Bubonic Floyd

OldHag

ArachnoHag
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
1,711
We live by a stream and so we get a lot of rats in our chicken coop. Well, we killed off about 20 adults all at once and suddenly we had baby rats running all over! Cats from miles around came running to eat them! It was pretty sad... but better than a plague of rats right?
My daughters cat brought her a baby rat.. which she promptly fell in love with, tamed, de-loused, dewormed, and vaccinated.. sigh..

I didnt think it was possible to "tame" a wild rat.. but here he is. Bubonic Floyd.. sweetest tempered rat around.
This is him now....... this is him as a bonny wee baby.
 

Attachments

GK.

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
30
I had pet rats once, not wild caught ones though. Those gals were some serious escape artists. :eek:
 

pitbulllady

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
May 1, 2004
Messages
2,290
I've tamed many a wild rat, spraying them down to kill parasites(Provent-A-Mite works well on rats and cats as well as snakes). Even older babies that had long been weaned actually become very tame fairly quickly, and they get HUGE. Too bad I've become horribly allergic to all rodents, though. I've also caught adult Voles and tamed them, and they are better than their hamster cousins, IMO, as pets.

pitbulllady
 

OldHag

ArachnoHag
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
1,711
I've tamed many a wild rat, spraying them down to kill parasites(Provent-A-Mite works well on rats and cats as well as snakes). Even older babies that had long been weaned actually become very tame fairly quickly, and they get HUGE. Too bad I've become horribly allergic to all rodents, though. I've also caught adult Voles and tamed them, and they are better than their hamster cousins, IMO, as pets.

pitbulllady
Every wild rat Ive ever known has been very cantankerous! Even some of these tiny babies would attack!! I watched one as small as floyd attacking the cat that was trying to catch it. That one got away. :D
Good to know they can be tamed. Ive been waiting for this guy to go savage on me..
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
heh

i made friends with some river rats years back. eventually they would take food from my fingers. i've done the same with raccoons and had a wild friend skunk during high school... i never tried to hand feed it, though. i also pet a wild skunk before. turns out even if they don't spray you, you still end up smelling a bit like them =P
 

Tleilaxu

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
May 7, 2006
Messages
1,272
I have always wanted to get a wild rattie, since its likely they will have the fewest health problems and live the longest since they are not inbred.
 

OldHag

ArachnoHag
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
1,711
I have always wanted to get a wild rattie, since its likely they will have the fewest health problems and live the longest since they are not inbred.
Im thinking the same thing! We go through rats like crazy. Seems like every 2-3 yrs we have to get more because they all get tumors and have to be put down. sigh.
I hope this guy gets HUGE!! Some of the parents we have...murdered were just enormous!
He might have some domestic rat in him though. Some kind neighbor (and yes, Im being sarcastic) let a bunch of white and hooded rats loose in my woodpile a few years ago. We have had quite the funny looking rats recently. Mottled, splotched, albino...
 

pouchedrat

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 17, 2008
Messages
614
i've known people with half-wild rats, usually from a female who escaped, got knocked up, and recaught with a surprise pregnancy. They've always said they were a bit more nervous and hyper in their cage than their domestic counterparts.


That said, I've always wanted a wild rat... the possible longer-life is attractive, plus I always do better with wild and exotic mammals than I do with domestics. not sure why....... they just seem to bond fiercer to me
 

Cirith Ungol

Ministry of Fluffy Bunnies
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
3,886
I love that hagness humour in there. :D Good luck with your ratty! (Try breed it, see what happens =) )
 

pitbulllady

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
May 1, 2004
Messages
2,290
Wild rats DO live quite a bit longer than domestic ones; I've had them that lived for nearly six years, which is ancient by rat standards. In contrast, I have never had a domestic rat live much over two years before they either get respiratory failure or cancer. The wild-bred ones didn't appear to even get sick, but like most wild animals, they probably "masked" any symptoms of illness, and I'd just find them dead in their cages, usually curled up like they were asleep, and they probably just had quietly died in their sleep.

pitbulllady
 

OldHag

ArachnoHag
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
1,711
We have a pair of domestic females that are 3 yrs old now!! No tumors.. no sniffles.. just fun lively curious rats! We are rootin for em to get to 4!

pouchedrat- Yes Floyd is a bit more nervous... not about the people holding him, but the cats who share his house. Our domestic rats have taken it upon themselves to eventually kill one of the cats.. they have made many attempts so far and suceeded in a near amputation of a cat toe. Crazy critters anyway.
 

Shell

ArachnoVixen AKA Dream Crusher AKA Heartbreaker
Staff member
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
1,659
Our domestic rats have taken it upon themselves to eventually kill one of the cats.. they have made many attempts so far and suceeded in a near amputation of a cat toe. Crazy critters anyway.
This sounds like my 2 rats, those girls are fearless, and my cats are quite intimidated by them!

Floyd is absoultely adorable by the way :)
 

OldHag

ArachnoHag
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
1,711
This sounds like my 2 rats, those girls are fearless, and my cats are quite intimidated by them!
YES!! Our cats are terrified of them! The cat that nearly had his toe bitten off was a bit more bold.. but now he steers clear of them at all cost! The rats will see them come into the room and will RUN to the side of the cage and spew obcenities at the cats, taunting them to come closer!! Well, Ive never heard the actual obcenities, but Im sure in my heart that they are saying them. The cats always look a bit offended.
 

Shell

ArachnoVixen AKA Dream Crusher AKA Heartbreaker
Staff member
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
1,659
YES!! Our cats are terrified of them! The cat that nearly had his toe bitten off was a bit more bold.. but now he steers clear of them at all cost! The rats will see them come into the room and will RUN to the side of the cage and spew obcenities at the cats, taunting them to come closer!! Well, Ive never heard the actual obcenities, but Im sure in my heart that they are saying them. The cats always look a bit offended.
ROFL!

My one cat is an amazing huntress, yet even she steers clear of "Templeton" and "Stewie" (my 5 yr old son named them, and yes as I said, they are both female ;) )

Mine like to sit up on their back legs and taunt the cats, once they get close enough, I'm fairly certain they to are saying some pretty offensive things to the cats. Templeton once, climbed up to the top level and was nose to nose with the Ragdoll (pretty cat, but definately not the sharpest crayon in the box) and when the Ragdoll got a bit too comfy, Templeton nipped her nose. Needless to say the cat doesn't get that close now.
 
Top