The differences between wild and domestic baby rats explained
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- Our rescued baby wild rats continue to develop mentally and physically. As you can see in the video, they do seem to have some differences in behaviour, which I think is due to a greater startle reaction and greater anxiety.
Several times in the video, you can see that the babies are conflicted between wanting to approach me, and wanting to flee any sudden movements. If I am patient and non-threatening, their desire to be with me wins out.
Feeling nervous is unpleasant, so rats prefer to avoid those situations (just as with people who have phobias.) Normally, these babies would prefer to avoid contact with people, but these rats were raised by me and they feel strongly drawn to me, hence the conflict they are feeling.
Some babies seem to be naturally more bold and trusting than others, probably because they have a weaker startle reflex, either because they don't produce as more adrenaline or neurotransmitters involved in anxiety, or they possess fewer receptors (remember, it is possible to treat phobias in people using drugs, and mice and rats were the original test subjects!)
Domestication occurred when we selected and breed those rats which are naturally more calm.
But, although these rats may be thought of as paranoid (by domestic standards), this neurosis would help them survive in wild, where everything really is trying to kill them.
As pets, they simply require more patience and understanding, just as a person would with the same condition. And, through desensitization by gently and gradually exposing them to "scary" situations, we can teach them to overcome their fearfulness, just as a phyciatrist would help a person with this condition.
Update: after breeding Rattus rattus for many generations, we now have tame, domesticated Roof rats available for adoption!
Do you want pet rats like the ones in the video? We have cute and friendly rats available for free adoption by responsible pet owners. www.ocdumbos.com
Here are their original blog posts:
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ocdumbos.com/bl... - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
I've had a wild pet mouse for two years, exceptional circumstances, he's been such a little joy for me. The only problem is vets aren't allowed to treat them where I live, so I have to learn it all myself.
I find it distasteful, that a willing customer for a veterinarian cannot be serviced for their adopted wild animal, yet a store-bought, non native species are always accepted for treatment.
@@MissMarshall it isn't distasteful, it makes sense. There's been a lot of wildlife rescue organisations that nurse animals back to health, but governments are right to be worried about overpopulation. As a vet you cannot determine whether OP would release this rat or has a small, secret, illegal rescue. While that isn't the case here, screening all customers with a similar situation is a bit of a waste of time.
I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with it personally, but understanding why they reject OP is important still.
@@banina1836 Overpopulation are you kidding? It's a native species.
Same situation with me! Luckily my little Morty has been perfectly healthy since I saved him! There's not a doubt in my mind he loves me as much as I love him!
@@xenjanobody2097 I just want to confirm. You have one rat? I have one but didn’t know if I should rescue another one from under my house so nibbles has a friend
I hate rats, but I actually really like this guy's approach to them. Upfront and honest, and the rats are kinda cute tbh. I had a roof rat come into my house every night for one whole winter, and I used to prank him with tape and honey and random food and stuff. Nothing that could really hurt the rat; it was just silly fun. I started calling him Ratatouille because he came through the kitchen. Once, he walked all the way up to my bedroom doorway, and I when I saw him and I asked "Hey buddy, what you doin'?" He froze for a split second, and then scampered off back to the kitchen lol. Roof rats can be a nuisance in large numbers, but are also very misunderstood. Nice informative video! Thanks :)
@@PetRoofRats Lol you should have named her Melon-y (or Melanie, lol) since she seems like she was a little melon addict. How cute! Ratatouille was very scared at first, but I think warmed up to me when he saw me leaving pizza rolls and cheese out in the little maze I made from the hole in the wall to the food. I was sick in bed one week and I ate some food which left crumbs on a plate sitting on my nightstand, so maybe he was going after that. I had recently placed my food in glass containers because he kept chewing into it, so I think he was hungry. I left some pizza rolls out by his little hole in the wall after that, haha.
@@PetRoofRats 😂 Oh boy, hopefully she didn't do too much damage! I bet she was wise to traps too, since she'd seen them before most likely. I had a squirrel chew through one of the electrical wires on my A/C unit and start a fire this summer. Thank goodness I was out there and was able to put the fire out! -.-
@@PetRoofRats That's one expensive rat! I was sitting on my porch the other night having a smoke, and a big male roof rat walked right up to me holding an entire starburst candy in his mouth... wrapper and all! I named him "Candy Rat".
