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Anonymous
hey /an/ I found a female juvenile rat at work today, I took her home but she is scared shitless of me and tries to bite. I need to know if it's safe to keep a wild rat? and will it ever become tame? what to feed it( i have hamster food)? pic related its her.

ps I have 6 hamsters so I have extra cages and accessories, but i know the cages are too small for life.
>> Anonymous
I don't think a wild rat will ever adjust well to life in captivity.
>> Anonymous
>>315115

what should i do then? release it outside?
>> Anonymous
>>315116
You can try to keep it if you want but it will always be a little jumpy since it is wild.

If you release it try to put her back close to where you found her otherwise she might die since it is an unfamilar place.
>> Anonymous
Are you sure it's a rat? It looks more like some type of mouse.
>> Anonymous
>>315121

100% sure its a rat, the tail is HUGE
>> Anonymous
If you want to try keeping her, get her checked for rabies. As you try and domesticate her, she'll bite you, and the last thing you want is to contract any srs bsns diseases she may have.
>> Anonymous
>>315125
Wild rats almost never carry rabies, and there has never been a case of human rabies caused by rat bite in the United States, though such cases have been found very rarely in other countries.

http://www.ratbehavior.org/WildRatDisease.htm
>> Anonymous
heh, sounds like I might as well just release it and get a domesticated rat instead.
>> Anonymous
>>315128
That's the safest and most humane plan
>> Anonymous
I just released it, don't want to get my hamsters infected either, also I might buy a rat tomorow, what kind of cage should I get? and how much am i looking to spend
>> Anonymous
>>315135
good move, but why do you need another pet anyway? Leave some for the rest of us!
>> Anonymous
>>315135
Get a pair of rats, they fair better with company. You'll probably spend about 200 bucks, give or take. 30 bucks for two rats, 100 for the cage; the rest of the amount varies depending on what kind of food, bedding and toys you buy. Also make sure the cage has at least two stories because rats love to climb, and that it doesn't have wire bottoms because it's bad for their feet; same goes for a wheel if you buy one.
>> Anonymous
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>>315140

sounds good, yeah i know about the wire thing, i avoid that stuff for my hamsters as well. heres a pic of my 4 roborovski hamsters cage
>> Anonymous
Just make sure the hamsters and the rats never, ever have access to one another. While it may come down to the rats' individual personalities, I have seen them kill hamsters and birds, given the chance. And I'm not talking about wild rats, I'm talking about your average pet store fancy rat.
>> Anonymous
I know some people chose to keep wild rats as pets, but it it's not easy. They usually raise them from babies and even then it's not the same as a pet rat. They are completely different animals. It's basically the rodent equivalent of finding a wolf cub and deciding to raise it.

But pet rats are awesome.
>> Anonymous
>>315144
fucking win
your hamsters must be happy
>> Anonymous
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>>315185

thank you, they sit on top of a tank full of piranhas, its funny when i let them out on top of the aquarium the fish try and bite them through the glass. oh and heres my other dwarf's cage.
>> Anonymous
Wild rats =/= fancy rats. It's best to let it go, as it's not the same at all. They can also carry diseases you don't really want to get.
>> Anonymous
D'awwww. Looks scared ;_;
>> Anonymous
>>315186
holy shit, can I see your piranhas?
also, what do you feed them?
>> Anonymous
She's going to gnaw through your cage the first time you're away for an extended period of time. Better to get rid of her now than it is to deal with the aftermath.
>> Anonymous
>>315144
>>315186
Holy shit hamster cages are ridiculous. Do they use all of those tubes? When I had a gerbil she never used any of them.
>> Anonymous
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>>315236
certainly, I feed them shrimp, pellets, and any kind of white meat fish filets. I stay away from live food like goldfish as they contain growth inhibitors and may carry diseases.
>>315263
ya mine use all of them.
>> Anonymous
>>315263
Probably mostly depends on the individual animal, my Rabbit loves being held, and will jump onto my lap and try to get me to hold him, most rabbits tend to dislike that kind of thing alot. He also loves to follow me around and hide underneath my shorts if I'm crouching or sitting.