Animal House: Frat Rats
Daisy, Prudence, Charlotte and Wilbur
Meet the present rat members of Chi Alpha Tau Chapter of 'Animal House' (Delta Tau Chi).
Background:
For 2 years I was ratless. I gave away all my rat equipment and toys and cages...everything. Then one day in April 2005 I went to volunteer at the humane society and fell in love with two adult males. They both had blazes (berkshire?) and were so squishy and friendly even with a stranger. For some reason I entertained the idea of adopting them, even though I'd seen plenty of cool rats since 2003. I talked to the shelter employee and she offered that I could take the cage they were in. Now I was in trouble! I ended up taking them home that day. They seemed immediately at home, barely fazed by my curious cats. The cats seem delighted to have rats again and so am I. I'm having a ball feeding them and watching them. I think we will become fast friends. I call one Bonzai (he's pretty quick and fearless) and the other Totoro because I just like it for him.
I had rats as pets between August 1998 and March 2003. Rats are very social, so I've never had a lone rat for more than a few weeks. The most I've had at one time was 5 rats. I loved the rats, they were so much fun to watch and play with and cuddle. I've decided that it is too hard to have SO many pets though and am now sticking with my cats. The rats also live such short lives that it is heartbreaking. (You get very attached to them in a short time because they are so interactive for small pets.)
The rats had 4 pet cats Megan, Maubee, Jadzia and Mimosa. Megan is just terrified of them, Mimosa ignores them mostly and Maubee and Jadzia like to watch them. One of my first rats, Emily, loved our cat Maubee and would come running to see him if he hopped up on the end table next to their cage. She and Couscous also enjoyed playing with Jadzia. I can't tell if the rats are just playing chicken or trying to assert their territory. They'll stick their noses through the cage and the cats try unsuccessfully to get them. Our Raindrop was at first terrified of the cats, but learning from Zemmi, she got into the game too.
My Last Group of Rats:
In January of 2001 I had only had two rats (Sesame and Raindrop, both gone now) for quite a while and I decided that was not enough. I really missed all the fun activity that there used to be with three and four rat girls. (And I thought Zemni would benefit by having some youngsters around to keep her active) So when I met a cute friendly baby rat (Jade) at our local humane society I quickly signed up to adopt her and took her home 1/24/01. She was 3 months old. We decided that she was finally a rat we could name Daisy, a long time favorite name that never quite fit the girls we had earlier. She is friendly, but having the cats around really scared her at first. When she finally met the older rat girls she was so happy. She and Raindrop were instant buddies. Raindrop acted like a protective older sister, bossy and pushy. Daisy also kept Zemni running around which really helped with the great one's weight loss program.
I got Prudence at a pet show in March 01, she came up from Florida with a breeder. She was another Dumbo like Sesame, but she had agouti coloring and a much different head shape. Pru didn't stay shy for long. She had a lot of personality, she was very bossy with her sisters and very direct about wanting snacks. She learned to hold a treat inside her mouth and look very forlorn, which tricked me once but I eventually figured it outr! She and Daisy romped and wrestled all the time.
In the Fall of 2001 I rescued 2 rats from the Humane Society. They were from a pet store in town that went out of business and left all the animals behind! I got a girl and a boy, named them Charlotte and Wilbur, and they were slowly introduced to my other three girls. Wilbur is my first ever male rat and he needed to be 'fixed' before mixing with the girls...rats can have litters of 20 kittens and that's not something we wanted!
Wilbur was very gentle and was very cautious about everything, even taking treats. He remained very calm and mild-mannered. His cage mate females were all nuts. Daisy and Prudence spent most of their waking time following each other around trying to find trouble. Little Charlotte was less of a delinquent, but she occasionally stood up to the older girls.
Charlotte grew up (and out) and rivaled Prudence in size eventually.
Charlotte, Wilbur, Prudence and Daisy all developed lumps the same weekend in January 2003, and though the elderly Daisy quickly died, the other three lived for several months being spoiled beyond belief. Now I am adjusting to life without rats.
Onward To Page 2 of Frat Rats.
(With more rat pictures and links.)
