Eeeeek a Rat!

Many people hear the word rat and immediately picture disgusting pests who live in sewers and invade your home.  I admit, living in the LA area (Whittier, CA to be precise) as a kid, we did have a rat problem once.  The things were huge, and I completely understood their bad reputation.  What lead me to loving pet rats as much as I do?  It started with having a couple teachers who kept pet rats in the classroom.  I've always loved animals, and I've never had any issues handling any kind of critter to cross my path.  So, in 8th grade, I helped my science teacher take care of the rats in the classroom.  It was nearly love at first sight.  Unfortunately, my family was not so easily swayed.  Then, in college I started in with my collection and haven't stopped.  I've been a rat owner for the past 6 years, and I'm definitely hooked.

Common misconceptions about pet rats:

• They're dirty.  Actually, rats are very well groomed animals.  The only time a rat will get truly dirty is if their cage is not kept clean.  It's also very easy to bath a rat, provided the rat has been properly socialized.  I only give my rats baths on rare occasion, as they keep themselves pretty clean, but a bath every month or two can help keep their fur soft.  I use baby shampoo and only wash their bodies; I do not go anywhere near their heads.  Here's a picture of one of my girls after a bath:

Sadly, Andi is no longer with me.  She developed mammary tumors and had to be put down.

• They're diseased.  This goes hand in hand with being clean.  Pet rats don't carry the same diseases that wild rats do.  It's still possible for them to get fleas, mites, etc, but that's the same for any pet.  In the 6 years that I've had rats, I've never once seen a flea on any of them.  Nor have I gotten sick or infected from a scratch.

• They're mean.  While it's always possible for any animal to be mean, to say that rats in general are mean is untrue.  My rats love to nibble on my fingers, and occasionally someone nips too hard.  I've also had new rats who nipped because they were afraid of me, and it took time to build trust.  However, I have never had a rat bite me and break skin.  Rats are affectionate critters who love to be held and played with.  One of my current girls, Rose, would rather be out with me than in her tank!

Andi and her sister Cassie a couple hours after I got them

If you have experienced any other negative stereotypes about rats, let me know! I'd love to debunk as many misconceptions as I can.  I already recommend rats over hamsters to anyone who will listen because of their sweet temperaments and playful curiosity.  Please post comments or ask questions below.

So you want to get a pet....

We all know that having a pet is a big responsibility.  The animals we own rely on us for all of their needs, for their well-being.  What exactly does that entail?  Do we simply provide them with food, water, and shelter?  What kind of food? What kind of shelter?  What do we get out of our pets?  How do we figure out what kind of pet to get in the first place?  These, and many others, are all questions that anyone should answer before buying any sort of animal.  In this post, I will attempt to cover the things every pet owner should know before they acquire their pet.

Meeting Their Needs

The first thing pet owners need to know, even before they decide what kind of pet they want, is what it means to really meet the needs of any animal.  Every pet has basic needs just for surviving: food, water, shelter.  However, there is a much bigger list of things they need to thrive, and sadly, this list is often neglected when people choose a pet.

It's not enough just to buy food for your animal, find out their nutritional needs and make sure you are giving them the supplements to their standard food.  For example, plain old rat food is great, but rats also need fresh fruits, veggies, protein, etc.  The same goes for many other animals as well. 

Animals also need mental stimulation.  This can be achieved by giving them toys, hiding treats in their environment to find, adding things to their environment for them to explore, etc.  You don't have to spend a lot of money on these things either, oftentimes homemade toys are just as interesting as the expensive store bought ones.

Grooming is also very important for pets.  While many animals can take care of this themselves, sometimes they need just a little help from us.  Things like trimming their nails or getting knots out of fur are more difficult for pets to do for themselves.

My biggest recommendation is to do a lot of research online once you've decided what kind of animal you want.  The internet is a great tool for finding information about every pet imaginable.  There are forums, clubs, and other organizations dedicated to specific animals and what it's like to keep them as pets.  Talk to others who own the kind of pet you want, see what they have to say.  Find out what is involved in letting your desired pet thrive, rather than just survive, and then decide if that's a commitment you want to take on, or if maybe there's a different pet that would be a better match for you. If you just want something you only have to feed and water on occasion, I recommend getting a nice potted plant.

Choosing the Right Pet for You

Ok, so you know that owning a pet is a big commitment.  You're aware that a pet should be allowed to thrive rather than just survive.  The next question is: how do you know what kind of pet to get?  To answer this question, you have to ask a few more.  First, what are you looking for in a pet?  Do you want something that's just for looks or something you can interact with?  Do you want a pet you can cuddle?  How about one that does tricks?  Do you want a large pet or a small pet?  Do you want a quiet pet, or is a noisy one ok?  How much time, money, and space do you have to dedicate to your pet?  Fish are great fun to watch, but obviously you can't really cuddle with them or teach them tricks (other than coming up to the top of the tank when it's food time...).  Reptiles are also fun to watch, and you can hold them, but they aren't super cuddly either.  Rats, mice, hamsters and other small pets are great for people who don't have much space.  Dogs and cats are wonderful to cuddle, but they require more room than other pets.  Birds are brightly colored, some can learn tricks, and some love to cuddle, but they can be very loud.

