that time we brought home a rat

So, how on Earth to start this story? First, I want to say, I'm sorry to anyone that has a rat phobia. I do realize that some people have an extreme aversion to them (maybe similar to the one I have towards certain bugs that will go unnamed?). That said, I hope this post might open your eyes to an animal that is, for the most part, very different than his wild counterpart: Pet Rats!

So this is how it all went down. : )

First some background: As you might know from reading this blog, we are a family of allergy sufferers. Like bad allergies. Campbell really has the mildest allergies with Cooper having the worst. Mine and Ethan's are off the charts, too, but I think that since we're older, we've built up a bit of an immunity to a lot of things. As far as animals go though, Ethan can't be in the same room with a cat or his throat closes up (asthma) and his eyes get super red and itchy. I can't touch most animals or be in a home where the animals have been all over the furniture, etc. If I touch one, I have to wash my hands pretty immediately or I start itching and develop rashes.

Fun times right?! When our dog Sherpa passed away last year, we had kind of written off owning another animal. She was a very non-needy dog and we kept her in one room in the house and outside otherwise. We really didn't get to touch her a lot. We had her for many years and she was very happy, but in the end, we felt bad that we couldn't interact with her much (we got her way before we had kids).

Well, Ethan comes to me a month or so ago and starts telling me he's been googling hypo-allergenic dogs. This surprises me because he's the last person I would think would want another animal to take care of. We soon decide that there really aren't any hypo-allergenic dogs when it really comes down to it. It's the dander we're allergic to (their spit!) 

So then he tells me that rabbits are hypo-allergenic! And that his work friend has a rabbit and his boys are in love with it. But it's done a helluva lot of damage to their home chewing on everything. Even with that said, we decide to check out the bunnies last Friday (on our date night.. romantic I know) at PetSmart. I'm of course all giddy at the idea of putting a bunny in an Easter Basket for Easter (ha).

So we get there and this lovely worker starts talking to us. We ask her about rabbits as pets for kids and she was like "well, I don't know about bunnies, but rats make really great pets!" (Cue Ethan and Danielle exchanging looks of disbelief and slight disgust. I have to include a little background here: Ethan actually has a phobia of rats having eliminated dozens of rats from our crawl space and one giant one from our attic. mmmhmmm. Stay with me here.)

So the PetSmart staff member is chatting us up! She starts talking about all of her own rats and their names and how they all come running to her when they hear her walk in the door from work. How they do tricks and are super friendly and social and come to the sound of their name! This girl is in love with her rats.

We're totally enchanted by her stories. We're hooked line and sinker!

So she takes us over to the rats and lets us hold a white one with red eyes. We're amazed at how cute they are (although Ethan is still having a hard time getting over that tail.) So, she lets me hold him first (it's a male and let me tell you, when those babies aren't neutered, there's a whole lotta ball hangin' out. Just sayin'. It ain't pretty. Just a bit of honesty there. But other than that, he's super cute.) Here's a white one so you can see:

source

Anyhoo...

He snuggles up right into my arm.. burrows into the bend of my arm on the inside there. Super cute! Seems a bit scared, but totally fine.

Now it's Ethan's turn. Remember the phobia thing. Well, all is going well, til he poops on him. Which isn't too big of a deal. It's small pellet poop. But then...

The rat decides to crawl up in the inside of Ethan's long sleeve shirt (work shirt) and...

he. gets. STUCK.

I'm not sure who was freaking out more, the rat or Ethan but holy shit it was hilarious. (pardon my potty mouth) I was laughing so hard I had tears rolling down my eyes. Almost sobbing. IT. WAS. INSANELY. AWESOME. (ok, maybe just for me.)

The whole time he's stuck in his shirt, he's pooping, too. (add insult to injury, fella!)

Well, finally the PetSmart gal gets the rat out. Ethan is pretty shakin' up, but really thinks the rats are pretty darn cute. (even after all that!)

So, we go get dessert and I go on and on about how smitten I am with the rats.

The next day, we go "just to look" at the rats at another PetSmart with the boys. We tell them we're gonna wait til after we sell our house (we want to put the house on the market soon and Ethan was afraid a rat might deter buyers. haha.)

Well, long story short (too late I know) we end up coming home with Ramona! Even though I had my heart set on a white one, Ramona had the most amazing disposition. She was SO friendly and just totally at home with us. After some jumping up and down and pleading (from the boys and I) I convinced Ethan to do the first impulsive thing in his life (he's a conservative guy) and buy the rat!

We waited to see how Cooper did with her, to make sure he wasn't allergic to her. After holding the other rat the night before, I was proud to report that I had hardly any itching on my skin. Cooper hasn't either. We are pretty dilligent about washing our hands after we hold her. I do notice that I itch if I don't wash, but the severity of it has like 20% of what I get with other animals. If that.

We've had the best time with her. It's only been four days but she totally feels like a part of the family.

