say it aint so.....

Question...am i going aganist the grain by keeping two rats as pets with the additon of owning 7 adult ball pythons? I feel like the devils advocate. I never knew how cool rats were until my snakes refuse to eat one day. I feel like im cheating on my ball pythons and being two face with pet rats by feeding there buddys to my snakes. never thought in a million years i would turn into RATMAN! :D..... ANYONE ELSE EVER FELT THIS WAY?

There are plenty of people here who also have rats as pets! I would have one or two as well except for I have no room for them :(

Rats are great pets!

My boyfriend has grown really attached to a rat that was supposed to be a feeder. He spoils it rotten and has taught it to come when it's called. He calls it his 'permanent breeder' but really it's just a pet. Tsk tsk :rolleyes: They are cute little guys, though, I must admit.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

There are plenty of people here who also have rats as pets! I would have one or two as well except for I have no room for them :(

Rats are great pets!

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cool. thought i was going crazzzy for a moment. I have to admit they make amazing pets! veryyyyyyyyyy smart. I have two small ones around 7-8 weeks old even named them lol! butch n cassidy and im keeping them off the feeding menu.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

There are plenty of people here who also have rats as pets! I would have one or two as well except for I have no room for them :(

Rats are great pets!

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Originally Posted by Ash

My boyfriend has grown really attached to a rat that was supposed to be a feeder. He spoils it rotten and has taught it to come when it's called. He calls it his 'permanent breeder' but really it's just a pet. Tsk tsk :rolleyes: They are cute little guys, though, I must admit.

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okay so im not the only one. i use to be scared of big rats but butch and cassidy being so small made me realize there is nothing to fear but fear itself.... RAT OWNERS AND LOVERS ROCK ON!!!!! STILL LOVE ALL MY BALL PYTHONS BUT RATS ARE THE BEST SMALL RODENTS TO OWN AS A PET.

I bred ASFs and Mice...
i honestly hate rats...

but I think ASFs and Mice are freakin' adorable.
BUT, im not into them as pets... just breeders i occasionally handle.

Of all the small rodent things I like rats the best! They are super cool what I can't figure out is why people keep Hamsters? I find them just nasty.

Oh I am guilty of that same thing. Years ago I had a rattery for the pet trade, the type of rats ppl call "fancy" ...I got out of that due to not having the time to do it anymore. When I got involved with reptiles, we at the time had no rodents in our home. I always felt bad having to feed off the live ones..over time I learned to not really think about it due to the fact, snakes need to eat too. But I got tired of the feeling so bad for a rat after a snake would not eat it (I always ended up keeping them as pets), until about 5 years ago. Now I only feed F/T, so there is certainly no chance I could feel bad or even consider keeping more rodents as pets. Besides, the hubby has allergies. I can totally understand where you are coming from, rats can be awesome pets!

One of the biggest reasons I feed F/T is because I'd get too attached to the live ones... LoL!

Don't feel bad, I right now have 4. 2 African rats and 2 Albinos. In my mind, as soon as one of them bite me, they are food. We even got them one of those maze habitat cages for them. They love it. My kids enjoy watching them. lmao, jp.

Right now we have an albino girl that we bought for breeding but I fell in love and my boyfriend decided he needed one too. Then two became three and well... You see where this is going

I've been into snakes longer than rats, but I fell in love with Rats. It's amazing how intelligent they are. I have 10 pet rats and I adore them. I went a year or so without rats in my life and I really felt like something was missing.

I don't feel like it's a conflict, I feel like it's another positive aspect of keeping reptiles. I've open my mind to so many species since I started keeping reptiles. It went from reptiles, to amphibians, to rats and finally to inverts. It also helps that I feed f/t only. Helps take away that feeling that you are betraying either party. :)

I bought a pair of asfs unknowingly and they have become pets lol. I think my breeder mice are pets/feeders. I still play with them and stuff. But then I toss em in with the bp and I get more babies and play with them. It's like the neverending cycle of pets haha.

Sure, we've had pet rats--start handling them at the fuzzy stage, and they become sweet and loving little things. Very smart and social--great pets.

I still hate having to take care of rats, but it's part of breeding ball pythons. If it was just one rat, it wouldn't be so bad...

what is an 'ASF'? just wondering..

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Originally Posted by Ryu

what is an 'ASF'? just wondering..

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African Soft Furred Rats are a species of rodent that originates from Africa. People say they smell less and that picky eaters seem to accept them more readily. I disliked them because they tend to be nippy and in my experience, some of those little suckers can jump like crazy.