@@PetRoofRats I tried, but he skittered off into rat-topia (AKA my crappy shed). Few nights later was testing my memorized aim with an air rifle that'd had its sight AND scope broken off. Saw a huge one of these rats crawl down my bird feeder, took a (literal) shot in the dark, and nailed it straight in the torso by complete and total memory/guesstimation. "THUD KERSPLAT!" Apparently I can hit targets with no scope OR sight with a really shit air rifle. Ninja level with a shitty broken air-rifle achieved? I think maybe. The ultimate rat-trap: me with a broken air rifle... and ridiculous amounts of practice. They chewed through some wires in my attic, so I pretty much had to. Don't wanna burn down my house full of rogue birds. I would prefer to avoid becoming crispy with a net trying to catch all the birds in the aviary as my house is reduced to ash by a little gnawing bugger just doing his little gnawing-on-wires thing in my attic.
Awww that’s really cute and sweet of you :3
His soothing tone is for the rat babies but I could listen to this guy talk quietly for hours. It seems to work on rats and also 44 year old adult male humans. We’re equally skittish 🤷♂️.
You've made my day :-)
i had gotten 9 baby roof rats when they were about have a week old but unfortunately 8 died but the last one his name is whiskey and he knows i’m his mommy so he loves me very much and he’s so sweet
Bless your kind heart!!
They are so cute, have had pet white rats before, they were terrific, funny, very intelligent, super clean, and loving, just like a dog. So people, please think for a second before you discount these dear little creatures ❤❤❤
Very cute little rats.
Having pets is selfish reasons, to feel accepted and friends . I had rats when i was young and had moved to a area where i had no real friends so they comfort me in some way .
Rats don't judge people. They make friends unconditionally. I think you had the right idea.
You are amazing I love these babies hopefully they are still alive❤❤
It was a while ago, but we bred them and we have their offspring.
Hi there! Can we get in touch? I am pretty sure that our newest addition is a juvenile roof rat. My daughter's doctor's daughter's found a dead mamma rat with babies. My daughter's doc bottle fed them. Two survived. Unfortunately, a male and female so we took the female since we have 10 Fancy Rats. I began to think there might be a bigger difference that wild versus domestic or old versus young when I noticed the greater startle reaction, a size/shape difference, SUPER soft darker fur, really long tail, and A LOT more scurrying and climbing. On the one hand, she reciprocated a rat challenge properly (stand up straight with nose pointed at sky and "pattycake" until one gives way). On the other hand, I got concerned that she was actually a mouse versus a rat when I saw the different poop which is MUCH more mouse-like. So, I thought that she could be a mouse...but I have seen way too many of them in our barn to be confused. So, I started this internet search to see what other kinds of rats might be out there that I didn't know about. I am so glad I found your video because it was the final proof I needed...to see the little dudes in action!!! I have her living with the fancy rats. The girls immediately liked her and treated her like a baby, even grooming her. Lucy, on the other hand was not having any part of them. So I put them in the "harmony hut" for an hour (cat carrier with nowhere to hide inside; place on top of washing machine in action; smacked the top of the cage every now and again; learned to do this with my bunnies who bonded out of fear). Now, they get along great and even snuggle. I was hopeful you could share some more wisdom since you have started breeding them. BTW, Lucy got out because the cage wasn't put together right. Thank goodness she was trained to jump on a human hand. She hid for at least half a day. When I saw her pop out, I immediately got down on the ground (in slow motion) and offered my hand. She hopped right on up and back in the cage she went.
Sure. Email me at ocdumbos@gmail.com
You can also check out our website: www.petroofrats.com
And I encourage you to post questions, photos and video on our Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/petroofrats
I rescued a 13 day old norway wiled rat that was abandoned by his mother, i bottle fed him. He is so cute much like your little babies he is much faster than fancy rats and more survival minded. But he is trained and a fast learner with the will to please he is not food motivated like some fancy rats, i trained him to come to his name, to sit still on my hand, to clime on my sholder when he wants to go back to the cage. He is vary well manored and a good pet. But more agile and quick witted than my fancy.
