A Pet By Any Other Name...

[Katmandu40]

I have a new pet to add to the mix. Originally had only 9 cats, 2 dogs and a hermit crab...now, add to that one white rat! I found him in my yard surrounded by cats!! My mother had seen him early that morning in a neighbors yard...he ended up in our yard by that late afternoon! He's really only a baby; about 3 months old according to the vet. He has a broken leg so the cats must have been throwing him about!! Poor little guy!

He is now in a luxory rat house...safe and warm; with plenty of food. He's a bit skittish...needs to get used to me handling him, but he hasn't tried to bite me. His leg is healing well and he gets around just fine now. I've gotten to be rather fond of him already...just wish he trusted me more...I guess in time.
:wiggle:

[Old Wolf]

What you calling him? Sounds as though he's landed on his feet/
OW

[TDM]

hehe i quite like having mice and rats for pets. mum disagrees though -- i had a mouse when i was in grade six for a science experiment (y'know, get the mouse to find the food in the maze type thing) and she vehemently told me off for trying to keep him after the experiment was over.

hopefully he'll get to trust you soon.

TDM

[crookxshanks]

oh ive always wanted a rat.. would love to call him scabbers after the rat in harry potter though!

sounds like hes found a great new home with you x

[IndieSoul]

He's probably very glad you rescued him :) Can't wait to hear what his name is!

[Katmandu40]

Darn!! I forgot about Scabbers!!! He doesn't look like Scabbers though. I named him Ratso Rizzo after a character in a movie. I've had gerbils (60 of them...mated before I could tell what sex they were), and I've had hamsters, but I never had a rat...wanted one though. As a matter of fact, I was just talking about wanting a rat with my therapist a few days before Ratso showed up!! How weird is that??!! :wiggle:

[Old Wolf]

Synchronicity??

[Katmandu40]

I'm very upset!!! The rat that I rescued has now bitten me twice today!! He seems to be going after me now. I'm trying to find info on rat care and behavior...but I sure don't want a rat that is going to attack me. I was handling him and petting him before....had him a week now....but now he bites me!!! Figures..that would be my luck!!! I'm not a happy camper right now! :( Don't know what to do with him. How am I going to clean out his cage? I asked this question along with others on a Rat forum...hopefully they can help me. What surprises me is just how upset I am...had me crying and I don't cry!!! At least I didn't use to.

[Old Wolf]

Perhaps he was mistreated wherever he was before? I'm sorry to hear how it's upsetting you - don't take it personally - I doubt he knows one finger from another. Did his bite break your skin? I only ask because if it did it wouldn't hurt to get a medical opinion on it as rats in the wild can carry some pretty nasty diseases. It could be you will be advised to get an anti-tetanus jab if nothing else. My daughter had a hamster years ago when she was young and that never could resist giving any hand that got close enough a nip right up until it died of old age!
OW

[Katmandu40]

Yes...he broke the skin on both occassions...he means business! I'm trying to not take it personally, but it's hard! I saved the little bastard's life and now he bites me!! I know...he's a rat and is probably afraid. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the situation.

[IndieSoul]

:( I'm sorry he bit you Kat...my guineas do the same thing, and they bite HARD. Perhaps he just doesn't want to be held? Give him some time, I'm sure he'll come around :hug:

[Katmandu40]

He goes after me just for opening his cage!! I haven't even thought about picking him up since this has all started. I tried to pet him today and he swung around and chased my hand as I drew away. He's not afraid of me...he attacks openly. I may have to have him put to sleep. I have sought some advice from an online rat forum. I've been nice to him; fed him some apple today (which he likes)... he tried to pull it out of my hand. I no longer want a pet rat!! I won't do anything hasty.

[crookxshanks]

http://www.quite.co.uk/rats/

i found this.. i dont know if it will help or not but the info on it helped a friend of mine who had the same problem with her rats so dont give up on ratso just yet.

[Katmandu40]

Thanks Crookxshanks! I'll definately check that out. In the mean time, all the advice I've been given on a rat forum all point to having him neutered and giving him time. I've decided to do that for now. Also, because he is an albino, his eyesight is poor and so is his sense of smell...I may have to learn to tolerate his cage aggression. I'm told he may be fine outside of his cage. I have to find a place in the house where he and I can be safe together outside of his cage and see how he acts...I'll have to use gloves I guess. I still don't know if I'll keep him, but the group that has been giving me some help have expressed an interest in taking him off my hands if possible.

That's where things stand right now...now I'm off to that web site!