Here are some things we've learned so far:

- You have to spend lots of time with your rat to "socialize" her. Luckily, you can tell that the staff at PetSmart handled Ramona a lot because she's so at ease with humans. From what I've read, this is one of the single most important things. We try to spend at least 30 minutes with her a day, all four of us, holding and playing with her.

- She will bite your finger if you stick it through her cage. Yep, that seems like a no-brainer: Don't stick your finger through the cage or she'll think it's food. Unfortunately the boys have a hard time not dangling their fingers in there. Cooper has a bandaid on his finger to prove it. Other than that, she doesn't bite at all.

- It's nice having a girl. No huge gross balls. (I said it.)

- Her tail isn't so bad. You get past it after a while. And it's the cutest thing when she cleans it. She holds it and cleans from the bottom all the way to the end!

- Rats are constantly cleaning themselves, kinda like cats. They are clean animals. (the pet rats of course.) Here's Ramona cleaning herself:

- She loves kale and long slices of baby carrots. It is the absolute cutest thing to watch her hold her food and eat it.

- They only live 2-3 years which is kind of sad.

- They are cheap and not that big of an investment. Our's was around $15. Then there's the cage (a bit pricey) and food, etc. But overall, not too huge of an investment.

- They are naturally nocturnal animals, but apparently they get on your schedule. But you can tell they are much more hyper at night which explains the nocturnal thing.

We had thought about getting another female friend for her because we heard they really need friends, but then I read that you shouldn't introduce another one later on because your rat might find that threatening. In other words: if you're going to have two, then have two from the beginning. At this point we're just not ready for two, so hopefully us spending lots of time with her will be good enough.

Do you keep rats? Please tell me about your experiences! Ever since we told friends and family we got a pet rat (she's a Dumbo Rat by the way), I've been so surprised to hear so many stories of people owning rats! I had no idea.

I've got another rat post coming next all about famous rats. ; )

I do promise this that blog won't become rat-obsessed. You can breathe easy.

Comments

[Deirdre]

Well, I for one think that Miss Ramona is absolutely adorable! Oh, she looks sooooooo soft. And those ears? What can I say, any type of rodent ear is precious. (I know, sort of a weird thing to say, but I have a thing for 'em.)
Congratulations on the newest member of your family. I'm quite sure Miss Ramona is happy as can be, and will become a much loved addition!
By the way, your photos are SO lovely that I can't imagine anyone would be creeped out by the subject matter. The lighting is just beautiful!
xo Deirdre

[Kara Haupt]

Shit. Now I want a pet rat, Danielle!!

[Tamar]

Only you could make rat pictures look all cute and crafty :)

[Morgan]

Rats are AMAZING pets. I've had rats for the past 5 years and I will never go without again! I do want to suggest you get a friend for Ramona. Rats are VERY social and even with a half hour a day of human love, they need someone (a rat someone) to be friends with all the time or you may notice Ramona gets stressed out (she could chew her tail or little rat fingers up).

Also, be sure that your rat(s) have plenty of space. There are little pens you can get for them to play in. You also want to give them a ton to do, or they could get bored (they're very smart and social creatures) which could again result in chewing on themselves.

I suggest potty training your rats! Just google "rat litter box training" and you will never go back! They potty less on you and less in random spots.

I feel like a crazy rat lady right now. Enjoy Ramona and don't forget about getting her a friend!

[amanda]

All those photos of Ramona in the blanket are ADORABLE! I've alway preferred rodents to bugs/lizards/amphibians. (I freaked out over a dead frog in Mexico while on vacation). She looks so soft and sweet! Congrats on the addition!

[robbie]

haha! rats! never saw this coming. i have a lil' hamster and the balls. omg the balls. you did right getting a girl rodent! you'd better keep us updated on this whole thing!

[Catherine Shu]

We had two sweet fancy rats when I was little. They were named Brandon and Jason, and I adored them. They taught my brother and me compassion for animals. A couple of my grade school teachers also had classroom pet rats. One was named Clementine after the series of picture books about a ballerina rat. Because of Brandon, Jason and Clementine, I had no idea people thought rats were gross until I was much older! Congratulations, Ramona will bring you much joy!

[hannah]

so cute!!! pets rule! the rat is probably better for you guys than a bunny anyways, even if you aren't allergic to bunnies, they need lots of hay. i have a bunny and i'm hardly allergic to anything but sometimes that hay really gets me!

[Mary Kate Glime]

I have had a lot of people tell me that rats are great pets! Ramona is just darling. I"m so happy your family has found a pet that will hopefully work for you!

[Mica]

I loved my pet rat as a kid...His name was Sammy...we trained him to come to us by name...he also wandered the house for excercise. What a sweetheart he was and he lived 4 years...well, loved and taken care of...30 years later I still miss the fella. Have fun with your rat....shes a cutie!!! Mica/The Child's paper

[stephanie]

my husband is going to be so happy when he gets home from work & i tell him that i need a rat... ha ha. seriously though, adorable & i want one now.

