Not the big, wild rats. But pet rats. They are so cute and affectionate. And I was afraid of the tail until I got one and its just like a cats tail but with hardly any hair (the hair is clear) So, what are you, or why do you think other people, are repulsed by rats??
Thanks :D
2007-07-30 06:19:25 · 14 answers · asked by _GreenApples_ 2 in Pets ➔ Rodents
i have no idea why a person SHOULD not like a pet rat. they don't smell (unless their owner doesn't clean their cage), they mostly don't bite, they're affectionate, they're social, they're intelligent, and they are so funny to watch playing with their toys even when you're not holding them!!! they are the ULTIMATE rodent pet in my opinion
2007-07-30 07:26:35 · answer #1 · answered by thekikicd 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think it is just a (I guess you could say) instinct. 'Way back in the Mideval period, rats carried the Bubonic Plague. People would go to such extremes to make sure they wouldn't get the plague, but the last thing they expected to carry it would probably be the evasive rats that infested stables, barns, castles, ships, and houses. I (personally) think that the tail scares people. Rats are also very distructive, dirty, and (sorry :z ) ugly.
As you can see from the above ramblings, I don't like rats. I was considering getting one for awhile, and then I heard bad reports about them and remembered the Black Death. Don't let my ramblings change your view on rats though!
2007-07-30 06:46:49 · answer #2 · answered by Woodstock 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i think rats are really cute, but some people might not like rats because of back in the medieval times, rats carried the black plague and many other diseases, and its probably been just taken from person to person to shreik when you see a rat, or go, ew, look at THAT thing. some people just think they are like jackpots for diseases, which the wild ones are, but otherwise, they are cute.
2007-07-30 08:11:02 · answer #3 · answered by á?¦Â¤à®?Merá?¦Â¤à®? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think people have not been able to separate the domestic rat from the wild rat. Once hey hear "rat", its all the same in their head-scary disease ridden creatures. When in reality, rats are cleaner than cats. Well, as long as their habitats are kept clean.
2007-07-30 09:45:52 · answer #4 · answered by K 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't like 'em. I wouldn't ever hurt one, but I don't like 'em and wouldn't want one in my house, etc. I think of spiders the same way. I can get nose-to-nose with one, but I don't want it to touch me in any way!!
I know people say rats are smart and can be affectionate, etc., but to me, there is nothing cute about them. I have held them, and touched their tails and everything, and so it's not that I'm afraid of them, necessarily. I just don't think they're cute, at all. Their noses are too long, their eyes are too beady, and they just don't look "trustworthy." I don't even like cartoon rats (or mice, for that matter). I know it makes no sense whatsoever, as I have nothing else to base it on (i.e., I've never been bitten by a rat or otherwise had any type of bad experience with one), but I just don't like 'em. Sorry!
2007-07-30 06:30:50 · answer #5 · answered by Poopy 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Partly to do with the image of rats as disease carriers, as they were during the days of the plague. Rats conjure up an image of dirt and disease with many people, especially older people.
It'll take many years of rats being pets before this image is finally dispelled, but I think it will happen!
Chalice
2007-07-30 06:57:38 · answer #6 · answered by Chalice 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I worked at a petstore they werent the grossest animals to clean up after but they were pretty close. I think that the fact that they have such big... um... backends for the boys.. if you know what I mean.. that is what most people would say when they came in. Plus the fact that they are pretty fast moving when they are scared and that they hurt like heck when they bite. Trust me I know.. and that they are known for carrying diseases in the wild. Most people dont care whether or not a rat is wild they just see one and think rat, not wild or domestic. Just my thoughts.
2007-07-30 06:47:18 · answer #7 · answered by Katie C 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I don't mind pet rats. I wouldn't want to come in contact with one from the streets, just because they're dirty and carry sicknesses. I guess people don't realize the pet ones aren't that way?!?! If you haven't seen RATATOUILLE, I highly suggest it! It's really cute and made me see rats differently! My 4-year-old daughter loved it!
2007-07-30 07:01:53 · answer #8 · answered by btmom29 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no matter what people always think of the wild rats roaming through the garbage etc. they are cute and very clean animals. people just don't release that they make great pets.
2007-07-30 06:55:44 · answer #9 · answered by kiwi gal 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My grandma thinks theyre baby wild rats and may try to kill mine when im not home. So I got a hamster instead.
2007-07-30 07:45:38 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