OR
visit Alumni ~ pictures and stories earlier of Frat Rats.
Other Places to go:
Animal House
the home page
Daisy, Prudence, Charlotte and Wilbur
Background:
For 2 years I was ratless. I gave away all my rat equipment and toys and cages...everything. Then one day in April 2005 I went to volunteer at the humane society and fell in love with two adult males. They both had blazes (berkshire?) and were so squishy and friendly even with a stranger. For some reason I entertained the idea of adopting them, even though I'd seen plenty of cool rats since 2003. I talked to the shelter employee and she offered that I could take the cage they were in. Now I was in trouble! I ended up taking them home that day. They seemed immediately at home, barely fazed by my curious cats. The cats seem delighted to have rats again and so am I. I'm having a ball feeding them and watching them. I think we will become fast friends. I call one Bonzai (he's pretty quick and fearless) and the other Totoro because I just like it for him.
I had rats as pets between August 1998 and March 2003. Rats are very social, so I've never had a lone rat for more than a few weeks. The most I've had at one time was 5 rats. I loved the rats, they were so much fun to watch and play with and cuddle. I've decided that it is too hard to have SO many pets though and am now sticking with my cats. The rats also live such short lives that it is heartbreaking. (You get very attached to them in a short time because they are so interactive for small pets.)
The rats had 4 pet cats Megan, Maubee, Jadzia and Mimosa. Megan is just terrified of them, Mimosa ignores them mostly and Maubee and Jadzia like to watch them. One of my first rats, Emily, loved our cat Maubee and would come running to see him if he hopped up on the end table next to their cage. She and Couscous also enjoyed playing with Jadzia. I can't tell if the rats are just playing chicken or trying to assert their territory. They'll stick their noses through the cage and the cats try unsuccessfully to get them. Our Raindrop was at first terrified of the cats, but learning from Zemmi, she got into the game too.
My Last Group of Rats:
In January of 2001 I had only had two rats (Sesame and Raindrop, both gone now) for quite a while and I decided that was not enough. I really missed all the fun activity that there used to be with three and four rat girls. (And I thought Zemni would benefit by having some youngsters around to keep her active) So when I met a cute friendly baby rat (Jade) at our local humane society I quickly signed up to adopt her and took her home 1/24/01. She was 3 months old. We decided that she was finally a rat we could name Daisy, a long time favorite name that never quite fit the girls we had earlier. She is friendly, but having the cats around really scared her at first. When she finally met the older rat girls she was so happy. She and Raindrop were instant buddies. Raindrop acted like a protective older sister, bossy and pushy. Daisy also kept Zemni running around which really helped with the great one's weight loss program.
I got Prudence at a pet show in March 01, she came up from Florida with a breeder. She was another Dumbo like Sesame, but she had agouti coloring and a much different head shape. Pru didn't stay shy for long. She had a lot of personality, she was very bossy with her sisters and very direct about wanting snacks. She learned to hold a treat inside her mouth and look very forlorn, which tricked me once but I eventually figured it outr! She and Daisy romped and wrestled all the time.
In the Fall of 2001 I rescued 2 rats from the Humane Society. They were from a pet store in town that went out of business and left all the animals behind! I got a girl and a boy, named them Charlotte and Wilbur, and they were slowly introduced to my other three girls. Wilbur is my first ever male rat and he needed to be 'fixed' before mixing with the girls...rats can have litters of 20 kittens and that's not something we wanted!
Wilbur was very gentle and was very cautious about everything, even taking treats. He remained very calm and mild-mannered. His cage mate females were all nuts. Daisy and Prudence spent most of their waking time following each other around trying to find trouble. Little Charlotte was less of a delinquent, but she occasionally stood up to the older girls.
Charlotte grew up (and out) and rivaled Prudence in size eventually.
Charlotte, Wilbur, Prudence and Daisy all developed lumps the same weekend in January 2003, and though the elderly Daisy quickly died, the other three lived for several months being spoiled beyond belief. Now I am adjusting to life without rats.
Onward To Page 2 of Frat Rats.
(With more rat pictures and links.)
OR
visit Alumni ~ pictures and stories earlier of Frat Rats.
Other Places to go:
