Today I was offered a rat by a lady who i kind of know through a neighbor of mine. she had got this rat for free off CL to feed her 5 foot python (OMG i almost died when she told me that!!! ) and her python escaped and they have been unable to find her so she didnt want the "feeder" rat. well in no sense of the word is this a feeder rat! this rat is sooooooo tame and calm! he likes to ride in the car on my shoulder and he loves to play! We named him Templeton (cheesy i know...Lol)

she was feeding him dog food so if any of you own rats i would like to know what food you recommend and what you recommend for treats (like i said he was on a diet of dog food, cheetos, and doritos) it is an "unaltered" male and hes kind of chunky....

im pleased that he has joined our family and i wanted to introduce him to you all......

drum roll please........

here's Templeton!!

Aww, very cute rat! Congrats!

(and the fact that her five foot python is missing has me concerned, lol )

holy cow... that rat is huge. i'd love to see the snake that was going to eat THAT!

Oh, you really need to head to the pet food store and get this rat on a proper diet. Kaytee has a great rat mix for food and ask the staff to help you out with the treats.

Rats are really fun and incredibly smart creatures. Enjoy!!

Hehe That is one huge rat! I thnk it may be larger than my 2 rats put together. lol

I feed my rats Mazuri Rat and Mouse Diet. It is a pelleted diet that can be found a petsmart. I believe I get a 2 pound bag for around $7. It is way better than seeds and all that other high fat food that is out there. For treats, they usually get veggies and fruit. They aren't picky eaters and will eat anything you put in front of them, healthy or not. Mine love yogurt, peas, potatoes, rice, cherries, cheese and pasta.
Do not feed your rat:
Chocolate
raw beans
caffine
anything carbonated
lots of sugar/fat (junk food)
raw sweet potato
cabbage/brussle sprouts

LOL HEE HEE OK riding on your shoulder while driving ?? lol hee hee

Yes he loves to ride on my shoulder while driving....LoL....we went several places today and when my kids got out of school i took them through the drive thru at wendys to get frostys for;a treat and everyone in the drive thru loved him! one girl gave me a chicken nugget for him (but he wouldnt eat it)

when you pick him up he immidiatly goes to your shoulder.....which makes me think he was never supposed to be a feeder rat and was probably someone pet before the lady got him to feed to her snake.
so far the only thing ive gotten him to eat is girl scount peanut butter cookies (the kind without chocolate!) and saltine crackers....first thing tomorrow as soon as jacks is open we are heading there to get some "decent" food for him. when she said he comes with cage, food, water bottle and toys i didnt think she meant dog food

thanks for the great advise guys! I just got in from playing with him outside.....he rode on around my shoulder of course...lol....he's so sweet!! this is my first rat so im learning as i go....i do have one more question though i notice he likes to "burrow" under things like towls, blankets, ect... is there something specifically made for rats to burrow in? (kinda like a happy hut but maybe more round?!?)

Wow, he's cute and looks pretty big!

That is what I hate about CL, people post their pets to rehome and many of them don't care what happens to it and they don't bother to adequately screen the potential new owners.

Wow impressive big rat! Although, he did give me the heebeegeeves (how ever that is selled).

Just wondering about his name....did you get it from Charlotte's Web?

And another thing. I have to wonder how much this lady even knows about snakes. It's never a good idea to feed live rats/mice to snakes simply because the snake could be seriously injured. Usually most snakes are fed a diet of frozen mice. Of course, I don't know much about snakes myself, just what I've picked up from a good friend who has about 6 different types of snakes (although none as large as a python).

That is one big rat!!! And they ARE sweet! I had one when I was a kid and I still miss her! Most people don't like rats or rodents but they can be sweet and cuddly. I'm glad you saved Templeton! That will be one lucky rat!!

Yes thats where we got the name the kids LOOOOOOOOVE the movie charlottes web! and they thought he looked like templeton when he grabs food and runs away with it.....LoL


I dont know a whole lot about snakes but i do know some WONT eat frozen rats or mice and have to eat live rats/mice last year on our craigslist there was a man getting free rabbits, rats, and kittens and feeding them to his python and i thought when the sh*t hit the fan animals lovers here were gonna skin this man alive! he said he didnt see what the big deal was cause his animal had to eat too i bleieve snakes have to be "taught" to eat frozen feeders.....




