Cute and Nice

Janola. She and her sister started my whole love affair with ratties.

Just wanted to share with the rest of the world my opinion on having rats as pets.

They totally rule. Rats are the best kind of pet. I have one sitting on my shoulder right now, sniffing my hair. I have another on my lap who can't decide whether to climb or jump down. And the third is exploring the computer desk, which eventually leads to "helping" me type.

Rats are awesome for a whole lotta reasons. They are quiet, for one. No barking or rude meowing at ungodly hours. They're small so they always know that you dominate their lives. While they do beg for food, if they get too annoying you just put them in their cage. Oh, and when they get tired, they put themselves away. Yup- they just up and go into their cage and nap or eat.

Rats are the original foodies. The quickest way to a rat's heart is through her stomach. Case in point: after hubby and I spent a weekend away, they were all in a huff because they were left alone and "locked up" in their cage for two days. To show their resentment, they acted like we were total strangers, running away from us and refusing to let us pet them. However, after a couple of extra snacks, all was forgiven and they were back to climbing onto and playing with us.

It's cute how something as small as a box of packing peanuts is, to them, a place of adventure. They love to dig through those packing peanuts and chew on a few. They also love to dig in the trash, going through waste paper and whatnots. Sometimes I put in seeds or nuts and they just love coming across this "treasure." They jump onto the basket's edge with their prize in their mouths, looking so pleased with themselves. Then they jump down and hide it in a corner somewhere.


I know you may find this hard to believe, but rats have personalities. In my current bunch, Lily is the most engaging. She has a certain Je ne sais quoi about her. Everyone picks up on her vibe. She's curious and outgoing. She's a rex, which means her coat is curly as well as her whiskers. (Which means she has to put up with me calling her "my little curly-cue" as I kiss her belly.) Her fur is extra soft, and she is a bit more active than her best friends Lisa and Lottie. Lily doesn't seem to have the "big bones" of Lisa and Lottie. Lottie lurves her food. She is my little pudge. She's no where near as fat as her great-great-great-great-grand auntie Fat Rat, but she is the biggest of the bunch. I have to make sure she doesn't get too many treats. On the other hand, Lottie is the love bug of the group.

Lisa is the beauty queen of this group. She has beautiful black fur. It's very shiny and smooth. She was our unexpected journey into babyhood earlier this year. Lisa had 17 babies in August and managed not to lose one. I think she's a bit more aloof than the others, but she does like a little lovin' now and then.
Too cute.