2007-02-24 07:59:24 · 8 answers · asked by old-bag 3 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Your phobia is very real to you. An experience with rats, or a suggestion about rats, in your early childhood, triggered a fear deep in your brain. I hope there is no one who makes fun of you for this because it can only make matters worse.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=phobia+to+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAscYqL80.x8jy71l3_Mj6BgazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAsuRZXHyX3jz_HHQlFel4xgazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=phobia+to+rats
Whether they are wild rats, or fancy pet rats, I'm sure a rat, is a rat, is a rat, as to how you feel about them. Here are some great links that will tell how different pet rats are from the wild rats
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=fancy+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAscYqL80.x8jy71l3_Mj6BgazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAsuRZXHyX3jz_HHQlFel4xgazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=fancy+rats
As much as you fear rats, you must try and understand that there are those of us who consider ourselves "ratophiles". We love our rats and we can't understand why anyone would *not* want them as pets.
If your phobia is deep-rooted, as I understand phobias, there is not a thing any one of us can say to you that will convince you otherwise.
However, let me try.
I consider rats as "palm dogs". They act very much like small dogs, more then they act like rodents.
As I've heard many people say before, it's the tails that bother them. I have a friend who amusingly calls their tails, "parsnips".
Rats are very personable. That is, they want to be around us and interact with us, just like dogs, or children, would.
Those of us who have rats as pets see them as cute and adorable as you would see a kitten, or a puppy.
Rats have an amazing array of behaviors
http://www.ratbehavior.org/ that we humans find very entertaining.
If you can, have a look at my mischief pages:
http://spazrats.tripod.com/mischief.html
I have rats that are not the typical wild rat looking animal. These rats have curly coats, Dumbo ears, and a miriad of colors, not just the wild rat Agouti color.
If you want to talk to someone with an understanding of rat phobias, I will be happy to talk to you further.
Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
(Rattery, Rescue, and Rat-care Expert)
http://spazrats.tripod.com
"my life has gone to the rats"
2007-02-24 14:35:33 · answer #1 · answered by spazrats 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The strain of rats sold as pets are very tame and gentle. They have no fear. They are not fragile like hamsters. Though they are the same species as wild rats, they have been bred for temperament over countless generations, and they do not behave like wild rats.
The question I have is, why would anybody have a fear of rats? They are only inches long, how could they possibly frighten anybody? Even wild a wild rat couldn't do much to you.
2007-02-24 16:14:37 · answer #2 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have two pet rats...my first ones, and they are the most sweetest, intelligent, affectionate rodents I have ever had, and I've had them all. I thought they were SO gross at first, I was always petrified of them, but when my best friend got two I went over her house every day and forced myself to pet and hold them. My mom hated them at first too, and now she absoloutley loves them! Sometimes I catch her in the other room holding them sweet talking them, haha. And she got past the tail in a couple of days. They're VERY clean, sweet (mine give licks all the time), and their not like hamsters that sleep all day, when you come home from along day, the rats are sticking their noses out the cage looking for some love. They get use to your schedule and are always up for some attenton. Get some. You'll love um. My suggestion is get them as tiny babies and your 100% gauranteed to fall in love. I know I did!
2007-02-24 16:10:02 · answer #3 · answered by Braunza 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Because rats are one of the best pets to have! They are incredibly loving, sweet critters. My rat Gwenevere used to ride around on my shoulder and nuzzle and lick my earlobes. She liked to sit in my windowsill and she would jump over to my bed and crawl up under my chin and nap there a curled up. They are better pets than hamster who bite all the time. I have only been bitten by rats who were in pain or dying, never a healthy pet. Hamsters and Gerbals are little land sharks that will bite the crap out of you or your kids. I don't know why more parents don't give rats instead of them. They are much cleaner than them as well.
Only wild street rats carry diseases, but if you get them at the pet store, they should be fine. Just have your vet check him over to be sure. I have owned 3 and loved them dearly!
2007-02-24 16:09:11 · answer #4 · answered by ER Vet Tech 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Pet rats are not the same rats you see in the city. Pet rats make great companions and are by far, the sweetest and smartest of all rodents.
2007-02-24 16:25:09 · answer #5 · answered by KathyS 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Haha! I have 2 rats....Tweak and Squeak. They are sweethearts. People have them as pets for a couple of reasons. THey are fairly low maintenance. Gerbils and hamsters tend to bite where as rats do not. Mice are tense and hyper, rats are not. They are just sweet little things that want to sit with you and watch TV or whatever. They just like to be around you and be held.
2007-02-24 16:07:07 · answer #6 · answered by Karen 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Because they are intelligent, cute, don't bite, love attention, are cheap to feed & keep, come in several colors, & you don't have to walk them!!!
Comparing domestic rats to wild sewer rats is like comparing a poodle to a wolf!!! If you let a pet rat go it would have no clue how to survive!!! My Mom was really scared of rats when I bought one home but within 3 days he was sitting on her lap like a little dog when she watched TV!!
2007-02-24 16:07:42 · answer #7 · answered by Catcanscratch 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I love rats, I have owned more then 6 in my lifetime so far. The reason rat lovers like them is beacuse they are really smart(you can teach them to come when their name is called like a dog), fun(they are natural acrobats) cute,(how can people resist those little twitching noses.)
Hope This Helps!!!
Also, here are some links to some cute pics
http://www.ratbehavior.org/images/01-RedStanding.jpg
http://www.artmonstergirl.com/pets/imagefiles/DSC_4008-med.JPG
http://blogpix.cyberknights.com.au/arrows-baby-rat.jpg
http://www.artmonstergirl.com/pets/imagefiles/DSC_3927-med.JPG
2007-02-24 16:11:00 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