Pet Rat Visiting - Nurses Creeped Out!

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Specializes in Gerontology.

We have a pt on our rehab floor who has been having his pet rat visit daily. (shudder) His father brings it in daily and lets it run around on his bed (shudder)

Many of us are totally grossed out and creeped out by this. I have basically said I will not go into the room if the rat is running around. Totally grosses me out. A few other nurses have said the same thing. I said I would go in if the rat was in his cage - still creeped out, but if it is in a cage I'll cope.

We permit dogs/cats to visit but they have to be leashed and are not permitted to run around. I don't mind those, but the idea of a rat running around on the bed totally creeps me out.

Our Manager has said she is going to check with Infection Control to see about any issues and is going to talk to the family but so far hasn't gotten back to us about any solutions.

Are we over-reacting? What do you guys think??

I think that if this pt wants to visit with his rat he can do it outside in the courtyard where pts are permitted - or just keep the rat in its cage.

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If the dogs and cats can't run around inside, the same should go for the rat because said rat can jump off the bed and go to places that are not in the immediate area of the patient. He can go outside with pet rat or stick his hand in the cage to pet pet rat.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Pet rats are so much fun and such characters. Take this from someone whose husband has 5 male pet rats

Saying that I see no problems with running around the bed although agree infection control needs to be looked out but I feel they are probably a bit more cleaner having to live in a cage to cats and dogs that roam around

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They make small-animal leashes. I bought a leash for a rabbit once, but then the rabbit tried to claw my face off. Maybe just tell them to go to a pet store and get a leash for the rat or keep it in the cage.

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We had several pet rats when I was a kid after an episode of bringing the classroom pet rats home for the weekend. They are big enough to handle but small enough to not take up much room. Cute little guys.

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Pet rats are so much fun and such characters. Take this from someone whose husband has 5 male pet rats

Saying that I see no problems with running around the bed although agree infection control needs to be looked out but I feel they are probably a bit more cleaner having to live in a cage to cats and dogs that roam around

I have two pet rats. They are gentle and intelligent creatures :redpinkhe The little buggers do like to pee all the over place but other than that, they are clean. I wish they had rat foleys available :lol2:

I do understand that people have an aversion to them.

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Specializes in medical surgical.

Have patient keep on leash and clean up excrements. Other than that, I think animals are cleaner than some people!

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I will preface this by saying: I am a RN who has dealt with body fluids, blood, gore and all combined at more than enough times.

But after reading all of above = I just threw up in my mouth

For god's sake these are RATS...... just wikipedia RAT to find out their history and traits....................................................

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Specializes in Critical care, Trauma.

People have bad associations with rats but they're surprisingly clean. They're really not that different than dogs or cats, just smaller. It'd be nice if they didn't "mark" places, but what untrained animal doesn't? :D I wouldn't worry about them jumping off of the bed, they're not going to jump from height. I owned some and my friends and I would put them on our shoulders and walk around the apartment with them. They will walk across your shoulders or snuggle into your hair and sleep but they won't jump. Just make sure they don't let them on the ground as you could then have an issue of running off.

I had a lot of people meet mine that were initially grossed out but if I could get them to pet the rats then within a couple minutes they always loved them. The albino rats can be a bit off-putting with their red eyes but had dark eyes so at least I didn't have that issue. If you pet their heads and ignore their tails it can be a lot easier.

A neat thing to know about rats....it's been said that they can't transmit rabies because of the lack of saliva in their bite. Pretty neat, eh?

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For god's sake these are RATS...... just wikipedia RAT to find out their history and traits.

Is this a white rat bought from a pet store or other reputable place that we're talking about? I hope so. If it's a street rat that someone has tamed, my vote would be no. But domesticated white rats are considered to be disease free and safe enough to use in medical labs.

I had one as a kid, and he was a hoot. I also raised white mice for pet stores when I was in my early teens.

To decide on just an emotional response really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If the animal is healthy and can be contained by a leash or a cage or even a big box, it shouldn't be any more of a problem than another kind of pet.

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Specializes in LDRP.

i have two rats! i love them! and (domesticated) rats are cleaner than dogs.. having said that, i wouldnt have my rats come visit me in the hospital and crawl around on my bed.. not because infection concerns, but id be afraid it would get scared and run off the bed and get lost or something... i think if its in the cage it shouldnt be problem though, if they allow other kinds of animals in...

would you be less grossed out if it was a hamster or a rabbit?

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Oops I didnt see white rat or fancy rat in OP assumed it was the nasty kind haha

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