Rats: Debunking Common Misconceptions
I'm sure everyone has heard that rats carry the plaque, are vermin, are dirty and freak a lot of people out. But the fact is rats did not carry the plague, the fleas that were on the rats did. The fancy rats that we keep as pets are not vermin, but their cousins: the wild rats that can be found in New York City subways could be considered vermin. Rats are not dirty, they spend much time cleaning and taking care of themselves, much like a cat does.
While rats do freak some people out, they are also growing as a popular pet in many circles. There are rat rescues, rat shows, rat groups, rat forums, rat havens and people who spend their time breeding healthy rats and making sure they are given to responsible rat owners in the hopes that healthy lines of rats will live longer and not be so prone to tumors and lung problems that come from 'accidental' or bred rats from the same families.
If you'd like to read more misconceptions about rats, please click on the link at the top of this page.
I LOVE rats! One of my favorite pets when I was younger was my rat, Brownie. She was such a sweetie! She would sleep with me in bed at night, I could leave her cage door open and she would still be waiting there for me when I got back. She used to ride on my dogs back to get around the house. And he used to bring her some of his kibble to snack on at dinner time. Sadly, at three years old, we had to put her down because she was riddled with the tumors that you describe above. I still miss her, and treasure the memories I have.
ReplyDeleteBoth of my boys just turned 3 years old so I know I probably don't have a lot of time left with them, which is why I spend as much time with them as possible. They are both pretty healthy and happy so I am hoping they live at least another year.
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