@@PetRoofRats that is realy cool! I think its awsome yoy guys are doimg this! I love to see people breeding rats with dark fur and eyes. You guys are awsome!! I feel bad for the rubie eyes rats as they have been breed into blindness... I wonder if we could make perscription glasses/gogles for them... I love rats they are so smart and wonderful pets.
@@honestlythetruth6664 😂 lol! There are white red eyed hamsters that are blind or deaf due to improper breeding.
I love 💕 red 🍒 eyed rodents and rabbits rabbit 🐰🐰 but I don't want them to be inbred or handicapped
Hello, I saved a wild rat from a glue rat trap, working on his cleaning with oil then have given somehow a bath using good quality shower gel.
Now it is clean from the glue and oil.
Have built a good container for it have added an interesting stuffs, I give it green leaves and grass, cashew nuts, milk.
Is it ok ?
But I don't know how should I bond with it?
Also is it necessary to take it to vet doctor ? But I Can't because I have kept it hidden with my parents.
Please suggest me in these two cases
Bonding with the rat
And vet doctor
Thanks.
Aww they are adorable!
I rescued 10 baby rood rats. There were so many it took all day feeding them that I didn’t have time to give them extended individual attention so they stayed timid. They are 7 months old now and adults. They aren’t terrified of me as we live together however I cannot hold them and they often hide when i approach their cages. Do you think there’s any hope that I can tame them? I should have spent time with them in the bathroom. I was always afraid they would escape
Some rats are just naturally timid while others are more brave. If you really spent a lot of time with them they would possibly learn to trust you more and like you more. Nothing is hopeless. But it’s easier with some rats than others.
Awww...they are SO SWEET❤️🐀❤️
They're very cute!
They’re cute until you get a infestation
Están bellísimos me encantan 👍👌👏👏👏👏👍🏻🤗🤗
We have roof rats here at our building in Vancouver Canada. I've seen a few and my friend found a very young female and thought about keeping her but decided to put her back into her mischief. I raised wild mice for about 10 or so years. Now I have four female fancy rats
They look like baby Dumbo's so cute 😍😍😍
I have wild mice. I need to get them a cage because they are messy. They are adorable but I can tell you that I don’t find their poop adorable at all they come out there are like five of them that come out maybe more because I could never hurt them and they know that they know that I never heard them. They seem to be taking advantage I want some of them they thought they were gonna take the house and I said you know like I woke up in the middle of the night went to the bathroom and came back and I pulled the covers up and there were there was in the bed just sleeping in my bed are warm. It was funny.
probably better off with an animal that can be litter box trained
Can you make a video on an update about cece please. 👍
They appear to have a more versatile tail
Their adorable. Thank you for rescuing them
Hello, I saved a wild rat from a glue rat trap, working on his cleaning with oil then have given somehow a bath using good quality shower gel.
Now it is clean from the glue and oil.
Have built a good container for it have added an interesting stuffs, I give it green leaves and grass, cashew nuts, milk.
Is it ok ?
But I don't know how should I bond with it?
Also is it necessary to take it to vet doctor ? But I Can't because I have kept it hidden with my parents.
Please suggest me in these two cases
Bonding with the rat
And vet doctor
Thanks.
Assuming it is an adukt rat then you need to feed it actual rat food. As for bonding with it, if it is an adult, that will be hard.
They look like little dumbo babies so cute
Interesting vid, and they look like “Black Rats”, as opposed to Norway rats. I’ve raised wild and domesticated rats who were orphaned, as well as many mice, both wild and domesticated. It is true that the wild ones are more skittish, agile, and “able to jump tall buildings in a single bound”. The domesticated versions are more placid and less athletic. If only a single rat or mouse is raised by a human, that rat or mouse often ends up being much more tame than if raised within a litter. Even so, they all have slightly differing personalities, causing some wild ones to be a bit more placid and some domesticated ones to be skittish, and many variations in between. You did a great job, and all look healthy.
Yes, these are Rattus rattus (also called Roof Rats.) Not sure what species your "wild" ones are, as the native "wild" species depends on the location. The colder areas are Rattus Norvegicus, while the warmer areas are Rattus rattus. They are very different, as the former are fossorial while the latter are arboreal rats, hence different behavior, climbing and jumping ability. Rattus Norvegicus also happen to be the species of rat that was domesticated to become Fancy Rats, while Rattus rattus were previously never domesticated.
