Rattie Ratz group matches rats with owners
Published 4:00 am, Saturday, November 1, 2008
After decades of enduring demeaning expressions such as "rat fink," "drowned rat" and "you dirty rat," that whiskered icon of filth and disease has enjoyed some positive PR in 2008, thanks to the start of the Chinese Year of the Rat.
And it's about time, fans say, because domestic rats are clean, intelligent, playful and loyal creatures. Not to mention highly misunderstood because of their unfortunate association with their less than attractive brethren, the sewer rat.
"The difference between sewer rats and domestic rats is like comparing a wolf to the family pet dog," said Nicole Wilson, a volunteer with Rattie Ratz: Rescue, Resource, and Referral. "Domestic rats are like small dogs. They bond with you and will wait for you at the cage door when you get home. They are emotionally affected by things that happen in your life. If you're feeling sad, they'll pick up on that. They're very in tune with what's going on."
They've got image problems
But mention rats and most people have quite a different image. They visualize hordes of malevolent, noxious vermin residing in sewers and garbage dumps; parasitic animals good for nothing but stealing food and spreading disease.
Not so, say rat owners in defense of the gentle rodent that is capable of learning its name, fetching a ball and using a litter box. In fact, domestic rats, soft and colorful, even look different from their coarser-haired brown and black sewer cousins. Although of the same species, they are, according to Rattie Ratz founder Diane Nesom, "a very different animal."
"Domestic rats have been bred over the past century to be calmer, more social and more accepting of human interaction. Wild rats are the bottom of the food chain," Nesom said. "They're very smart and agile in the wild, but wary of people and other predators."
Rattie Ratz started in 1998 when Nesom, then a college student, wanted a pet. She knew it had to be small because of space limitations, so she started researching and discovered that the ideal pet - smart, clean, curious, playful and easily tamed - was the domestic rat.
Once sold on the idea, she got two because her research also disclosed that rats are social and do best with a companion. She soon became so enamored of her affectionate new pets, she found herself networking with people who had rats they could no longer keep and matching them with people who wanted rats but didn't know where to find them. She also wanted to dispel the negative images that surrounded the sweet, furry creatures.
Thus was born Rattie Ratz, one of the largest no-kill rescue groups in the Bay Area dedicated exclusively to domestic pet rats. The nonprofit organization works predominantly with animal shelters to help rats that are at risk of being euthanized. Volunteers place rats in homes ranging from Hollister (San Benito County) to Sacramento.
"The end of summer is a popular time for adoption because vacations are over, school starts, and people are settled in their routine," Wilson said. She said rats make good pets for children, but only under parental supervision. "On a good month we'll place between eight to 10 pairs." Rattie Ratz places (same-sex or neutered) rats only as pairs, unless the adopter already has one.
"Rats need their own species for grooming, sleeping and providing interactions not possible from people," she said. "Rats are emotional. They'll bring food to their sick mate and will grieve when their companion dies. If a rat lives by himself, he'll experience more health problems, have a shorter life span, be more introverted and interact less with his owner."
Ask people what freaks them out about rats, and many will cite that long, skinny, hairless tail that resembles a snake.
A rat's tail is more than just an ugly appendage, though. It serves as a thermo-regulatory device, much like an armpit, through which rats control their body temperature and release heat; tails are also used for balance in the same way a high-wire performer uses a pole on a tightrope.
And except for emergencies, rats should never be picked up by their tails (and then only at the base). The outer layer of skin and tissue can be shorn off the bone, known as "degloving." The tail will fall off in a few days and the injury usually heals by itself. However, degloving is painful and susceptible to infection, and medical treatment is recommended.
Low maintenance pet
Rats are easy to care for. A rat's diet consists of lab blocks (a concentrated kibble) available at pet stores; fresh fruit; and anti-cancer veggies like kale, bok choy and broccoli, since rats are prone to tumors. Over their two- to three-year life span, upper respiratory infections are also common, but treatable with antibiotics. However, Wilson cites more pressing health concerns with rats purchased from pet stores.
"They're trucked in from breeding factories and aren't treated for respiratory infections," she warns. "Pet stores don't specialize in rats and usually order them as snake food, which is why they don't care about the rat's well-being."
Nesom agreed, adding that most rats surrendered to shelters were purchased from pet stores by owners who unwittingly brought home sick or pregnant animals.
"We strongly discourage people from getting any companion animal from a pet store," she says. "Although we would love for everyone to rescue needy animals, if Rattie Ratz can't make an appropriate match, we would much rather refer people to a qualified and reputable breeder over a pet store any day of the week. Pet stores should not be selling any type of companion animals. That's why our adoption fairs are only held in shops that do not sell animals."
In fact, a Rattie Ratz contract stipulates that if the owner is unable to keep the rat, they have to return it to the organization. Rattie Ratz will consider suggestions for potential new homes, but the rat has to be returned first.
Wilson said a favorite morning ritual includes tucking her pet rat, Cinder, inside her hooded sweatshirt while having coffee at a nearby shop. As she reads the paper, Cinder occasionally sticks his nose out from her hood, seeking a piece of scone. "People notice, but they don't say anything," she laughs.
Nobody rats her out. And in the world of rat lovers, that's a good thing.
Rats on your radar?
To learn more about rat care, educational resources and forthcoming adoption fairs, visit Rattie Ratz at www.rattieratz.com.