He is really big! I wonder why he's so much bigger than any other rat i've seen......

My son had a rat, Andrew , when he was younger. I was against it, but he turned out to be the sweetest, smartest, gentlest little guy. Used to ride in Tylers pocket and would play like a kitten, chase strings, bat balls, he was the best. I fed him a good rat food I got at the pet store. can't remember what kind, it s been a couple years. Fresh veggies and alfalfa. No doritos or cheetoes, too mucjh salt. Andy loved a nice piece of cheese now andthen. He died of old age, so I must have done something right. We all cried when he died. He really became a part of the family. Congrats on your new addition. Lucky you!

Someone else you might contact who has rats is Majj...

Also, rat's life expectancies aren't a long long time...3 - 5 years from what I understand.

I'm just not a rat person...something about how they use those tails just gives me the Heebie Jeebies like Rufflesmomma said...

If that gal was going to feed her snake that big of rat...that had to be One Big Snake! And I agree, I'd be worrying about where the heck that snake went. I like snakes even less than I like rats...Ewwwww...I have the creepy crawlies just thinking about that snake...UGH!

That is about right, it isn't very long. I have had rats my entire life, and I have found the average to be around 4 years. I have 2 right now, Moo and Mini-Moo. Moo is the mother, she had a litter of 9. I kept Mini-Moo because she was the only female and was identical to her mother. (Her mother is a dumbo rat which means her ears stick out the side of her head) Moo is going on 7 years this summer which is an insane lifespan for a rat, especially one that has had babies in the past.

It's illegal to own a rat as a pet in Alberta but I've heard from many people that moved here from other provinces that they make awesome little pets. Unfortunately they are short lived little guys. If you're prepared for their short lifespan however there is usually no shortage of ratties looking for a good home, especially off places like Craig's list and Kijiji.

We try to tell people all about the issues with rehoming on these sites without checking out the homes but this story at least has a happy ending. If you have time would you mind sending me a PM of your story? I would love to print it off with some pictures of Templeton for our adoptions department to show people... hopefully it keeps some other pets from winding up in the same situation!

Templeton is a lucky lil' rat! I hope you get him on some good food soon . If you need some activities that will help Templeton loose the excess poundage I hear rats are excellent swimmers! If you put a slightly submerged clear platform into the water they will swim to find it and climb up and get faster and faster at finding it no matter where you put them in the pool (unless of course you move the platform). They are smart!

He's adorable (and HUGE) I've had pet rats but he's a lot bigger. Rats make wonderful pets.

All the goodies you feed the birds to supplement their diet are also good for the rat. Just add an extra serving to the daily round of rice/ pasta, veggies, chicken, fruits, etc for Templeton to supplement his basic pellet diet.

Have fun with your little guy!

I figured as much. Charlotte's Web was my favorite book as a child. I must of read it 100 times or more. Read it so much that I wore the book out

Cute Rat Although not too sure about a pet rat We had them living in my garage a few years ago..nasty critters(although these where sewer rats)! But I too have heard they make neat pets!
We had a Boa for awhile and he was fed live feed.Although without getting into gory details..we stunned the food first so it was a little dazed before offered to the snake.The vet told us when feeding live feed. to make sure there is a large enough place for the snake to attack.If in a too small enclosure and the snake cannot be fast enough in its strike it can and almost always will be hurt.The trick it making sure there is enough room for nature to take its course..we took Rose out of her enclosure and put her and the food in a dark corner of the basement.My understanding is that the larger snakes thrive better when able to catch and kill their prey..it natural to them.


A missing 5 ft Python?? That can't be a safe thing for small children and dogs

We got a little mouse on Friday. The breeder also had rats, but none I was "taken" with. Guess it's a good thing, I think the inn is almost full...

A rat. Wow. Not something that I would consier because I get goosebumps when I go to a pet store and here them making noises but hey, every animal deserves to be loved and cared for. I have to agree with most, that is a BIG rat. Is it that big, or does the camera make it look bigger? Well, good luck. I have a quick question, do they bite?

Awww What a cutie! Eeeeek on the snake getting lose though.