.

Well if there from newspaper they are not wood shavings.

 

[dale1988]

Well if there from newspaper they are not wood shavings.

what do you mean?

 

[The_Dreaded_Pets]

i have about 8 pet rats then some feeders and others i sell

- as for the topic of bedding i currently use weaten chaff which is ok but smells pretty quickly shaveings are ment to be bad for ther emyco havnt seen the dust extracted shaveings around here but have hurd of them.
have been told breeders choice pellets is awsome to use and will be trying that in my tubs/cage next

 

[harley0402]

This is my big boy ratty

 

[Snakewoman]

Here is an article about rats and wood shavings:
the Rat Report

I found it via this site:
South Australian Rat Owner's Network

 

[neo1530]

here are a few pics of one of our rats, named panda.

jason

 

[grannieannie]

Charlie and Bruce were my babies, had them both for about 3 years. Now respectfully buried in my garden. Bruce used to love nest building from the shredded newspaper, Charlie was the lazy one and let Bruce do all the work. Bruce got macro and was the first to die :-( They had a lovely 2 storey home, they lived mostly upstairs and had their "bathroom" downstairs. They loved cuddles and I made them all sorts of puzzle toys and and mazes, and they loved sleeping in their hammock. I had them before I got my snake, they were gorgeous pets.

 

[benjamind2010]

I think rats are more interactive pets than snakes that's for sure - placid snakes that don't bite, that is - "interactive" snakes have a penchant for biting. In a nutshell rats are better pets than even the most placid of snakes, and MUCH better than snakes that love to draw blood.

Still, I have a weakness for certain womas, specifically nice red RHD womas. It's a toss up between RHD womas, rats, and rainbow lorikeets. All have their pros and cons. Rats don't live that long, snakes generally think you're just a tree unless you smell like food, and lorikeets seem to have a habit of crapping all over you. My oh my, the funny ways of this big wide world!

 

[GeckoJosh]

Depends on the rats Ben, the one I got of you crapped all over me and bit me many times.
However this is the first rat I've owned that has acted that way, the other have never pood nor bitten me, I think it comes down how they have been treated...

 

[JAS101]

people think rats make great pets however if it wasent for the fact my snake food bill was so massive i would not have rats at all

im the same , im not a fan or rats or mice [ not scared of them ] just dont like them much - by no means the rats are neglected they have a air con for summer and iv just finished the wood stove for winter heating in there shed .

 

[bredli_python]

what do youse think of rats being pets for a 3-4 year old child? cause my mum brought my neice a 10 week old baby rat from a friend of hers the rat will be 11-12 weeks or something when my neice gets it... its ment to be really friendly and was the most often held by other kids where mum got it from..

my neice did have a pet adult mouse which my sister got from the pet shop but it didnt last long lol my neice was a bit rough with it and over-loving and it kinda go swished...



and for the record... my bredli is 1yo this week (i think about that) im saying this week cause he was ment to be 3 months old when i got him and its 3months before i got him a year ago... so ive now had him 9 months and hes doing really really well... feeding and shedding regularly... very friendly... loves being held even by my 3-4 year old neice who can at times be a lil rough with him but shes getting better but hes never attempted to bite or strike at her... hes soo good...

oh n how do u go about breeding rats to feed to bredli's etc? is it easy? is it cheaper then buying frozen rats from the pet shop? im paying $20 for a pack of 5 rats the size of an adult mouse the velvet rats and im feeding my bredli weekly... is it worth breeding them just for 1 snake?

just thought while we're on the topic id ask...

 

[benjamind2010]

Depends on the rats Ben, the one I got of you crapped all over me and bit me many times.
However this is the first rat I've owned that has acted that way, the other have never pood nor bitten me, I think it comes down how they have been treated...

This rat was very skittish and crapped all over me too, so I'm not sure what caused her to behave like this. It could have been anything really and right now it's all just guessing. The babies I got from you are all very well behaved, and I haven't had a single poo on me

I'm looking forward to breeding some self and berk blues this year. I'm looking at getting a self black rat to mate my blue hooded with.

im paying $20 for a pack of 5 rats the size of an adult mouse the velvet rats...

Not too bad, but I think that is still a bit too expensive. I think $3/velvet rat is a more reasonable price.