long time between rodents

The time has come (and not a walrus in sight!!)

Confession time........

I haven't actually owned, or been owned by a rattie for 19-odd years.

Things have changed a LOT in that time.

When I last had rats, they were kept singly in cages not much bigger than the mouse cages you see in pet stores.

Now they are kept in big spacious houses or cages. And often given free range for hours at a time.

It is now common practise for rats to be kept in (same-sex)pairs or groups, or speyed/neutered and kept together. The current thinking is that rats are sociable creatures and can suffer from isolation and lonliness.

And it's known that if girls are speyed by 6 months,they suffer less from tumors. And males benefit too, they have a far lower incidence of getting hind quarter paralysis.

Although, speying/neuteringisn't compulsory, it is a great way to make sure that there isn't the pitter-patter of tiny rattie feet.

http://www.mustloverats.blogspot.com/ tells us some interesting rattie facts, including that a group of rats is called a "mischief"

So........

I am getting two girls in January. Dora is an elder rattie of 2.5 and her daughter Freddie is a spry 1.5. They are both speyed.

I am also getting a little man named Nero. His cage mate passed away, so his mum thinks he will be happier in a new home and with new friends. He is about the same age as Freddie.

In the space of a week I have gone from none to three ratties.

If I find out the name if this apparent phenomenon, I'll let you know

until my next post,

may all your raisins be of the fruit variety!!

*EDIT* I am now not getting the two girls, they are going to an established rattery that has experience with elder rats........so now Nero will be an only rat, and I am on the lookout for companions