Rats update and pic

**heavensent_7** · 05-08-2003, 06:40 PM

The rats went through about 100 different names until the kids could either say them, remember them or just like them LOL.

I had to go to the rat rescue home to get a bigger house for them, which is actually a chinchilla cage and while I was there........... lethal......... picked up ANOTHER TWO!!!!

So now we are the proud owners of FOUR male rats - lovingly known as 'my boys' mostly

However they do have names now, which were mostly chosen by what they look like or behave like (so the kids could tell them apart)

They are:

Black and White hooded rat - Zebra
White albino rat - Sooty!
Brown rat with half his tail missing (a ferret attacked him!

) - Stumpy
And leader of the pack brown rat - Ozzy

I can't get them to stay still at the moment so pics are hard work but this is one of Zebra's head in bed.

**voodidit** · 05-08-2003, 06:53 PM

Awwww.. I can't wait to see pics of all of them! that was so good of you to adopt the other 2 Bev you old softie!

**Sara Noel** · 05-08-2003, 08:28 PM

omg you crack me up with grabbing two more. LOL
I had pet rats as a teen. Good idea having all males. LMAO They mate often. ROFL.

The picture is cute. I think Ozzy will be my favorite already.

Stumpy's name made me laugh. (although his lack of a tail is sad)

**heavensent_7** · 05-08-2003, 08:38 PM

The woman at the rescue had nearly 200 rats, LOADS of ferrets, Rabbits, Nine Dogs and one in foster care!, Cats, fish and Terripins. All in two tiny rooms!

I've never smelt anything so bad LOL. It's hard to walk away with only two, especially as they are all rescue animals but how do you choose? And I couldn't leave them all there lol.

Anyway here is Ozzy (i.e. Ozzy Osbourne Prince of Darkness LMAO!)

**mrscornbread** · 05-08-2003, 08:40 PM

Yup, he's an Ozzie alright.

When I was a kid, my brother's pet white rat (Michelle was her name) bit me and died the next day???????? Never did understand that one!!! How sad huh?

**heavensent_7** · 05-08-2003, 08:41 PM

And a not so good photo of Sooty

Stumpy still isn't posing for photos - obviously embarrased about the tail LOL

Anyway he looks just like Ozzy minus a tail LOL

Oh BTW last time I had rats we had male and female and I QUICKLY ended up with 13 from TWO! I re-homed them ALL out of panic before I had 100's LOL

**heavensent_7** · 05-08-2003, 08:45 PM

Robin - There is NO excuse for killing a rat for one bite - ROFLMAO!

Sorry but that is funny it bit you and died - still LMAO!!

Surely your blood doesn't taste THAT bad LOL

**mrscornbread** · 05-08-2003, 08:58 PM

**heavensent_7** · 05-08-2003, 09:23 PM

Awww don't! I feel bad now

for your sore bitten bits. Awwwwwwww

**voodidit** · 05-08-2003, 11:54 PM

Robin..maybe you had rabies..LMAO

**CAGmomof2** · 05-09-2003, 09:57 AM

your rats are so cute..

**PennyPinchinPam** · 05-09-2003, 12:00 PM

Bev,

They are too cute!! My sister has ferrets as pets. She lives in PA. I believe they are illegal here in CA. My ds has been asking for a hamster. Are rats better as pets than hamsters? He is doing his best in school and at home working towards getting a pet. He's doing so good I'm sure we'll have to buy him one or the other.

and here I was thinking I was the only one who listened to metal music. Ozzy is a great name. My dh would be trying to name one Marilyn for Marilyn Manson.

LOL!

**heavensent_7** · 05-09-2003, 01:44 PM

Pam ~ LOL ~ When we only had two my DH wanted to call them Black & Sabbath!!! LOL.

This is obviously only my opinion but I would NEVER have a hampster!!! I know some people like them but they are solitary animals and 'in general' they don't really like to be petted it stresses them. And although I'm sure plenty of people will jump in and disagree with me, I have personally never met one yet that didn't bite. I did have one years ago (another stray lol) but it was really nasty

My SIL used to work in a pet shop and she wouldn't touch any of them, even when somebody bought one she would scoop it up in the box LOL.

So although I'm obviously biased here's my opinion on rats (and I've had LOADS of these) I'll try to be basic or I might write a book! LOL.

Get babies if you can (7 - 9 weeks old) and handle them BEFORE you buy. If it's possible see the parents too. Rats are very rarely nasty animals and are socialable by nature but when they are they take LOTS of training. Biting 'can' be hereditory (sp?).

Over the years I have kept many, MANY rats and I've only ever met ONE bad one!

They are very sociable and not really at all happy alone. Although they love human contact it is not enough and I would always keep at LEAST two together (which is more entertaining too) 3 is even better as you WILL favour one to another

Get them all from the same litter and the SAME sex!!! Boys are more docile than girls (again in general) Girls are more active than boys and don't 'sit still' for cuddles so much.

They are very clean (contary to stories you hear!)

VERY IMPORTANT - Commercial so called rat cages are normally large hamster cages and are NOT big enough to keep rats in. They are VERY inquisitive and NEED lots of space to be happy - so this is going to be an expense that IMO they MUST have.

They only live 2-3 years approx and this is always heartache as rats, given time are like puppies - they are very easy to train, you can litter train them (I have done this with mine in ONE WEEK!) they come to their names etc etc.

There are LOTS of Great web sites with much more info on-line. Health, feeding, breeding (I don't recommend this for a first time owner)

If you want to know anything else please mail me. And ENJOY they are GREAT little animals!!!

I hope that's been of 'some' help?
Love Bev. xxxx

**Missy** · 05-11-2003, 02:00 AM

I had rats as a teen...mostly because they sared the whiz outta my step mother and kept her out of my room because she was scared of em. (she went through my stuff all the time...till she found a "free range rat" in my room

)I had a male Ozzy and two females...Harriett and Lita...(so I had Ozzy and Harriett and I had Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford) and these rats populated like mad...like clock work. I had rat adoptions going all the time. i never had a problem adopting them out. And best of all I didn't have step mother digging around in my drawers anymore. (Heh, heh, heh She found Ozzy in that drawer

- he wasn't a friendly guy to most people. he liked to crawl in there to sleep)

**mrscornbread** · 05-11-2003, 02:12 AM

Although I would never be able to have a rat as a pet, I am scared of little animals, dont ask me why, but I am...mice, lizards and such, but you have convinced me that arat would be a nice pet, but if my kids had one I would be like Melissa's step mom, unable to snoop