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

It’s really imPortant to do your research if you’re Wanting to get Pet rats, to ensure they live a healthy, haPPy and long life. their cage set uP is very imPortant and it is vital that you don’t use things that can aggravate their resPiratory vulnerabilities.

A reputable exotics vet can treat them and often know rats well because they’re quite a popular pet. Newspaper that is changed regularly is what I found works best as bedding, but there are other options. Rats can be litter box trained and are very clean animals, for the most part. They spend a great deal of their time cleaning themselves and their cage-mates.

Rats are omnivores and eat almost any food. There are commercially available rat foods that you can buy at a pet or vet shop and fresh veggies and fruits are also important in your rats’ diet. Protein, like egg and meat, are also important for them, especially when they are growing or are elderly; but this needs to be fed in moderation. Watching a rat eat has got to be one of the greatest delights for a rat owner. Their little hands holding onto their food and taking little bites while their whiskers wiggle around as they chew is just so adorable!

Make no mistake, fancy rats are the friendly, lovable little creatures, but all rats are extremely intelligent.

The giant pouch rat is used in landmine and tuberculosis (TB) detection that is run by an organization called APOPO in central Africa. Rats can sniff out the explosives in landmines quickly and ignore the metal that slows down other traditional landmine detection equipment. Landmines are pressure activated and the weight of these rats is not enough to set off the explosives. According to APOPO’s website no rats have ever been killed in landmine detection.

APOPO’s HeroRATs can screen 100 sputum samples for TB in 20 minutes, which can take a lab technician up to 4 days!

Rats have incredible smell and are easy to train which makes them the perfect little heroes!