I have four. So this will be a long post.
Name: Romeo
Gender: Male (almost 3 years old)
Health Issues: Has had URIs, a cyst, and some abscesses- all minor, really. He has a small lump under his arm pit now but it hasn't changed in over a month and is smaller than a pea. I think it is a cyst (since he's had them before that makes sense).
Are They A Good Pet? Definitely. Romeo is super sweet/cuddly, and tries to play even though now he is too old to keep up with the others.
Picture(optional of course, i just love to see the little guys):
Anything You Want To Share About Them: He was my first rat, when I got him he could sit on my laptop mouse pad and fit- he was teeny. He will be turning 3 in may. He is a rex coated rat, which makes him very soft. His coat thinned when he aged, so he looks a bit bald in some photos. (NOTE- it isn't normal for most rats to go bald. He has peach fuzz all over his body and the vet has determined it to be age related for this particular rat. If you see hair loss on a rat go to the vet. His hair loss was also partly caused by lice and although not much has come back, since he's old, a little bit has since I treated him for parasites.)
Name: Louis
Gender: Male (under a year old)
Health Issues: This guy is prone to URIs, and is sensitive in general. He's also a tad overweight but it's likely genetic.
Are They A Good Pet? Yes, absolutely. Louis is a licker, and will groom hands like his life depends on it. He is always first to be at the cage bars when I am upset, and is super squishy and sweet. He's still very active but he will probably be very cuddly when he gets a bit older.
Picture(optional of course, i just love to see the little guys):
Anything You Want To Share About Them: I got Louis and his brother, Mendel, at the humane society after the loss of a large buck named Snitch. They were pretty young, and I didn't really want black hooded rats, but when I walked by the cage, they hung on the bars staring at me, and when I put my hand in, Louis tackled it and started licking me. Took them both, of course.
Name: Mendel
Gender: Male, under a year old
Health Issues: Has had a URI but otherwise healthy. A bit pudgy like his brother, but not too much.
Are They A Good Pet? Yes. He's a little bit shy in comparison with the other rats, but will still flying tackle most people. He is licky as well, but not as much as his brother. He is active and always into trouble, and I think he and Marlena will get along well when Marlena is spayed. He's a sweet tempered little guy and loves his humans.
Picture(optional of course, i just love to see the little guys):
(^Louis on the left and Mendel on the right.)
Anything You Want To Share About Them: Same story as with Louis, he was from the humane society.
Name: Marlena
Gender: Female, only a few months old.
Health Issues: URI when I got her, displayed some failure to thrive for a week or so, probably because she was so young when I got her. She wouldn't eat. Once she started eating she grew but I think she will always be a small girl.
Are They A Good Pet? Yes, I have nicknamed Marlena my monkey rat because when I go into the room she lives in, she hangs on the bars until I get her out. She's hyperactive, because she's a baby and a girl. She's somewhat licky and tends to try to groom hair and ears. She's very sweet, just crazy.
Picture(optional of course, i just love to see the little guys):
(She wouldn't sit still unless I sat her on something up high. Ha. This is about the only decent picture I could get of her, she's crazy!)
Anything You Want To Share About Them: She was the classic "I was at the pet store and felt bad for the snake food" rat. Now she's waiting on a spay.
And, a quick story. I lost a doe in December, a spayed lady named Rosebud. She had aggressive cancer in her Zymbal's Gland, the soft tissue under the ear. The time of diagnosis to the time of death was less than two weeks. She was put to sleep when it was no longer right to keep her alive. When she was ill, she could not eat solid food or clean herself well, and the right side of her face was hard for her to reach. The eye on that side oozed poryphrin and eventually died entirely, even though I put eye drops in it twice a day (more when she got worse, but the tumor grew behind the eye and I couldn't do anything. The eye dying is what made me put her down.) Her ear on that side was infected because the tumor crushed the ear canal. The boys, during this time, kept constant watch on her. They cleaned her, warmed her, and protected her. It was incredible to see the depth of love they all had for her. They took turns keeping her warm and toward the end of her illness they wouldn't leave her alone. The last few days of her life were spent with me- she slept in my bed and ate whatever she wanted, and when she returned to the cage for any reason the boys were thrilled to see her. They knew she was dying, and it seemed like they were relieved every time she came back alive. Of course, one day she didn't come back alive, I brought her body back for them to say goodbye. These animals understand life and death and are self aware, so in order to understand where a beloved friend has gone, they must see the body. When I put it in the cage, they all groomed her, then retreated to the corners to mourn. They were really subdued for a few days, I know they miss her.
She herself really surprised me during that time, too. On the way to the vet, she showed a sudden change of behavior, she started licking me, which she never did before, and staring at me. I swear that she knew what was coming, but I know she wasn't scared. She cuddled against me the whole way there and made grabby hands at me (her way of asking to be picked up as she got sicker) when they put the mask on her face. She wanted to make me feel better, that's the only explanation for it. The other rats do similar things when I am upset, but for an animal who is staring death in the face to put herself aside and care for her owner is amazing.
I know that's a sad story, but it really illustrates how wonderful these animals are.
And just because she's cute, a picture of Rosebud-
Two days before her death-
The day she died-
And in much better times, when she was healthy-
I have pictures up the wazoo of all my rats. Ha.
and although I never really trade for rats on cs I am hoarding "furry tailed" ones. only wild rats that carry disease and germs should be classed as dirty, and I personally see no reason why domesticated rats are hated so much.
