Is it wrong that I find the rats on my yard cute?

[Muchadoaboutnothing]

Well I do!

I know they are destructive and full of gward knows what but, when I was getting some straw off the big bale today, I had to kick the bale to loosen the section and out popped this little rat head and looked at me as if to say 'oi!' squeaked what was proberly a swear word in rat world then popped it's head back in.

 

[Serephin]

No, its not wrong as far as I am concerned - I think rats are fantastic little creatures, very intelligent!

 

[Jayde87]

Personally, I would hate to see a rat running around my yard. I know they're probably at every yard, but I'd rather not see them! To me they connote dirtyness. Mind you saying that, a friend of mine had a gorgeous pet rat that had the loveliest of natures.

 

[stargirl88]

I agree - but mostly because I've had pet rats and mice before and I don't think they're awful or ugly at all, but they're a sodding nuisance though!

 

[Kub]

No, there's one living in the wall of coblet's stable. It hides there most of the time but when I've fed coblet (and he's dropped food all over the floor), little mr rat peeps his head out and then, when safe, hops down to steal some of coblet's dinner. As soon as Harry moves, he runs back to his hiding place. Watched him doing this for about 10 minutes the other night and I thought it was cute

 

[cluedo]

It makes me so sad rats get bad press. Wild rats are naturally wary of people and that won't change. Even if a domestic fancy rat accidentally mates with a wild rat and the babies are handled from birth they will always remain difficult to handle.

I breed rats and they are the most amazing pets. Incredibly loveable and offer unconditional love.

If anyone want to have a look at my rats on my website its www.brammocksrattery.co.uk

 

[blond1]

Wild rats are naturally wary of people and that won't change. [/url]

You weren't at my old yard then when they would run up the stable wall and jump at you when you went in the stable

I can't bear them and could never find them cute.

 

[FanyDuChamp]

Sorry but very wrong, they are disease carrying vermin. The pet ones are different but wild ones, yeuk
FDC

 

[kiritiger]

Beautiful rats cluedo

 

[Tormenta]

You are crazy. I am terrified of them. Even though I have had five domesticated buggers who I loved, wild ones NO! They are they only being on this planet I have a fear of.

We have mice in our tackboxes, rugs, straw and feedbins, I find them endearing as long as they are not producing numbers which damage.

Rats, help me....I will run and scream

 

[MochaDun]

No but I think it's always good to be aware of the diseases such animals can carry like Weil's disease etc, it's rare but can be a nasty thing to catch for humans and other animals (including horses) and rats are one of the culprits.

 

[Kenzo]

I talk to the mice in the feed room

 

[Tinypony]

Rats are very intelligent.
However, they carry leptospirosis, which can cause uveitis. Uveitis (moon blindness) is very painful and can cause horses to go blind. People catch Weil's disease from rats and it can't be that rare as I know two horse owners who have had it, and it's very serious.
I had a battle on one DIY yard to get the YM to deal with rats, she was playing about with humane traps and sonic devices, and we were seeing rats walking about in daylight. I got the YO involved and she got the rat man out. I left the yard shortly after but was very sad to hear that the YM's mare got Uveitis and eventually lost one eye. So I wouldn't find rats on my yard cute. No.

 

[PurplePickle]

to me its part and parcel of a yard, just being sensible and washing hands and keeping place clean and them under control as much as you can but they are cute, one popped its head out over my water trough other week, i hate it when they run though that makes me jump lol

Our neighbour got chickens and brought an influx of extra rats or they bred, my feed room got nibbled and the flor was covered in rat! and a dead rat ewwww, mask and gloves on for that job i had pet rats for years but these things can do so much damage if left unchecked.


I remember years ago as a child with my first pony I didnt have lids on my feed bins and in the mornings there would be handfuls of mice who'd fallen in and couldnt jump out, i used to help them out, never ever thought about them being dirty lol

 

[Daffodil]

I can take them or leave them. I do object to them tunnelling under my stable floor though.

Now rabbits are a stuffing nuisance and in my book far worse. The holes appearing in my field are driving me nuts and poo picking is taking twice as long as I'm having to fill in all the holes that are appearing. Hate them!!!

 

[Hovis_and_SidsMum]

I have pet rats of my own (Rambo and Rocky!!) and they are the cutest funniest things ever. I can watch them for hours playing. They are highly intelligent, very sociable and very sweet.
Wild rats I don't mind but they are a pain and can do a lot of damage not to mention carring disease. I don't mind the mice - those I will handle - but rats are kept at a distance and I have no issue with them being killed. I'm not scared of them though - give me a rat over a spider any day of the week!
Rabbits are the bain of our lives - they have taken to digging in the bl**dy menage so you have to go and fill the holes in before riding.
Oh and the fox / bird of prey that keeps leaving rabbit entrails and heads in Hovis' field for me to remove. Yummm its so nice on a morning having to carry half of bugs bunny back for a burial on the muck heap. YUCK!

 

[lily1]

I'm not keen on them OH runs a mile but they are a nuisance and they are destructive and full of disease.
We put traps down but they seem clever enough to be able to get the bait off without the trap going off.

