Most of us have been in the situation where we’re proudly telling someone about our pet rats, or we’re proudly showing adorable photos of our rats and someone responds with “eww”, and it stings.
People are notorious for negatively stigmatising rats. Whether they’re wild or fancy rats, they too often get lumped with titles such as “gross”, “disgusting”, “smelly”, and “disease-infested”.
When you’re new to owning rats, the comments can come as quite a shock, but even when you’re an experienced rat parent and you’ve been hearing the horrible comments for years, they can still be frustrating!
Where has The Unfair Reputation Come From?
Many people’s first reference is the black plague.
It’s believed that the black plague, which made its first definitive appearance in Crimea in 1347, was believed to have been spread by the fleas on black rats. While there’s no definitive proof of that, it’s also very hard to disprove.
Then there’s the association with New York sewer rats and the diseases rats can carry. If you’re interested in learning more about what rats can carry, here’s a list of diseases transmitted directly from rodent to humans. https://www.cdc.gov/rodents/diseases/direct.html. While there aren’t a huge amount, it’s enough for people to be cautious.
But almost all animals can carry diseases that are harmful to humans. Pregnant women, and those with a compromised immune system are warned to keep away from cats and sheep. There are 13 diseases that can be transmitted from cats to humans, which can lead to severe illness and even death. But cats and sheep don’t have the same bad wrap. So, is there a way to improve the opinions people have of rats?
As a parent to pet rats, you’ll likely face rude and prejudice comments from people who lack an understanding of rats, and who clearly lack manners. I’m sure they wouldn’t be very happy if they showed you photos of their new puppy and you told them how disgusting and gross it was, yet people think it’s acceptable to do that when it comes to pet rats.
Usually, education and empathy win, so we have some tips on dealing with peoples negative and unwarranted comments!
Fight Back with Facts
Tell them the sweet things your rats do and how smart they can be. We know our rats are like mini dogs aka pocket puppies, and they can be trained to follow commands, come when their name is called, and instinctively know when they’re being naughty!
When people are scared about the possibility of rats biting them, you can explain how unlikely that is, but that it is more likely if the rats are from pet shops, particularly larger ones where the rats aren’t handled as often. However, because you handle them and interact with them regularly, they’re very unlikely to bite.
If they say, “does it not bother you that they stink?”, tell them that they don’t because you clean their cage regularly, (could even bore them with how you do it, the products you use and why you use those specific ones), and that their natural odour is no worse than any other pet’s odour.
“Weird people have pet rats, why not get a normal pet?” While pet rats aren’t as popular as dogs and cats, are they unusual enough that having pet rats really make you strange? Rats are a less common choice of pet, but the number of rat parents is growing. It’s estimated almost 200,000 people in the UK have pet rats, and not only does that continue to grow, but with people buying privately from rat breeders, that number could very well be much greater!
Reassurance
Let your negative guests, friends and family know they are under no obligation to hold or pet your rats, or even go near them. You don’t need to hide them, and you shouldn’t, unless you really want your mum to visit and she has a debilitating phobia of rats. Most people can handle seeing them, although, unfortunately, doing so often makes people feel entitled to share their rude opinions.
Help Them Understand How They’re Making You Feel
My nan would often say, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” But sometimes we can offend unintentionally when we don’t realise our opinion was hurtful.
So, ask them if they’ve considered how that comment would make you feel? Too often people still justify their rude comment, so be wary that that may happen. But, if you open up and tell them how it makes you feel, they can take time to reflect on that and are more likely to have more compassion the next time they meet a rat parent.
Online Comments
The internet can be a really cruel place, especially towards pet rats. If you post photos of your rats on your personal Social Media accounts, a general pets forum, or your personal blog, you’re more likely to receive negative comments.
You should absolutely still proudly show photos of your pet rats on your social media accounts, if that’s what you want to do, but if you just want them to be appreciated, then it pays to post them to specific groups or forums such as:
- Reddit: R/RATS
- Facebook Group: People That Love Rats
- Facebook Group: Rat Lovers UK
- RatForum.com
Time to Say Goodbye
Sometimes, you’re just better off not being in contact, (or as little contact as possible), with the people who are horrible about your rats. Fellow rat parents have experienced horrible things like others laughing when their rats die, or saying they would kill the rats if they went near them. If someone is still making mean comments, after you’ve asked them to stop, you don’t have to put up with it, your rats are worth more than that!
Keep Calm and Enjoy Your Rats
People’s negative opinions about pet rats can have a huge impact on our happiness, and when friends and family don’t want to visit, or when it affects our dating lives because that special person doesn’t like rats; it’s important we stay calm and focus on the positives when teaching people about fancy rats.
Regardless of peoples opinions, your rats are beautiful and smart creatures, and you should continue to be proud of them!