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Original poster

What's the ettiquette when someone puts a rat on your baby daughter?

123 replies

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 02/12/2006 13:35

Just wondering because I urned my back for 5 seconds to see what DSs were up to in the Mini Zoo at their school fete, turned back and one of the women running the zoo had put a rat on BabyDragon in her pushchair.

It wasn't even an attractive rat but a grey/brown one which you wouldn't be surprised to see rummaging about in your bin.

I kind of smiled indulgently as BabyDragon squeezed it in her pudgy little hands but inside was screaming "get that filthy vermin off my daughter!"

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 02/12/2006 20:19

Grossarama! I'd have sent that rat flying on pure instinct.

EmmyLou · 02/12/2006 20:31

Best thread title this week.

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 02/12/2006 22:13

To have sent the rat flying would have required me to get within licking distance of the large python wrapped round the neck of a Y5 child...

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WeFrizyouamerrychristmas · 02/12/2006 22:23

I'm surprised baby dragon didn't do an Ozzy Osborne on the poor wee rodent

Blu · 02/12/2006 22:45

eeeurgh! Rats don't scare me, but as Aitch said, they have no sphincters and sort of leak small amounts of wee all the time. Filthy vermin!

realjolly · 02/12/2006 23:23

do they poo and pee from the same bit then...seeing that people keep talking about rats having no sphincter but then about pee....just, I always thought rats are similar like us, i.e. sphincter is in the rear end not Urethra etc...lol!
I like rats, we used to have rats....but must say, I am surprised they out the rat on ayoung, prespeach child without asking the parent first...hm...
went to a lovely far once , when es was about 2 and they had a tiny snale they let the Kids handle...he was called Gary...anyway, I wasn't to sure about it, not because of ds, but was worried about the snake...well, they said not to worry...es nearly ripped the poor things head on...am sure lil Gary was never the same again, lol!

handlemecarefully · 02/12/2006 23:26

I hate rats with an all consuming burning zealous passion (not helped by getting an infestation of them in our loft the other year).

Afraid that I would have become murderously angry at this...[nutter alert emoticon]

HunkerTheInternetPhenomenon · 02/12/2006 23:27

DS2 would have eaten a rat placed on him, I think.

HunkerTheInternetPhenomenon · 02/12/2006 23:32

Seriously though, it's not right to put an animal on a baby - any animal. They are both unpredictable buggers and there's a good chance that one or t'other will end up bitten and regretful.

handlemecarefully · 02/12/2006 23:34

Especially not a hideous fecking rat (hate the feckers!) [froths at mouth emoticon]

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 02/12/2006 23:37

DS wouldn't have been regretful... just would have had a slightly fluffy mouth

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 03/12/2006 09:56

Rat would have been fine, if a little damp, had BabyDragon put it in her mouth - she only has the teeniest tiniest bit of a tooth ATM.

OP posts:
Tortington · 03/12/2006 10:07

violence is always an option - even for the middleclasses

MrsJohnCuSackFullOfPresents · 03/12/2006 10:13

this is really making me laugh - lol at 'rat snob'

I quite like rats, however NOT on my child, uninvited. what a bloody weird thing to do.

The etiquette, I believe, is to knock the bugger on the floor 'by mistake' and stand there helplessly saying 'oh dear' as it legs it into the yawning chasm of the nearby pythons jaws.

WeFrizyouamerrychristmas · 03/12/2006 10:20

ah but dd2 only has gums and its amazing what she can bite thru

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 03/12/2006 13:38

No way was I being violent in a room full of pythons, rats and tarantulas!

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Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 03/12/2006 13:41

I think you'd need teeth to get through the fur on a rat. I guess I can just thank my lucky starts BabyDragon doesn't tend to put edible things in her mouth (and even if she had I guess a rat is, at least, full of protein as well as rat pee - stick that on your BLW blog Aitch )

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SantasFattymumma · 03/12/2006 13:41

i read the title and my immediate reaction was

"punch them in the head"

its sounds as though baby dragon enjoyed it but still, she should have asked permission first.

i would certainly have said something sarky like " oh its ok, put your filthy vermin on my child, i dont mind" all the time smileing sweetly.

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 03/12/2006 13:41

lucky stars

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fortyplus · 03/12/2006 13:43

Rats are very clean animals, so dd won't come to any harm, but it's outrageous that the woman didn't ask you first.

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 03/12/2006 13:45
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Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 03/12/2006 13:45

Are they clean or do they pee everywhere?

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HumphreyCushiONtheFirstNoel · 03/12/2006 13:46

1: attempt to subdue rising feelings of panic and terror.
2: gently remove rat and hand it back to woman.
3: slap woman.

I'm sure that is the proper etiquette - used to be written in the Brownie Guide Handbook.

fortyplus · 03/12/2006 13:48

I know 2 different households where the kids have rats for pets - they come out of their cages and play with the children. It makes me squirm a bit but I've never noticed pee anywhere.

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 03/12/2006 13:51

Apparently rats and mice pee and poo pretty much constantly. An "almost imperceptible dribble" according to a previous poster. I'm not overly worried about that aspect really - I'm not a hygeine freak and she's not been sick!

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