| pictures - CLICK HERE for the Pet Manual Forum Home Page |
| Jason and Holly Harper |
I just posted more pictures of all of our pets on webshots. It's the "more
kitties, ferrets, and rats" album.
http://community.webshots.com/user/woozlekisses8
Holly
--
"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind."
--Dr. Seuss
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| Bill Leary |
"Randy W. Sims" <RandyS@ThePierianSpring.org> wrote in message
news:bvSdnavO5LATRnzdRVn_vQ@giganews.com...
> I gotta ask though, what are rats like? I've never had
> the pleasure of associating with any rodents before ;-).
If you start with ferrets as your benchmark, think miniature ferrets.
Physically smaller, of course, but also less curious and less energetic.
I've found it much harder, for example, to effectively ferret proof the
house than to rat proof it. The rats (or at least our eight or ten over the
years) never tried to actively open a hole, they'd just use one they found.
They also seemed a lot easier to litter train than ferrets and usually got
the idea almost without any effort at all on our part. Even when they were
free roaming, they went back to their cage to do their business. We always
made it a point to handle them a lot from as early as we could, so they
tended to be very friendly about being handled. Not as squirmy as most
ferrets seem to be, but still not serious cuddlers, but more so than most
ferrets.
- Bill
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| Jason and Holly Harper |
Thanks Randy. :) Rats are great! Like Bill said they're very intelligent.
They all have their different personalities. If I had to choose among
rodents I'll always choose a rat. They'll learn their names, they're
litterbox trainable, you can teach them tricks. My oldest girl, Ally, is
very lovey and won't squirm a lot. But my younger girls, Dakota and Chloe
are little worms! But those girls are very high energy and don't really
want to hold still for very long. I'm sure as they get older (they're only
about 13 weeks old) they'll settle down. I've heard that boys tend to be a
little bit better at cuddling (the older boys that is). Girls are very
curious. Many rat owners say that it's like owning a miniature dog that
never barks and never has to be taken out in the rain for a walk. :)
Holly
"Randy W. Sims" <RandyS@ThePierianSpring.org> wrote in message
news:bvSdnavO5LATRnzdRVn_vQ@giganews.com...
> On 6/28/2004 5:47 PM, Jason and Holly Harper wrote:
> > I just posted more pictures of all of our pets on webshots. It's the
"more
> > kitties, ferrets, and rats" album.
> > http://community.webshots.com/user/woozlekisses8
>
> Nice pictures. I gotta ask though, what are rats like? I've never had
> the pleasure of associating with any rodents before ;-).
>
> Randy.
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| Bill Leary |
"Jason and Holly Harper" <jhharper@tm.net> wrote in message
news:DQyEc.260$BJ.151941@newshog.newsread.com...
> If I had to choose among
> rodents I'll always choose a rat.
Generally, yes. Hamsters are more sedate and more cuddly. Gerbils are
escape artists right up there with ferrets and seem to have no interest in
being handled. Mice are like rats, except with even smaller brains and thus
even further down the scale of trainable and so forth.
> They'll learn their names,
Good point. I forgot to mention that part. The couple of times we've
managed to have free roaming rats they would come when called, at least
until they approached end of life and started to sleep very soundly. You
could come home, give a shout, and they'd come bounding out from wherever
they were snoozing.
> Many rat owners say that it's like owning a miniature dog that
> never barks and never has to be taken out in the rain for a walk. :)
Excellent way to put it. You *do* have to rat proof the place if you're
going to let them free roam, but it's no where near as hard as ferret
proofing. At least that's my experience comparing the two tasks. These
ferrets are smart AND persistent.
- Bill
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| Randy W. Sims |
On 6/30/2004 7:24 PM, Bill Leary wrote:
> "Jason and Holly Harper" <jhharper@tm.net> wrote in message
> news:DQyEc.260$BJ.151941@newshog.newsread.com...
>
>>They'll learn their names,
>
>
> Good point. I forgot to mention that part. The couple of times we've
> managed to have free roaming rats they would come when called, at least
> until they approached end of life and started to sleep very soundly. You
> could come home, give a shout, and they'd come bounding out from wherever
> they were snoozing.
You let them roam free? I'd be scared that I'd step or sit on them.
>>Many rat owners say that it's like owning a miniature dog that
>>never barks and never has to be taken out in the rain for a walk. :)
>
>
> Excellent way to put it. You *do* have to rat proof the place if you're
> going to let them free roam, but it's no where near as hard as ferret
> proofing. At least that's my experience comparing the two tasks. These
> ferrets are smart AND persistent.
