Meet my rats! (includes pics)

[tuesdaylove]

I know that most people think rats are pests, but I love rats and they're the best animals I've been blessed to know. They're very smart like dogs, are clean and full of personality like cats, and they have teeth like rabbits. It's like a three-in-one pet!

My six girls are Emilie, Florence, Lorelei, London, Valdosta, and Amelia. I also had a baby rat named Katelyn who unfortunately escaped her cage and got lost outside.

A lot of people ask me, "why in the world would you have rats?" Well, it all started with hamsters. Hamsters are a much more common pet, and I had two hammy girls who were my best friends in their almost four years of life. When they died, I wanted more rodents - I was hooked on them! I love all rodents now because they're so small yet full of personality. Anyway, someone suggested to me that instead of more hammies, I should get rats - they said that rats were much more sociable with humans and a lot more fun, and they were right. I'd definitely recommend rats as a pet to anyone who wants a small, loving, intelligent animal.

I originally just got Emi and Flo (as rats need fellow rat company to be mentally stable, so you can't have just one). I got Lorelei on impulse because she was such a cute baby, and I realized she needed cagemates to live with until she was big enough to move in with Emi and Flo, so I went to get her a friend and came home with London and Valdosta, because I couldn't choose between them! I got Amelia at the last minute because she was about to be fed to a snake. Katelyn was given to me by a friend who rescued her and her two brothers from someone on craigslist, but my friend couldn't keep Kate because she has all male rats.

So, let's get on with it:

#1 - Emilie

Emilie is about one year and four months old. She's black and white hooded and is my only rat with dumbo ears (ears on the sides of the head, rather than the top, that are much bigger). She's always had respiratory problems due to being kept in pine shavings with her first owner. Emi is very sweet and loving, I just adore her personality.





#2 - Florence

I got Florence with Emilie, so they may or may not be sisters, I'm not sure. Florence is a gorgeous blue-gray Berkshire pattern. She has the calmest and sweetest temperament ever.



#3 - Lorelei

Lorelei is my albino girl. She's either blind or she can't see very well, which is actually very common for albino rats. She's my wildest one and she does bite (she doesn't break the skin), and she likes to fight with the others. I still love her, though. She and the next three were all born in about June or July of last year.





#4 - London

London has a black and white capped pattern. She's very calm and average-acting, but she has a certain lady-like charm about her.





#5 - Valdosta

Valdosta is a brown Berkshire, which means that she's brown with a white belly. She's very timid and afraid of all humans, which is typical behavior for rats rescues from snake food bins.




#6 - Amelia

Amelia is a black Berkshire who loves to cuddle and is very laid-back. She was terrified of me when I first got her but as soon as she realized how fun it is to ride on my shoulder and snuggle in jacket hoods, she warmed up to me.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Nothing wrong with loving your rats. Too often animals are misunderstood. I have heard they are very smart.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Thank you for sharing your ratties with us! I had rats for a while and they are awesome little pets. Unfortunately, they are also little heartbreakers because their lives are so short. Most of my rats only lived for about a year or a year and a half due to poor genetics. Most died or had to be put to sleep due respiratory disease or tumors. My oldest survived to just over two years of age. But they are so full of personalty, I am sure I will have rats again some day when I have the time for them and am able to pay any vet bills they may incur.

My first rat was a rescue from the local vet tech program. The animals used for teaching in the program are put up for adoption at the end of the year (or, in the case of "lab animals" the end of the semester since it is only a one semester class) but they have to euthanize any animals that are not adopted. So I talked my husband into letting me get one (I didn't do my research first, so I didn't know they needed companionship) and we brought home a black hooded female, Quatrina. After doing a bit of reading, I realized that rats needed at least one friend, and we got Nanashi from the local pet store. The difference I saw Nanashi bring about in Quatrina was amazing and I will never have a lone rat again after seeing how much better her quality of life was with a same-species companion and how much more friendly she was towards me. I'll never forget the night we drove back from my MIL's house after visiting for the holidays and I was too tired to set their cage up so decided that they would have plenty of room in the cat carrier until the morning. The next day I walked past their room and glanced in to see them sleeping in their empty cage. The little brats had decided to chew their way out of the plastic carrier so that they could go back to their cage and sleep in their own "beds" (even though the cage was totally empty)!

