Pet Rat Visiting - Nurses Creeped Out!

[Pepper The Cat]

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.

[caliotter3]

I agree with ashley that a domesticated rat is more clean than a dog and easier to clean up after.

[belgarion]

We had a pt.'s brother bring a Tegu to visit. It's not every day you see someone with a four foot long lizard on a leash. We had to bar it from the hospital though as reptiles tend to carry salmonella.

[MzMouse]

I think rats are adorable; but I am weird that way.

[caliotter3]

I think rats are adorable; but I am weird that way.

We need to start an organization for volunteers to bring pet rats to visit hospital patients. What a way to brighten a patient's hospital stay!

[Poi Dog]

My ratties:

http://allnurses-central.com/pets-and-animals/pictures-animals-ive-610519.html

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

Agree w/ RN/writer. I hate the things, but if they are pet store quality rats, they are as clean or cleaner than any dog or cat. I vote over reacting.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

Well, thanks for all the replies.

I still think rats are creepy! But maybe not so bad as I first thought.

Still - I'd rather the rat be in his cage before I go into the room!!

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

As others have mentioned, domesticated rats are actually very clean, and they generally don't jump from heights.

[Sehille4774]

We used to have 'pet' rats/mice at a LTCF I worked at. They lived in the ceilings and in nooks and crannys, and the old ladies used to save cheese from their sandwiches to feed them when we weren't looking >.

First time a resident (not a particularly with-it pt) reported seeing them under his bed..I definitely thought it was a symptom of his dementia..low and behold, a few nights later I saw the creepy little guy crawling down the hallway and into someone's closet!

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

I felt the same as the OP before my daughter got 3 rats for her birthday. They are the smartest, sweetest little guys you could ever imagine. Whenever I come in her room they run to the cage door and go crazy happy; just like a dog when you get home after a long day. And they love their people family so much; they'd kiss and cuddle you to death if you let them. When I took one of the fellows to the vet, he kept running and hiding on me like he was saying "protect me mommy!" Fancy, domesticated rats are NOTHING like the image some people hold of dirty, wild plague rats of yesteryear.

[nola1202]

this isn't relevant to this thread, but you brought back such great memories, we had a science teacher in 8th grade with a couple of rats in cages. she didn't mind if we borrowed a rat for a couple of hours. I used to wear a big red down parka around because it was so cold in that school. The white rat I was fond of would ride around in my pocket and go to class with me. unfortunately that stopped when I went to spanish class with a very kind young teacher from cuba. she spotted the rats little pink nose poking out of my pocket, followed by a pair of sweet little transparent ears and long whiskers...well she turned deathly pale, screamed, burst into tears and ran out of the room. I was confused and didn't get what the big deal was. another teacher came in and explained that our teacher was from cuba and it was a very poor country since castro came to power. street rats were a big part of her life in substandard housing. she was sent at age 10 to the usa to live with distant relatives by her parents, wanting to ensure her safety. Talk about feeling bad. I apologized on the rats and my behalf and the rats were banned from her room forever, and whenever she came by in the hall, rats were poked deep into our coat pockets out of respect for miss gomez. she was a great spanish teacher btw

[Lucky724]

I'll preface my comment by saying I am huge animal lover/advocate and supporter of any type of animal therapy including, under the right conditions of course, a patient being able to have a visit from their non-human family. We assume as nurses that when a patients family visits that means there is a good relationship, etc. Sometimes the patient has not seen or heard from these people and they are there out of guilt, feelings of obligation or to be nosy. Some families, even if they live and interact with each other daily, are not close and many times people are able to get the acceptance and love from a non-human more so than a human. To me, this rat visiting is not about you or the other nurses that work there, its about the patient and what helps him at this time. If you guys really can't deal for a few minutes/hour while this pet visits (I understand some people have fears of snakes, rats, etc) then find a nurse that can manage it if the patient should need something while the rat is visiting. I agree with other posters, this rat is far cleaner than any baby pooping in its diaper or some of the humans that come to the hospital including the patients themselves and probably quieter and better behaved.