# What do i do with my rat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 3, 2001, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059 "2001-02-03T23:54:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Birdie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdie)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/1 "2001-02-03T23:54:17Z")
A few months ago, i got a sweet little baby rat, named D’Artagnan from the local pet store. He was cute, a little dumb… grey with a white belly and little white hands. With the help of crackers and carrots, i trained him. He’s a good rat. He really is. I love him. But… I live in a dorm, and rats just aren’t allowed. Actually, i was hiding him quite well during room inspections and things were going fine. until my roommate, an evil bitch from hell, decided to… uh… rat me out. grrr. so now what? i love my little rat very much. i can’t take him home cause the drive is too long. i can’t take him to the pet store cause they’ll feed him to a snake. Can i let him go in the wild? Will he know what to do? What do i do with my rat? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/2 "2001-02-04T00:04:12Z")
First off… why did you get a pet you couldn’t take care of? If you let him go in the wild, he will probably die or be killed. Try to find another home for him. Bite the bullet and do the long drive home. You accepted responsibility for that little life when you got it. It isn’t any different from adopting a cat or a dog. –Opal, who has had lots of pet rats and loves them very much. ---
**Author:** ![Birdie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdie)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/3 "2001-02-04T00:16:48Z")
i asked my roommate if she would mind if i got a rat, and she said to go ahead and get it. we lived happily together for 3 months, until my roommate decided she didnt like me. okay, she found out i had a girlfriend, and from that point on has done everything she can to make our stay together miserable. But that’s another story. Everyone here has pets they aren’t supposed to have, and i really didn’t think anything of getting him. I love the poor little guy. i wish i didn’t have to give him up. So… i guess i won’t let him go in the wild. the problem with the drive home is that it’s the week of midterms… oh, well. guess i’ll do what i must. ---
**Author:** ![vertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3ec8ea/32.png) [@vertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertigo)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/4 "2001-02-04T01:56:27Z")
OK…, am I the _only_ person who saw the movie **Ben**? ::shivers:: You guys are playin’ with fire, I tell ya. ---
**Author:** ![ellis555](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e36b37/32.png) [@ellis555](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ellis555)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/5 "2001-02-04T02:14:09Z")
You might see if there’s an animal behavioralist on campus who would have the facilities to take care of him until midterms are over. And then you can drive him home. -ellis ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/6 "2001-02-04T02:43:33Z")
A snake food? NOooooo… What happened in Ben? Find someone to take care of him until you can take him home…poor little thing… Maybe there’s a local chapter of PETA or something…(Yeah, I hate PETA, but they would definetly take care of a pet) ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/7 "2001-02-04T03:03:12Z")
> [@](#): > > What happened in Ben? ::shaking head:: Young 'uns. Boy has rat (Ben). Michael Jackson sings. Rat has rat friends. Michael Jackson sings. Boy runs into trouble. Michael Jackson sings. Rat rallies rat friends to avenge boy. Michael Jackson sings. Mayhem ensues, death, dismemberment, rats win, roll credits. Michael Jackson sings. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/8 "2001-02-04T04:50:49Z")
Rats are great critters, and make excellent pets. They’re very responsive and intelligent. Can you find a temporary home for him, or a get a dispensation until after midterms? **Don’t** turn him into a lab or pet store: instant food for sale. See if there’s some sort of temporary housing available. If a utility closet/whatever isn’t workable, see if you can “rent room” in a lab. Mark the cage clearly and fondly; introduce him around as a temporary B&B resident only. It might work in a pinch. If possible, offer your roommate for research purposes in exchange. Stroke da whiskers, best of luck and keep us informed, okay? Veb ---
**Author:** ![tubagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@tubagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tubagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/9 "2001-02-04T05:01:11Z")
Where do you actually live? I live in Orlando and will take him in if you head in this direction. I’ve been looking into buying myself a rat anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Birdie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdie)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/10 "2001-02-04T05:11:44Z")
I’m in Tallahassee now, and i live in west palm. i will ask my psych prof about keeping him in a lab… but not as an experiment. poor D’Ar. he wouldn’t work too well in an experiment anyway. he’s on the dumb side. he’s funny though. whenever i say “Cracker” he pokes his head out and looks at me expectantly. ---
