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My family has had rats in my life and they are just sweet hearts. It's only certain ones that are evil. Unless your buy one breed for pets, they will poop, pee, and chew everything. The pet ones are actually kind, loving, and rarely misbehave. I'm guessing you were kind of exaggerating but it just bothers me when people get the wrong idea about rats. I'm not saying it was ok for this incident, that rat I'm guessing wasn't entirely pet trains, hence it's horrible behavior. But anyways, good to know she's recovering.I've always hated rodents, this makes me hate them even more.
Rodents are really just the scum of the earth, no matter how "sweet" some people think they are. I know they are vital to the ecosystem but really, they are horrible creatures that just eat EVERYTHING.
Poor girl, I'm so glad she is making a good recovery. I hope it stays that way. I would wish the same for any other chameleon too.]
Good luck parsons girl.
I'm glad the damage wasn't worse, luckily the rats were just tasting and not outright attacking. It is a good thing she found someone with experience and time to care for her! Good job.
Rats are horrid little beasts and nearly impossible to really keep out. They can gnaw through wood, burrow under ground, and are all in all intelligent.
Any large outdoor enclosure should have a concrete base, thick gauge wire (12 or 14 is usually sufficient) with 1/2 inch spaces and one needs to make sure the animal in the enclosure can't sleep touching any outside wire. I have experience with aviaries of which rats are the biggest threat, I imagine outdoor chameleons are the same. If anyone wants a lot of detail on predator proofing outdoor enclosures nobody has more experience than chicken people. Check out chicken coop designs and such for great tips. I read online chicken communities just for ideas that relate to general husbandry.
.......but whatever it was chewed an appropriately sized hole through pvc-coated wire mesh to get into the cage.
Don't use chicken wire for your coop or run: chicken wire is not a barrier to predators. Most predators can tear through it like tissue paper, and rats can bite through the thin wire as if their teeth were wire cutters. Some smaller rats will simply squeeze through the holes. Chicken wire should only be used to keep chickens in, not to keep predators out. Instead, use hardware cloth, and be sure to provide a small mesh for best protection (1/2" or 1/4").
My family has had rats in my life and they are just sweet hearts. It's only certain ones that are evil. Unless your buy one breed for pets, they will poop, pee, and chew everything. The pet ones are actually kind, loving, and rarely misbehave. I'm guessing you were kind of exaggerating but it just bothers me when people get the wrong idea about rats. I'm not saying it was ok for this incident, that rat I'm guessing wasn't entirely pet trains, hence it's horrible behavior. But anyways, good to know she's recovering.