Pokemon and Tembla, you are both absolutely correct on your posts, I agree. Well said. I have only very rarely taken my boys outside and the couple of times I did do it, it was just to give THEM a nice sensation of cool breeze, nice smells, some sunshine, but it was a very controlled situation.
Just a few steps out the back patio door of our townhouse, standing on the grass with them in our small backyard for just a few minutes and securely holding them in my arms. Then back inside. As Tembla said, way too many risks and dangers for a ratty outdoors. I would never risk full on outings all over the place with our babies, especially doing it via the shoulder riding bit.... with the precarious balancing act that the poor bub has to work on just to keep from falling off. Not cool in my book. (Also I am overprotective x12 so that just adds to my opinion of course, ha ha)
Walking through a Wal-Mart with a ratty on one's shoulder? Insane, dangerous, probably very scary for the rat and something that is definitely done for the satisfaction of the human, not the rat, as you pointed out, Pokemon.
(I also noticed that on the rare occassions I have taken my boys out back for some fresh air (one at a time, in my arms) they normally start pointing their bodies and noses back toward the patio door after a few quick minutes of sniffing the breeze, as if they are saying, "Yeah, that was nice, Mom, but now I am ready to get back inside!"
