View Full Version : My Rat, The Biggest Perv EvAr.
ColetteCalahan
07-07-2008, 06:00 AM
Awww it is a big deal! He was your friend and it's always heartbreaking to lose someone you're close to. I've had a few rats in my time, some of them I had to watch die. It is really sad that they don't live longer.
The woman at the pet store where I got Sidney, my first rat, told me that they live a thousand days. How sad and weird is that?
Oh, thank you!! yeah, that's very odd (and sad indeed!) that she made that type of prediction... I know you know how wonderful rat-love is!
I must say- props to my boyfriend for being awesome... he showed up at the door to help me bury the rat with a bunch of flowers and a sympathy note that said 'sorry for the loss of your little man...' i totally melted. definitely helped to have some support and a little bit of humor.
I'm so sorry :'( ! It is always hard when you lose a pet.
I am not looking forward to the day when my time with my rat Toki comes to an end. I guess all we can do is be thankful for the happiness they bring us while they are here.
Toki is sooooo cute- I do hope he lives a very long life! And definitely- many tummy rubs are in order to thank our ratties for being awesome little devils. :P
ColetteCalahan
07-07-2008, 06:09 AM
I know you're going to probably take a small break from rodent guardianship for awhile, but when you're ready you might want to consider getting a ferret (or better 2 ferrets because they get lonely.)
wow- those links/vids are adorable... I love their pink little noses... thank you for the recommendation- however, I think that my lack of space/time limits me to rats for now... I know ferrets are wonderful but they also require a little more attention than I can give... most of the year I'm in school 4 days a week and work the other 3... it's hard enough as it is to make time for anything else, but Fat Boy was important to me so I always 'squeezed' (err, maybe not) him in :P
I do plan on getting another rat ASAP (not to detract from/lessen Adiran's memory or impact, but because I *detest* being alone in my little studio where his 3-story cage takes up a goodly amount of space and there's nobody in it... :'(); I am visiting a rat rescue (looks like we were thinking along the same lines!) on Tuesday after the club and checking out an abandoned juvenile male named Nick (apparently he had a 'nick' on his ear... oy, someone needs a better name!) I will definitely post up if we are a good match! The size of the cage could also accommodate brothers/sisters if I found a pair that worked... I am happy that I can go through a rescue this time around and give an abandoned rattie a good home. ;)
Jaizaine- thank you very much.
AlexxaHex
07-07-2008, 06:32 AM
I didn't know you have a boyfriend! I'm so out of the loop these days.
ColetteCalahan
07-07-2008, 02:04 PM
^ lol I haven't posted about him much... we've actually been seeing each other since christmas- absolutely awesome guy.
i.breathe.in
07-07-2008, 02:09 PM
do rats do ok by themselves or do they tend to need a buddy?
ColetteCalahan
07-07-2008, 02:23 PM
They are very social and best kept in pairs... otherwise they get lonely. Best to get brothers or sisters while they are young. Because Adiran was an unexpected drunken present from Psycho Ex, I didn't have much of a choice... :P Plus he was King Rat and didn't like other ratties. But yeah, they do best in pairs/groups (remember they normally live in colonies/nests).
MrChristopher
07-07-2008, 02:32 PM
^Just make sure to get same sex ratties, or you'll end up with 487 bajillion rats in about 3 months.
ColetteCalahan
07-07-2008, 02:58 PM
hahaha exactly!! they're like rabbits... baby rattie momma drama between cousins if you're not careful. :P
StrawberrySwitchblade
07-07-2008, 03:12 PM
Aww...sympathies from me and my mischief of four. :(
ArmySGT.
07-09-2008, 05:48 PM
The caption for the first pic should read........"Deez mai harbles I washez dem fast as I wantz..........."
haleym
07-09-2008, 06:31 PM
Awww... I want one!!!
