She won't leave me alone!!!

[s6bee]

Help my 12 yr. old daughter is now hounding me for yet another pet. This time she wants a rat! Yes, I know a Rat. I do hear they make great pets, however, you can see what critters we currently have in my signature at the bottom. The guinea pig is old and proabably won't be around much longer, but my lord, she is insistant! Do any of you have experience with these critters? I had mice growing up, but not rats. Do I tell her no?

Stephanie

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I used to have a rat as a pet. They are pretty friendly. Why buy one when you can catch one in NY?

 

[silkiechicken]

LOL. I was like that. Explain to her that she can get one in due time or like after the gunea pig goes. If she takes care of them herself and it's ok with you, (which it doesnt seem like you want), I guess you can get it? It's up to you really.

Catching wild rats generally isn't the best thing to do since... well they carry lots of disease and ticks. Most pet store rats have been in a "domesticated" situation for quite awhile and are not big disease carriers. To my knowledge at least.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

sorry. The NY thing was a lame joke

I did not mean for someone to actually do it

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Check your local human society. Around here they typically always have various animals that others decided they did not want and you can meet them and determine if you like.

 

[Chirpy]

I have friends that have had rats as pets for years and absolutely love them.

They are very clean and very smart. My friends let theirs sit on their shoulders and play on their laps.

I think the biggest thing to consider is if your daughter is truly able to do all the care for the rat. Granted there isn't a lot to do ... keep the cage clean, feed and water but it doesn't sound like you are willing to take that on so you need to know that she will follow through the first week as well as the next years.

Also - at our house if a child asks for something (especially if it's an animal) we wait for several months (at least) before possibly getting it. If they are still 100% adament about having it after a few months then they probably are willing to take the responsibility of taking care of whatever it is. They also have to do lots of research on it (if it's an animal) during those months so they are really ready to take care of it.

 

[gritsar]

Having gone through the kids and pets thing, I can sympathize with you. Also, having had both guinea pigs and rats when my kids were young, I vote for the rats. Great pets.
Hint: My daughter got hers only after maintaining an A average for the school year.

 

[Cheryl]

My boys had rats, and I can honestly say I didn't enjoy them at all! But it looks like I'm out numbered here!

 

[Scrambled Egg]

Someone just ran a lengthy thread about having a pet rat, maybe you should do a search for rat and chekc the responses on that thread, seems it was packed full of rat-info!

 

[Henny peeny]

I have had rats and I still have two my husbands daughter couldn't care for anymore. I love them they are nice and clean but you have to clean the cage. I have mine in a fish tank, a very large one. Mine are two brothers. They are a little more then a year old. A rat has a life span of about 2 years I had one that went into the third year. I feed mine Dog food and cat food. and some canned dog food and cat food as a treat. They also eat about what we eat so they are not hard to feed. But they have to be handled if they are to be tame if not they are just like any other animal.

BUT if you do what my mother did when I wanted another pet and she said no. she said if I ask again she would get rid of all my animals and get that one. THIS ENDED ALL OF MY ASKING I didn't ask no more and I knew she meant it mom did what she said and I knew this, if you are able to do it this way, that is good. I had a dog and a rabbit when I was young and THAT WAS ALL.

Rhayden