African Soft-Furred Rats

[lillyorchid]

Neither did I and I was in complete shock when I walked by their rodent section and saw them. I'd check your pet stores out and not like Petsmart or Petco but "ma & pa" kind of little local pet stores. I found them at a pet store here in Towson MD called Sea Breeze Pet Center. Just a little store that's been around for years.

[Flagg]

Yes they certainly can jump, and they seem to have NO fear of heights or falling. If you pick one up it will eagerly jump away very quickly and from any height.

I've found the only way to handle them is by the base of the tail. I don't normally like doing it that way with rodents, but with these there is just no other choice.

[Wolfsnaps]

I handle mine by picking them up by the base of the tail. I have only been bitten badly once, my the original male I got as I was walking him over to the snake cage....Can't blame him for biting, but wasn't too guilty about watching him die as I held on to my bloody finger

Sometimes, when I go to pick them up, I get one or two brave little ones who stare me down and I have to push them with a paper towel roll or something (best to grab them when they aren't looking at my hand) but other than that, no problems in five months that I have had them.

They are great jumpers too! When I clean their tub, I put them in a bucket with a screen lid, even the\ough the bucket is deep and smooth sided, they can jump out!

The only pet shop around here is a ma and pa shop. They verbally trash all reptile shows that come through here and I noticed they started carrying asf rats.....at 40.00 a pop! 60.00 for a pair...ridiculous considering I got a trio for 20 bucks and the pet shop is advertising them as "dwarf rats"...as in...PETS! Ticks me off a little, someone might buy these guys thinking they will make a great pet for their kid and they are MEAN! Oh well, good luck with your trio!

[JLC]

I don't have a problem with people selling ASF's as pets. Anyone buying a pet for themselves or for their kids should research and learn what they're buying before they do....that's their responsibility. Some people don't mind anti-social rodents because they think they're cute to look at and fun to watch without having to play with them. Hamsters are often very mean, bitey creatures, but they have been a staple in the small-pet trade for as long as I've been around, at least. As for the price....~I~ sure wouldn't spend that much money on a rodent...but hey...if someone wants to, that's their perogative.

[lillyorchid]

Thanks! Yeah the ones I got were labeled as "Miniature rats" and of course in where all the small animal fuzzie pets were. I thought the same thing I was like "some little kid's gonna get bit real good by one of these things". I got mine for 4.95 per male/female. No way am I going to pay more them $10 for any kind of rodent! I guess they don't really know what they are or how much they usually go for. I sure wasn't going to say anything about how cheap they were! One of my females has mastered the "jump, do a semi back flip, hit the screen, and hang on ... then walk around upside down". I cracked up when I saw her do that a few times last night.

[Flagg]

For a pet shop, $5 is probably about right, especially on the east tcoast where they are a lot more common.

At my local show they go for $3 each now. When I got mine when they were first available in November, they were $15 for females and $3 for males.

The breeder I got them from bought his for a LOT more back last summer. I think he paid over $100 for a trio and had them shipped in from Florida. I'm glad he did or not many in this area would have them now. He made his money back easily the first day he was selling them in November.

[JabbaTheMutts]

They're used as feeders. Snakes love them and generally prefer them over any rat or mouse.

What pet store did you find them at? I've been looking for some in my area but I didn't think pet stores had them yet since they were too aggresive to be pets.

Not always true! I have three females who won't even sniff them.