Do they willingly interact with you? For example, if you're laying on
the floor, will they come up to you and try to interact with you. My
ferrets will check me out sometimes. Priss will try to crawl inside my
shirt and scratch the $@#% out of my back or belly (she used to be bad
about trying to bite my man tits... I don't let her get that close any
more), or up my pants leg. Buster... he's a wild one. I'll be laying on
my side reading on the ground and he'll come tearing through the room,
hop up on my legs and race along to my shoulders, poke around my neck
and ears, then take off. I don't even have to be laying down: he'll jump
at my legs, grab on, and start climbing up.
Randy.
ASIDE: I finally got to see the litter of kitties that I'll be selecting
from at <http://www.kittyfield.com/tonkpage.htm>. They're just 4 weeks
old. I can't wait to bring my kitty home.
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| Jason and Holly Harper |
I don't let my rats free roam, just because I do worry about nooks and
crannies that they could get into and the fact that I have three cats. But,
rats will interact with you. They do seek out humans. Not only for food,
but for a good scratch on the back. :) If Ally feels unsafe she'll run
back to me because she knows I'm a safe place. I think the worst part is
that they have such short life spans and are so prone to cancer. But I
guess that's kind of like ferrets too. :(
Holly
"Randy W. Sims" <RandyS@ThePierianSpring.org> wrote in message
news:pLydnZ4Cz7KoyX7dRVn_vA@giganews.com...
> On 6/30/2004 7:24 PM, Bill Leary wrote:
>
> > "Jason and Holly Harper" <jhharper@tm.net> wrote in message
> > news:DQyEc.260$BJ.151941@newshog.newsread.com...
> >
> >>They'll learn their names,
> >
> >
> > Good point. I forgot to mention that part. The couple of times we've
> > managed to have free roaming rats they would come when called, at least
> > until they approached end of life and started to sleep very soundly.
You
> > could come home, give a shout, and they'd come bounding out from
wherever
> > they were snoozing.
>
> You let them roam free? I'd be scared that I'd step or sit on them.
>
> >>Many rat owners say that it's like owning a miniature dog that
> >>never barks and never has to be taken out in the rain for a walk. :)
> >
> >
> > Excellent way to put it. You *do* have to rat proof the place if you're
> > going to let them free roam, but it's no where near as hard as ferret
> > proofing. At least that's my experience comparing the two tasks. These
> > ferrets are smart AND persistent.
>
> Do they willingly interact with you? For example, if you're laying on
> the floor, will they come up to you and try to interact with you. My
> ferrets will check me out sometimes. Priss will try to crawl inside my
> shirt and scratch the $@#% out of my back or belly (she used to be bad
> about trying to bite my man tits... I don't let her get that close any
> more), or up my pants leg. Buster... he's a wild one. I'll be laying on
> my side reading on the ground and he'll come tearing through the room,
> hop up on my legs and race along to my shoulders, poke around my neck
> and ears, then take off. I don't even have to be laying down: he'll jump
> at my legs, grab on, and start climbing up.
>
> Randy.
>
> ASIDE: I finally got to see the litter of kitties that I'll be selecting
> from at <http://www.kittyfield.com/tonkpage.htm>. They're just 4 weeks
> old. I can't wait to bring my kitty home.
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| Jason and Holly Harper |
The one thing that I've found being new to baby rats is that they're a lot
quicker than a ferret though!! I've never lost a ferret, but I did lose
Chloe for about two days. :( Little booger set up a penthouse behind my
fridge. She came back a little nippy but she was going through a puppy
stage. Now she's getting lovier, if that's a word. ;-) I would say that
ferrets are more persistant too.
Holly
"Bill Leary" <Bill_Leary@msn.com> wrote in message
news:PeydnVsSEJCL137dRVn-gw@giganews.com...
> "Jason and Holly Harper" <jhharper@tm.net> wrote in message
> news:DQyEc.260$BJ.151941@newshog.newsread.com...
> > If I had to choose among
> > rodents I'll always choose a rat.
>
> Generally, yes. Hamsters are more sedate and more cuddly. Gerbils are
> escape artists right up there with ferrets and seem to have no interest in
> being handled. Mice are like rats, except with even smaller brains and
thus
> even further down the scale of trainable and so forth.
>
> > They'll learn their names,
>
> Good point. I forgot to mention that part. The couple of times we've
> managed to have free roaming rats they would come when called, at least
> until they approached end of life and started to sleep very soundly. You
> could come home, give a shout, and they'd come bounding out from wherever
> they were snoozing.
>
> > Many rat owners say that it's like owning a miniature dog that
> > never barks and never has to be taken out in the rain for a walk. :)
>
> Excellent way to put it. You *do* have to rat proof the place if you're
> going to let them free roam, but it's no where near as hard as ferret
> proofing. At least that's my experience comparing the two tasks. These
> ferrets are smart AND persistent.
