A friendship with marmots

[Deleted member 8431]

Aren't rats rodents?

I am learning to view them differently. I have always been so afraid them. But now that we have several in our garden and seeing how different my kids react to them (with understanding) I am trying to take an interest in them, instead of running away screaming.

Added:
BTW, the boy in the pictures has some special quality and the animals, too, of course.

Quote from Wikipedia:

"Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus. Many members of other rodent genera and families are also referred to as rats, and share many characteristics with true rats."

I've already had a rat. It was an albinos Rattus norvegicus aka "fancy rat" or "domesticated rat".

It was a really nice and lovely pet. And pretty intelligent as well. When I got home, he would get out of his little cardboard house (that I had made) and would climb the cage so I could grab him and put him around my neck. Then he would stay there all fluffy in the warmth of my skin and fall asleep.

It was really a cute little creature. Here, it looked exactly like this one:

Now I was thinking, the marmots, wouldn't feeding them dangerous in the sense they could become 'addicted' to it and kind of 'forget' to take care of their own? I guess it could happen if it was done often but still, I'm wondering...

 

[Gwenllian]

Aren't rats rodents?

I am learning to view them differently. I have always been so afraid them. But now that we have several in our garden and seeing how different my kids react to them (with understanding) I am trying to take an interest in them, instead of running away screaming.

Added:
BTW, the boy in the pictures has some special quality and the animals, too, of course.

Quote from Wikipedia:

"Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus. Many members of other rodent genera and families are also referred to as rats, and share many characteristics with true rats."

I've already had a rat. It was an albinos Rattus norvegicus aka "fancy rat" or "domesticated rat".

It was a really nice and lovely pet. And pretty intelligent as well. When I got home, he would get out of his little cardboard house (that I had made) and would climb the cage so I could grab him and put him around my neck. Then he would stay there all fluffy in the warmth of my skin and fall asleep.

It was really a cute little creature. Here, it looked exactly like this one:

Now I was thinking, the marmots, wouldn't feeding them dangerous in the sense they could become 'addicted' to it and kind of 'forget' to take care of their own? I guess it could happen if it was done often but still, I'm wondering...

Thanks for this, JayMark.
I think that rats, like snakes and wolves have always been vilified to the extreme and I have been influenced by that.
The rat in the picture looks harmless and yes, cute.
I was smoking a cigarette in the garden this morning and out came the rat and scurried away very quickly. So I guess the rat is more afraid of me than I am of him. I didn't scream or run away, but I didn't feel comfortable either.

About the marmots: I think you are right. We shouldn't feed wild animals. And what was the boy feeding him?

 

[cassandra]

A while back, some friends, family, including my baby were having a picnic by the river. As soon as it got dark, rats, lots of them, began coming towards us. They did not seem in the least bit shy and showed more than a passing interest in our baby.
We shooed them continuously, but unabashed, they did not give up, so we left.
I'm sure they can make good pets, but I have come across stories of rats attacking (I think even killing) human babies more than once.

 

[loreta]

I like rodents. In fact I love them. I know Prairie dogs personally and when I say they are specials it is because they are special. They are very different than a dog, for example. Just looking at their hands... and their eyes... When you live with a Prairie dog you discover how amazing they are. They are intelligent, again their intelligence is very different from a dog's. But not everyone like rodents I have to say. It is ok. :D

All animals are beautiful, in their way. And for me everyone, when you can reach to their soul, are "special". Animals or humans.

Aren't rats rodents?
I am learning to view them differently. I have always been so afraid them. But now that we have several in our garden and seeing how different my kids react to them (with understanding) I am trying to take an interest in them, instead of running away screaming.

Added:
BTW, the boy in the pictures has some special quality and the animals, too, of course.

Yes, rats are rodents and super intelligent. I love them too! :D

 

[emmanuel]

Thank you loreta for sharing this. It's warm my heart. And this say something in this psychopathic world we live in. Beautiful...

 

[Deleted member 8431]

About the marmots: I think you are right. We shouldn't feed wild animals. And what was the boy feeding him?

Yeah I was thinking because I have seen this happening a lot here. If you go on the Mt. Royal, chances are you will be approached by big fat racoons looking for treats. They will take it in your hands and you can pet them (at your own risks though). They are quite tamed. But they are just overweight and don't know anything else, osis.

Same thing with prey birds. A group of photograps/ornitologists would bring dead mice, always at the same spot (field near a village and roads) and wait for the birds to pick em' up to get nice shots. Thing is that these birds eventually became 'addicted' to this and were stuck in a more urban place, not where they usually live.

Not to mention the other familly of racoons that used to live in a big container full of trash. I used to go there and help them getting out (they couldn't by their own as they had no grip on steel) before the garbage truck was about to come so they don't get killed (mother and babies).

Anyhow, that dosen't take the cuteness out of this kid/marmot relationship! :)