There are many people that love rodents as pets. Many have mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, even rats. They are a lot of fun to watch, and there is an entire pet industry that has been made for the care and containment of these rodents.
Rats fall into that class. There are many people out there who have rats in their home, and by choice. They do make for a fun and entertaining pet to say the least. So why wouldn't it be a big deal to have a rat as a pet?
The Pet Store Kind Is Good
There really is not an issue with owning a rat as a pet as long as it is one that you purchased at a pet store or other licensed establishment. These rats have been checked to make sure that they are not the carriers of any kind of disease or pathogen that would endanger you, your family, or your pet. While not "domesticated" per se, they are safe enough for a person to have without concern for any potential health risk.
The rats that you find it pet stores and other similar businesses often come from some kind of genealogy that has been approved by the local and federal governments. This enables you to feel safe about owning an animal like this.
But What About a Stray Rat I Find?
Because there are so many who have purchased a rat from a pet store and have had no issue, they believe that a rat that they find around their home or in a field one day would be just as safe to own. That is not the case at all.
What separates a wild rat one from the pet store is the health of the animal. Rats carry more diseases that are dangerous to human beings than any other animal on earth. Some of these are quite serious, including tapeworms and rat-bite fever. These can be deadly, and a rat you find out near your barn or scurrying across your living room could potentially carry these diseases.
The dangerous part about them is that it is not the risk of being bitten by one of these animals that puts you in jeopardy. You could be cleaning the cage one day and breathe in the fecal particles of one of these animals. Inside the particles could be a tapeworm or bacteria that could endanger your health. It simply isn't safe for you to be around one of these animals, much less keep one as a pet.
Be Smart
The smart option is to purchase one at the store if you truly would love to have a rat as a pet. In this way, you protect the health of you, your family, and your pets. It truly is a danger to even breathe in these particles, and there is no reason to do something so ridiculous. You will be glad you purchase one from the store instead of putting your family at risk.
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