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#1877426
Crestedleoparddragon
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 Is it true?
hi. Is it true that rats are as smart as dogs? If so Im definitely interested in one
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10/08/08 10:09pm
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#1877435
Ammeratsu
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Message To: Crestedleoparddragon In reference to Message Id: 1877426
Is it true?
I think they’re smarter. They’re very intelligent creatures and their brains are very close to a human’s along with their anatomy. You should definitely get one or even better two(So it’s lonely). They’re by far my favorite rodent.
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10/08/08 10:19pm
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#1877443
Crestedleoparddragon
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Message To: Ammeratsu In reference to Message Id: 1877435
Is it true?
thanks. I would also like to know if they bite often and how i can convince my mom they arent scary and gross. thanks!
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10/08/08 10:30pm
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#1877484
Ammeratsu
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Message To: Crestedleoparddragon In reference to Message Id: 1877443
Is it true?
My rats don’t bite at all unless I stick my fingers through the bars. They’re really social and friendly. And as for your mom... I dunno. Most people think rats are disgusting. Maybe if you have a friend with rats, you can show her that they’re really clean creatures. Or you can ask her to let you get one for a like a week or so, and you can show her they’re clean and friendly.
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10/08/08 11:30pm
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#1877514
Manderzratz
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Message To: Crestedleoparddragon In reference to Message Id: 1877443
Is it true?
have your mother take you to a rescue or humane society that has them. they should allow you to hold them and see how you and your mother feel about them. i agree they are as smart or smarter. and definitely get two not one. make sure you know what you are getting into. rats are quite friendly and normally don’t bite but are VERY social and need a lot of time with you. they also need very specific diets. a lot of people feed their rats scraps that are very unhealthy like hamburgers, chinese food, candy, etc. which isn’t recommended AT ALL. you have to do a lot of research. they also need good sized cages, at least 2 or more cubic feet per rat, bigger being better. and rats can have (like any animal) a multitude of health ailments. if you get females, opt for ones that are spayed or spaying them as it brings the likelihood of tumors way down. all in all though, the pros outweigh the cons by far in my opinion. and they are wonderful pets. also in the future, a way to not get bitten through the bars is do not feed treats through the bars at all. the reason they will bite through the bars if you do is because they will associate treats with anything that goes through the bars. also rats MUST have at least 8 hours of solid darkness nightly. definitely read up on the rat fan club. a lot of good info.
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10/09/08 12:21am
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#1878069
Rae rae
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Message To: Manderzratz In reference to Message Id: 1877514
Is it true?
rats are very smart animals. they can be somewhat trained, walk on a leash. you surely can’t get them to heel, speak, or be a seeing eye rat, lol! it’s just all in what you want out of the pet. they can be a great companion. pros; very social, generally sweet dispositions, can get along with other house pets if introduced properly, one of the more intelligent rodents. cons; ANYTHING WITH A MOUTH CAN BITE!!!!, i love rats but i have met an EXTREMELY aggressive one before. this was one that was raised properly and just did not like people or other animals. he would actually try to kill other animals. something could’ve been wrong mentally there. they do not hold it when they gotta go they gotta go. they will go to the bathroom on your shoulder or anywhere they please. and unfortunately they don’t live as long as dogs. i was sad when nickademous, my rat, died.
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10/10/08 02:10am
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#1878182
Manderzratz
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Message To: Rae rae In reference to Message Id: 1878069
Is it true?
your rat may have not been tamed enough. mine will pee on me to mark me, but will always nibble my shirt to say "put me down" and once i do put them down, they poop. they will poop on me of course but only if i don’t notice the shirt chewing.
also one of my rats went through hell of being free for a week in a "petkill" with poison down and he was caught in a trap and was going to be frozen live. he was emaciated, terrified, and injured. he tried to bite me once. i showed no fear, and continued to talk to him calmly. even if a rat is terrified in the beginning and biting you, you mustn’t ignore it, thinking it’s a "mean" or "aggressive" rat. just keep trying and talking calmly and it will calm down.
also if the rat has never been traumatized and was raised properly and is biting- it’s sick. rats bite when they feel unhealthy. it is true anything with a mouth can bite, but if you take proper care of your rat, they shouldn’t bite you.
and with him trying to kill other animals, that’s nature. rats are omnivores. and they are HUNTERS. rats will kill and eat mice, crickets, flies, worms, anything smaller than themselves. i once a month feed my mice and rats a few phoenix worms, rarely a waxworm too. they also get chicken scraps or bits of salmon or other fish. i have many pets in my home and they are all kept separately. maybe that rat you speak of was afraid of the other animals? maybe he was ill? again, i have rescued MANY rats. there is no such thing as an aggressive one. just one that needs more understanding or a wellness check.
and of course rats don’t live as long as dogs. they are so much better though. rats generally live 1.5-2 years if "mill" rats. and 2-3.5+(some up to 4.5)years if bred properly. also to show how intelligent rats are- they may not be "seeing eyes", but rats can predict an oncoming seizure.
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10/10/08 10:34am
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