asf RATS as pets

Ok, I went to the pet store I used to work at yesterday. There to my dismay, were African soft furred rats for sale. Only she (my old boss/owner of store) had them marked as "Dwarf rats". Ok, she wont sell them as feeders because she doesn't sell feeders. She is selling them as pets! Anyone who owns these guys knows they are biters....Yet she is going to try to make a buck on them and sell them to kids! Not only that but she is selling them for $39.99 a PIECE!!!! or $60.00 for a pair!!!!!!

I don't think she knows anything about them but knowing her, she will pretend that she does! Ugh, I'm sorry to vent but it makes me so mad. I am so glad I don't work for her anymore. The only place I can think of that she got them was from a recent reptile expo we had here (thats where I got mine) and she always used to tell me how she would never go there because people at reptile shows are horrible people that mistreat their animals...

Sorry, but I am LIVID :taz:

I don't really see the problem? Maybe if they are handled when young they won't bite. For me at least I would much rather have a pet ASF rat than a hampster or even a domestic rat (mainly due to the smell). I think as long as she tells customers that they can bite there is no problem with it. I personally don't hold any rodents any more than I have to for my snakes because I think there kind of nasty but I do think they are interesting to observe. So they would be a perfect pet if someone was more interested in observing than holding them. I raise gerbils for one of my snakes and those things will bite me just as bad as the ASF rats because I never handle them. I do think it is wrong that she has them labeled as "Dwarf Rats" though. As for the price, I paid $100.00 for my first trio. She can try to sell them for whatever she wants.

....here little ratty ratty ratty....awww look how cute....OWW, SON OF !*$^&^

I'm afraid I fail to see the issue here, either. Hamsters are often very bitey, nasty little rodents, and yet they are extremely popular in the pet trade. And not all pets are meant to be cuddled. And even the name... :confuzd: ...Many animals have a variety of common names they are known by.

Of course, ideally, you'd want to be sure that the buyer knew exactly what species they were buying so they could know exactly how to take care of it...but since when does a typical pet store offer the right care advice for ANY of their animals? :rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by TekWarren

....here little ratty ratty ratty....awww look how cute....OWW, SON OF !*$^&^

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:8: :rofl: Oh man that cracked me up.

yeah, imagine buying one of these as a pet for your small child and having the pet shop


1.overcharge you (yes, they used to be expensive but as they are becoming more available, she is overcharging)

2.Not give you a good idea of their demeanor since she doesnt even know herself

3.call them dwarf rats...they are not dwarf rats...thats like calling a kitten a dwarf cougar...lol

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Originally Posted by Wolfsnaps

1.overcharge you (yes, they used to be expensive but as they are becoming more available, she is overcharging)

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If she is overcharging they will not sell. If they sell she is not overcharging. It is a free market. She can try to sell them for $1000.00 each if she wants. It is the consumer that decides what to buy and how much a product is worth.

As for the biting issue, I don't see a problem here either. Hampsters bite, Gerbils bite, Rabbits bite..... I also think if someone started handling the ASF rats from weanling size you could tame them down. They are not pets for small children but either are any other small animal IMO.

I thought handling from birth would tame them down too...but so far everything I have heard from other people points to the fact that a tiger doesnt change its stripes.


I know, she takes that "free market" idea to the max. She takes advantage of the fact that she has the only pet store around (the next closest being a 45 minute drive away).

I just was surprised. I don't thin kthey make good pets. I have known of nice hamsters...evern nice gerbils and rats...(rats being the best from my experience).....but asf rats just seem too wild.

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Originally Posted by Wolfsnaps

I thought handling from birth would tame them down too...but so far everything I have heard from other people points to the fact that a tiger doesnt change its stripes.

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I know everyone has their own experiences, but people in other countries who raise these as pets have much tamer ASF rats. I believe since most of the stock here in the USA is raised as food, they are not socialized as well. It is a common belief over many species of animals that generations of taming does have a positive effect on the future progeny.

As far as the tiger/stripes comment, that was thought true of the silver fox at one point too. The silver fox is elusive and quick to bite, yet over a period of a few decade experimenters, who bred only the tamest offspring created a docile animal from what was thought to be an 'untamable' creature.

A quote concerning the silver fox..

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"...one that whines for attention from human beings without any prior conditioning, licks its masters' faces, and has even begun to look something like a domestic dog. It is as if by an act of will human beings had transformed an innately hostile creature into a friend."

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New York Times, March 30, 1999

In my experience, the ASF's can be tamed with a little effort and patience... perhaps not to completely "social" but easily tamed to a point where they are as "handleable" as a gerbil or hamster.

Rick

I understand what the OP is saying. The entire reason we did not get ASF to breed was based solely on the general consensus of this and other sites that they do not make good pets and don't socialize with humans well. I wanted feeders, but I also wanted to be able to handle the rats, and even keep them as pets. I'm glad we went with normal domestic rats, but if I didn't do any research on the ASF, I would have bought them, and probably been upset with the choice I made. Happy with the feeders, but would not have liked the attitude of the ASF.

Of course, maybe it would have turned out differently and I would have loved them. But, until I get some, I will not know.