My rats aren't spoilt...honest guv

dpastern (Dave Pastern) · #1 19-10-2009, 10:45 PM

Dinner tonight?

garlic prawns...yup. And did they like them? What do you reckon?

Dave

DavidU (Dave) · #2 19-10-2009, 10:46 PM

The Garlic would put them off??!!???

dpastern (Dave Pastern) · #3 19-10-2009, 10:55 PM

nah, in small amounts it's OK for them, even good for them. I've got lil Dru on my shoulder at the moment, desperate to get onto the computer table lol...she's so mischievious. I should video her antics with my cheap Lumix digicam, she'd have you in stitches I reckon. She's a nutter.

Dave

PCH (Paul) · #4 20-10-2009, 01:11 PM

I think I might have spotted why you're single Dave

Waxing_Gibbous (Peter) · #5 20-10-2009, 01:12 PM

I keep telling my wife that rats make excellent pets. She says if I can train a domesticated rat to chase away the feral ones, I can have one.
However we do have a very Jack Russely, Jack Russel and I do not fore-see a happy combination.
Although you don't have them here, skunks, also make great pets. Feed 'em once and they're yours for life.

dpastern (Dave Pastern) · #6 20-10-2009, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PCH

I think I might have spotted why you're single Dave

hahaha, no, there are other reasons for that

Actually, rats are slowly overcome the stereotyping as pets and more and more people are realising that they make excellent pets. They are far more intelligent than your average dog, very affectionate, very loyal, very clean and a great deal of fun to play with - I'm quite often in stitches at the shehanigans that my 2 youngest girls get up to.

Dave

dpastern (Dave Pastern) · #7 20-10-2009, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous

I keep telling my wife that rats make excellent pets. She says if I can train a domesticated rat to chase away the feral ones, I can have one.
However we do have a very Jack Russely, Jack Russel and I do not fore-see a happy combination.
Although you don't have them here, skunks, also make great pets. Feed 'em once and they're yours for life.

hehehe Peter. Tell your wife that pet rats are clean, and mixing them with feral rats is actually dangerous to their health (it is). Wild rats carry many diseases that are not only dangerous to humans, but to their domesticated cousins as well.

Most rats and dogs get on well - once they've learnt to respect each other. Always mix them under supervision, just to be sure, and to be safe. I've seen one of my older and now departed girls, Coco, swipe a cross german shepherd/kelpie, not once, but twice. After that, Monty (the dog), kept a very respectable distance from the rats.

I've heard that about skunks. Aren't they a member of the rodent family as well from memory?

Dave

Craig.a.c (Craig) · #8 20-10-2009, 04:06 PM

I've got about 14 rats at the moment.

My snakes love 'em.

Waxing_Gibbous (Peter) · #9 20-10-2009, 07:23 PM

David,
I think Bertrand (our JRT) is a bit set in his ways regarding rats.
At least he does the thing in .0005 seconds(unlike the cat!).
Skunks are, to the best of my memory, Mustids, the family (phylum?) that includes wolverines, weasels, mink and maybe racoons.
As a by-the-by, go to any country fair and you usually have a rat-fanciers stand. Most of the fanciers are rather fanciable young ladies.

dpastern (Dave Pastern) · #10 20-10-2009, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous

David,
I think Bertrand (our JRT) is a bit set in his ways regarding rats.
At least he does the thing in .0005 seconds(unlike the cat!).
Skunks are, to the best of my memory, Mustids, the family (phylum?) that includes wolverines, weasels, mink and maybe racoons.
As a by-the-by, go to any country fair and you usually have a rat-fanciers stand. Most of the fanciers are rather fanciable young ladies.

ah JRT is yet to meet a rat that clobbers him one. It's a very funny site to watch, had me in tears. My bad re: skunks. I've also noticed that about the rat fanciers - went to a rat/mouse club meetup a few years back and boy was there some HOTTIES there. Sadly, they were either ******* or had boyfriends

Dave

starlooker (Duc) · #11 21-10-2009, 12:41 PM

Do you have any pics of the rats?

multiweb (Marc) · #12 21-10-2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starlooker

Do you have any pics of the rats?

sure

dpastern (Dave Pastern) · #13 21-10-2009, 02:40 PM

http://www.macro-images.com/web/ratties.jpg

from L to R:

Buffy, Rosie & Winnie (both Rosie and Winnie have passed away)

http://www.macro-images.com/web/winnie.jpg

winnie - 9 days before she passed away. Died far too young, and despite my better efforts to try and save her (had her on baytril and doxycycline for 7 days before she passed away).

Buffy:

http://www.macro-images.com/web/_DN_2859.jpg

I have got images of the 2 new ones (Dru and Anya) but haven't processed them yet.

Dave

Baddad (Marty) · #14 21-10-2009, 03:12 PM

Hi Dave,

Rattus Norvegicus. (domesticus)

Norway Rat, House Rat, I've left out the unkind names they aquire.

Each to their own.

Years ago on "Domestic Order" ,Radio show. A verdict was to be given when a woman refused to move in with a guy 'cause he had a pet rat.

The audience were to judge it. "Love me, love my rat." He lost.

Having a pet rat can be advantageous. You want to get rid of a visitor, "Oh my pet rats have escaped from their cage."

Clear the room real quick.

Cheers Marty

GrahamL · #15 21-10-2009, 04:25 PM

Rats make good pets we've had a few over the years , won't have another male though ,man they just pee everwhere, bob was pretty funny used to love to eat grass hoppers , and had a thing for one of my sons toy plastic dinosours he would run acroos they room to attack it.