I need help for a science fair! Rat questions!

[daisym6]

I have a science fair coming up and i need help with the question, all i want to know is if your a kid or adult, and what is the first thing that comes to your mind about rats in general, if you like them tell why you like them and if you don't like them why you don't like them thats all and thanks for the help!

[sherrardk]

Adult, don't like rats, they are terrorising our rabbits and we have put poison out (in a proper trap thing) to kill them.

[boxtops]

I don't like their long pink tails.

[Old_Geezer]

Adult. Plague. Neither like nor dislike them. I'm sure pet rats are fine, wild ones are vermin.

[grasscarp]

I dont like the size of them. I am an adult. I was in Mauritius recently and walking from my room across the garden to the pool/restaurant area. Saw moving animal and thought it was a squirrel. Realised it was a squirrel size grey rat! Shudder.

[JonnyBoy12]

I am a 39 year old child often dignified with the lable 'adult' but completely hate rats.

Did you know that this word is an anadrome of the word 'star'?

[daisym6]

This is great! Thanks everybody! I still want some more answers but all this is great and I will add this to my board.

[wolf63]

I am 'over 21' and like rats - but I am sure that my cats would like them quite a bit too.

Rats are smart and make good pets, I have never had a pet rat but only because I am a dog or cat person.

[Maydup]

I'm adult and loathe rats. Its the tails mostly and their vicious little faces. How anyone can keep them as pets I'll never know.

[erin-x]

I am an adult and I think rats are the best pets you can have other than cats and dogs. They are very clean and really smart. Very mischievous also! I wish I could have rats again but can't because i'm allergic :-(

[lcg]

as a young child: my friend had a menagerie, including dogs, cats, horses, birds, rodents, fish, rabbits, a tortoise, snakes, spiders, lizards and rats. clean, intelligent, sociable and funny little creatures. better than their mice, hamsters or gerbils...but not their guinea pigs! x

[ladyalex]

Adult.
I hate them .
And i'm scared of them.
Horrible darting about things with scaley tails.
Getting the horrors just thinking about them.

[RATTER15]

I have kept rats as pets, ive hunted them with terriers and ferrets, ive snared them, shot them and poisoned them for 13 years.

Most of all im fascinated by them, they really are magnificent creatures and an important part of our countryside.

I think they are great!

[S_C]

adult
hate rats

Rats are generaly a dirty animal carrying flea's , the black death's spread was attributed to the flea's carried by rats.

rats that get into your home " not pets " will hide somewhere warm and dry and steal your and your pets food as well as cause damage to floorboards and such a they burrow through it to gain access.

these are vermin and sadly there is a definate problem of rats in big cities

[dzug2]

Adult - neither like not dislike them. Intelligent is the first word that springs to mind - along with the saying you are never more than a few yards from a rat.

[daisym6]

OK one more question... I think! I'm bringing my rats to the science fair (an attempt to show how cute pet rats are!) How should i set the rule: Please don't hold them unless you've had experience. My partner for the science fair and I, think unless you've had experience with rats or rodents you can't hold her but you can pet her will be the rule but is that reasonable? I won't let people hold my shy-er one, Star but my brave one, Ruby will be the one getting held. Thanks SO much it really helped (most adults do not like rats!) :D

[erin-x]

If they were mine I would be wary of letting strangers hold them. And if there is going to be a lot of people there, they may get spooked. I think just letting them pet the rats would be ample.

[RATTER15]

My advice would be "DO NOT TOUCH", your rats will not appreciate it one little bit!!

>>>Rats are generaly a dirty animal carrying flea's , the black death's spread was attributed to the flea's carried by rats.<<<

^^^Different species of rat, rats are actually very clean creatures and very rarely carry fleas.

[RATTER15]

^^^ OK I had better mention that they do carry some unpleasant diseases. :)

Not the pet ones, just the wild ones, however they are exactly the same species of rat.