The Rat Lovers Club! ~MODS PLEASE LOCK!

[M'ov]

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Username: baileyboo99
Have you ever had a rat?: Actually no I haven't, the closet thing to a rat that I've owned is a 2 hamsters, and my mom is terrifed of rats also. In the pets stores, I go a look at the rodents first.

[Rabbitheart]

Me too! I seriously hit the rodent section before any other section in a pet store! I'm half tempted to tell my story of how I had a wild rat in my bedroom, but I don't want to scare anybody, unless you guys want to hear about it. It has a happy ending for both me and the rat.

[Ilovecats1356]

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Username: Meowtwist
Have you ever had a rat?: Nope, I want some though...but my Mom doesn't like them. xD

[f. spectrum]

I would agree with the "no breeds, just varieties". Not all hoodies are Long-Evans, it's just a coat pattern, you can get hooded rats in hairless, rex or just plain standard type in any colour. Long-Evans is one strain of lab rats that all have hoods. Y'know hoodies were originally called "Japanese" (and still are in some languages)? Not a clue why, I can't find any evidence of them having any origin in Japan.

I don't think there's enough difference between rats to call them breeds, most of the striking differences (dumbo, hairless etc) are only caused by one little recessive gene. My little black dumbo self had a dumbo hairless brother, and I've seen plenty of mixed dumbo/top ear litters. It depends how you use the word breed.

Also: I have a theory that the differences people claim about dumbos (bigger, soppier) may have once been true, but would have only applied to the original stock. The first breeders of dumbos probably selected rats for size and docile temperament, but this isn't relevant now that the gene is much more common in rats everywhere. Again, just a theory that I'd really like to do research on.

[fugitive]

Me too! I seriously hit the rodent section before any other section in a pet store! :lol: I'm half tempted to tell my story of how I had a wild rat in my bedroom, but I don't want to scare anybody, unless you guys want to hear about it. It has a happy ending for both me and the rat. ;)

Lol, that sounds fun. I would love to hear about it. :}

[LadyCrowsong]

I want to hear the wild rat story!

And I also go to the rodent section of the store first.

As for how my parents feel about my rats... My mom raised mice, so she was open to rats, but my dad detests them (he believes they're all dirty and disease carriers). I was never supposed to get them, but my half-brother got them for me (and he's sixteen years older so he can't get in trouble) and I've had rats since. I've also had gerbils, but only one is left; poor guy....

And what do they mean when they say male rats are supposed to be bigger? My male (dumbo) rat is the same length as my females, but he's shorter than both and fatter than one and skinnier than the other.

[Rabbitheart]

Alright, so this was back when both my brother and I had hamsters. My brother's hamster, Sandyy (yes the double y is intentional), had escaped once before and had sought refuge under my bed. So one morning when I woke up to the sound of chewing paper and other little rodent sounds, I thought it was Sandyy. So I called her name, she didn't come out like usual. So I turned on the light so I could see better, I only have one window so I don't get a whole lot of sunlight. The rat flew out from under my bed and onto the boxes that lay underneath my cabinet directly to the left of my bved and then went onto the blue plastic toy box underneath my desk. It flew around my square bedroom in it's surprise and did several laps, I was terrified of getting off of my bed because it was doing so many laps and flew by so quickly. I screamed when it first flew out and my mom came racing into my bedroom. When I told her, she went out to the kitchen and got a large pot and lid and then came back to my bedroom with them. The rat had stopped flying about and was in my closet (which no longer has the sliding mirror doors, so it's wide open to hide in). My mom had to yell in order to scare it out of its hiding place and it did another couple of laps about my bedroom before my mom was finally able to get it in the pot. She then went outside and released the rat back into the wild where it belonged.

End of successful catch and release story.

[LadyCrowsong]

Wow. I'm sure that was exciting!

[Rabbitheart]

It was, but it was also terrifying, I was afraid for the rat, myself, and my own hamsters.

[LadyCrowsong]

I'm sure. I don't think I'd ever get a wild rat in my room because one of my cats tends to stay in my room, but I have been worried about snakes before. Not only am I terrified of snakes, but I don't think my rodents would want one in the house (nonetheless my room, where the cages are).