[Rat]

I've had one question just nagging at my mind for ages. Why are people so afraid of rats? Is it because of their tails? or because of their reputation? or is it because they supposedly carry disease? It really bugs me when I tell someone I have rats, and they look at me like I have an enormous bug in my hair.

And why do people like mice, but not rats? They're more or less the same animal, just of different sizes (mice smell worse, too).

[ April 13, 2002: Message edited by: Rat ]

[Impaler]

Consider it an instinct. Rats carried the black plague, which lead to the deaths of millions and millions of people. They're still classified as vermin. They're used as test subjects in thousands of experiments. Having them as pets is sort of like owning cockroaches, except with more hair.

[Rat]

And watch me go through the long checklist of exactly how many ways rats are probably the best rodents to own...naw, not right now.

Black Plague - that was the fleas on the rats. It wasn't the rats' fault.

*shields pet rats from angry mob of people with brooms, poison and rat traps*

[Atomic Urine]

I don't like their teeth, or their size.

Have you seen rats in New York? They're like cats. I'm serious; I'm not exaggerating at all. Ask some of the New Yorkers here at Sijun.

Their teeth are pretty scary looking for a "nice" little rodent.

Furthermore, their fur is mangled and discheveled and their tails are long and snake-like. Their eyes are beady and dark, and whether or not they carry more disease than any other rodent isn't an issue for me; I feel the same about all rodents.

*BUT*, I certainly don't judge a HUMAN for liking or disliking rats. I have my opinion, and others are certainly entitled to theirs. What I don't appreciate is someone trying to force their opinion on me... ahem.

I don't like rats, deal with it. :P

[Rat]

quote:

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Originally posted by Creed:
What I don't appreciate is someone trying to force their opinion on me... ahem.

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Oops. Sorry. Didn't mean to do anything like that. *smacks forehead - hard*

Yeah, I think I'd probably run away if a wild rat looked at me like I was dinner.

[edible snowman]

splinter was a rat, and he was a pimp. i dont know about the rest of them though.

[the_monkey]

this is why

quote from 1984:
"the rat, although a rodent, is carniviorous....in some streets a woman dare not leave her baby alone in house, not even for five minutes. The rats a certain to attack it. Within quite a small time they will strip it to the bones. They also attack sick or dying people. They show astonising intelligence in knowing when a human being is helpless."

[Steelwind]

I like pet rats. A friend of mine got a couple, and they rocked. Wild ones are bad, though, since they have to be tough to survive, and since I don't (have to be tough to survive), they could probably take me.

Hey, Monkey: People said the same thing about American Indians.

[ April 13, 2002: Message edited by: Steelwind ]

[the_monkey]

quote:

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Originally posted by Steelwind:


Hey, Monkey: People said the same thing about American Indians.

[ April 13, 2002: Message edited by: Steelwind ]

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you mean thats not true!

[Coaster]

Maybe is the incessant Super Tramp talking, but rodents are pretty cool. They've survived for such long times living off of people and a dent in their population could never be made. This has also made them pretty smart too.

Allthough you can't blame people for avoiding them, they where partially responsable for killing A LOT of people..

[Unsound]

I’ve heard stories of leprosy victims having their limbs chewed off by rats while they sleep.

[Lunatique]

FYI, I've never chewed off anyone's limbs. I nibble and bite sometimes, but my GF likes it, unless I do it too hard.

I DO love cheese though.

[Rat]

I prefer chocolate and my mom's casserole. People never did much for me. Bleh.

[-HoodZ-]

Ive seen a New York Rat..right now he's with the witness protection program

joking aside i actually did see a New York rat, at first i thought it was one of those tiny dogs that you laugh at...then two more came out running...damn those suckers were big

[quintessential]

its sad that rats have such a bad reputation, for some reason people dont seem to take into account the difference between a wild, street rat, and a tame, pet rat. but they do take it into account when they talk about cats. pet rats are the coolest thing on the planet after pet squids (and those are kinda hard to get water for), their mice that stink less, are often friendlier, smarter, and you won't kill them trying to pick them up.

poot rats

[gLitterbug]

I have 2 pet rats, which my sister "gave" to me. I think they�re really really cute, but I honestly have to say I wouldn�t get me such a small animal myself. They shit and piss everywhere, that is something I can�t appreciate I just don�t understand why people are so affraid of such cute animals, and when they say it�s about their
naked tails - they aren�t ugly imo and feel nicely warm when you touch them

I think most people are really affraid of the �ber-Big-Fuckin-Ugly-Sewer-Rat image in their head and I have to say I wouldn�t actually like to encounter such a sucker.

[Gimbal8]

Most people who have had a negative feeling about rats tend to change their mind when the actually get to see and hold a pet rat. At least that is what I have noticed about people who have been in my house and have seen my rats. Sometimes they people who thought they were gross and disgusting creatures (like my mother-in-law) did a complete turn-around and used to come over just to play with them.

But not even I would trust a wild rat within 10 feet of me. Different species.

Man, I remember that scene in the movie 1984 with the rat cage contraption on that guys head. That's just freaky.

[Giant Hamster]

I have nothing against the rats personally...

But from what I remember growing up is the dirty kid; with food permanently smeared on his cheek, scruffy hair filled with who-knows-what, and a bad odor would always be the one that had a rat attached to his head as though it was a parrot. It just seemed to always be that way...and I don't know why...so I've always associated, not the rats, but the people that own them with filth just by what I saw as a child.

[Rat]

Strange. All the rats I've had have "potty-trained" themselves within a few days. Maybe it's all the attention they get.

[Coaster]

*SCREAM!!!* It's a giant hamster!!!

[MoleculeMan]

I think the problem with talking about Rats is the fact that pet rats are not the norm so to say. When you tell people you have a pet cat, most people dont automatically think of a wild cat, they think of an indoor pet. The majority of thier population is tame. When you speak of rats, you are generally speaking of a largely wild population with a few rat pets. Rats are a terror on the earth! They run rampant in many countries. ANYONE SEEN EL NORTE??? I mean i dunno, i think some rats are ok, but they do piss and number 2 a ton of places. Plus they breed like rabbits! I have some friends who had a sister and brother rat, now they have 20 rats... It also makes the cage a lot harder to clean. all in all the pet rats they have are cute, but as a species i have to say i don't like rats.

jake

[Gimbal8]

Mine were potty trained too, although I don't know how that happened exactly. I'd have them out of the cage for an hour or two with no problems. I guess since they have their specific "potty location" they waited until they got back in their cage to do their business.

[Count Zero]

We had a rat once. Her name was Nalle. That's Finnish for Teddy (bear, not Roosevelt).
Cutest little fucker ever. Way more sociable and fun than most other house pets. It got sick and died, unfortunately.

So, Rat, you're not alone. I love rats.

[Novacaptain]

I can understand people's fear of rats.
When talking to some homeless people here in brazil i learnt that the rats that live in the abandoned warehouse they inhabited are pretty nasty. A woman lost her young child to rats that pretty much tore it up during the night. Even if it hadn't died from the wounds the subsequent infections and diseases would probably have killed it since homeless people can hardly afford medication and provide a suitable enviroment for recovering from illness...

Domesticated rats are different though, they're actually quite cute when they don't bite, just like snakes...

[kantide]

Some cool rat stories:

Landmines detected by rat called Mr. Bean

Woman in shock after rat in toilet ordeal

Rats 'can dream just like humans'

Black death

Rat's revenge

[Rat]

I liked "Rat's Revenge."