Quatrina died not long after we brought Nanashi home from upper respiratory disease, she passed in my arms on the way to the vet. So I looked around and found a breeder a few hours away from us and we brought home Nameko. She was the cutest little dumbo rex, and from healthy stock and she outlived all my other rats. When we went to pick her up, we got to meet a few of the other rats, including her grandsire who was 3 years old and still going strong. In the future, I definitely plan to seek out another breeder who breeds for longevity and temperament when I am ready for rats again. Nameko finally had to be put to sleep because of a large mammary tumor that had grown to be about 1/3 the size of her body. I would have gladly had surgery done to remove it, but she had gone through surgery to remove another tumor in the same location when she was younger and she self mutilated to the point that we thought she would never heal and I just couldn't put her through that again so we opted to spoil her rotten until the tumor became so large that it was interfering with her quality of life.

Then came Poi and Hero, a mother/daughter rescue from a lady who found herself suddenly forced to move into an apartment that did not allow pets. Poi was a sweetie, but Hero was full of mischief. I blame her for the hole in the drywall of the bathroom wall. She was also very sweet and I got very attached to her. Hero suffered from upper respiratory issues her whole life, and had to be euthanized at less than one year of age because her breathing had become so labored that she was no longer her mischievious self. I hadn't realized just how bad her respiratory disease had gotten until we put her in the little tank to put her to sleep and her lips and feet went from being pretty blue to being pink again.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures on this computer to share of my rats. But yours are adorable! I especially like the one of Emilie with the watch.

 

[chixie]

I loved my rats when I had them many years ago.sometimes I wished I still had some . one day I may again. we had one named Joker who played basket ball. and anorther one rattatat who sat on a floaty in the pool when we went swimming. he loved it. he was my fav. ... your ratties are beautiful

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Aw, I love rats! They are the happiest, plukiest little animals one could ever ask for.

 

[Stacykins]

Eeee! I love your ratties! Rats are such amazing pets. They learn fast and love their peoples a lot too!

Over a year ago, when I was still living in Milwaukee, I took in a lil rattie. She was just a fuzzy, eyes closed still. She'd been intended for snake food, but when she snake didn't eat, I got her. She got soy human infant formula and thrived on it. She also went everywhere with me (even to college classes, snuggled in my hoodie pocket, teehee). Eventually, I got her a buddy when she was old enough. But guess what? That buddy was pregnant! Female rattie became nine ratties! My housemate kept three of the girl babies, my sister got the original rescue, the buddy, and a girl baby, and the boys were given to a rescue.

Moose, the original lil girl, and all the babies were SO socialized. I mean, the Momma rattie was fine with us handling her little ones from the start (just a tiny bit when they were young, more as they got older). And they are so smart! Kyle (the housemate), he bought a mansion cage for his three spoiled girls. They actually get the run of his room when he is home, and when he is sleeping, he leaves their cage open too (yes they snuggle with him under the covers, hehe). They never chew on anything they aren't supposed to, and go back to the cage to potty. They even put themselves to bed. When he gets up for work in the morning, they're all asleep in a hammock, so he closes the cage before he leaves.

 

[tuesdaylove]

Nothing wrong with loving your rats. Too often animals are misunderstood. I have heard they are very smart.

They are! Mine are smart enough to learn tricks, and they're also smart enough to be stubborn and not do the tricks when I ask them.

Thank you for sharing your ratties with us! I had rats for a while and they are awesome little pets. Unfortunately, they are also little heartbreakers because their lives are so short. Most of my rats only lived for about a year or a year and a half due to poor genetics. Most died or had to be put to sleep due respiratory disease or tumors. My oldest survived to just over two years of age. But they are so full of personalty, I am sure I will have rats again some day when I have the time for them and am able to pay any vet bills they may incur.

My first rat was a rescue from the local vet tech program. The animals used for teaching in the program are put up for adoption at the end of the year (or, in the case of "lab animals" the end of the semester since it is only a one semester class) but they have to euthanize any animals that are not adopted. So I talked my husband into letting me get one (I didn't do my research first, so I didn't know they needed companionship) and we brought home a black hooded female, Quatrina. After doing a bit of reading, I realized that rats needed at least one friend, and we got Nanashi from the local pet store. The difference I saw Nanashi bring about in Quatrina was amazing and I will never have a lone rat again after seeing how much better her quality of life was with a same-species companion and how much more friendly she was towards me. I'll never forget the night we drove back from my MIL's house after visiting for the holidays and I was too tired to set their cage up so decided that they would have plenty of room in the cat carrier until the morning. The next day I walked past their room and glanced in to see them sleeping in their empty cage. The little brats had decided to chew their way out of the plastic carrier so that they could go back to their cage and sleep in their own "beds" (even though the cage was totally empty)!

