My boyfriend wants to keep a rat as a pet? What do I do?

[Anonymous]

There was a rat in my house and it was getting into everything - my clothes, food in the pantry, and popping up in random places to scare me. I asked my boyfriend to take care of it when I was at work and he called me and told me he did. I came home and saw him playing with the rat. He said he tamed it and named him Nibbles. Now he wants to keep the little pest! I thought it was weird, but he took the rat home anyway. On our next date, he came over and had the rat with him again. Everywhere he goes he brings that rat. He stayed the night and I woke up with the rat on my pillow! I'm tired of it. Should I just dump him or tell him to get rid of the rat or get rid of them both?

[CrystalMinds]

Dumping him just because he's taking care of an animal? Quite harsh in my opinion.
Just talk about it with him. Tell him that (if it's a wild rat) it has some diseases and if he gets bitten by the rat, he could get ill. Tell him that, if he really wants to keep the rat, fine with you, but you don't want it near you. If you're over at his place, he could keep it in a cage or something and when you meet up outside his place, tell him not to bring it and leave it at home.

[Asker]

I like animals, but there are some that just aren't pet material. A wild rat doesn't qualify as a pet to me. He is very attached to it and I told him to put it in a cage but he says he doesn't want the rat to feel imprisoned. I don't want him to feel bad about the rat, but I also don't want him getting sick or letting it run around me and my home.

[CrystalMinds]

Maybe if you show him some things on the internet about the risks of having a wild rat? Or you could get him a rat from a pet shop that's not wild? Rats can be cute but wild ones are quite nasty.

[Asker]

I offered to get him one from a pet store, but he said no. He didn't want to abandon the rat he has and wouldn't feel right about replacing it with another.

[CrystalMinds]

Hm, then I'm afraid it's a good option to show him some videos or articles of people who were bitten by a wild rat or something. Have a good talk with him about that and let's hope he'll listen :/

[Asker]

I hope he does. He seems to be so close to the rat now, but l will try showing him the potential dangers of having one around.

[CrystalMinds]

Yeah, that's a good idea. But if that doesn't work, I wouldn't know what to do either.

[QueenNikki]

oh my god!! hahahah thanks for the good laugh! I think this is cute and gross at the same time, i think you should dump him, i want him to keep his rat and you need someone so who doesn't get easily attached to wild rodents haha

[Asker]

I really don't want to break up over this, but it has been such an ordeal. I don't know what to do.

[QueenNikki]

Think of your priorities and his priorities, his decision really is odd, you need someone who will be on the same page as you and you've just seen a side of him you never knew existed and its not going anywhere. Obviously it would suck to make him choose, but you shouldn't have to, think about it, and you're not the only one he's screwing over, the rat is probably as traumatized as you haha

[Asker]

That's a good point. We might both be victims in this situation.

[kangy]

rat?-_-"
you can ask him to choose either the rat or you, if he still want the rat, you have the answer

[Asker]

True.

[Anonymous]

Kind of a shallow reason to dump him, don't you think. Cody and Bailey, on Suite Life on Deck, managed to have a pet rat. Yes, they were broken up butttt they both managed to take care of it up until the security guard got to keep it (it had grown attached to him)

[NovemberJoseph]

That reference tho

[Opinion Owner]

Ah, television... ain't it great?

[Asker]

I'm sure their rat wasn't as much of a trouble maker as this one is. I just want it out of my house and I don't want to see it anymore. It startled me enough as it is.

[Opinion Owner]

Oh, it actually got lose, just like his did.. it was def. a trouble maker, yet they still held on to it. Yes, I get it's a rat butttt they put aside that it was a rat, and kept it as a pet. Maybe you should too?

[Asker]

I don't mind pets, but I'm concerned about health reasons. What if it has some kind of disease or something? A mouse from a pet shop is okay, but a wild rat is something different.

[Pedantic]

Adopt a cat.

If anything "unfortunate" were to happen to Nibbles, well, I'm sure you are very sorry but he can't blame your cat. After all, its just nature.

[Asker]

That sounds good. I just hope the cat is able to catch the rat. He is very fast and is good at hiding.

[Pedantic]

I think it depends on the cat, and the breed may have a little to do with it. I am by no means an expert, but my own cat is a "tuxedo cat" (black with white chest/paws), and he is an extremely effective mouser. Pigeons, gophers, mice -- they are history.

[Asker]

I think you're right. I'll see if I can find a cat with a good history of finding rats.

[Red_Dragon]

Rats are not domestic animals. They are wild. He also should be haven't it around you. Like WTF. He needs to get rid of it. Either that or if I were you I'd leave. That's too much. What a wild situation though.

[Red_Dragon]

*He also should not be having it around you.

[Asker]

I know. It's crazy. I should have called an exterminator to deal with it.