I prefer Norway Rats. :)

No offense but Rats stink too much for my taste...if they are so smart, why can't they find a bathtub...eeek yick! :rolleyes::rofl:

o ok cause i've seen the name all over the place and never saw anyone use the whole name. but yea i dont think ill be getting any of those then cause my boy hasnt refused a meal a single time yet. hell, last time i fed tom (my bp) he took his meal before i even set him down in front of 6 ppl hes never even seen before!:O (i put my snake in a seperate cage to feed)

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Originally Posted by FIEND_FO_LYFE

I bred ASFs and Mice...
i honestly hate rats...

but I think ASFs and Mice are freakin' adorable.
BUT, im not into them as pets... just breeders i occasionally handle.

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Funny, cause I actually honestly hate mice, and think ASFs are ugly.....but I love rats! :P

I have a "pet" now, whom I got as a feeder, and the thing literally jumped out of two snake's tubs, and I spent two mornings trying to catch him, cause I couldn't catch him the night before. I had to take him with me to work one morning cause I was runnin so late, and when everybody at work saw him, they refused to let him be snake food. I set him up a tub, and now "Templeton" sits on my shoulders, licks me, and lives like a king, with frequent offerings of nutter butter cookie bites, popcorn, french fries, cheese balls, pieces of chicken sammiches, cereal, bagels with cream cheese and the like. Loves to be petted, and even cool lookin', with a glossy salt-n-pepper coat.

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Originally Posted by Chocolate Muffin's

No offense but Rats stink too much for my taste...if they are so smart, why can't they find a bathtub...eeek yick! :rolleyes::rofl:

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Because you have them in a cage, and didn't give them one...

Rats are exceptionally fastidious animals, actually--like cats, they're always grooming and cleaning themselves. People rarely clean rodent cages more than once a week. It's not the rat that stinks, it's the soiled bedding, and that is the owner's fault...not the rat's.

A rat kept in an exceptionally clean environment doesn't stink, has soft fur, and is always tidy, lol.

having well over 60 rats at all times you tend to have a soft spot for them. They get the same care my snakes do. Any living animal deserves the best care wither there just a feeder or not. I hate the mice. If i didnt have picky eaters that only took mice i wouldnt even have the mice

I find no conflict, rats Rock!

I breed high quality pet rats including blues, Himalayans, dwarf rats and Satin coat, velveteen coats and rex coats.
I sell rats for pets to pay for my feeders for my snakes.
It pays for rat food, rat bedding and puts a few bills in my pocket now and then too.

My 1 yr old male dwarf..
http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/a...eVelvete-2.jpg
Black Self Velveteen...
http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/a...14160Small.jpg
Blue rats in satin coat and Velveteen coat...
http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/a...lueFemales.jpg
Adult Himalayan and a dwarf boy :P
http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/a...3684Medium.jpg

Rats are cool when they're not pooping or peeing all over the place...also not too sure about a rodent dragging his junk all over everything. Does a higher quality diet limit the pee and poo? I'm just going off my limited experience with "pet shop" rats which I'm sure are fed the most cost effective food.

and hence the reason I have yet to switch to rats...oye:rolleyes:

As a kid I had them as pets and really have a soft spot for them. I know...I need to make the change as the kids are getting bigger. Just a little nervous for some reason.:rolleyes:

I use Mazuri rodent blocks and supplement left over veggies and fruits and such.
Quality of food doesn't neccessarily mean less pee and poo, but it means they aren't having the runs which does stink more than a well formed poo :P

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Originally Posted by sho220

also not too sure about a rodent dragging his junk all over everything.

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:rofl:

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Originally Posted by Chocolate Muffin's

No offense but Rats stink too much for my taste...if they are so smart, why can't they find a bathtub...eeek yick! :rolleyes::rofl:

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Hehehe, I help mine find a bathtub. :P They actually aren't too bad if they are litter trained though. I slap a litter tray in their cage and clean once a week. I get little to no smell until the 6-7th day and then it's very faint.

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Originally Posted by sho220

Rats are cool when they're not pooping or peeing all over the place...also not too sure about a rodent dragging his junk all over everything. Does a higher quality diet limit the pee and poo? I'm just going off my limited experience with "pet shop" rats which I'm sure are fed the most cost effective food.

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Rats will litter train and I haven't had a litter trained rat ever poo on me. On the other hand, if a rat loves you (male or female), it will mark you with it's urine. Just look at it this way, at least it's pretty much sterile. That and keeping hand sanitizer close by is a good thing. :)

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Originally Posted by Evilme5229

Don't feel bad, I right now have 4. 2 African rats and 2 Albinos. In my mind, as soon as one of them bite me, they are food. We even got them one of those maze habitat cages for them. They love it. My kids enjoy watching them. lmao, jp.

