I have been a rat lover since I was seven years old, when my second grade class adopted two pet rats named Boo and Bambi. Long story short, by the third grade, both Boo and Bambi came to live with me permanently. I adore all pets, but there is something about rats that keeps me coming back for more.
Antoine and Bijou are two special boys with a very special role: teaching the next generation how wonderful rats are. Antoine and Bijou are brothers who began life, as do so many of the babies brought to rescues, as part of an “oops” litter. However, they had a lucky start to life--a much different story from what most rescue rats go through. The two beautiful brothers were born into a loving family with children who doted on them every day.
I became a rat mom last year when I adopted my first two rats, Bitey and Pablo. I remember bringing them home from Vacaville, stopping at a BBQ place on the way and feeding them little bites of everything through the holes in their tiny carrier. When we got home I made them a little house out of an Amazon box inside their cage.
This month, instead of sharing someone else’s adoption story, I thought it was time I shared one of my own. I adopted Hazel from Rattie Ratz Rescue back in August of 2015. I needed a companion for a sanctuary rat who had just lost her sister. Hazel was the runt of the litter, a tiny black and white hooded baby, and my family fell in love with her instantly. Thankfully, my sanctuary girl Rowan also fell in love with little Hazel. They were happily living together within hours of being introduced.
KRL believes in supporting animal rescue in its many forms in any way that we can. This week we are interviewing a very unique rescue in New York called Empty Cages Collective.
I became a first time rattie mom back in June 2016. Misty was approximately three months old when we got her, and extremely shy. Every day I would offer her a treat as I walked by her cage, making sure to talk softly and to not make any fast or sudden movements. I would pet her very gently, but never ask her to come out. Soon, we got to the point that when I opened her cage door she was willing to climb onto my shoulder. She still wouldn’t step onto my hand, so I had to lean down and offer my shoulder each time.
Not only do domestic rats come in all shapes and sizes, they also come in all sorts of temperaments. From the lovable “snugglers” who don’t want you out of their sight to the Mr. Grouchy Pants who want to be left alone to their own devices. Anna was lucky enough to adopt a rat on the Mr. Grouchy Pants end of the spectrum. Anna renamed her grouchy boy Strider and has been on an adventure of rattie proportions ever since!
Many of us have heard about cat cafés, which originated in Taiwan and became a beloved craze in Japan, where tourists and residents alike can now choose from the over 150 kitty cafés that are open in the country. Guests can relax and enjoy a hot cup of tea or coffee, basking in the company of animal friends as the cats roam about, a welcome break from the grind of everyday life.
The little beady-eyed creep irritated the hell out of me. If he hadn’t been one heck of a technician, I would have had him transferred to another department. Much as I liked to hear the figures on the monitors squeal, prolonged listening got old pretty quickly.
KRL wants to spread the word about what awesome pets rats are, and also to help those who are rescuing them, so we interview rat rescues across the country. This week we are interviewing the owner of Rizzo Rat Rescue in Southern California, Lillian. In honor of World Rat Day on April 4 we actually have 3 rat related articles in this issue!
