by Stephanie Cameron

Stephanie Cameron is a volunteer with Rattie Ratz Rescue in the bay area of California. Each month KRL will be featuring a column from Rattie Ratz.

2020 was a difficult year for many people around the world, but even during a pandemic there are animals that need saving. Rattie Ratz Rescue is incredibly grateful that during a time of great difficulty and sorrow the support for our work and our rats never ceased. We are now a year into the pandemic and Rattie Ratz was able to help many rat owners in need thanks to this unending support. Many pet owners had to move or took large financial cuts, so there were a lot of pets needing to be rehomed. Rat owners have fewer resources and for many of these people, Rattie Ratz Rescue was their last hope.

Today’s story features two beautiful blue boys who were surrendered to the rescue in May 2020. A Good Samaritan took in a family of seven rats when their friend moved away and couldn’t take the rats with them. Soon after being rehomed the males started fighting with each other. The friend was new to rats and found the number of rats they had taken on to be overwhelming, especially when you throw in the added complication of hormonal fighting.

The rescue was told that these two boys in particular were bonded before the fighting started. Once they were surrendered, the rescue had the troublemaker neutered and once he was healed the boys settled in well together. The boys were friendly with people, but a bit timid when they came to the rescue and after their assessment it was agreed that they would do best in a quiet home without children and ideally with no other pets. Right around this time Anna, a fellow volunteer with Rattie Ratz, found herself with a solo senior male rattie who needed some new companionship. She took the boys home in July of 2020 and the rest is history. She later named the boys Sheo (blue hooded) and Ghost (blue Berkshire).

Anna describes the boy’s relationship with each other: “I’ve never had more bonded rats – Sheo and Ghost are rarely apart. Sheo startles easily and whenever this happens, he’ll bury his head against Ghost, or whatever corner or blanket is closest. They regularly sleep squished together and enjoy being petted as a unit, each pressing their face to the other.”

It’s easy to see that Ghost and Sheo have their mom and dad wrapped around their little tails. Anna relates how “Ghost is sassy, picky, and stubborn, so in other words, adorable. We call him ‘the Little Prince’ and more than once he’s refused his antibiotics, or ‘sent it back to the kitchen’ as we say. Despite this, or maybe because of this, he’s my husband’s favorite and often gets extra ‘house tours’ in a coat pocket.

Meanwhile, Sheo is my nervous little cuddle bug who’s picked up tricks very quickly. The both of them love their cheeks scratched so they’ll angle their heads in order for us to get to just the right spot and it melts our hearts every time!”

Rats are incredibly intelligent, inquisitive, and affectionate. They make wonderful family pets and are a fun and joyful companion to keep by your side when spending a lot of time at home, as so many of us are these days. Anna calls the boys her “quarantine rats” because they were born shortly before California began closing down.

Anna tells us that “since being adopted, Sheo and Ghost have only known us and our house. As the vaccine continues to roll out, we’re looking forward to introducing them to our friends and family who have heard so much about them and will finally be able to meet and play with them for the first time.”

There are certainly many people waiting to meet little Sheo and Ghost, and the day they can be officially introduced to their family and friends will be a joyous one indeed.

If you would like to know more about Rattie Ratz Rescue you can visit their Facebook page. If you are interested in adoptable rats or volunteering for Rattie Ratz Rescue you can visit their website: www.rattieratz.com.

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories from Rattie Ratz every other month. You can also keep up with our pet articles by joining our KRL Facebook group. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to Rattie Ratz.

Stephanie Cameron works and lives in the Bay Area, and has been active in the rat rescue community for a number of years. She got her first pair of rats – sisters named Snowflake and Diamond – when she was eight years old. In her spare time she enjoys reading, walking her dogs, traveling, discovering fantastic vegan recipes, and singing in the shower.