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.

While many who are not familiar with domestic rats may think of them as dangerous and/or dirty, anyone who has experienced rats as pets will know that they make wonderful additions to the family. One family recently discovered this for themselves when they adopted two brothers from Rattie Ratz Rescue. The brothers were affectionately named Bubbie and Mochi by the family’s sons Alden (10) and Cael (8).

Mark, his wife Mae, and their boys Alden and Cael adopted the two baby boys in July of 2017. These boys were lucky because they were born within Rattie Ratz Rescue. Sadly, as so often happens with unwanted rats, a large group of domestic rats were dumped in a Tujunga park located in Southern California and many of the rescued females were pregnant. Bubbie and Mochi’s mother was one of these rescued females. For more information on this rescue you can check out my February post here, where you can learn all about Bubbie and Mochi’s biological mother Ellie, and two of their sisters.

Bubbie and Mochi are two sweet brothers who captured the hearts of this family right away, and although the brothers may look similar with their black hooded patterns, their family can easily tell them apart. According to Alden and Cael: “Bubbie has one black line down his back and he’s a relaxed (a.k.a. lazy!) and plump little guy. His favorite treats are watermelon, pasta, peanut butter and hard-boiled eggs, which he likes to crack open as a challenge. Mochi has two black spots down his back and is the opposite of Bubbie. He’s a little leaner than Bubbie, is very active and likes to be adventurous. He loves to explore and likes to hide in our jackets.”

Many rats enjoy snuggling with their humans and Bubbie and Mochi are no exception. Do you have an old sweatshirt you don’t mind sharing with your rats? Perfect! Letting a rat share your sweatshirt is a wonderful way to promote bonding. Because rats are a prey species, they are often more comfortable in a confined space rather than being out in the open. A sweatshirt is the perfect way to get to know your rat, and vice versa. Alden and Cael tell us how they “do a fun thing where they put huge jackets on, tuck them in, and let their ratties burrow into [the] sleeves.”

Bubbie and Mochi keep their family entertained even when they’re not cuddling in sleeves. Alden and Cael describe how “of the brothers, Bubbie is probably the king of their house. He’s mischievous because he likes to steal his Mochi’s food!” Food stealing is normal in the world of rats, being one of the ways rats tell each other who is the big boss in the cage. Thankfully, there is plenty of food in the cage for both rats, but Mochi might want to make sure Bubbie is distracted during treat time!

Rats are incredibly smart, and with enough dedication from their human trainers, rats can learn a plethora of tricks from recall to fetch. But with a family new to rats, it sounds like Bubbie and Mochi may have taught a few lessons as well. Alden and Cael tell us that Bubbie and Mochi are: “the best brothers… We love to cuddle with our rats and we’ve taught them some great tricks including ‘handshake’ and ‘open the container.’ They’ve also taught us a lot. We’ve learned that it’s good to care for animals and that rats are actually very sweet and much, much smarter than mice or hamsters. We love our rats!”

Bubbie and Mochi may be the best of brothers, but they’ve got the best of families too. After all, it’s not every rat that has their own Instagram page. If you’d like to see fun little videos and photos of Bubbie and Mochi you are welcome to follow them at @bubbieandmochi!

We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this family, and one thing is for sure, Bubbie and Mochi will be right there, snuggled into a cozy sleeve, waiting for the next adventure with their family.

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.