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Secure breeding environments and appropriate good-health measures are key. Wild rats and mice (and other wildlife) are capable of sharing their creepy-crawlies with their domestic cousins. Furthermore, these domesticated rats and mice will share them with other animals at their intended destinations and then, ultimately, with you!

Oxyuriasis - Syphacia muris (pinworms):
     Rat is natural host.
     Transmission fecal-oral, self-cleaning.

Oxyuriasis - Syphacia obvelata (pinworms):
     Mouse, hamster, gerbil is natural host.
     Can affect rats (when housed in same room).
     Transmission fecal-oral, self-cleaning.

Oxyuriasis - Aspiculuris tetraptera (pinworms):
     Mouse, rat (?) is natural host.
     Transmission fecal-oral.

Acariasis - Radfordia ensifera (fur mites):
     Rat is natural host.
     Transmission eggs (results in barbering, secondary skin infections, ulcers).

Acariasis - Radfordia affinis (fur mites):
     Mouse is natural host.
     Transmission eggs (results in barbering, secondary skin infections, ulcers).

Pneumocystosis - Pneumocystis carinii:
     Mammal is natural host.
     Transmission inhalation of spores (it’s a fungus).

Trichophyton mentagrophytes (ringworm):
     Wild rat is natural host.
     Can affect rats, mice, guinea pigs, cats, dogs, humans.
     Transmission direct contact.

Hymenolepis nana (tapeworm):
     Wild mouse is natural host.
     Can affect mice, humans.
     Transmission fecal-oral(?).

We can’t prevent bacteria from being, but we can limit the harm done. Poor breeding practices and facilities contribute to greater risk. Clean bedding and ample space (the more overcrowded, the more likely they are to attack cagemates) alone would reduce such risk to them, to other animals, and to us!

Murine Respiratory Mycoplasmosis:
     Rat and mouse is natural host.
     Can affect hamsters, guinea pigs.
     Transmission airborne.

Pseudotuberculosis:
     Rat and mouse is natural host.
     Can affect hamsters, guinea pigs.
     Transmission fecal-oral.

CAR bacillus:
     Rat, mouse, rabbit is natural host.
     Transmission direct contact

Tyzzer’s Disease - Clostridium piliforme:
     Japanese waltzing mice is natural host.
     Can affect numerous rodent species, rabbits, carnivores, horses, monkeys, and humans.
     Transmission fecal-oral (spores).

Staphylococcosis:
     Rodent (all) is natural host.
     Transmission dirty bedding.

Streptobacillus moniliformis (rat bite fever):
     Wild rat is natural host.
     Can affect rats, mice, cats, humans.
     Transmission bite wounds, scratches, aerosol exposure.

Leptospira icterohemorrhagiae:
     Wild rat is natural host.
     Can affect rats, humans.
     Transmission skin wounds, contact, dirty bedding.

Viruses happen and we can’t do much about that, but we should be concerned about knowingly sending sick animals to their intended destinations! They can get everyone sick and that can become quite costly!

Parvovirus - RV:
     Rat (and wild) is natural host.
     Can affect hamsters, mice, kittens.
     Transmission fecal-oral, urine, milk, direct contact, aerosol exposure.

Paramyxovirus - Sendai Virus (SV):
     Rat and mouse is natural host (moreso mouse).
     Can affect hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, marmosets(???).
     Transmission airborne, direct contact, aerosol exposure.

Paramyxovirus - Pneumonia Virus of Mice (PVM):
     Mouse is natural host (moreso mouse).
     Can affect rats, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits, mongooses(???), and perhaps monkeys and humans.
     Transmission direct contact.

Reovirus - Infectious Diarrhea of Infant Rats (IDIR):
     Rat is natural host (moreso mouse).
     Can affect humans.
     Transmission oral-fecal.

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV):
     Wild mouse is natural host.
     Can affect mice, hamsters, humans.
     Transmission fecal-oral.

Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS):
     Wild rat is natural host.
     Can affect humans.
     Transmission dirty bedding, saliva, respiratory.

Lovely timing!

North American Pet Distributor Inc. (NAPD) is the Upper Midwest’s largest supplier of small animals to the pet industry.”

Click here to see where your pet rats are coming from.

* They “receive hundreds of animals.” They haven’t the space to accommodate the quantity and so many suffer as a result (overcrowding, death, etc)

* Their automatic waterer went awry and drowned sixteen rats [3rd paragraph]. Which means the dead rats were likely stuggling in their tubs for more than 48 hours without anyone noticing the problem. [In the 1950’s Curt Richter performed a series of gruesome experiments at Johns Hopkins whereby he discovered that domestic rats would swim for 60-80 hours before giving up…never thought the results of those experiments would be useful…] Even worse, the drowning incident wasn’t the first, “[t]hat happens sometimes,” according to a NAPD supervisor. . .

* Rats and mice are so overcrowded that they have no other choice but to walk over one another [see images, video].

* Sick animals are euthanized in plastic bags…some more than once…and not according to AVMA standards [5th paragraph].

* Rats flipping showed signs of neurological problems [7th paragraph].

* They sell knowingly sick animals to Petco under the assumption that Petco can recognize illness and will ‘return’ them. [4th paragraph] Don’t assume this is just a Petco phenomenon, either. (And, no, a Petco buyer can’t recognize illness)

And don’t forget to check out the video and additional photos.

More on this:
Kevin Hanson, co-owner of North American Pet Distributors, says

“Animals are shipped to us by vendors, and sometimes they come to us in bad conditions,” he said. “They often have diarrhea, which is often caused by stress. We make them healthy. We can’t ship them unless they’re in good (health).”