Ann (A group of rats is - appropriately - called 'a Mischief!'
A brief outline of how I came to be involved in rats
18 MONTHS OF RATS!
Back in September 2007, the friends who looked after my hamsters while I was away, and who had a menagerie including rats, which I admired, asked if I would be interested in re-homing two rats. Their friends had two rats, but the mother’s health was poor and she was unable to look after them, and the children and husband didn’t like handling them. I soon found out why! Milly, a champagne doe, greeted me with open teeth before any money changed hands. The husband drove me home with two rats in a cage.
I don’t know which of us was most terrified! The rats were completely unused to being handled. Milly bit if my hand went near her, while Poppy - a silver fawn - was too nervous to get close enough to bite! Enter Everyclick (a search engine which makes donations to charities) – and the Fancy Rats website. I found that my girls really needed a larger cage, and that most people mixed their own rat food. They also suggested that I sat in the bath and let them climb over me (or hide.) I also bought a rat pouch. Progress was slow, but by New Year Milly would allow me to fuss her in the pouch. Poppy was still too scared.
Sadly, in the November, Milly had developed a mammary tumour, which she had removed, but within a few weeks another one appeared. It was decided to leave this, and she continued happily – though still acting as a vampire - until the end of January. Knowing that the end was near, and that Poppy would not cope with being alone, Ratina and Ratara made their appearance – 9-10-week-old kittens. The plan was to introduce them slowly to both the old girls. Unfortunately the skin on Milly’s tumour broke down suddenly and she was clearly distressed, so made her final visit to the vet.
I planned to introduce them in the bath, and put the two babies in, then took a sad Poppy in a carrier, which I slowly opened. The babies began licking Poppy, who seemed to enjoy it. After some time I planned to separate them until the next night. I put the babies’ cage in, and in climbed Poppy! They spent the night in my bedroom with barely a squeak. I was very worried in case Poppy taught the young ones to be scared. However, she was like a new rat! I made a playpen and sat in it with them, and Poppy learned to play.
The night I joined the Estuary Rat Club Poppy nearly hanged herself in a well-chewed Savic boot. After this she had a mild respiratory problem, and I learned that some rats would never take food out of their cage, but we soon settled to syringing. She developed a tumour. This began to ulcerate in June, and I bought two more girls, Ratula and Ratilda, to keep the others company. These two were extremely mischievous – always looking for an escape route, jumping high – and teaching Ratina to jump! In fact Poppy’s skin healed over and she lived happily until the beginning of October.
Four rats – that was plenty, especially with the effort of watching “Scapey-Tilda!” I went to a pet shop in Southborough to find that, several weeks before, someone had handed in three adult rats for re-homing. No-one wants adult rats – especially when one is a biter! I had just bought a Critter cage for the quartet of gnawers, so Asbo, Miss Smeeze and Splodge joined the vacated one. None liked being picked up – I wondered if they had been handled by children. Miss Smeeze was very chesty and required a long course of Baytril – again by syringe. The chest problem cleared, but she is a really squeaky rat when handled, although she likes being round my neck. Splodge hates being picked up, but is an incredibly vocal rat as she explores. Asbo can still only be picked up with a glove, or preferably in something, as she is terrified, and also cage-territorial. On the other hand, she is very inquisitive, and will let me stroke her gently.
At rat shows and PR days I had seen bucks, but had no intention of having any! Then I went to Pets at Home. In their adoption centre was a black Berkshire dumbo – 16 weeks old, called Ronald, and with the pathetic look only a dumbo can give! Of course, he needed a companion, so “Roland Roan” came home with me! They will be my first rats to be shown in the pet class as my does have no concept of “still” – while the judge would not appreciate Asbo’s teeth or the squeaking from Miss Smeeze and Splodge.
I’m so glad I moved into rat-keeping! I have learned the meaning of GMR, but space will not allow me to increase the numbers! I now belong to two rat clubs and visit three rat forums daily! I consider it my mission to teach other people that fancy rats are clean, intelligent companions and, as my friend describes them, “Angels with whiskers!”