[Michelle]

Those r the cutest rat pics I've ever seen! So cute

[amy dame]

aw! she IS so cute! i think rats are lovely pets, they're so smart. my mom is super freaked out by them, so we had guinea pigs instead. also super cute, but not always as smart! i love love love Ramona washing her ears and the face closeup. so cute!

i would have been laughing my butt off with the rat up Ethan's sleeve as well. our first guinea pig went up my dad's pant leg and got stuck, and nearly 20 years later i still remember him hopping around trying to get her out.

and i TOTALLY hear you on the balls! how can animals that small have genitals THAT big? the comparative size totally freaks me out. my ex had a male hamster and he always made me think of a lecherous old man (possibly wearing a leisure suit, just because lecherous old men so commonly are...)

[Isabelle du Québec]

Comme ils sont mignons tout les deux! ♥♥ Vous photos sont magnifiques!

[Melanie]

Oh how sweet!
We used to have a rat named jimmy when I was about 13. I loved him dearly. He loved to sit on my shoulder underneath my hair and keep me company :)
Rats are amazing animals and I'm glad to see that not everybody hates them. ramona looks so so so sweet :)
I can't really say anything negative about them. They're just awesome :)

[Liz]

I had a pet rat when I was in high school. His name was Nicodemus and I don't remember the balls..so maybe "he" was actually a "she"!
I had this big old doctor bag type purse in which I carried him around with me everywhere I went when he was little. Then he got too big and I had to keep him at home...but seriously, he was a great pet! So friendly. I would do that again in a second!

[The Glamorous Housewife]

Your pictures are so wonderful! Not a huge rat fan (though I was a Ratt fan! LOL)but your post makes me rethink my opinion. And LOVE the name Ramona for your rat.

Thanks doll,
The Glamorous Housewife

[Eartha Kitsch]

She's SO pretty! It's sad that you all are so allergic to pets but this is a great solution. I bet you have swayed some people with your beautiful photos of her. p.s. I have a problem with their tails a little too.

[Tania Shaw]

My son has been wanting a rat forever and I think you might have just convinced me it won't be as bad as all the scenarios I had playing in my head. So cute Danielle!

[Aimee]

I had two in college. Meggies and Ghia.

Meggies was a black and white hooded rat who I actually rescued from being snake food from a roommate (I think she was a labrat, rather than a rat that had been sold at a pet store and socialized). Ordinarily I turned a blind eye to this, but she had so much personality that I just couldn't bear to see her eaten. She was actually free-roaming in our house, litter trained, didn't chew on anything except plastic milk crates and probably the smartest pet I have ever had. She'd also steal things and keep them in a drawer we emptied just for her. We called this scurrying and hiding of stuff "building the Death Star", because our roommate was convinced that's what she did in the drawer. This free-ranging stopped when she tried to kill the box turtle.

Ghia was a sweetheart, a little greyish brown lady, also technically Rattus Norvegicus. We got her from a pet store as a companion for Meggies, but they never bonded really well (well, she LOVED Meggies, but Meggies was always too busy getting into stuff to pay her much attention). You could lay on the floor and close your eyes, she'd hop up on your chest and not quite nip your nose, and then run away really quick. She liked to be chased. It was really funny. She wasn't NEARLY as smart as the other one, but she was still a sweetheart.

[Connie @ Daydream In Color]

Aww. These are the cutest pictures! My bf wanted a rat for a while, but then we got a bunny! Btw, bunnies are super super sweet pets. Ours is a little more energetic than most, but he just hops around the room & he's litter trained. Love him. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure rat is next on our list!

[Kelli]

This. Is. Cute!
I've never had a pet rat, but they are adorable!
I'm glad everyone is lovin' Ramona!

[Jasmin]

I've had 7 rats 2 2pairs of females 1 female on her own and 2 male rats. And I loved them all to bits. Sadly I'm in uni accomadation atm so can't really get another one but until I get my own place I will be getting a male rat fingers crossed. I must admit you kinda get use to there *cough* manly hood.

[rae]

so fun! i used to have FIVE rats and there we awesome! my favorite rat site was the dapper rat!
http://www.dapper.com.au/
it was so fun to make hammocks for them and tunnels and things out of cardboard, i can see your boys loving making her little houses out of boxes! my favorite rat scampi was tame i had her out most of the time. she would sit on the couch with me and ever come to her name! they are SUPER smart. she loved bath time too. i would let her run around in the bathroom while i took a bath and sometimes she would jump in a swim around. oh man, this is making me miss them! they all died (the short life span is sad) but they are so fun. the most fun rodent i think because they really bond with you. they do this freaky thing called boggling where their eyes PULSE and they grind their teeth when they are really happy, like a cat purring. so weird and awesome.

[rae]

oh yeah, check out this page:
http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm
with fun games you can play with your rat! i always loved letting mine fish for peas! so cute!