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"In my mind, as soon as one of them bite me, they are food" I said the same thing till my lil one nibble on my pointer finger and i had to laugh out loud! :D
i will feed my balls F/T for now on... im hook on butch N cassidy. made a maze for them with cheese at the finish line. :)

my favorite male outta the bunch. i also gotta take a picture of the light tan male and female rats that randomly popped out of no where. Going to breed them together when they get to the correct size.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._3645494_n.jpg

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

I find no conflict, rats Rock!

I breed high quality pet rats including blues, Himalayans, dwarf rats and Satin coat, velveteen coats and rex coats.
I sell rats for pets to pay for my feeders for my snakes.
It pays for rat food, rat bedding and puts a few bills in my pocket now and then too.

My 1 yr old male dwarf..
http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/a...eVelvete-2.jpg
Black Self Velveteen...
http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/a...14160Small.jpg
Blue rats in satin coat and Velveteen coat...
http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/a...lueFemales.jpg
Adult Himalayan and a dwarf boy :P
http://i915.photobucket.com/albums/a...3684Medium.jpg

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COOL LOOKING RATS!!!!!!!!!!! IS IT HARD TO SHIP LIVE RODENTS? IF NOT WE NEED TO CHAT RATS BUDDY! :gj:

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Originally Posted by SERPENT_MASTERS

COOL LOOKING RATS!!!!!!!!!!! IS IT HARD TO SHIP LIVE RODENTS? IF NOT WE NEED TO CHAT RATS BUDDY! :gj:

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal in all states to ship rats.
Otherwise I'd be shipping more rats than snakes, lol.

Rats are, IMO, the best rodent pets. I used to have some, but I need the space for snakes now...

I struggle to see what you see in rats. Like someone said before me every rat I've ever handled was either peeing or going dooky. I thought about trying to keep one but that just drives me nuts! If I could find one that wasn't using the bathroom every time I go to mess with him\her I would probably keep one or two. Can they really be litter box trained? Please share your experience and fasination.

Young males can and do mark occasionally, especially if left to run around.
When I throw my dwarf boy on my shoulders he just chills and goes along for the ride. We clean tubs and do chores together :P Granted I do most of the work, lol.
He doesn't pee on me and never has.

I used to have hamsters as pets. I most all rodents with long tails nasty. Go figure how I am into snakes now. :rolleye2: My hamsters never went to the bathroom on me and rarely left a poop while I was holding them. I was able to train them to go in a small drinking glass I left in their cage. I will say this I had a small rat a few weeks ago that was kinda cute and it did make me feel bad to turn him into a snake food. The mice I get for food are nasty & after scenting the room can't wait till my bp ends it for them.:snake:

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Originally Posted by BallsUnlimited

my favorite male outta the bunch. i also gotta take a picture of the light tan male and female rats that randomly popped out of no where. Going to breed them together when they get to the correct size.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._3645494_n.jpg

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There is no correct size for breeding rodents, they will breed when they are mature. I have some rat females that breed very early and some when they are bigger/older. The only difference is the females that are smaller have smaller litters. I have only had one rodent die after giving birth and it was a mouse, happened to be the biggest female I had so that pretty much rules out a higher mortality rate for younger/smaller mothers. I dont know what everyone elses experiences are but I would say for myself that on average the younger smaller females tend to be better mothers.

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Originally Posted by NatelovesBPs

There is no correct size for breeding rodents, they will breed when they are mature. I have some rat females that breed very early and some when they are bigger/older. The only difference is the females that are smaller have smaller litters. I have only had one rodent die after giving birth and it was a mouse, happened to be the biggest female I had so that pretty much rules out a higher mortality rate for younger/smaller mothers. I dont know what everyone elses experiences are but I would say for myself that on average the younger smaller females tend to be better mothers.

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i do not breed my rats small, they have to be big, i have a lot of snakes so i need the big litters. All my females are very large. Im always feeding off the males and keep females from the litter to raise as future breeders.

I put my groups together at 12 weeks old and they have their first litters when they are ready.
I average 13 to 15 babies on 2nd litters with some smaller litters of 8 to 10 by first time moms.

One of my elder ratties, he's about 600 grams
http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/SDC15218.jpg

One of my 5 week old black velveteen dwarfs.
http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/SDC15122.jpg

The varieties in rats is amazing.

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal in all states to ship rats.
Otherwise I'd be shipping more rats than snakes, lol.

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Marc Bailey will ship live rats and mice in MN... I'm not sure how he does it, but it must be legal.

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Originally Posted by luckycharm318

Marc Bailey will ship live rats and mice in MN... I'm not sure how he does it, but it must be legal.

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Good question, I'd like to know myself.
Maybe it's different shipping in state versus out of state?
I guess airlines ship but it's pretty expensive.

I bet he probably does it by air. I thought I read somewhere that they go in a plastic, chew-proof container with air holes, inside a shipping box.