18 MONTHS OF RATS!
Back in September 2007, the friends who looked after my hamsters while I was away, and who had a menagerie including rats, which I admired, asked if I would be interested in re-homing two rats. Their friends had two rats, but the mother’s health was poor and she was unable to look after them, and the children and husband didn’t like handling them. I soon found out why! Milly, a champagne doe, greeted me with open teeth before any money changed hands. The husband drove me home with two rats in a cage.
I don’t know which of us was most terrified! The rats were completely unused to being handled. Milly bit if my hand went near her, while Poppy - a silver fawn - was too nervous to get close enough to bite! Enter Everyclick (a search engine which makes donations to charities) – and the Fancy Rats website. I found that my girls really needed a larger cage, and that most people mixed their own rat food. They also suggested that I sat in the bath and let them climb over me (or hide.) I also bought a rat pouch. Progress was slow, but by New Year Milly would allow me to fuss her in the pouch. Poppy was still too scared.
Sadly, in the November, Milly had developed a mammary tumour, which she had removed, but within a few weeks another one appeared. It was decided to leave this, and she continued happily – though still acting as a vampire - until the end of January. Knowing that the end was near, and that Poppy would not cope with being alone, Ratina and Ratara made their appearance – 9-10-week-old kittens. The plan was to introduce them slowly to both the old girls. Unfortunately the skin on Milly’s tumour broke down suddenly and she was clearly distressed, so made her final visit to the vet.
I planned to introduce them in the bath, and put the two babies in, then took a sad Poppy in a carrier, which I slowly opened. The babies began licking Poppy, who seemed to enjoy it. After some time I planned to separate them until the next night. I put the babies’ cage in, and in climbed Poppy! They spent the night in my bedroom with barely a squeak. I was very worried in case Poppy taught the young ones to be scared. However, she was like a new rat! I made a playpen and sat in it with them, and Poppy learned to play.
The night I joined the Estuary Rat Club Poppy nearly hanged herself in a well-chewed Savic boot. After this she had a mild respiratory problem, and I learned that some rats would never take food out of their cage, but we soon settled to syringing. She developed a tumour. This began to ulcerate in June, and I bought two more girls, Ratula and Ratilda, to keep the others company. These two were extremely mischievous – always looking for an escape route, jumping high – and teaching Ratina to jump! In fact Poppy’s skin healed over and she lived happily until the beginning of October.
Four rats – that was plenty, especially with the effort of watching “Scapey-Tilda!” I went to a pet shop in Southborough to find that, several weeks before, someone had handed in three adult rats for re-homing. No-one wants adult rats – especially when one is a biter! I had just bought a Critter cage for the quartet of gnawers, so Asbo, Miss Smeeze and Splodge joined the vacated one. None liked being picked up – I wondered if they had been handled by children. Miss Smeeze was very chesty and required a long course of Baytril – again by syringe. The chest problem cleared, but she is a really squeaky rat when handled, although she likes being round my neck. Splodge hates being picked up, but is an incredibly vocal rat as she explores. Asbo can still only be picked up with a glove, or preferably in something, as she is terrified, and also cage-territorial. On the other hand, she is very inquisitive, and will let me stroke her gently.
At rat shows and PR days I had seen bucks, but had no intention of having any! Then I went to Pets at Home. In their adoption centre was a black Berkshire dumbo – 16 weeks old, called Ronald, and with the pathetic look only a dumbo can give! Of course, he needed a companion, so “Roland Roan” came home with me! They will be my first rats to be shown in the pet class as my does have no concept of “still” – while the judge would not appreciate Asbo’s teeth or the squeaking from Miss Smeeze and Splodge.
I’m so glad I moved into rat-keeping! I have learned the meaning of GMR, but space will not allow me to increase the numbers! I now belong to two rat clubs and visit three rat forums daily! I consider it my mission to teach other people that fancy rats are clean, intelligent companions and, as my friend describes them, “Angels with whiskers!”