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  1. #1
    Registered User Wolfsnaps's Avatar
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    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

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran J.Vandegrift's Avatar
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    Re: asf RATS as pets

    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.
    John Vandegrift

  3. #3
    BPnet Veteran TekWarren's Avatar
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    Re: asf RATS as pets

    ....here little ratty ratty ratty....awww look how cute....OWW, SON OF !*$^&^
    www.ASFRats.info African soft-furred rats information and exchange.

    www.WarrenReptiles.com
    Website Hosting available see site for details

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  5. #4
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    Re: asf RATS as pets

    Quote Originally Posted by TekWarren
    ....here little ratty ratty ratty....awww look how cute....OWW, SON OF !*$^&^
    Oh man that cracked me up.

  6. #5
    Registered User Wolfsnaps's Avatar
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    Re: asf RATS as pets

    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

  7. #6
    BPnet Veteran J.Vandegrift's Avatar
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    Re: asf RATS as pets

    Quote Originally Posted by Wolfsnaps

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

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    BPnet Royalty DooLittle's Avatar
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    Re: asf RATS as pets

    Quote Originally Posted by tekwarren View Post
    ....here little ratty ratty ratty....awww look how cute....oww, son of !*$^&^
    x2 lmao

  9. #8
    Don't Push My Buttons JLC's Avatar
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    Re: asf RATS as pets

    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... ...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?
    -- Judy

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  11. #9
    BPnet Veteran Rhasputin's Avatar
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    Take it from me, I breed ASFs for pets.

    They do not tame down completely. They are under NO CIRCUMSTANCES children's pets.
    Mine never bite, but still jump and will run every chance they get (for the most part). Even the most handleable rat I have will only put up with handling and petting for so long. The others all get held by the tail when i pick them up on my hand, just in case they try to jump, which they almost all will.

    Mine don't bite, but almost all others DO.
    The main issue I have is that she is charging a lot for them, which would not be a problem if they were properly labeled. But she is labling them as something far more exotic, and trying to make money off of them by decieving the public!

    I can nearly guarantee that in the US there is no real true pet stock. Someone is going to buy those, get the [poop] bitten out of them, and be really upset. lol
    Last edited by JLC; 08-03-2011 at 08:39 AM. Reason: language

  12. #10
    Registered User Simplex's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JLC View Post
    Hey guys....this thread is 4 1/2 years old. I don't think the OP even visits here anymore, and I seriously doubt ASF's go for anywhere near that price anymore.
    Bahahah just noticed that. Still an interesting thread to read.
    2.6 ball pythons 3.12 ASF
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