Meet Starla

[silverdragon54]

It's illegal to have a pet rat here in Alberta. That's disappointing...I wouldn't mind having one. Your little sweetie is just adorable! (Individually rats are cute. En masse, they're terrifying. )

As one of our main exports from the province is grain products, which feed the whole planet, it's necessary.  Sadly you can't sterilize rats and they are far too fertile to allow them to ever mate.   

But yes!  They are adorable and smart and they work independently as well as in a team.  All the great things about them are reasons also why you wouldn't want them competiting in the enviroment for  a resource - they just might win. 

I looooooooooooooove how soft their tails are, though!  They look like they'd be all poky and hard but they're SOFT!  My friend had a pet rat when I was growing up in the States.  It actually looked a lot like Stella there!

Really? I didn't know rats couldn't be sterilized. I still think it's unfortunate that pet rats are banned here, but I do understand why it's necessary.

Give the little cutie an ear scratch for me!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Really? I didn't know rats couldn't be sterilized.

It's not that they can't - I mean, you could remove organs out of any animal... but it's rather tricky to perform a neuter, as they are so tiny.  Also they don't always survive the anethesthia, surgery and healing process.  They are also fertile very early after birth so yeah.... think about looking for organs that are smaller than aquarium gravel!  How do you keep them from gnawing at their stitches? 

But I am sure that in places where rats aren't a hazard to our livelihood, there are vets who are able to care for them. 

[Eviecorn]

Love her!  How sweet!

[LunaDehligt]

Cute

[Cumberbatch2012]

It's illegal to have a pet rat here in Alberta. That's disappointing...I wouldn't mind having one. Your little sweetie is just adorable! (Individually rats are cute. En masse, they're terrifying. )

Sadly you can't sterilize rats and they are far too fertile to allow them to ever mate.   

Rats can be sterilized...I'm not sure about spayed, but people on the rat forums talk about having their males neutered all the time.

[girlyponce]

  So cute!

[kittybethy]

Very cute!

[Cumberbatch2012]

Thanks everybody!  She's a little sweety!   

[Honeycomb]

Looooooooooooooove! She's so cute!!! Rats are the best pets in the world, I miss having them ...

[zabe77]

CUTE! I loved my ratties when I was a kid. My girls were always so focused on nesting (and stealing things they thought would look good in their nests) and my boy was so tame, even if I let him run free, he just liked being with me! They make such good pets, I miss mine... maybe again one day!

silverdragon54 I mentioned my pet rats to my friend from Alberta and got the ENTIRE history of rats & Alberta & grain & rat-hunting teams...  I've learned not to mentioned them to people in Alberta as some are quite passionate. It still amazing me that they managed to keep them out or at least mostly out. lovesbabysquirmy is right they're so smart and can work together. Our Pest-guy at work, said he's seen rats use sticks to set off traps to get the food out. When I was a kid, I dreamed of breeding them with thumbs to see if a better ability to handle tools would create super rats! lol!

They can be sterilized but a lot of vets won't do it, I guess it's difficult since they're so small. Plus in somewhere like Alberta, you wouldn't want to trust that all people would do it. So I understand why you can't have them there...

Congrat's on Starla, Cumberbatch2012, so cute!

[Cumberbatch2012]

Recently I went on the Facebook of the pet shop I bought her from and thanked them for taking such good care of their animals.  Starla is one of the happiest, friendliest rats I have ever had!  This shop is run by a group of about 5 people who really care about their animals.  They also do not believe in puppy mills, so they are working with the Humane Society when it comes to dogs and cats.  They don't get their animals shipped to them on trucks, but breed them themselves.  They just opened in December or January and I hope they can make it and stay in business because unlike big chain pet shops, they really know what they're doing. 

[joey]

So cute!  Give her a cuddle and a kiss from me!

[Bubbleyum]

I nearly squealed out loud!!! I love, love, LOVE rats! Sadly I don't have any, anymore, but I use to have some lovely boys. <3 Seeing Starla makes me smile, and also a bit sad in memory of my rat-babies. Take good care of her.