I'd like your initial opinions about this message from 2003 comparing rats and sugar gliders as pets. Seriously, take notes while you read it.


http://groups.google.com/group/alt.pets.rodents.rats/msg/60eeedc1ee0860e5

All I have to say is OMG SMH

a very biased post, although some points are true.

Having been a rat owner for years, my kids had rats growing up, some of the virtues are true, but not as glorious as this report makes them out to be. they are smart, kind of affectionate, need less care and are outgoing. but in my opinion, i would rather smell glider urine than rat any day (i thought that to myself when i first got gliders=whew, they don't smell as bad as rats)

you can bet that i probably wouldn't be welcomed at work with a pet rat like i am with my gliders.

Wow. Just wow. Slightly biased. Every said that was a great answer!!! I guess no one knew about them in 2003. Rats are stinky, nasty, and vicious pets compared to sugar gliders. I think he has them switched!!!

I've had pet rats & mice before (so has my mom) and they are so different from gliders it is hard to make the comparison.

Although my rat was very tame, if I took her outside NO ONE ever said, "How CUTE! Can I pet her?"

Once you know what you are doing, feeding a glider is not nearly as difficult as implied in the post.

Gliders are NO WAY as stink as rats and mice.

The whole, they can't bond as well as rats argument needs to be thrown past sleighr and maxwell.

Definitely biased in favor of rats.

The poster possibly got bitten once by a glider and got scarred for life...that's all I can think of.

Whoa-wha? Biased much?

I used to have pet rats when I was younger and have my gliders now. The "stinky syrup poop" honestly sounds like gliders on a poor diet. I've had times where I've had to leave my gliders with sitters and they certainly didn't turn "wild" in my short absence.

There are a lot of things I disagree with in this article as it seems heavily biased in the favor of rats. I think the difference between rats and gliders is like the difference between dogs and cats. While gliders can be affectionate and loving, they can also be a bit more independent and want to do things on their terms, like cats, where as rats may be more likely to comply with what you want to do, like dogs. I also think sugar gliders' style of play is similar to cats; mine LOVE chasing around feather ticklers and playing "hunting" like games.

There are people who strongly prefer cats and others who strongly prefer dogs, and I think the same is true with rats and gliders. I love 'em both.

Incredibly Biased. I have never owned a rat but I feel like this person was totally glamorizing rodent ownership. People at my work call my gliders "rats" and it drives be crazy, I feel like it is an insult. I wouldn't be against owning a rat or mouse if someone was getting rid of it, don't get me wrong.

This person didn't seem to own a glider so maybe they weren't the best person to make such a post. Someone on here who owns a rat would be better IMO. Then again, this was 2003 and I am assuming that a lot less was known about glider back then?! (Correct me if I'm wrong)

I really like Otterun's analogy to dogs and cats. That seems to be pretty close to it.