Feeder rat turned Gladiator

I don't know if this is the right section but here it goes. I also meant to post this a week ago but I guess it's never too late.

Has anyone bought a feeder rat only to turn it into a pet??

I got a feeder rat a little while ago and lets just say he has earned his freedom, and I am now considering breeding regular rats. This feeder rat (which is a male by the way) dueled with two snakes and a cat and survived to tell the tale. I have a few finicky BP's and one of them I just got in the male about a month ago and he's still not eating. So I decided to try a live medium rat for him. He struck and missed and the rat went running to the other side of the tank. He followed and just as he was about to strike the rat jumped out of the way and ran again to the other side of the tank. The snake lost interest so I took the rat out. So now I am wondering what the hell am I going to do with this rat?? All my other balls have eaten, all except my boa. So I decided my boa would get a nice extra treat because she hasn't turned down anything. So I get the rat in with the boa and she gives a perfect strike to the head!! But only she never coils. She is just sitting there biting the rats head, rat is screaming and can't move, so I try to wiggle the boa to see if that would trigger her coiling. Nope didn't work, she still got the rat on the head. So I wiggle her a bit more and she lets the rat go, finally. I pick up the poor rat and put him back in his box that he came in and walk him downstairs and put him in the dining room area. I walk back upstairs to check on the boa when the next thing I heard was a big thud! I went back downstairs and found that one of my cats knocked over the box and now had the rat cornered in the kitchen. The rat was not giving up he put up a fight for a good few seconds. So I ever so gracefully slid the cat across the kitchen floor and picked up the rat. I told the rat right then and there, ""You are a gladiator, you just fought for your freedom." So now I have him in a ten gallon tank and he needs some companions. I never thought this would happen but I kinda like the little guy and he's fun to watch just like my ASF's.

So now I am thinking about breeding them, so it's off to the pet store to get more rats. Should I just get regular feeder rats or get the over priced ones?

just get regular ones, unless you want pretty/interesting feeders.

lol, he does sound like he's earned it. Just fyi though, that 10 gallon isn't going to keep 2 rats. I'm sure you know that, though. :)

Congrats!

Can't help you out with your questions but may i suggest Ratius Maximus as a name??? :D

My pet rat was supposed to be food. Sweetest darn thing for being struck 3 times... she never coiled so I took him out and went up and got her a mouse (which is what she normally eats, I was attempting to switch). Splinter has been with us ever since.
He truly is the sweetest, he was only a weanling when I purchased him, thank goodness I always have an extra cage hanging around lol

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I also have a feeder turned (unwanted) pet. I have tried feeding him (Beady is his name, for his beady little eyes) to several of my ball pythons. Most have been disinterested in him. Finally my big male struck him and wrapped him. My snake held him for several minutes before the rat managed to wriggle his way out! I have had this rat for about 2 months now. Ugh! I am trying to convince my friend who breeds rats to take him, but she is wanting more females than males. Maybe someone will eat him soon...

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Can't help you out with your questions but may i suggest Ratius Maximus as a name??? :D

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Hahahaha, yes!

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Can't help you out with your questions but may i suggest Ratius Maximus as a name??? :D

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Yes I love it!!

I have a finicky normal hatchling that I got back in August; the first time I broke down and got him a live mouse was at a place where they went into the back and put the mouse into a little opaque take-out container. I could hear it moving around in there, but couldn't see it... I was just gonna dump it in with Mr. Ickle, but I opened the container and looked -- the mouse was little, fuzzy, grey, curious and CUTE. But Mr. Ickle needed food. I felt like such a jerk-face afterward.

I dislike rats, so if my snakes don't eat them we keep them for two days and then if they are not gone/ feed off after that, back to the rat guy they go. They'd never become pets in my house.. Ick. :X


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I must say... I don't like the white rats... they look creepy to me lol
But the colored ones are soooo darn cute!! :)

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We have one feeder that turned pet (Calliope) and I have a second that is affectionate and cute enough I might just have to make the case to my boyfriend... we'll have to buy a bigger cage... There's not enough room for 4, and the 3 we have are pretty big already.

Also, you should name him Spartacus!

Lol that's awesome. And the regular ones will be fine. You don't need anything too fancy.

Yes,he deserves to live,I agree with you and great decision.. Tough little dude.

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Originally Posted by Ronin

I don't know if this is the right section but here it goes. I also meant to post this a week ago but I guess it's never too late.

Has anyone bought a feeder rat only to turn it into a pet??

I got a feeder rat a little while ago and lets just say he has earned his freedom, and I am now considering breeding regular rats. This feeder rat (which is a male by the way) dueled with two snakes and a cat and survived to tell the tale. I have a few finicky BP's and one of them I just got in the male about a month ago and he's still not eating. So I decided to try a live medium rat for him. He struck and missed and the rat went running to the other side of the tank. He followed and just as he was about to strike the rat jumped out of the way and ran again to the other side of the tank. The snake lost interest so I took the rat out. So now I am wondering what the hell am I going to do with this rat?? All my other balls have eaten, all except my boa. So I decided my boa would get a nice extra treat because she hasn't turned down anything. So I get the rat in with the boa and she gives a perfect strike to the head!! But only she never coils. She is just sitting there biting the rats head, rat is screaming and can't move, so I try to wiggle the boa to see if that would trigger her coiling. Nope didn't work, she still got the rat on the head. So I wiggle her a bit more and she lets the rat go, finally. I pick up the poor rat and put him back in his box that he came in and walk him downstairs and put him in the dining room area. I walk back upstairs to check on the boa when the next thing I heard was a big thud! I went back downstairs and found that one of my cats knocked over the box and now had the rat cornered in the kitchen. The rat was not giving up he put up a fight for a good few seconds. So I ever so gracefully slid the cat across the kitchen floor and picked up the rat. I told the rat right then and there, ""You are a gladiator, you just fought for your freedom." So now I have him in a ten gallon tank and he needs some companions. I never thought this would happen but I kinda like the little guy and he's fun to watch just like my ASF's.

So now I am thinking about breeding them, so it's off to the pet store to get more rats. Should I just get regular feeder rats or get the over priced ones?

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the problem with rats as pets is that they dont live long, the life expectancy is just too low. after 2 years they just start falling apart.

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Originally Posted by Pythonfriend

the problem with rats as pets is that they dont live long, the life expectancy is just too low. after 2 years they just start falling apart.

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I had rats for pet/breeder source) and I got about 3 years with mine when I had them. The rodents hold up better than I do these days lol I think I need to invent some type of body glue lol

That was a really funny story

Rats can live up to 8 years, although people who keep feeders as pets often run into health issues with them early on because of the line-breeding that occurs and the age the moms start having litters. It's a highly-disputed topic, and I saw a thread on here very recently that argued about it, so I'm not gonna open that bag of worms again ;)

But that rat is a fighter, for sure! If I fed live, and a rat earned its keep that way, I couldn't say no! Although I, too, don't love the white rats too much... but when I get colored rats in my f/t packs I always get a little sad feeding them, haha.

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

I must say... I don't like the white rats... they look creepy to me lol
But the colored ones are soooo darn cute!! :)

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This one is completely white with deep red eyes lol! His name became Dinner right after the whole ordeal, but I think I will be changing it lol. Once he got a name it became impossible to feed him off!

I have never had a feeder turn into a pet but I have bought rats meant as pets and turned them into feeders.

NOOO. You should name the rat Spartacus.