Do you go outside with your rats?

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Do you go outside with your rats?

  • No, they are indoor ratties!

    Votes: 5 33.3%
  • Yes, but only around the house/yard.

    Votes: 6 40.0%
  • Yes, but only in the neighborhood.

    Votes: 1 6.7%
  • Yes, I take them everywhere!

    Votes: 3 20.0%

  • Total voters
    15

orangeK

New Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2020
Messages
1
Location
California
In the past when I was little and my family had rats, we would take them outside on our shoulders walking around the neighborhood. I would really like to be able to go places with my current rats on my shoulder eventually, like on farther walks to the park, and be able to sit down with them there. Do rats even enjoy this? Is this a thing that rat parents do?
 
I think it depends on the rat. I take one of mine all types of places...pet stores, walmart, car rides....I love going through a drive thru and seeing the people working’s reactions! She doesn’t try to wander or get too crazy so....‍♀️
I don’t even put a harness on her...
 
Rats are prey animals so going places is not fun for them and is actually stressful.
There are several air-born diseases that rats can catch.
There is absolutely no reason to risk their lives by taking them outside or with you to places
Get a dog, they not prey animals and will enjoy going places with you

Please see: https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/taking-rats-outdoors-or-with-you-to-places.34675/
and https://www.joinrats.com/Enrichment/Outdoors/

For good reliable information on many topics please see our reference thread https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
 
Just wanted to add I didn't even think about harnessing a rat.
My rat just shoulder rides everywhere with me.
 
I guess it okay. It's safe to take them outside, but you'd have to make sure that they can't wriggle out of the harnesses.
 
I take mine out on the porch to play and I walk around the yard with them on my shoulder. I've took them to the pet store to have their Christmas pictures took. And I've took them over to my neighbor house for a little visit. And that's been about it. But I am seriously thinking about taking them on a road trip with the family that's coming up. I've let other people care for them before when I've went out of town but that's never really worked out to well. I've got back to dirty cages & stressed out ratties. Not to mention the worrying I did about them while I was gone. Just to put some of you at ease I am taking them somewhere safe, to my moms and she has no pets.
If anyone has any feedback please feel free to share.
 
I take mine out on the porch to play and I walk around the yard with them on my shoulder. I've took them to the pet store to have their Christmas pictures took. And I've took them over to my neighbor house for a little visit. And that's been about it. But I am seriously thinking about taking them on a road trip with the family that's coming up. I've let other people care for them before when I've went out of town but that's never really worked out to well. I've got back to dirty cages & stressed out ratties. Not to mention the worrying I did about them while I was gone. Just to put some of you at ease I am taking them somewhere safe, to my moms and she has no pets.
If anyone has any feedback please feel free to share.

I've been wondering about taking rats on road trips but there doesn't seem to be great information on how to do it and it does seem like it could be stressful. If you ever do, would definitely be interested in reading a post about it!
 
I take my rats with me sometimes when I go out, I have a hoodie which they feel safe in the front pocket of, sometimes they will come out and climb up onto my shoulder, if I'm sitting somewhere they will usually come out and sniff around but they never go too far from me or my fiancee who they also know. I've taught my rats not to eat cables so they're allowed to go around my apartment when I'm there freely, except the few places they're not allowed but I've taught them this also.

As for any dangers I highly doubt any predatory bird would try and swipe one of my rats off my shoulders, these birds don't come anywhere near so close to humans, I am aware of the dangers while outdoors though, I've seen a hawk snatch a sparrow who was flying near my friends balcony. Mostly when I bring them places it's just to work or to other friends places. The older one especially seems to quite enjoy riding on my shoulder outdoors, she like's sniffing everywhere.
 
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I also take my rats on walks outside when the weather's nice, they sit on my shoulder with their noses in the air. They also somehow taught themselves to climb down when they needed to poop so that was nice. Inside the house the rats have a rat room for free ranging but I sometimes allow my two bigger boys to explore the rest of the upstairs which is rat proofed so I'm not worried.
 
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