ColetteCalahan
07-11-2008, 10:56 PM
So, update! I have a new baby boy!!! I adopted him from a Rat Rescue in Costa Mesa (a little bit south of me)- his name was originally Nick because of a small nick on his ear, but I changed it to Omri from the book Indian in the Cupboard (just seemed to fit... it was the little Brit kid's name). Omri is a little Berkshire, about 4-5 months old, an adorable, inquisitive juvenile, he was saved from being someone's feeder rat/dumped at Petco and taken to the rescue. He's somewhat socialized but we're working on hand-training, he cocks his head when he's investigating things, he LOVEs his silent rat wheel (so do I :P) and he CHASES HIS TAIL!!! awwww..... He's black with a white belly, a white snout and white paws. And he holds his tail up when he runs about. If he'd hold still for a second I'd get some pics... :D I will update this when I can actually snap some. I miss Adiran but Omri will be good company, and it's good to know I can give him a loving home.
MeanGirl
07-12-2008, 07:11 AM
I just read this whole thread and went from happy to almost crying. im so sorry you lost your friend :(. i am so sad now. Poor little guy, i didnt even know him but my heart is breaking for you.
Sophia_Ashley
07-12-2008, 02:13 PM
Man this thread made me well up and then smile. and vice versa :(
Losing a pet sucks. How is the transition with the new one going?
ColetteCalahan
07-12-2008, 02:52 PM
^ he's good! he's so adorable... he's sleeping in the bottom of his wheel right now. :P It's also adorable to watch a young rat PLAY... there were these little cubes that Lys got me for Adiran that he (unfortunately) didn't give two shits about (too lazy) that this little guy will take in his mouth and move from one end of the cage to the other... rat feng sheui?
Sophia_Ashley
07-12-2008, 03:23 PM
My oldest wants a rat. I mean like has been asking for it for years. I can't even stomach the thought of getting another cat now that bella died.. Not so much because it won't be her ...because that's def. something that aches. But also because ...Its' kinda nice not having to clean the sofa off before sitting on it. Or finding cat hair EVERYWHERE. And it's lonely here..it feels weird without a pet.
Rats would be easier. I just worry that they would get loose and considering where I live....its' not unusual to see a rat anywhere in the building(s). Or that they would shit everywhere, like rabbits tend to do. But this thread has me thinking about it strongly. Enough where I asked him about it today ..and his face lit up followed by the other kid saying
"she's just saying that, like the time she said if you kept your room clean for a year you'd get a python. You didn't get a python" and then walked out haha..
which is true.
ColetteCalahan
07-12-2008, 03:33 PM
^ LOL @ the python... yeah, a rat is a great, shorter-term investment if you're not ready for another cat... and they certainly don't shit everywhere! Mine have never shit anywhere other than in their cage... they are very clean and are easy to litter-train/cage-train. They're smart as hell and very loving. They have a bad rap, for sure, but movies like Ratatouille and rat-lovers like everyone in this thread are definitely trying to change that. Unlike other rodents who are content doing their own thing, rats care about their owners and want to play and socialize with you! My little sister (in upstate NY) takes hers on shoulder-rides around the block... and she lets it sit in her hoodie during dinner & feeds it scraps. :O She's lucky my parents are totally OK with this. ::) My father called the rats "glorified, well-behaved table guests."
Sophia_Ashley
07-12-2008, 04:01 PM
^ I have a feeling a 13 year old is going to be sending you a thank you card soon.
I'm pretty convinced on getting it. I want a cat though. But if I were to get another cat it would have to be a ragdoll as they don't shed,claw or have shitty attitudes ..supposedly.
And those things are NOT cheap. which is my big hold back
Lysondra
07-12-2008, 04:35 PM
^ he's good! he's so adorable... he's sleeping in the bottom of his wheel right now. :P It's also adorable to watch a young rat PLAY... there were these little cubes that Lys got me for Adiran that he (unfortunately) didn't give two shits about (too lazy) that this little guy will take in his mouth and move from one end of the cage to the other... rat feng sheui?
:D This makes me happy.
AlexxaHex
07-13-2008, 11:54 AM
*kisses Omri on his little ratty head*
I'm glad you have a new companion! If I weren't allergic I would love to have tons of them.