by Daria Filimonova

This spring three little ladies were adopted from Rattie Ratz by a repeat adopter named Linda. She and her husband, Raleigh, who have owned rats for twenty years this coming January, were featured previously in a Rattie Ratz article regarding five sisters they had adopted named Peony, Suki, Millie, Bree, and Fiona. The original article can be found here: kingsriverlife.com/10/12/rats-through-the-years-and-the-artistic-styles-of-five-sisters

Earlier this year, the last of these girls passed on, unfortunately, but Linda and her husband were able to open their hearts to adopting three new girls from the rescue on Memorial Day weekend. These girls were born on April 5 and are already turning eight months in December!

“But as it always is, they will still always be babies to us,” Linda says about their quick growth.

Their names are Gracie, Pearl, and Summer. As they were just about seven weeks old when Linda brought them home, the girls spent plenty of time getting accustomed to socializing. Linda tells us that Raleigh used a bonding scarf and shoulder rides to get the rats warmed up to their new home, and, in Linda’s words, they feel like they “own the place.” Linda and Raleigh have a tradition, as with all their rats, that the girls are brought out to sit with Raleigh on a chair and watch TV in the evenings.

The girls aren’t shy about coming out of their cage, and Linda says they are well-behaved during their daytime free roaming in their play area but later they get a bit more mischievous.

“In the evening they are ready to party! I open the cage to get them out, and Gracie runs past me like a little greased piglet right out of the cage and down the table, stopping to say hi to the older boys that live next door. They are now over 2 years old but still get quite interested seeing her flash in by the front of their cage! At the same time Pearl is making a break for it by “sneaking” out of the top of the cage. She can jump to the top of the boys’ cage, and that also gets them excited to see her running around the top (most of it is covered, only a bit on the back of the top isn’t). So they are quite the little flirts and even if they don’t know it, I’ve got my eye on them the whole time,” writes Linda.

Despite these fun little antics, Linda does say that they are easy to handle and don’t make a fuss about being retrieved. The girls also have differences in their personalities. For example, Summer won’t join in for free roaming no matter how long the door is open and prefers to stay in the cage.

“She is a homebody, still a bit on the shy side (she was the most shy of the three when we got them), and definitely has her way. Sometimes, in the evening especially, she just has no interest at all in coming out … Sometimes I let her do as she pleases, but sometimes I will get her out anyway, even with a bit of hide and seek first, to have her on my shoulder (or Raleigh’s) to help with a bit more socialization. And she really loves this,” Linda explains.

Linda also shares that Gracie has one unique quirk. She always has her tail curled, which Linda and her husband have only seen in a few rats throughout the years. She also loves the wheel they have in the cage, and Linda expressed that she runs faster than any other rat she has seen!

“We know that each has their personality. Each rat has the same basic rat traits, but still has some individual traits that no other rat may have. We are always amazed at this!”

It is such a heart-warming thing that Linda and her husband have continued to provide a safe and loving home for so many rats. When asked how they deal with the short lifespan, Linda shares that losing their ratties never gets easier but it does become less shocking. After almost twenty years, and over 190 rats (39 of which were adopted from Rattie Ratz), Linda and her husband have a good understanding of what to expect in terms of health issues, life expectancy, the fact that some live longer and others don’t. That it is just how it goes with these little guys. The losses have become less stressful but still sad.

“But I think the thing that stays with us the most is that no matter how much it hurts to see them ill or to lose them, it is totally worth it all to know we made their life happy and fulfilled,” Linda shares.

Linda also explains that she and her husband are Christians, and their religious beliefs provide a sense of comfort in hoping that their passed pets are at peace and waiting on the other side.

“We believe all creatures go to heaven and know that we will see them again. As a friend of ours once said when he lost his heart rat, he knew that now in heaven his rat was all that God had ever intended him to be, completely free from any earthly issues and now fulfilled as he should be as a rat. That is a wonderful thing that gives us peace and comfort.”

Thank you so much to Linda and Raleigh for continuing to be such passionate and loving rat owners, even after all these years, and continuously supporting the rescue!

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 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.