To think pet rats don't belong in coffee shops?

[Rowena191]

I was a bit gobsmacked today in the queue in a coffee shop. The young woman in front of me was wearing a baby sling and out crawled a pet rat, which ran up and down her arm and had a good sniff about. It didn't poo, wee, bite anyone or run on the counter tops. But all the same I felt creeped out. Rats are not what I am expecting in an establishment serving food. I didn't say anything as frankly I was too shocked.

Was I being unreasonable and pet rats are fine? (I do think pet rats are fine if kept in your own home.) Should I have said something to her? Should I have complained to the manager? Plenty of people bring in dogs after all.

I love domestic rats. They do piss everywhere and that's the problem here. I don't know if you can toilet train them. They're incredibly intelligent.

Yes you can.

It's a rat. It can be left in its cage at home. I doubt it loved whatever tiny box she was transporting it around in.

Each to their own in terms of what type of pet they want, but I don't think it's appropriate to take it into a coffee shop.

It literally said in the second sentence it was in a baby sling.

Personally I don’t mind. It wasn’t running along the counter pissing in cups and nibbling cakes.

And I love dogs so don't actually object to them being in cafes but that's only because I happen to love them, I don't reasonably believe they should be there and for anyone who doesn't love them I think they're justified in not wanting to see cafes restaurants etc full of dogs.

You can't teach the males not to dribble piss ie scent mark everywhere they go.

No doubt. That's why they are used as lab models to test intelligence or to carry cables through ducts to put in high speed internet. That's why I have to be pretty fiendish to keep them out of my greenhouse and "rat proof" compost bin.

But, well, I stlil wouldn't want to eat in a restaurant with rats, the movie Ratatouille aside

I can only speak for myself but I've never had a male rat who went round the house scent marking all day long. They don't tend to do the proper scent trails like wild rats do. That's not to say they don't scent mark at all but the amount of urine drops excreted during scent marking is tiny. Many animals scent mark. Dogs do. Cats do. It's an animal thing. It's not any more problematic in rats than in other animals ime.

I know females scent mark less than males but ime males tend to be more affectionate and cuddly than females. I always preferred male pairs. The bigger the group of rats you've got the higher the chance of scent marking. I found keeping a nicely bonded pair worked really well. We had more issues with scent marking when me and my sister had pet rats at the same time. Hers in her room and mine in my room. I guess they could smell each other and it unsettled them.

I would love to have rats again now my kids are grown but my cat would hit the roof.

Better than dogs in a coffee shop.

I once saw a man in a store with a young python wrapped around his arm. The snake was very let and I could pet it, but I prefer rats.

I wouldn't like it.,

oh I’d have been going over to say hi to it!

No different to any other pet animal. I wouldn't mind. Although I am a lover of domestic rats! They are very clean, sociable animals, not like wild rats that may be diseased.

There are rodents everywhere, for those worried about rats 'dribbling piss'. Just because you don't see them, they are likely all over all sorts of food and drink establishments at night.

Awww I used to have pet rats but I would still think this was very weird in a place serving food. My rats would have been freaked out by the hustle and bustle I think. Dogs could easily bark at them and some people - (lots of my friends) -are completely freaked out by rats/rats tails & might start screaming if they saw one. I don't really want pets at all when I'm eating & drinking in cafés but I've accepted that most establishments now allow dogs. Rats are much quieter and less muddy/smelly so on this basis I'd prefer a 'rat cafe' lol 😆 - but id rather know in advance if there are likely to be tame rats. I like visiting cat cafés too 👏 I once saw a chap walking a ferret on a harness down a local canal which amused me and someone a few villages over has a hand-reared pet fox she often walks about on a lead (apparently).

You definitely can toilet train pet rats 👏💗 they are super clever & very clean.

Pet rats are clean and sociable animals. You may not like seeing them out and about. Obviously we do associate rodents and vermin with dirt and disease. But that's like comparing a wild fox or wolf with a domestic dog.

Presumably the cafe owner didn't mind? It's a bit unusual that's for sure.

These comments are getting more stupid, this isn't really a problem is it??

Same way I guess people assume their dog won't go rouge and savage people

Pet rats are trained. Not likely to run off

If it's a pet friendly establishment that freely allows Dogs in, then i think fair enough she brought her pet Rat.
Dogs are far more intrusive to other customers, and many will let them on the chairs, or wander near other tables possibly sniffing other patrons or food begging etc. A rat in a sling will have been very well trained and will stay on the owners person, not running round the floor or going near other diners.

It would be unreasonable and hypocritical for anyone knowingly going to an animal friendly establishment, to be totally fine with Dogs being allowed, but not other species.
Would you have been fine with a cat on a lead?

Fun fact, Rats are incredibly clean animals, who spend more time grooming themselves than even cats do, can be fully litter trained, and the majority have incredibly sweet personalities. They can be taught a multitude of tricks and are very intelligent :)

I assume you wouldn't have been a fan if i'd come in wearing one of my snakes as a scarf either.

Exactly.

But if they allow dogs in fairness I guess they need to allow other pets. It does make you wonder where will it end? There used to be a bloke near my old work in London that had pet weasels. That was before dogs were widely allowed in coffee shops, I can bet he takes his weasels into Starbucks now.

Partly why I rarely go to coffee shops anymore unless I’m stuck waiting for a train or something. It’s just not worth it to sit near wet dogs and all sorts.

YABU. I object to other people being in coffee shops, but I don't get to throw them out. Wind your neck in

Omg I would so love to meet those weasels!

It is time that all animals were banned from all shops and eateries.