 

[foraday]

Environmental Health Departments would disagree with you!

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/304965.html

Having seen a horse have a chronic intestinal infection due to rats running about at a dressage yard this poor horse had his psg career stopped in his tracks for 8 months-so poorly

Would not wish that on anyone so NO I don't find them cute at all

 

[L&M]

Mice cute - rats not, but sorry don't want either on my yard because of the destruction they cause (lost 40 small bales haylage to rats - ouch!!), and the diseases they may carry.

 

[cobgirlie]

Nope they are disgusting filthy creatures and should be wiped off the face of the earth. How anyone can keep them as pets I just don't know..yuck yuck yuck. Life long vegetarian here..hypocrite yes I'll admit to in this case but when it comes to rats I'd happily see them all gone....and flies....

One of dogs works at killing rats for farmers (and our yard at the moment..we are overrun!!!) and everyone he gets, esp a pregnant one I celebrate. Hate the things.

 

[scarymare]

I love all animals but rats are too destructive - they nested behind my freezer and destroyed it. Also go for dogs if cornered which is a worry if you have sappy great danes!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Basically as a YO I believe I have a responsibility to keep the yard a "safe" environment and that means dealing with vermin and not being sentimental about it!

If a person, or horse, or whatever, gets some horrid disease from a rat, then that's not doing anyone any favours.

I hesitate to put down poison because I have chicken & dogs roaming freely, so best thing is to let the terriers at 'em. Snip snap and they're gone! Fantastic sport for all concerned.

 

[loopyloop]

Basically as a YO I believe I have a responsibility to keep the yard a "safe" environment and that means dealing with vermin and not being sentimental about it!

If only all yard owners thought like that!!

We've had to buy our own traps as it was seen as being our problem, due to a rat being seen in our food. She then went all soppy about how cruel we were when we said we'd caught one!!

 

[Vixen Van Debz]

I work with them: they are endlessly cute, and of rodents make the best pets as once handled young they genuinely only bite when made uncomfortable/mishandled amd they're social by nature. I'd have my own tomorrow if I wasn't stupidly allergic to them (and to mice, who are filthy, terratorial and smelly and not recommended as pets). However, wild rats are destructive, and can cause massive damage to stored food, to electricity cabes etc so I hope their cuteness doesn't stop the yard taking affirmative action to get rid of them!

 

[fred's babe]

Rats are cute! Its not actually the rats which carry disease, its the parasites which live on them

Cluedo you said 'Even if a domestic fancy rat accidentally mates with a wild rat and the babies are handled from birth they will always remain difficult to handle.'
I have to disagree as I once had a pet rat which was a cross between wild & domestic parents. I handled him from a very young age & he was the tamest rat I have ever owned.

Really would like some more rats but I dont want to buy from a pet shop & cant find a breeder in my area anymore. Im from N.Ireland if anyone knows of how I can locate a breeder?

 

[MagicMelon]

I dont think its weird at all. I dont really find wild rats "cute" as such, they kind of creep me out a little but I did have 3 pet fancy rats for a long time. My pet rats were lovely little things, much like hamsters I imagine. Bathing them was pretty horrendous though - the squeeking they'd make was dreadful but they did smell otherwise being boys who scent marked. I'd have them again though, watching them take a boiled egg off me and run off with it to munch on is pretty cute.

fred'sbabe - Try your local pet rescue, they often have fancy rats which need homes due to owners overbreeding or accidentally breeding. I got my 2 from my local one. Yes, they can have the odd health problem, one of the three I got did die pretty prematurely due to a breathing problem but the other 2 were perfectly healthy.

 

[ColandMe]

I hate the damage the wild rats cause, but I do agree that the babies are particularly cute. I've also kept pet fancy rats on and off for years and had mice as a child. Rats were the best ever pet for my son. Daughter had a hamster which was a vicious little thing but his rats were such tame, sociable entertaining creatures.

 

[TED2010]

Euggggggggggg yes very wrong! I hate the little varmint. Am on a DIY livery yard at the moment that do nothing to control the rats. i keep all my feed in bins but other people leave bags of food around which get chewed straight through by the rats with piles of nuts and rat poo left on the floor, its disgusting. i left a bag of carrots on top of one of my bins the other night and without thinking bit the carrot into pieces to put into my feed. To my horror I then pulled out a carrot which had been partially knawed by said rats .... probably harbouring some disease now which is waiting to show up in some nasty way! He he

 

[Fairynuff]

Nope they are disgusting filthy creatures and should be wiped off the face of the earth. How anyone can keep them as pets I just don't know..yuck yuck yuck. Life long vegetarian here..hypocrite yes I'll admit to in this case but when it comes to rats I'd happily see them all gone....and flies....

One of dogs works at killing rats for farmers (and our yard at the moment..we are overrun!!!) and everyone he gets, esp a pregnant one I celebrate. Hate the things.

How sad!

 

[cobgirlie]

How sad!

Whats sad about that? You like disease and filth?