Quatrina died not long after we brought Nanashi home from upper respiratory disease, she passed in my arms on the way to the vet. So I looked around and found a breeder a few hours away from us and we brought home Nameko. She was the cutest little dumbo rex, and from healthy stock and she outlived all my other rats. When we went to pick her up, we got to meet a few of the other rats, including her grandsire who was 3 years old and still going strong. In the future, I definitely plan to seek out another breeder who breeds for longevity and temperament when I am ready for rats again. Nameko finally had to be put to sleep because of a large mammary tumor that had grown to be about 1/3 the size of her body. I would have gladly had surgery done to remove it, but she had gone through surgery to remove another tumor in the same location when she was younger and she self mutilated to the point that we thought she would never heal and I just couldn't put her through that again so we opted to spoil her rotten until the tumor became so large that it was interfering with her quality of life.

Then came Poi and Hero, a mother/daughter rescue from a lady who found herself suddenly forced to move into an apartment that did not allow pets. Poi was a sweetie, but Hero was full of mischief. I blame her for the hole in the drywall of the bathroom wall. She was also very sweet and I got very attached to her. Hero suffered from upper respiratory issues her whole life, and had to be euthanized at less than one year of age because her breathing had become so labored that she was no longer her mischievious self. I hadn't realized just how bad her respiratory disease had gotten until we put her in the little tank to put her to sleep and her lips and feet went from being pretty blue to being pink again.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures on this computer to share of my rats. But yours are adorable! I especially like the one of Emilie with the watch.

Thank you for sharing! It sounds like your ratties were wonderful little girls. <3 I'm sorry for your losses, though. I've yet to have a rat die, but it was so heartbreaking when Katelyn ran away... I don't know how I'll ever deal with one of them passing on. And thanks! Yes, Emilie's dream is to become a professional watch-chewer.

I loved my rats when I had them many years ago.sometimes I wished I still had some . one day I may again. we had one named Joker who played basket ball. and anorther one rattatat who sat on a floaty in the pool when we went swimming. he loved it. he was my fav. ... your ratties are beautiful

Thank you. Sounds like your rats were quite comical! I've always wanted to try bringing one into the pool with me, but I think they really hate water - just a simple bath always ends with my arms scratched and bleeding and a very angry rat.

Aw, I love rats! They are the happiest, plukiest little animals one could ever ask for.

They are!

Eeee! I love your ratties! Rats are such amazing pets. They learn fast and love their peoples a lot too!

Over a year ago, when I was still living in Milwaukee, I took in a lil rattie. She was just a fuzzy, eyes closed still. She'd been intended for snake food, but when she snake didn't eat, I got her. She got soy human infant formula and thrived on it. She also went everywhere with me (even to college classes, snuggled in my hoodie pocket, teehee). Eventually, I got her a buddy when she was old enough. But guess what? That buddy was pregnant! Female rattie became nine ratties! My housemate kept three of the girl babies, my sister got the original rescue, the buddy, and a girl baby, and the boys were given to a rescue.

Moose, the original lil girl, and all the babies were SO socialized. I mean, the Momma rattie was fine with us handling her little ones from the start (just a tiny bit when they were young, more as they got older). And they are so smart! Kyle (the housemate), he bought a mansion cage for his three spoiled girls. They actually get the run of his room when he is home, and when he is sleeping, he leaves their cage open too (yes they snuggle with him under the covers, hehe). They never chew on anything they aren't supposed to, and go back to the cage to potty. They even put themselves to bed. When he gets up for work in the morning, they're all asleep in a hammock, so he closes the cage before he leaves.

Aww! That sounds adorable. Thanks for sharing.

 

[redhen]

Now i feel bad cause i have a thread on here asking how to kill the wild ones in my yard that are taking over my goose house...
I dont really want to kill them..

 

[tuesdaylove]

Now i feel bad cause i have a thread on here asking how to kill the wild ones in my yard that are taking over my goose house...

I dont really want to kill them..

Oh dear. :c Well, you know, there are now wonderful humane traps for rats and mice on the market these days. I actually have two humane mouse traps I use in the house. It simply traps the rat/mouse when it walks in, and doesn't harm the rodent at all. Then, you just take them off somewhere else and release them. Of course, there's always the possibility that they'll come back unless you take them really far away, but I'd do it before I'd kill the rat.

 

[redhen]

Yeah,.. when we go shopping for traps this week..i'll look to see if i can find something like that. Thanks!