However, I have been breeding these Rattus rattus for tameness for many years, now, and my rats are now very tame and are kept by many families as pets. You can read about it on my website: www.petroofrats.com/
They are still arboreal, and can still climb and jump very well compared to Fancy rats, but they are friendly, playful and enjoy human company. Even though they may have come from big litters and raised completely by their mommy rats, just like normal. Check out this litter of 8 baby Roof Rats that I was playing with for the first time ever: ua-cam.com/video/To6YtNJ_dXY/v-deo.html
I used to raise Dumbo rats, and I can tell you that it would be rare for an entire litter of 8 babies to all be as cooperative as this litter of Roof rats!
Hi dude I have a question I don't know i have a rat in my house and don't know if he is wild or not, he is fully black
Are u sure there mice not rats
@@PetRoofRats oh ok
@@PetRoofRats they are nice
@@PetRoofRats ok
@@PetRoofRats I'm 13 years old, but i want one of these adorable little rats
@@VypaGaming so ur 15 now right cool I’m 12
Can they live together??
Possibly, but we don’t let ours live together.
Hiya i rescued a baby roof rat about 3 weeks ago. It's about 5 - 6 weeks now. What should i be feeding now? Ive put regular rat food and doesn't seem super interested. Ive also been doing wet cat food which she sometimes eats. She still likes to lap up kitten milk. I'm new to this and unsure on what's the next step. Thank you
Give it kitten milk for as long as it wants. If you soften the rat food with apple juice or milk it's more likely to try it.
@@PetRoofRats Thank you:)
I cannot understand why nobody is breeding them. They would be great pets.
They are not domesticated, unlike our "fancy" norway rats. Even when raised by humans, they are still wild animals and will not form such a close bond to their owners like the domesticated norway rat. Domestication is a long process, our fancy rats even have a different anatomy than wild Norway rats. Fancy rats need close contact to their humans. Rattus rattus will never enjoy a life as a pet as much as a fancy does.
@@PetRoofRats Hello Brian.Thanks for the videos.I always kinda wondered if there's someone out there who actually has wild rats as a pet.I used to watch them a lot when I was younger.I'd go out, sit down by the river and just watched them for hours.They have always fascinated me which people find weird as they either hate them or are scared of them.I even had a rat not the wild one but the one from the petstore.I can tell the differences straight away just by watching them to act and behave basically.I always wondered at what would happen if I took a wild rat from its birth and tried to domesticate it.How did they manage to domesticate the pet rats then? They almost seem to be two different animals... also, how do they get along together ? Have you tried to put them together or something ? I mean the pet and wild ones.
@@PetRoofRats Agreed. They are different, and not for all, but if you put the time and effort into raising one from a baby, and use confined areas for training and housing, they're awesome. My 2 favorite rats ever were my 2 wildies who eventually had a critter nation in their own room with plenty of rope bridges, tubes, etc. and lived a happy 4 years in safety, with all that they needed. I'd say they were happier and healthier than their living-in-the-wild counterparts.
Aww
Nice
How do you know if the rats have diseases or not?
@@hisnameisiam808 you can get them tested.
@@PetRoofRats ok. Is it expensive?
@@hisnameisiam808 It cost about $800 for a full set of tests including sample collection and etc
@@PetRoofRats thank you! Jesus loves you! ❤️
Rat man!!! Nananananananana Rat man!!! Nananananananana
Where is the sound?
I can hear sound when I play the video
Are they Rattus rattus?
Did you rescue them? They are not common pets. Fancy rats (norway rats) are more common.
Those aren’t mice ?
Roof Rats (rattus rattus)
Mice aren't communal and are as related as we are to them. They just have similar features because small animals tend to.
Theres not much difference
They are mice
Oh sorry I live in ireland and I have a pet wood mouse and it looks quite similar
How do I send a picture
It won’t let me sign in
Sorry I am on your back at whatever time it is where you live but I tried is there any other way I could send a picture
brian starr I do have one but I can’t find your name
there mice not rats
They're baby roof rats (rattus rattus).
🤢
fuck off
Fuck off you twat