>
> - Bill
>
>
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| Bill Leary |
"Randy W. Sims" <RandyS@ThePierianSpring.org> wrote in message
news:pLydnZ4Cz7KoyX7dRVn_vA@giganews.com...
> On 6/30/2004 7:24 PM, Bill Leary wrote:
> > Good point. I forgot to mention that part. The couple of times we've
> > managed to have free roaming rats they would come when called, at least
> > until they approached end of life and started to sleep very soundly.
You
> > could come home, give a shout, and they'd come bounding out from
wherever
> > they were snoozing.
>
> You let them roam free? I'd be scared that I'd step or sit on them.
We learned to watch out for them. And, unlike ferrets, they tended to stay
near the walls so stepping on them wasn't much of a risk. I can't recall
that we ever sat on one. The tended to sit on the backs of couches rather
than on the seats of them. We had one who used to sit up there and fall
asleep. When she got older she'd fall deeply asleep and roll off. Usually
onto the seat, but a couple of times off the back. Once we saw she was
doing that we stuffed a towel or something between the wall and the couch so
she woudn't fall to the floor.
> Do they willingly interact with you? For example, if you're laying on
> the floor, will they come up to you and try to interact with you. My
> ferrets will check me out sometimes. Priss will try to crawl inside my
> shirt and scratch the $@#% out of my back or belly (she used to be bad
> about trying to bite my man tits... I don't let her get that close any
> more), or up my pants leg. Buster... he's a wild one. I'll be laying on
> my side reading on the ground and he'll come tearing through the room,
> hop up on my legs and race along to my shoulders, poke around my neck
> and ears, then take off. I don't even have to be laying down: he'll jump
> at my legs, grab on, and start climbing up.
Yes, pretty much the same sort of things, but at less intensity than ferrets
do. I can't recall one ever biting or scratching me up, for example, even
being playful. Unlike ferrets, they don't seem to see their mouths as being
auxiliary hands for playing with stuff either. They'll carry things with
them, but that's about it. We had one who would respond to "Time to go out"
by running across the floor and climbing from the floor to my shoulder to
sit there while we went for a walk down the street and back.
- Bill
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| Bill Leary |
"Jason and Holly Harper" <jhharper@tm.net> wrote in message
news:OZJEc.280$BJ.165853@newshog.newsread.com...
> The one thing that I've found being new to baby rats is that they're a lot
> quicker than a ferret though!! I've never lost a ferret, but I did lose
> Chloe for about two days. :( Little booger set up a penthouse behind my
> fridge. She came back a little nippy but she was going through a puppy
> stage. Now she's getting lovier, if that's a word. ;-)
We never had any at the really young stage, though we got them as young as
we could. There was that "not handled enough" nippy to get through on a few
of them. As for running and hiding, we usually only had that problem when
we were first getting them used to us. Once they were adjusted, they never
ran away and were more likely to run to us than otherwise. I don't think we
ever lost one, but we'd been warned about rat proofing before we let the
first one loose.
- Bill
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| Bill Leary |
"Jason and Holly Harper" <jhharper@tm.net> wrote in message
news:LlUEc.437$e16.230141@monger.newsread.com...
> Chloe decided that everything was getting a bit too scary for her and
jumped
> off my lap and underneath the computer.
Right. I'd forgotten that stage. We haven't had rats in years. Too many
cats, and we keep ferrets now.
The (usually) short period before they decide near you is the safe spot when
they can be spooked into running away.
- Bill
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| Bill Leary |
<jumpingmouse02@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:TkYEc.1397$R36.554@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Amazing! I'm glad you guys posted the negative side of having ratties, or
> I'd be out buying a couple after reading these posts!
Probably the short life is the worst one. About two years, as I recall.
The plus side is they train really fast. As I recall I got them litter box
trained in days, for example. The ferrets still haven't gotten the idea and
will not return to the cage, even now that they CAN get in and out during
play time, when they have to go. Then again, I don't try to hard with them.
> I just had no idea they were so loveable. I would have never considered
they
> could be a free roam pet.
The limitation, of course, is that they really have to be the only pet in
the area. I can't imagine free roaming a rat with cats in the house. Maybe
laid back dogs, but not cats. I'm afraid the cats reflexes would kick in.
We haven't had rats in years, but we did have a couple when we first moved
in and started to get our cats, and even our way overweight sedate lard ball
perked up when he saw one of the rats sitting on the kitchen counter eating
peanuts.
