I have always had a fear of rats, but today I finally held one :clap:
Feeling very proud of myself now. I went to visit a friend and she has a pet rat called Jessie. My friend asked if I wanted to hold Jessie and I amazed myself and said yes. I picked her up and I thought she would wriggle and squirm but she just settled into my hands. I kept stroking the side of her face and she closed her eyes,
when I stopped she kept nudging my finger until I stroked her again. By the end of the visit I had her snuggling on my shoulder, I didn't want to part with her. I can't believe how friendly and tame she was. I would like one of my own now, but I know OH won't let me get one cos he doesn't like them. :(

well done thats great, am scared of rats, we have a hamster, i can handle that, neva a rat. but well done, you have got over your fear

:lol: just tell yourself they are guinea pigs. with thinner faces... :lol:

Rats are about the same size as a GP, (poss a gnats smaller)

I've got two handsome boy rats, and they are just gorgeous!

I have always had a fear of rats, but today I finally held one :clap:
Feeling very proud of myself now. I went to visit a friend and she has a pet rat called Jessie. My friend asked if I wanted to hold Jessie and I amazed myself and said yes. I picked her up and I thought she would wriggle and squirm but she just settled into my hands. I kept stroking the side of her face and she closed her eyes,
when I stopped she kept nudging my finger until I stroked her again. By the end of the visit I had her snuggling on my shoulder, I didn't want to part with her. I can't believe how friendly and tame she was. I would like one of my own now, but I know OH won't let me get one cos he doesn't like them. :(

Well done :) Rats are amazing. I have 4 girls and love them to bits. They're proper little madams lol

I thought they had sticky out fangy type of teeth until I had a proper look at Jessie. Probably shouldn't have watched the James Herbert film Rats. lol

I thought they had sticky out fangy type of teeth until I had a proper look at Jessie. Probably shouldn't have watched the James Herbert film Rats. lol

Nah...and just to allay any fears, out of the rodents the rats are the ones least likely to bite, IMO.


http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t47/Lspacehopper/rat3.jpg

Nah...and just to allay any fears, out of the rodents the rats are the ones least likely to bite, IMO.


http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t47/Lspacehopper/rat3.jpg

Lovely pic, If I were to ever get a rat would it be ok on its own?

Lovely pic, If I were to ever get a rat would it be ok on its own?

Nope. Rats are incredibley social animals and need to be with their own kind. Regardless of how much time you can give them, it's not enough and technically to keep one by itself would be cruel.

If any pet shop/breeder were to let you buy a single rat (unless it was to go in to an extablished colony), then they should be ashamed of themselves.

Bear in mind that rats need very large cages and the minimum size for 2 would be something like a Freddy 2 cage.
Measurements are 80 X 50 X 63cm

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t47/Lspacehopper/freddy.jpg

Nah...and just to allay any fears, out of the rodents the rats are the ones least likely to bite, IMO.


http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t47/Lspacehopper/rat3.jpg

aww, that pic is lovely.

My boys look very similar to the ratty that's nearest the camera, yeah, that's right, the very inquisitive one! (LOL) According to the classification on the fancy rat thingie, they're hooded rats. my boys' hoods extend just a little further down to their shoulders, than the rat in the pic.

Their "hoods" make me think of one of those mediaeval executioners of old films and cartoons! lol

I've been sat "treating" them with coconut slivers. they loved them nearly as much as the salad leaves, and the cherries I shared with them the other day!

aww, that pic is lovely.

My boys look very similar to the ratty that's nearest the camera, yeah, that's right, the very inquisitive one! (LOL) According to the classification on the fancy rat thingie, they're hooded rats. my boys' hoods extend just a little further down to their shoulders, than the rat in the pic.

Their "hoods" make me think of one of those mediaeval executioners of old films and cartoons! lol

I've been sat "treating" them with coconut slivers. they loved them nearly as much as the salad leaves, and the cherries I shared with them the other day!

Yup that's Pattie Poo. One of my hoodies. Selma is also a hoodie. Maggie is a chinchilla and Marge is a rex. They're all gorgeous girls and each of them is as inquisitive as they possibly could be....especially where there is food to be scrounged!!

Gotta love 'em :)

well, talking of "scrounging", I've just had a couple of veggie sausages for my supper, and the dog begged a bit off me, so I wondered if the boys would like some, too.

hmmm... I have to say, the words "bears" and "wood" came swiftly to mind! :lol:

I gave them a little bit each, and boy! it was like "yeah! yeah! gimme!gimme! YUM!"

They're just sat having a wash, in their cage, as I type. I've got the cage positioned beside the computer, so they can peek at me as I'm on the PC, and I can talk to them etc.

They've got me well trained, they've "taught me" to approach the cage with a food-offering... :lol:

Actually, they seem to be getting more used to me, and when I approach the cage, now, their response is generally to peek at me and sniff in an "Ok, mum, so what have you got for us to eat, then?" sort of way.

it's the first time I've owned rats, (I've had umpteen hammys, and mice etc, but never ratties, until now.) and I'm just rapt with them, loving their antics. Such cuties, they are!

Lovely pic, If I were to ever get a rat would it be ok on its own?

As LSpaceHopper has said, rats categorically need company, regardless of how much time you devote. Besides, watching multiple rats stuff their faces (http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o200/helensy/DSC00496.jpg)is far more fun than just one.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t47/Lspacehopper/freddy.jpg

Awwww:love: I have that white hammock too, yours looks much more intact than mine:hihi:

Well done for getting over the fear. I've found most people that speak to me about a phobia of rats soon get won over once they get to meet the rats up close and personal.

When I got my first one as a baby I was a teenager at home...had to tell mum it was a mouse ;) She figured it out as he grew, by which time she loved him as much as me!

Awwww:love: I have that white hammock too, yours looks much more intact than mine:hihi:

Ha ha!! I have 3 that I rotate. As soon as I put a new one in, I can hear the ripping and shredding of the inner furry lining (little Buggars lol)

I tried making my own, but they wouldn't use it lol