Rat Lovers

Hi Sun,
I have a bond with all animals, with the exception of domesticated cats. I used to feed rats up the back of my garden, but they moved in and started making a mess with their burrowing and the like. sSo I stopped feeding them and they left. I was getting quite close to them, the young are far more trusting than the old, I found.
xxx
Mark...

They are just a very personable creature.
They are totally social.
They really just want to make friends with you.
Even the wild ones do after a short time.

They don't bite at all?

Well, I am very fond them as a tough and successful species, which also make very personable pets.

They have a slight PR issue because of their tails (too naked for the taste of many) and the bubonic plague and all, but pale besides humans in their destructiveness.

They have been very loyal to us as a species, and obviously love us to come with us everywhere,.

Only if they think you are trying to bite them first.

Mine have bitten me plenty of times but that is because we are playing and messing, but if they trust and love you they only will ever play bite.
Because I have been bitten only once angrily by mine and this was as said because I had hurt them or they were momentarily regarding me as a threat and if they are not playing even though they have drawn blood in our play fights, if they are hurt or angry at you a rat bite can easily go to bone.

But I do not say this to put any one off of rats as any animal if in threat or anger can take a chunk out of you.
What I am saying of rats is that they have a higher level of intelligence and emotional need than a lot of the animal kingdom so if they bite bite you, you have earned it.
Wouldn't you bite someone you didn't know, trust or like coming into your house with out an invitation?

But unlike most animals if they fear you they are not as likely to attack you as a great many other members of the kingdom called animal would.

Once they love you they really show it.

Hmm, I'll have to take your word on this.

I think I'll stick with our lovely kitty.

Yes you can be sure rats will outlast the human race.

Yes even when I first got mine it was their tail that put me off, but quickly you will see it twitch and curl for different emotions.
When I used to scritch (scatch and itch) my Emile you would just see the bottom inch of his tail go mad.
It was one of the most funny and pleasing sights I have ever seen.
But Emile was a VERY special rat and being.

This was a very nice and funny post to respond to, Thank you

Could have mentioned cuddly.

Oh they are extremely cuddly, once they like you they always want to be near you and on you.
When they trust you (which happens very quickly) they let you cuddle them all the time.
Does this post describe you at all roger?

No, but thanks for the thought.

Hello, sometime sun.
A pleasure to meet you.
I know absolutely nothing about rats as companion animals.
I'm sorry to say I have rather an aversion to them. But I am happy ( think! ) to be otherwise persuaded.
Please talk on & I will listen.

A common misconception about rats is that they are dirty animals.
They are one of the most sanitary and organised animals I have ever kept.
I used to keep snakes and you always have to clean your hands after you handle them, but with rats to be respectful and if you don't want them to avoid you, you must clean your hands for them before you touch them.
And the breeds don't get me started about the 'fancy' rat breeds that there are.
My Emile was a 'Roan Banded Husky' and was magnificent, very handsome, the only one of my guys (as I only usually keep males) I ever took pictures of, the grey being an ordered stripe from his ears, down his back to his tail, almost looked as if he had been spray painted, so delicate was his colouring, and his shade of white was not the harsh white you imagine lab rats to have, Emile was a soft white creamy colour, think a white and grey ermine a little condensed version, he had very defined and regal construction also, I hope the poem I wrote for him is still here, if so I expect it will be in the original writers forum titled 'Emile'.
I will presently go and find it and put the link after this post.

All my thanks and if any of you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
They are a very interesting creature.
sometime sun

http://able2know.org/topic/151218-1

Ok, that made me chuckle.

Hi Sun,
I suggestion to your question you are a mercy person. So, You love them.

I don't understand this, could you please clarify?

What question are you referring towards?
Do you mean the subject of this thread?

Are you supposing that the rat species can only be loved by having a merciful heart and or showing mercy for just them?

That rats may be such a "bad" animal it takes human mercy to love them?

The only reason people don't like rats is because of an ir'rat'ional misconception and prejudice.
Rats are not dirty.
The only dirty rats are the ones who have come into contact with people and peoples dirt.

All the best,

I will if or when I return from my trip in a couple of days be getting some new guys, depending if the rescue centre has any that need re homing.

I only seem to name any of my animals with names beginning with E, L or M.
I am kind of worried it was a sign that my last guy may have meant to be my last ever because his name was Emile and I did not even notice until later that if you sound out Emile you get, M,E,L.

Any one got any suggestions of names beginning with these three initials?

And of course I do not give names to anything I have not had the benefit of their company and knowing them first.

My favourite so far that I have wanted to call one of my familiars for the longest time but never met the right guy for this name is Maurice.
I love that name Maurice.

I had two white rats as pets 20 years ago, I fed one of them a big moth and he was so excited he bit my finger at the same time.

Was the bite a heavy one?

What were their names?

It is usually only the shock of a rat nip that scares people so they think they have been bitten hard.
They rarely do anything other than nip, this is just a friendly warning.
I learned to hardly fear their nips at all so with me when Evan bit he bit just a little bit harder than usua because he had been an unhandled and neglected guy, but as soon as we learned and trusted and cared for each other his bite got milder and milder.
And once they knew how hard not to bite me for their affection and respect of you I could wrestle with them and sure they drew blood but it was only droplets and the fun and exercise that they got from our tussles was worth every little scratch.
I have only been bitten properly, hard and for real once and that did not stop bleeding for a very long time, I would have been perfectly justified in going to the hospital and getting stitches but did not bother and tended the very real wound myself.
If they do draw blood it is best to sanitise the wound properly.
They may be very clean animals but some can have infectious bites if the animal is not healthy.
Gosh that one did hurt a lot.
Put the fear of rat into me for a little while until we made up and became very close.

Yes they can be excited by their food if live food.

I gave mine a worm once and they had fun.

But I also found I had an aversion to feeding my animals anything that required me watch it die, I still don't think I will be able to get snakes again because I now would probably cry when I had to feed them their rodent and chick diet.

Over all there is no reason to feed your rat anything they don't catch that enters their cage.

They also say you should not feed rats meat of any kind, some saying it makes them aggressive and biters.
Mine I could treat to a piece of hot dog or sausage but not much and only as a occasional treat.
And never feed rats or any rodents for that matter dairy and cheese, they love it and you for letting them have some but to much and it can kill them.
I would as the rarest of treats let mine lick off a little cream cheese from my finger, rarely, you can tell a rats health but their coat.
Mine loved avocado but this too if to much would make their skin oily and would make their coat greasy and my Emile did not like having to be shampooed, it always made me feel rotten forcing him to let me wash and towel dry him.
A safe bet for health and I have never met a rat who did not love it is corn on the cob.
Love it they do.
There was a time I over did their food and would give them some of my own dinner and food every day, this quickly makes them sick because they need the rat food wholesomeness and roughage to be healthy.
But I did still treat them to a little bit of pasta or cous cous on occasion and they loved that.
They had fresh vegetables and fruit especially cucumber and grapes every day of their time with me.
When I have rats I have more fresh food in the house regularly so it tends to make me eat more healthily as well.
I cant wait to get some new company.

All the best,