> I had a friend whose daughter had one for several years and took
> it everywhere. When it died, she was inconsolable. I figured that little
> guy was exceptional. Sounds like they just make good pets........
If you take good care of them. But it's easier to reach "good" than it is
with ferrets. They don't need (based purely on my experience, Holly can
perhaps comment on hers) as much attention. Once they're acclimated they
seem to stay that way, and their focus remains people pretty much all their
lives. The ferrets seem to like us people, but in some ways seem even more
aloof than cats about us. An contradition, sure, but that's the way it
seems sometimes.
> but sure
> do have short lives. I don't think I could deal with getting so attached
> to them, then losing them so soon. I enjoy your stories
tho.........thanks
> for sharing!
Good memories, except for the short lives. And Holly seems to have
remembered some of the interesting nuances better than I have.
- Bill
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| Jason and Holly Harper |
I think the hardest part of having ratties is that their lives are so
stinkin' short. Right now our girl, Ally, has a mammory tumor. I really
don't know what to do. I have taken her to the vet. Of course the
suggestion to remove it was looked into. We don't really know how old Ally
is and I'm not sure that spending $200+ is wise when we don't know what
could happen on the table or shortly after surgery. :( It's a choice
everyone that owns rats has to come across as one point in time...especially
if you own females. I agree with Bill, it's MUCH easier to train rats how
to use a litterbox than ferrets! I've read about a lot of folks that have
rats as free roam pets. I just don't know if I could do that. The lady
that I got Ally from said that when Ally got loose she'd find her in bed
with her son. And this lady had Yorkies!! I'm just surprised nothing bad
ever happened. I do agree that they don't seem to need as much attention as
say, ferrets. If you have one rat, then you definitely need to spend a few
hours a day interacting, although nothing replaces another rat friend. I've
seen the bond that Chloe and Dakota have and it's truly sweet.
Holly
<jumpingmouse02@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:TkYEc.1397$R36.554@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Amazing! I'm glad you guys posted the negative side of having ratties, or
> I'd be out buying a couple after reading these posts! I just had no idea
> they were so loveable. I would have never considered they could be a free
> roam pet. I had a friend whose daughter had one for several years and
took
> it everywhere. When it died, she was inconsolable. I figured that little
> guy was exceptional. Sounds like they just make good pets........but sure
> do have short lives. I don't think I could deal with getting so attached
> to them, then losing them so soon. I enjoy your stories
tho.........thanks
> for sharing!
>
> jumpingmouse, kylie & gilbert
>
>
> "Bill Leary" <Bill_Leary@msn.com> wrote in message
> news:5eqdnQaHYqrkkXndRVn-gw@giganews.com...
> > "Randy W. Sims" <RandyS@ThePierianSpring.org> wrote in message
> > news:pLydnZ4Cz7KoyX7dRVn_vA@giganews.com...
> > > On 6/30/2004 7:24 PM, Bill Leary wrote:
> > > > Good point. I forgot to mention that part. The couple of times
we've
> > > > managed to have free roaming rats they would come when called, at
> least
> > > > until they approached end of life and started to sleep very soundly.
> > You
> > > > could come home, give a shout, and they'd come bounding out from
> > wherever
> > > > they were snoozing.
> > >
> > > You let them roam free? I'd be scared that I'd step or sit on them.
> >
> > We learned to watch out for them. And, unlike ferrets, they tended to
> stay
> > near the walls so stepping on them wasn't much of a risk. I can't
recall
> > that we ever sat on one. The tended to sit on the backs of couches
rather
> > than on the seats of them. We had one who used to sit up there and fall
> > asleep. When she got older she'd fall deeply asleep and roll off.
> Usually
> > onto the seat, but a couple of times off the back. Once we saw she was
> > doing that we stuffed a towel or something between the wall and the
couch
> so
> > she woudn't fall to the floor.
> >
> > > Do they willingly interact with you? For example, if you're laying on
> > > the floor, will they come up to you and try to interact with you. My
> > > ferrets will check me out sometimes. Priss will try to crawl inside my
> > > shirt and scratch the $@#% out of my back or belly (she used to be bad
> > > about trying to bite my man tits... I don't let her get that close any
> > > more), or up my pants leg. Buster... he's a wild one. I'll be laying
on
> > > my side reading on the ground and he'll come tearing through the room,
> > > hop up on my legs and race along to my shoulders, poke around my neck
> > > and ears, then take off. I don't even have to be laying down: he'll
jump
> > > at my legs, grab on, and start climbing up.
