Ratties!

I currently have two female rats, Nia and Squirrel.I got these rats in May 2004, from a friend of mine who was hoping to move to England after graduation and would be unable to bring them with her. She estimated that Nia was about 4 months old, and Squirrel 9.

Nia is a pink-eyed barely-Himilayan rat. In fact, when I first described her (before investigating standards), I'd labeled her as a PEW. She just a tiny hint of beige on her nose and ears. Poor girl must be having an identity crisis, because before I heard of Himis I called her a Siamese! That's it Nia, I promise. She's a very friendly, rambunctious girl who likes to run around and give licks and nibbles. The rat cage sits right behind my right shoulder, and if I don't have her out and she's not sleeping, she's generally standing on the middle shelf giving me those cute little rat eyes, "Mommmmmyyy, take me ooout!"

Squirrel is a much more shy black hooded. While Nia is a big bruxer, Squirrel has the tendency to immediately go boggle eyed at the sign of treats. Her face is surrounded by a beautiful spray of thick black whiskers -- it's just adorable. She generally runs right to my shoulder or down my shirt when I take her out, and has occasionally fear-peed when she's had to meet other people. It took a long time ebfore she stopped flinching at the sound of my space and enter keys. I decided to try the forced socialization method, and after just one session she improved remarkably. My hand was covered in scrabble scratches, but the very enxt day she was more than willing to come out, receive scritches, explore my desk, etc.

I received the rats in a 10 gallon tank which was just small enough for them to keep me up all night banging against the walls. So, in the last week of May I decided to build them a new cage. I'm so glad that I did! They seem much happier in it, and the front opening-door makes them much less nervous when I'm reaching in to feed them or take them out. I take them out at least once a day for an hour, and reach in to give them scritches often. I've tried setting up a playpen on the floor with boxes, blankets, toys, and treats, but such a wide open space seemed to terrify them. They scrabbled back up my leg immediately, and Squirrel wouldn't leave my shoulder even when I sat on the floor with them. Although, it may be their mischievous size rather than fear that keeps them on the floor: there's much more havoc to wreak on my cluttered desk top. They love to try to squirm in the computer cords, no matter how many times in a row I snatch them away and put them on the other side of the desk.

The girls are spoiled rotten. They get fed before I even make the coffee. Generally I bring them in the bathroom to wander around while I shower, make their breakfast, and then worry about myself. For breakfast they generally get cereal (Kashi, Wheetabix, Cheerios, Cream of Wheat) and milk, with fresh fruit if we have any. During the day they have a mix of crunchy/seedy small animal food and lab block. At night they get some of whatever we're having for dinner. I'm a vegetarian, but my parents aren't, so they get a good mix of yummy salads, rice dishes, and pasta mixed in with the occasional fish and chicken. This diet is, of course, liberally supplemented with treats. They're both pigs, and go nuts for pasta (with sauce), cooked vegetables, cookies -- basically everything. In all honesty though, I think Squirrel's favorite "treats" are tissues. I can hand her 30 of them and when I decide she's gotten enough of the box she'll still come out on the shelf looking for more. Nia likes her treats best when I hang them from the top of the cage and she gets to bat them around.

I wish I had room for a cage of boys, but alas, my space is quite limitted. I am, however, thinking about getting another girl or two. I look at too many pictures, and they just make me go ga-ga, and even with my rats in my lap I want more. I'd particularly like a rex dumbo. Color isn't that important, but I'd prefer non-white/non-hooded. I've been prowling around, but most of the ratteries in MA are closed, at least for the summer. Darn!

I'm considering making a "comic" based on the rats' hikinks. They certainly provide lots of material, and as you can see above, Nia is quite happy to pose adorably for the camera. Squirrel, on the other hand, ducks for cover whenever she hears the snick of the camera opening. Hopefully she'll get over that in time. If that happens, it should be noted that I believe my rats prefix many comments with OMG and frequently talk all in caps. This is because they are such excitable little hyperspazzes.