[Red_Dragon]

Yeah. Tell him to get a pet hamster or mouse. Domesticated ones. They are still rodents. Also, if you don't want it around you then he needs to keep it from around you. You really can't tame a rat. He thinks he can, but he can't.

[Asker]

I just hope the rat doesn't have any disease or anything like that. Who knows where it's been? I don't want my boyfriend to get sick over something like this.

[Red_Dragon]

Yeah uh huh LOL!!!

[Asker]

Of course. Why would I want to see him sick? He is a good guy overall.

[Red_Dragon]

Smh 😪

[JustinCaseUDontKnow]

Whatever you do be careful of having rats as pets that haven't come
from the pet store , if your not comfortable with the rat than tell your
boyfriend

[Asker]

I already told him, but he still thinks it's okay to have.

[Anonymous]

No! Tell him he can get a pet rat. Those trash rats, are full of diseases, and you are putting your health into risk! Get it out.

[Asker]

I've been trying, but he is very fond of that rat. I just don't get why.

[Opinion Owner]

Hm, maybe find something about on the internet, that tells just how dirty they are!

[Asker]

That's what I'm going to do. He needs to know the risks of this.

[222fallguy2]

https://www.petrats.org/why_rats.aspx
...

[Asker]

@222fallguy2: You're not exactly helping my case here, are you?

[Opinion Owner]

There is a BIG difference, in pet rats, and wild trash rats.

[Asker]

That's what I said. I'm glad someone gets it.

[222fallguy2]

So now you are being racist against white trash rats?

[Asker]

My aunt would be considered white trash and she's still a good person. Not only that, but this rat is brown with pink ears and feet. He is not white at all.

[222fallguy2]

So you don't like the colored rats eh?

[Asker]

I like his fur coloring. I just don't like how he gets into my things and pops up randomly. He's a little prowler.

[222fallguy2]

Prowlers can have good qualities no?

[Asker]

At times, sure, but I don't want a mini one in my house.

[NovemberJoseph]

Ewwww, tell him to get one from petsmart, you never know what the wild ones carry.

[Asker]

That's what I told him, but he says he doesn't want to abandon the one he has.

[Anonymous]

Oh wow. Well does he intend to get shots for it? Did he clean it? Have you told him to put it in a cage when you sleep? I might be a bit perturbed if my gf did this.

[Asker]

I dont know what he wants to do with it. All he says is that it's his new friend.

[Opinion Owner]

Well give Nibbles a bath and post a pic please

[Asker]

I'm not touching that thing. I already had to deal with the little messes it made when it was running around my house.

[Opinion Owner]

Well make your bf take it to the vet and bathe Nibbles. He might be a good boy

[Asker]

Maybe, but I'm not sure if I want a rat in my home as a pet.

[Opinion Owner]

Well your bf seems like he likes nature so...

[Asker]

If he likes nature so much, he could always live outside with his little "pal," as he calls it.

[Opinion Owner]

That's fuckin mean no?

[Asker]

It's also mean to be woken up by a rat pulling your hair and trying to build a nest in it.

[Opinion Owner]

You're way too picky

[Asker]

I think not having a rat try to build a nest in my hair is a reasonable request.

[Opinion Owner]

Just overnight. It's not like you have to take it to work with you

[Asker]

Unless the rat can type at least 45 words per minute, he's not going anywhere with me.

[Opinion Owner]

They can be smart but...

[Asker]

Would 45 words per minute be too much to ask for?

[Opinion Owner]

Most likely. Maybe you can turn yourself into a mermaid and forget about life's problems?

[Asker]

I'd love to, but I can't swim very well. I'd rather not drown.

[Opinion Owner]

You can be the first bike riding mermaid then ::P

[Asker]

Mermaids can't ride bikes and neither can I. I'll have to figure something else out.

[Opinion Owner]

I will get back to ya. gonna lie down (text is cool)

[Opinion Owner]

I just thought of an invention! Bikes for mermaids. I always thought it was bullshit that mermaids were being excluded from riding bikes. I will make billions!

[Asker]

That would work. Just make sure you advertise to areas with high mermaid populations.

[Opinion Owner]

And where would that be? Cali?

[Asker]

It's possible. It is very close to the ocean.

[Opinion Owner]

You can be my spokeswoman. Yes you will have to have your legs fused but so what.

[Asker]

Hmm... I'll have to think about that. I like having the ability to separate my legs at will.

[Opinion Owner]

And I do too :)

[Asker]

I'm sure you do.

[Opinion Owner]

Lick slurp lick :)

[Asker]

Of course. Lol.

[Anonymous]

Its you or the Rat... err nibbles

[Red_Dragon]

LOL!!! Stop I'm trying not to laugh.

[Asker]

It's starting to seem like it. :/

[Anonymous]

Why not? you can call it Mr. jingles

[Asker]

My boyfriend has already got the rat to respond to Nibbles, so that's out. It is a good name, though.