> >
> > Yes, pretty much the same sort of things, but at less intensity than
> ferrets
> > do. I can't recall one ever biting or scratching me up, for example,
even
> > being playful. Unlike ferrets, they don't seem to see their mouths as
> being
> > auxiliary hands for playing with stuff either. They'll carry things
with
> > them, but that's about it. We had one who would respond to "Time to go
> out"
> > by running across the floor and climbing from the floor to my shoulder
to
> > sit there while we went for a walk down the street and back.
> >
> > - Bill
> >
> >
>
>
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| Randy W. Sims |
On 7/1/2004 5:17 PM, Jason and Holly Harper wrote:
> I think the hardest part of having ratties is that their lives are so
> stinkin' short. Right now our girl, Ally, has a mammory tumor. I really
> don't know what to do. I have taken her to the vet. Of course the
> suggestion to remove it was looked into. We don't really know how old Ally
> is and I'm not sure that spending $200+ is wise when we don't know what
> could happen on the table or shortly after surgery. :( It's a choice
> everyone that owns rats has to come across as one point in time...especially
> if you own females. I agree with Bill, it's MUCH easier to train rats how
> to use a litterbox than ferrets! I've read about a lot of folks that have
> rats as free roam pets. I just don't know if I could do that. The lady
> that I got Ally from said that when Ally got loose she'd find her in bed
> with her son. And this lady had Yorkies!! I'm just surprised nothing bad
> ever happened. I do agree that they don't seem to need as much attention as
> say, ferrets. If you have one rat, then you definitely need to spend a few
> hours a day interacting, although nothing replaces another rat friend. I've
> seen the bond that Chloe and Dakota have and it's truly sweet.
I've very sorry to hear about Ally's tumor.
It sounds like rats do make wonderfull companions. I can definately see
me adopting some in the future. I'm adding them to my list along with:
skunks, mink, & rabbit. Not all at the same time, of course.
Thanks to everyone for sharing their experience with the little critters.
Randy.
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| Jason and Holly Harper |
Oh and fwiw, rabbits were even easier to litter train! ;-) I always
thought it would be interesting to have a skunk, but I don't think we'd be
the right kind of family for one. And mink are neat, but I think I'll let
Kathy handle all of them! ;-)
Holly
"Randy W. Sims" <RandyS@ThePierianSpring.org> wrote in message
news:_YSdnVIQFaAsPnndRVn_vQ@giganews.com...
<snip>
>
> I've very sorry to hear about Ally's tumor.
>
> It sounds like rats do make wonderfull companions. I can definately see
> me adopting some in the future. I'm adding them to my list along with:
> skunks, mink, & rabbit. Not all at the same time, of course.
>
> Thanks to everyone for sharing their experience with the little critters.
>
> Randy.
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| Pain Devine |
Wow! Those are like pure-bread ferrets or something. I've only ever had
Marshal ferrets.
"Jason and Holly Harper" <jhharper@tm.net> wrote in message
news:Ll0Ec.290$e16.162712@monger.newsread.com...
> I just posted more pictures of all of our pets on webshots. It's the
"more
> kitties, ferrets, and rats" album.
> http://community.webshots.com/user/woozlekisses8
>
> Holly
>
> --
> "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter
> and those who matter don't mind."
> --Dr. Seuss
>
>
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| Jason and Holly Harper |
Don't really know what you mean by pure-bred ferrets. Two of them are from
MF, and the other is from an unknown breeder. If you looked at the older
pictures you would've seen George as well and he was huge. He was also from
an uknown breeder and came to us whole. Thanks for looking at the pics! :)
Holly
"Pain Devine" <noway@jose.com> wrote in message
news:10ea8719sqaku77@corp.supernews.com...
> Wow! Those are like pure-bread ferrets or something. I've only ever had
> Marshal ferrets.
>
>
> "Jason and Holly Harper" <jhharper@tm.net> wrote in message
> news:Ll0Ec.290$e16.162712@monger.newsread.com...
> > I just posted more pictures of all of our pets on webshots. It's the
> "more
> > kitties, ferrets, and rats" album.
> > http://community.webshots.com/user/woozlekisses8
> >
> > Holly
> >
> > --
> > "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't
matter
> > and those who matter don't mind."
> > --Dr. Seuss
> >
> >
>
>
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| MC |
Never had breaded ferrets before...they taste good?
LOL.
Seriously, Marshall Farms ferrets are the real deal...all pure
bred.....Putorius mustella furo (Or P. furo)
There are crosses, but only regional crosses..all still the same critter.
(Polecat/domestic crosses)
MC
"Pain Devine" <noway@jose.com> wrote in message
news:10ea8719sqaku77@corp.supernews.com...
> Wow! Those are like pure-bread ferrets or something. I've only ever had
> Marshal ferrets.
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