by Daria Filimonova

In April of this year, three adorable baby rats found their forever home, eagerly embraced by a family looking forward to owning more rats.

Melissa’s journey into rat ownership began in college. It was her first time living without pets after having grown up with cats and dogs. As a “life-long animal lover,” she discovered the absence of companions to care for. “That’s when rats entered my life!” Melissa writes. She and her partner, now husband, got their first rat together during their college years and have been avid rat owners ever since. Melissa’s family did take a break from owning rats for a few years when their first two children were very young.

However, the hiatus did not last too long, as rats re-entered their now larger family five years ago. Since then, they have had 15 ratties, much to the delight of their daughter June. “June, who is now 10, has fallen in love with these little whiskered creatures, and they came back into our lives,” writes Melissa. Melissa and her family found out about the rat rescue through an adoption fair in Pleasanton five years ago and have previous experience adopting from Rattie Ratz. “We feel that adoption is important with so many animals in need of homes,” Melissa states.

For this article, Melissa and June wanted to focus on their experience with three boys they adopted at just five weeks old. Their names are sandwich themed, and very cute – Pickles, Sammie, and Ruffles! Melissa says that the adoption process was great. They got to meet with the foster mom of the three boys, pick them up and take them home. “June even got a chance to meet our baby boy’s mama who enthusiastically climbed onto her and down her shirt for extra cuddles,” Melissa writes and compliments their foster home for socializing them well. They were babies and recently weaned when Melissa brought them home but already friendly and easy to handle. The only challenge they encountered was Pickles being smaller than his brothers, but with extra care and a diet rich in carbs, Melissa notes that “his daily mix of grits and goat milk perked him up!”

Now, the boys are doing well and a lot bigger than they were when they were picked up at five weeks old. The trio of social butterflies has undeniably captured June’s heart. She describes how they love cuddles, sleeping on the floor of their cage, and every rat owner’s favorite rat activity to witness – pea fishing! June describes how, during this activity, Pickles, Sammie, and Ruffles submerge themselves almost completely under the water.

When describing the rats individually, June says that Pickles is the biggest personality. In my experience as a fellow rat owner, rats named Pickles always have troublemaker energy! “Pickles is the runt of the group but is very feisty and the alpha. Sammie loves the water and kissing my lips. Ruffles is the calmest and easiest to cuddle,” June describes. As for their shared traits, it’s evidently their insatiable appetite for treats and food in general. According to June they eat a lot!

Melissa and June offered their advice for new rat owners, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a clean cage for the rats’ health, ensuring a steady supply of nutritious food and clean water, and showering them with attention through playtime and snuggles to foster a sense of love and care. For Melissa’s daughter, the presence of rats in the house brings joy and serves as a calming influence. June expresses, “Being a rat owner is a lot of work but worth it. I love having tiny friends, and they help me with my anxiety – like therapy rats!”

When asked about the best and the worst part about having rats, Melissa shared June’s words: “The best part about having rats is experiencing their personalities, making friends, and creating a bond. The hardest part is having to say goodbye, especially since most rats have to be put down.”

Rattie Ratz extends a warm thank you to Melissa and June for their dedicated love and care for their rats. We are sure there are plenty of good times ahead for the trio in this wonderful family!

We hope you, the reader, found the story of Pickles, Sammie, and Ruffles enjoyable, and we love being able to share happy adoption tales here at Rattie Ratz.

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.