odinson
Active Member
Hey, new rat dad here (they/them) patiently awaiting my boys to arrive this Friday! I've been nesting and preparing for their arrival -- I live on my own and have no one around to say "ew rats" but unfortunately my family is not on board with the whole idea of adopting rats right now. My dad claims Covid-19 is not his main concern, it's more the risk of any of us getting sick and having to go to a hospital during these quarantine-ish times, especially since they're in my bubble.
A little background: I adopted Thor and Loki (3-month old half-wild brothers) from a rescue in Toronto and they're being transported to me in Ottawa. I gave my family plenty of notice as I was originally planning to make the trip with my mum to pick them up (I don't drive). My mum decided she didn't want to make the trip and I had to arrange another plan with the foster family. Then my dad finally tells me they don't think I should go ahead with it -- right after I confirmed that I'd paid the adoption fee and also bought a cage and toys.
I know this is the intro forum but I wanted to reach out and see if any other first-timers have had difficulty convincing their families that rats are not only cute and cuddly but also that it's rare to actually catch anything from them. It's understandable, the idea of owning rats is very novel to them, but it seems like they've done little research and decided it's not safe. I've been looking into rats for years and despite the warnings about SDA, Seoul, etc. from multiple sources, I've yet to see anyone speak of being hospitalized for catching something from their rats. At this point I don't think I can convince them otherwise, but since then I've gone a little wild double-checking to make sure I know my s*it. Hoping someone can put my anxious mind at ease; I know there are things to look out for but I'm fully committed to keeping my space and my boys' space clean and safe! Thanks x
A little background: I adopted Thor and Loki (3-month old half-wild brothers) from a rescue in Toronto and they're being transported to me in Ottawa. I gave my family plenty of notice as I was originally planning to make the trip with my mum to pick them up (I don't drive). My mum decided she didn't want to make the trip and I had to arrange another plan with the foster family. Then my dad finally tells me they don't think I should go ahead with it -- right after I confirmed that I'd paid the adoption fee and also bought a cage and toys.
I know this is the intro forum but I wanted to reach out and see if any other first-timers have had difficulty convincing their families that rats are not only cute and cuddly but also that it's rare to actually catch anything from them. It's understandable, the idea of owning rats is very novel to them, but it seems like they've done little research and decided it's not safe. I've been looking into rats for years and despite the warnings about SDA, Seoul, etc. from multiple sources, I've yet to see anyone speak of being hospitalized for catching something from their rats. At this point I don't think I can convince them otherwise, but since then I've gone a little wild double-checking to make sure I know my s*it. Hoping someone can put my anxious mind at ease; I know there are things to look out for but I'm fully committed to keeping my space and my boys' space clean and safe! Thanks x