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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:
fortyplus · 03/12/2006 13:56

Mine have spent many happy hours at my friend's stables - throwing horse poo at each other etc! They seem pretty healthy

Blondilocks · 03/12/2006 14:01

It must have been pretty safe as everything comes with a massive risk assessment these days & I doubt they would have wanted to incur the results of a manky rat biting your LO & giving her some disease.

However, it is always nice to be asked if it's ok.

handlemecarefully · 03/12/2006 14:59

"Rats are very clean animals"

Sorry, but bollocks!

handlemecarefully · 03/12/2006 15:03

Sorry, you're right - domestic pet rats are clean animals. I was just letting my extreme hatred for the creatures sway me there!

whensantagotstuckupAITCHimney · 03/12/2006 15:49

i am working on a fricasseed rat recipe as we speak... although do you think spit-roasted would be better for finger food, given that the tail forms 'a natural handle'?

(i had a 'friend' who kept a pet rat when i was a teen. unfortunately on the one occasion i visited the rat took the whole 'finger food' concept a little too literally and i, nursing my bloody hand, vowed never to return...)

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 03/12/2006 15:51

No idea. This rat was most definitely raw!

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JanH · 03/12/2006 18:29

Only boy rats do the territorial weeing - girls don't apparently (we just got 2 and I have been reading up) so maybe your vermin was a girl vermin.

Ours are territorial weeers, but very attractive

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 03/12/2006 18:31

I didn't have chance to check this rat's, er, credentials. But it wasn't an attractive one

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WeFrizyouamerrychristmas · 03/12/2006 19:39

at BLW rat, brings to mind Mr Pratchetts 'Rat on a stick' but sticks no so good for the under 1's

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 03/12/2006 20:23

@ the blw blog with Rat on it

Now got images of a discworld blw blog with various recipes from Nanny Og (D'ya think Granny Weatherwax would make a good "childcare guru"? )

WeFrizyouamerrychristmas · 03/12/2006 20:38

go for it flame! I think Nanny Ogg's ideas would go down a storm!

Toady · 03/12/2006 20:46

I think if I didn't faint first I would say quietly with gritted teeth "Get that f***g rat off my daughter"

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 03/12/2006 20:50

Boy's got the Nanny Og cookbook, and it has ettiquette things in the back... I'll see if it has a "small children and rodents" section

soph28 · 03/12/2006 20:51

lol - i have an extreme phobia of rodents so would have had to leg it and deal with baby and, probably dead rat by then, later.

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 03/12/2006 22:24

The woman let go of the rat, leaving it tucked under BabyDragon's arm, so if I had legged it with DD the rat would have come along too.

Snigger @ Rat On A Stick.

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FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 04/12/2006 07:42

Why would anyone let go of a rat on a baby?? Although it was probably someone with a similar mentality to when I took DD to the farm at Easter... DS was 8 weeks old in the sling strapped to my front - and some moron woman wanted to know if I wanted to hold a guinea pig so that he could stroke it

fortyplus · 04/12/2006 09:07

Maybe the rat thought your dd looked more sensible than the woman, so made its own decision to try to leave home & live with you instead?

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 04/12/2006 12:22

At least she didn't put the guineau pig in the sling with him, Flame! thank goodness I wasn't carrying BabyDragon in the fleece pouch... Rat Woman may well have done just that! aaaaggghhh!

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FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 04/12/2006 12:26

Probably would have done had it not been the hugabub

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 04/12/2006 12:28

With a bit of effort you can surely shove a guineau pig in a hugabub... GPig might not take kindly to it mind you.

I still feel the need to brush myself down after thinking about rat-in-the-coorie...

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joelallie · 04/12/2006 13:04

cappucino - that is true IME. My fear of spiders is a bit of a joke in our house alhthough I've really tried to conquer it for the DC's sakes and the older 2 are okish.When DS#2 was about 18m DS#1 chucked a plastic tarantula at me. I pretended to be terrified and screamed. DS#2 came running up and seeing the spider on the floor started to scream and scream hysterically - it took hours to comfort him and he is still very very nervous of long-legged crawly things. I felt so guilty . I'd so anything to take the fear away.

FWIW rats, mice, snakes don't bother me and no, I wouldn't have batted an eyelid if that happened to one of my babies. It's not a wild rat bred in the sewers, it's an animal in a petting zoo, kept clean and healthy just in order that kids can play with them.

tarantula · 04/12/2006 13:10

I'm very good with children you know Much better than some tatty rat

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 04/12/2006 15:42
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Mirage · 04/12/2006 23:11

Has Babydragon suffered any after effects following on from her pissy rat experience?

DD2 is just fine after the pheasant episode-her immunity must be fantastic by now.

Original poster
DoesntChristmasDragOn · 05/12/2006 12:13

Well, she has had some really dodgy nappies but I think she had the first of those before the rat incident and they're due to the stomach bug that's going round at the moment rather than rodent encounters.

At least that's what I'm telling myself...

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