If you aren't sure where to start, go to a pet store and see what catches your eye, and then go do some research.  I really wanted a fish tank, but water changes, filter maintenance, cleaning the rocks, etc. can be a really big chore.  So, I have a half fish tank, half toad terrarium.  It still needs to be cleaned, and the water needs to be changed, but because the volume is smaller, it doesn't take up quite as much time.

Hopefully this little guide helps in the decision process of getting a pet.  If you have questions related to a specific type or breed of animal, please comment and I'll be happy to help on a more specific level.

Critter Pictures

As promised, here are faces to go with the names I gave you yesterday:

Dogs

Daisy

Sweet, old girl








Bailey

It's my toy, honest!
(chewing on a scrap of my cutoff jeans)

one of his favorite pastimes, looking out the window








Rats

Donna

No, mom, I didn't hide this walnut away in your bed the last time you let me out.....







River

Uh oh, caught!






Rose

I'm cute and I know it!








Birds

Silarya (Aria)

Tuilindo (Maestro)

It's my swing!







Lone (Sfortzando)

Camera shy.....








Lindoroma (Forte)

.....Or maybe not









Quesanulla (Coda) - the grey one on the right

The Tank

Fish

Oscar

Trevor

Dinner!

All Creatures Great and Small

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful
The Lord God made them all
~Cecil Frances Alexander

Ever since I was small, I have loved animals of every shape and size.  Now that I'm an adult, I still love them, and I can have my own small menagerie.  My current lot of critters consists of 2 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (family dogs, and not technically mine per say), 5 parakeets, 3 rats, 2 fire bellied toads, 2 guppies, 4 platies, and a chinese algae eater.  These guys constantly have me laughing, worrying, or scratching my head over their antics. And so, I have decided to share them with you.  Sadly, my camera is not working tonight, but I will have pictures of them all up soon.  In the meantime, here are names and descriptions to be placed with pictures later.

The Dogs:

Daisy is a 16 year old Cavalier Spaniel mix (we think), and the love of my life.  I found this delightful, happy girl 13 years ago outside my Jr High.  After about a week with my family, we finally located her actual owners and returned her to her home.  A month later, the family called us and asked if we would like to take her.  While not being the brightest flower in the bunch, Daisy is a happy go lucky little girl who, despite her age, bounces around the house everyday looking for a treat, a belly rub, or some mischief to get into.

Bailey is a 7 year old Cav, and a ginormous baby.  We got him for my mom when he was 7 months old, and sometimes he still thinks he's that tiny puppy.  Bailey loves anything with a squeaker, and other random objects he thinks are "his," like utility rope, stuffed animals, and the occasional shoe.  He hates raspberries (the mouth noise, not the food....) and being locked out of bedrooms at night.

The Birds:

Silarya (aka Aria) is the start of my collection.  We found this gorgeous girl wandering the streets, and were unable to locate an owner.  Being a huge fan of Lord of the Rings, I gave her the elvish name Silarya which translates to shining day.  You'll see why when you see her feathers.  I'm also a musician, so I have short nicknames for all my birds that are music related.

Tuilindo (aka Maestro) was bought as a companion for Aria.  He's a pretty little green parakeet, and he and Aria are pretty much inseparable.  Tuilindo is elvish for spring singer.

Lone (aka Sfortzando) was given to me by an acquaintance along with his friend Forte because the birds were occupying the room which was to become their baby's room.  He is a pretty little turquoise and white bird.  Lone is elvish for deep pool, of which his turquoise color reminded me.

Lindoroma (aka Forte) is Lone's sister, and definitely the loudest of the bunch.  She is Lone's twin in every way, including color and volume.  In fact, her elvish name means loud little singing bird.  She's the first one up in the morning and the last one asleep at night.

Quessanulla (aka Coda) is the last of my birds....for now.  He's a pretty grey parakeet, which is exactly why I got him.  His elvish name means dusky feather, and that's exactly what he is.  Unfortunately he is the odd man out in my little flock of birds, but the cage I have now would be crowded with another bird.  I am in the process of looking for a bigger cage for my feathered friends, so if anyone has a cage large enough to house 6 parakeets, let me know!

The Rats:

Donna, Rose, and River are definitely my favorite of my own personal critters (so not the dogs).  Rats just have so much life and curiosity.  I have owned close to a dozen rats due to their short life spans and always keeping multiple at a time.  I did have one girl, Circe, live to be about 5, and I was heart-broken when she finally died.  Anyway, my three girls now are all named after Dr Who characters.  I did have a 4th, Martha, but sadly she died several months back.  Donna is the oldest, and sadly on her last legs.  Rose is the middle child, and definitely the spunkiest.  River is my newest little girl, and still a bit skittish.

The Fish Tank:

I have a 10 gallon tank that is 1/2 full and partially land.  In here I have 2 fire bellied toads (Trevor and Oscar) and some small fish.  This is the newest addition to my collection, and the tank has been up and running for almost 2 months.  Everyone gets along great.

So there's a short introduction to my zoo.  I will post pictures of everyone soon.  Let the fun begin!