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Mouse, Halloumi Mozzarella.
Fancy rats are domestic rats that are bred for temperament and companionship, and they make great pets! I was 9 years old when I got my first rat. She had been brought in one night by one of my cats, which was trying to teach our other cat, her son, to hunt. Needless to say, this little rat outsmarted both cats all night. My mother was not a fan of rodents at all, but after seeing this sweet little face staring back at her in terror that morning, she said the frightened little thing could stay. The cats’ victim must have been someone’s pet that had escaped. It was the year 2000, so Pikachu was the inevitable name choice, being my favorite Pokémon character. Back then I didn’t know anything about rats, particularly that they should not be kept alone and do best with a rat friend or two. She was an incredible little creature and made me fall in love with rats. She would manage to squeeze out of her cage every morning, climb into bed with me and lick my face to wake me up and have a cuddle. She had such a spunky personality. She even survived when our house caught fire in a tragic accident in 2001. The firefighters were directed to where she was and came out of the burning house holding her cage up in victory. Talk about a dramatic story! Sadly, Pikachu had to be put to sleep not long after that due to a large cancerous lump that appeared almost overnight. It was a while until I got more rats after Pikachu passed away, as my house was full of dogs and cats, and it was a bit too risky to have a rat in the mix. In 2017 I got 2 more rats, Jupiter and Lyra, from a friend of mine who was a fancy rat breeder. They absolutely changed my life! I called them my antidepressants and they were an absolute joy and got me through a really tough time in my life. They showed me just how smart and loving pet rats can be and how each one had a completely different personality, just like a dog or cat. Not to mention that they were super cute! They
would come when I called them and sat with me on my bed watching TV in the evenings or explore my room until it was bedtime. I later adopted 3 more rats from a rescue organization that had loads of rats needing homes and I couldn’t resist. They were “feeder rats” and less friendly than the others, but still very smart. I was nervous about introducing them to my 2 rat girls, but with some help from the rat groups on Facebook and my rat breeder friend, it went pretty smoothly. This is where my journey of learning all about these little critters started, not that I’m now an expert by any means. South Africa has a substantial community of pet rat owners and there are multiple Facebook groups and organizations to help rescue rats, educate owners, and let them share stories and tips. There are also many international rat groups and celebrity rats all over the world that people follow and adore. There are different breeds of fancy rats, and they can have a variety of colours and markings. Rats really are like mini dogs! They have their own unique personalities; they’re smart, friendly, affectionate, absolutely adorable and can be so funny!
I now totally understand why there are so many cartoon rodents - if you sit and watch them for a while, I guarantee they will put a smile on your face. I eventually landed up with 11 rats at one point - I just couldn’t resist them. All my rats have been female, to prevent rat babies, which can happen very quickly. I introduced my Labrador to them when he was a small puppy so that he would be used to them as he was growing up. He is always delighted to see them and they’re very cute together. I keep all their interactions short and closely supervised so that nothing unfortunate happens. I currently have 3 rats, 2 standard ear and one dumbo rat named Mouse (yes, a rat named Mouse, LOL), Halloumi and Mozzarella. Sadly, rats are very prone to respiratory issues and often get cancerous lumps.
Visit www.apopo.org for more on these incredible rats If you’re interested in adopting (preferable as there are always many pet rats in need of loving homes) or buying a pet rat, here are a few places to start: Facebook groups: Pet Rat Support RSA Rats in South Africa
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SEPTEMBER 2021 | PETPRINTS
