September 18, 2012
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Rats, by their very nature, must be the pets of patient people. While guinea pigs, likewise scared of everything, will "give up" and accent to being picked while still afraid of their owner, rats will often fight to be let go. They cannot be controlled; you must meet them on their terms. As a natural result, the owner must be patient, engaging in a process that will likely make mistakes and be faulted. Ze must listen to zir pet, in turn learning from each rat's unique personality, terms, and conditions.
My parents have said, multiple times, that, if some arbitrary (read: their [being my parents'] own desire) were not met, they would personally release the rats into the wild to rid themselves of them (domesticated rats, like domesticated dogs and cats, cannot fend in the wild; this is assured death to them). I present this evidence to the jury, that my parents have no regard to the sanctity of any individual's life, unless it complies with their own desires.
However, at least when it corresponds with animals, this should not be surprising: these are the same people who gave a dog back to a shelter, because his shedding was an inconvenience to them (an older dog, therefore more likely of not being resold/being put down), let alone committing domestic abuse.
Comments (4)
people have little sympathy with creatures outside of their own species anyway. I didn't know that about guinea pigs! oh my god, the poor ones. Constantly being taken out of the cage and petted by little kids...that must be a life in torture for them. Many people also keep them on their own, even though they shouldn't be. Same with rabbits. Some also have a rabbit and guinea pig, even though they can't fulfill each others social needs (so I read).
Rats now even seem cooler to me. But one shoud have two as well. I like when I know I'm doing things right, you know? I also think I prefer cats over dogs (don't get me wrong dogs are cute and I'd love to have one) because cats show me what they want. They don't do stuff for me, and rather punish their human than being punished, so when they seem to be comfortable, they likely are. I feel like I have less to think about, when the pet shows me its needs.
@under_the_carpet – I've come to the conclusion over the years that no animal should be bought as one. Even for dogs, who so eagerly make friends with everything. There's a multitude of times where my sister's dog just wants to play, and I just want to sit there and pet him; a friend for those times I'm busy or too tired would be good for him.
I've always been partial to dogs, just because I really like caring about others (and dogs sort of do that as a default), though I'm also quite partial to cats. Rats, I think, are sort of an intermediary: when you finally get them to like you, they really do (they're very social animals); however, once you have, you know (after the months it took to do it) you've earned that trust, plus they'll run to if they get scared on account of you putting in the work to earn it.
This is most unfortunate. I think of my father-in-law, a dairy farmer, God rest him. He cared deeply for his animals. In the private rest home he eventually went to, the resident house cat gravitated to him.
When my kids were growing up, we had a couple cats and a rabbit. All were doted on, and the eventual demise of each was a time of wrenching emotion for both adults and children.
While we watched TV, the cats regularly staked out their spot beside us on the lap of one of us. Even the rabbit used to do the oddest little figure 8 dance in his cage on our approach. He made an odd sound like a stuttering purr when held.
@wrybreadspread – That's wonderful; I'll admit, I'm at a total loss as to how to get rabbits to like you. They always seemed like the most anti-social of creatures (my sister has had two so far).
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