**Author:** ![vertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3ec8ea/32.png) [@vertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertigo)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/11 "2001-02-04T05:49:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ChiefScott \* > Boy has rat (Ben). > Michael Jackson sings. > Rat has rat friends. > Michael Jackson sings. > Boy runs into trouble. > Michael Jackson sings. > Rat rallies rat friends to avenge boy. > Michael Jackson sings. > Mayhem ensues, death, dismemberment, rats win, roll credits. > Michael Jackson sings. > \*\* I couldn’t have put it better myself. [small hijack] for some reason, whenever I think of rats an image pops in my head, first, of course the movie **Ben** ::shudder::, but then immediately after that I think of James Cagney saying “You killed my brothah…, now I’m gonna kill you…” I guess it’s 'cause his ‘tough guy’ face kinda looked rat-like. [/small hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/12 "2001-02-04T07:08:33Z")
OK, insensitivity follows. If you are sentimental about rats tune out now. It’s a rat. Rats are not pets, they are rodents. They don’t have bladders, so by definition are dirty. I shouldn’t have to go on – if you’re smart enough to come here to ask about it, you’re smart enough to know what to do. You have to kill it, or take it to the vet for a humane death. Don’t let it go, or it becomes someone’s else’s problem. I like the idea of taking it back to the pet store – although they probably wouldn’t kill a ‘trained’ rat, they would likely try to sell it so someone else. ---
**Author:** ![S-Terry\_Dan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@S-Terry\_Dan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/S-Terry_Dan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/13 "2001-02-04T08:35:46Z")
Danalan, let me be the first to say BITE ME. Snakes, lizards, tarantulas, etc don’t have bladders, but many people keep them as pets. But, really, that’s not the point. She clearly is attached to her pet rat, and she posted to get suggestions on how to give it a decent home. She didn’t want some insensitive prick telling her to kill it. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/14 "2001-02-04T09:05:50Z")
Just a bit of info. Rats do have bladders – **urinary** bladders. However, they don’t have gall bladders. Did a quick flick across Google for **rats anatomy bladder**. I don’t think there is any animal _by definition_ dirty. ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/15 "2001-02-04T13:40:42Z")
Aww…perhaps an ad in the paper, or just putting the word out that you have a cute rat looking for a loving home? I had two rats by default (ex-husband’s son had them, & then buggered off leaving me with them.) They weren’t very tame, and I didn’t have time to make them so. I liked them, fed them, bought them toys and the good litter, and they had a HUGE cage. I did get a bit tired of this giant cage in the living room. For a while a girlfriend & I planned to let them loose one night by the dumpsters behind the Safeway. I figured they wouldn’t last long, but they’d have a glorious last few days. I never did have the heart to do this, though. Took care of the darn things till they died of old age. RIP, Socrates & Plato. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/16 "2001-02-04T20:19:27Z")
Danalan… fuck you. Sorry, I know this isn’t the pit, but people like you just piss me off to no end. I would spit in your face if I met you in person. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/17 "2001-02-05T02:48:53Z")
Word, Opal. I’m sure there’s someone who wouldn’t mind taking care of little D’Ar for you. Snakes SUCK! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Raven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@The\_Raven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Raven)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/18 "2001-02-05T03:56:03Z")
Wow, Birdie, that stinks. I kept a hamster part of my last year in the dorms, but at least my roommate didn’t much care and the inspectors were easy to fool. See if some friend off campus or with a more easy going dorm can house the rat for you. If not, you’ll probably have to take the rat home. For goodness sake don’t turn it loose, it will most likely die from either predators or starvation. Pet rats might have a chance in the wild, but its not a very good one. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/19 "2001-02-05T10:08:11Z")
Okay, kiddies, I know that this is a sensitive topic for some of you, but please, let’s keep the personal comments out of this. This is not the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059/20 "2001-02-05T22:09:07Z")
1. Ignore Danalan. Rats do too have bladders, and they aren’t any dirtier than hamsters or gerbils. 2. Add my voice to the chorus of people begging you not to turn D’Artagnan loose. He wouldn’t survive more than 24 hours. Too many predators–cats, dogs, coyotes, raccoons. 3. That was good advice about finding him a temporary home in the psych lab. 4. Here’s some advice about finding him a permanent home. Go to your nearest Junior or Senior High School, track down the school newspaper faculty advisor, explain the problem, and ask them to put a “Free To Good Home” message in the next issue. I bet they won’t even charge you, and if you mention that it’s “curtains for Ratty” _a la_ Danalan [_cue the ominous music_] if he isn’t placed, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding somebody to take him, especially if he already comes with a cage and all the appurtenances thereto. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-do-with-my-rat/53059.md?page=2)