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freddurgan
Techgnostic


Registered: 01/11/04
Posts: 3,648
Last seen: 11 years, 8 months
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Rats as pets?
#5519563 - 04/15/06 10:13 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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Anyone have one? I've heard they can be pretty decent pets because they are very smart considering their size. Any of this true?
My lab TA is a Ph.D and works with rats all the time and he said they are pretty smart so I'm inclined to believe him, but he doesn't do any mental/cognitive work with them so I have no idea if he really knows or not.
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theuser
DON'T LOOK

Registered: 08/04/05
Posts: 5,859
Last seen: 3 years, 11 months
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They SMELL!!! Bad too, whew! They just eat and poo all day long lol but other than that they rock. Once a female has gotten pregnant it be pissy for the rest of its life.
Might I reccomend getting 2 ferrets instead? The cost difference is extreme but so is the fun factor.
The main problem with a rat is that you cant really bond with them.
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gregorio
Too Damn Old


Registered: 09/08/05
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I have a friend who has about 1/2 a dozen rats as pets. They don't seem all that bad. They seem to recognize him and show him affection; kind of like hamsters.
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theuser
DON'T LOOK

Registered: 08/04/05
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Re: Rats as pets? [Re: gregorio]
#5519595 - 04/15/06 10:22 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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That's neat. My friend has 6 to 12 at a time. They sit in the cage eating and pooping and fucking all day (what a great life ). Maybe he has lame rats.
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gregorio
Too Damn Old


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Re: Rats as pets? [Re: theuser]
#5519608 - 04/15/06 10:27 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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The smell hits you as soon as you walk into his house; I couldn't handle smelling it all day long but he is realy into them. Thinks they are the coolest pets you can have.
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supercollider
superconducting


Registered: 10/13/00
Posts: 1,234
Loc: Waxahachie
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I've had 5 rats. 3 that died, and 2 that I still have now. They are the best rodent pets, IMO. They're quite smart and personable. They DO NOT stink if you clean the cage reasonably often. (Unlike ferrets, which are naturally stinky all the time from the oils in their fur or whatever. Yuck!) I recommend using shredded newspaper as bedding, they'll make nests out of it and do some pretty cool architecture.
Make sure you don't mix males and females, for god's sake. Males are generally lazier and friendlier than females.
-------------------- Supercollider? I just met her!
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HELLA_TIGHT
Madge the Smoking Vag


Registered: 08/19/03
Posts: 84,387
Loc: Afghanistan
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They smell like shit.
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HELLA_TIGHT
Madge the Smoking Vag


Registered: 08/19/03
Posts: 84,387
Loc: Afghanistan
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Re: Rats as pets? [Re: theuser]
#5519722 - 04/15/06 10:53 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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Ferrets smell like shit too.
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freddurgan
Techgnostic


Registered: 01/11/04
Posts: 3,648
Last seen: 11 years, 8 months
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Yeah I just read a ton of information sites and FAQs about them, and none of them said they smelled. In fact they all said they didn't smell and spend 1/3 of their waking life bathing themselves. So..I'm gonna sleep on it for a week.
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Todcasil
rogue DMT elf


Registered: 08/08/99
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Rats as pets rock! And they do bond with you, you just have to not be a dick to it, and thats tough for humans to accomplish.
When I was in grade school I would tuck my shirt in, put Ratuley, my rat in my shirt and ride my bike to the park, he would pop his head up the collar and have a grand ole time at the opry.
-------------------- Men look at themselves and they see flawed humans, we look at women and we see perfect GODDESSES Women look at themselves and they seem utterly human, when looking at men they see proud GODS. ~Casil
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HELLA_TIGHT
Madge the Smoking Vag


Registered: 08/19/03
Posts: 84,387
Loc: Afghanistan
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Re: Rats as pets? [Re: Todcasil]
#5519756 - 04/15/06 11:03 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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I've had many rats. I'm not saying they're not good pets, they just smell like shit.
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HELLA_TIGHT
Madge the Smoking Vag


Registered: 08/19/03
Posts: 84,387
Loc: Afghanistan
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And don't get a male and a female because they'll fuck like... rabbits.
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Taco Chef
I found dead John Cheever


Registered: 03/03/06
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i have a pet rat. its very smart, and after it 'accepts' you and isn't afraid of you anymore, you can bond with it. it loves to be petted and scratched. They don'y stink, but the cage does. Bedding needs to be changed 1xweek to avoid stink. They do gnaw on everything. They love to, so if you let them out to play with you, they will chew on sheets, blankets etc
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Tasty_Smurf_House
Stranger


Registered: 08/20/03
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Loc: Canada
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i have a rat. they are awesome pets. smart and loving and they dont stink. easy to take care of and lots of fun. i say go for it. get a rat. they're awesome.
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Todcasil
rogue DMT elf


Registered: 08/08/99
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Loc: Crawling on the floor...
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Quote:
HELLA_TIGHT said: I've had many rats. I'm not saying they're not good pets, they just smell like shit.
you toadally didnt take care of your rat very well
-------------------- Men look at themselves and they see flawed humans, we look at women and we see perfect GODDESSES Women look at themselves and they seem utterly human, when looking at men they see proud GODS. ~Casil
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Mike_yy


Registered: 10/28/05
Posts: 7,253
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Re: Rats as pets? [Re: Todcasil]
#5520773 - 04/16/06 11:41 AM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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Rats are smart animals, if they smell its only because your lazy as fuck and haven't cleaned them out. Only thing i will say about them is that i ended up being really allergic to the hairs they have on their tails. When you pick one up it will wrap its tail around your arm. All the little hairs stick in your skin and i used to come up in huge bumps. I also developed asthma thru having rats, and started having really bad reactions like hayfever, only rediculously intense. You might be ok, i was at first, but then my body just decided it didnt like them at all.
Sorry Todcasil, that not directed at you. Tis just a general reply.
Edited by Mike_yy (04/16/06 11:45 AM)
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notapillow
I want to be a fisherman


Registered: 09/29/03
Posts: 31,129
Loc: A rare and different tune
Last seen: 3 years, 11 months
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Re: Rats as pets? [Re: Mike_yy]
#5520802 - 04/16/06 11:51 AM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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rats are great pets. some of the best. they dont smell. they are very smart and very personable. i miss mine
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Mike_yy


Registered: 10/28/05
Posts: 7,253
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Quote:
notapillow said: rats are great pets. some of the best. they dont smell. they are very smart and very personable. i miss mine
Yeah, id have some if i could. Some of the best pets ive ever had. You can even train them to do tricks and shit. Smartest of all rodents !
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coda
Banjo Goiter


Registered: 03/20/01
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yah i used to have a few rats as pets, they were cool, but i liked my ferret better
-------------------- To get really high is to forget yourself. And to forget yourself is to see everything else. And to see everything else is to become an understanding molecule in evolution, a conscious tool of the universe. And I think every human being should be a conscious tool of the universe. . . . -JG i really am glad you came back to us instead of taking the other path. *hug* -A_S (RIP your final words to me will never be forgotten)
 Don't fuck with the laughing jesus.
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notapillow
I want to be a fisherman


Registered: 09/29/03
Posts: 31,129
Loc: A rare and different tune
Last seen: 3 years, 11 months
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Re: Rats as pets? [Re: coda]
#5520817 - 04/16/06 12:00 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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ferrets are way funner there all wiggly  but they actualy do smell. musky and bad. you have to wash them alot if you want to deal with it also there illgel in my state
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