Rats and my new baby

Question
I just had a baby in december and we wanted a good pet.  We have heard wonderful things about rats but are unsure of the health risks with the new baby too.  We don't plan on having them on the baby or free roaming around the house.  Would rats still be a good idea for us?  Thank you for your time.

Answer
They pose no health risks at all to you or your new baby!  of course, common sense means wash up before and after handling ANY pet, be it a dog or cat or rat.  Be prepared for alot of negative feed back from family and friends, though.  Just let it go in one ear and out the other. Rats are wonderful little critters with big hearts!  They make great pets!  Make sure you do plenty of research first.  You can start at my website!  

http://freewebs.com/crittercity/index.htm


Just an FYI:  I dont believe in letting rats free roam anyhow. Its very dangerous for the rat being they are so tiny.  A nice roomy cage and a pair of same sex rats will be perfect.  You can set up a play area for them to play (see my page, GETTING STARTED) and an hour a  day of playtime with them out in their play area, and you have happy ratties.

I do prefer males over females ONLY because females, unless spayed around 3 to 5 months of age, are prone to mammary tumors after menopause, around 18 months and older.  The only real way to prevent it as much as possible is to spay that young, which is risky and not real cheap either, so I always go for the males.