1. Meet the Rats

    Meet the rats! I had 26 rats over the years (usually in groups of 4-6 at a time) so I will use this space to post a little about their personalities. They lived here.

    Deceased:

    Essex:

    DOB: November 2015 (estimated)-August 2018

    Essex was a black split hooded rat with a blaze. She was a very typical female- super bouncy and playful. She enjoyed attempting daredevil escapes whenever I was cleaning the cage. I loved her crazy, energetic, zoomie spirit. She was my last rat. After Goose passed away, I knew I didn’t want to get more rats she was was already an old lady but she was still so spunky and I couldn’t leave her by herself. It just worked out that a friend and volunteer at the zoo was able to take her an integrate her into their group of males (she was spayed). She lived out the rest of her life there with buddies. See more pictures of Essex here

    Goose:

    DOB: April 1, 2015 (estimated)- April 2018
    Goose was a white mismarked rex rat with black eyes. Not a true black eyed white, but pretty close. His fur wasn’t super curly but was fluffly and his whiskers were pretty wavy and cute :) He had a great, chill personality.  He was neutered and was one of my best rats- loves people and doesn’t cause any problems! See more pictures of Goose here

    Peabody:

    DOB: December 2015 (estimated)- May 10th, 2017

    Peabody was an insanely cute agouti blazed variegated dumbo rex boy! He reminded me a lot of Oliver- my all time favorite rat. He was a bit fat fluff and loved getting in trouble. His favorite thing was licking fingers! He was neutered and lived happily with the group. See more pictures of Peabody here.

    Rigby:

    DOB: April 1, 2015 (estimated)- May 10th, 2017

    Rigby was Goose’s sister and was originally owned by Kelly but when her other rats passed away, she didn’t want Rigby to be alone and let her come live with me. She was very personable and playful and integrated really well with my group. She was euthanized because of complications from a respiratory infection. See more pictures of Rigby here

    Tater Tot:

    DOB: May 25, 2015 (estimated)- May 4, 2017
    Tater Tot was a black blazed standard rat. He was more of a rat’s rat and wasn’t super fond of people. He loved snuggling with his rattie friends though! See more pictures of Tater Tot here

    Juneau:

    DOB: September 29, 2014 (known)

    Juneau was a gorgeous pearl merle dumbo rat. She was from a rescue litter brought in by Sara. She was a nutcase- very active and excited about life. She had a puncture in her eye that healed but she was left with no vision in that eye. It didn’t affect her at all because rats don’t rely much on their vision and it healed! But you may notice that she had some gray scar tissue in her left eye. She developed malocclusion and eventually needed to be euthanized because of it. I will miss that stunning, happy girl. See more pictures of Juneau here.

    Ruthenium (aka “Ru”):

    DOB: May 2014 (estimated)

    Ru (named for the elemental symbol of Ruthenium, a gray metal) was a blue wedge-blazed dumbo rex. She had a ton of personality and loved to zoom around the cage and play with the other rats. She was incredibly small for her age and I suspect she was bred very poorly and had some underlying issues causing her stunted growth. She passed away shortly after surgery to remove a mammary tumor. I will miss the little mini :( See more pictures of Ru here.

    Nemesis (aka “Nemmy”):

    February 2014 (estimated)-January 6, 2016

    Nemesis was a beautiful red-eyed siamese dumbo. Nemmy was always a very shy boyy and never quite warmed up to people. He liked to have his head petted but was very uncomfortable being picked up so I tried to be respectful of that. He loved his rat buddies and never caused any trouble. He had a lot of health issues and developed edema and serious respiratory troubles later in life. Going to the vet and being medicated was very stressful for him so I hope he is in a happy place now with no more fear or discomfort. He was my first siamese rat and will always be a special boy to me. Sleep peacefully love <3 See more pictures of Nemmy here

    Nora:

    July 2013 (estimated)- October 14, 2015

    Nora was a black variegated standard-eared rat. I picked her because she had a very calm licky personality. She was a small rat but she didn’t know it- she was top dog in the cage and flipped over everyone, including the big boys that were twice her size. She had the sweetest disposition with me and bruxed constantly! She was definitely a very active girl and didn’t like to sit still at all during playtime. She was also a big ham for the camera :) No sock or strap was safe from her :P See more pictures of Nora here

    Nox:

    December 2014-June 5, 2015
    Nox was a black berkshire rex rat with standard ears. I only had her for a few weeks. She was rescued by Sara from a feeder bin and I took her when I went to visit because Sara rescues many rats and needed to make room :) Nox was so so incredibly sweet and wanted nothing more than to sit with you and love you. She unfortunately developed a mass in her lower abdomen- some kind of internal tumor. She crashed very quickly and died a few hours before her vet appointment. I am heartbroken that I didn’t get to know her better but I’m glad she got to have a name and a home and friends before she passed away. This is the only nice picture I have of her and she is covered in (non-toxic) paint from my rat painting adventures. See what little other pictures I have of Nox here

    Rosie:

    February 14, 2013 (known)-May 11, 2015
    Rosie was a Russian blue berkshire dumbo from Blue Ridge Rattery in VA. She was very friendly and outgoing. She didn’t have any particularly interesting personality traits but she was a big sweetheart and I loved her. She ran on the wheel all the time and sometimes she ran so fast that it sounded like she was throwing herself against the sides :P She also passed away suddenly. See more pictures of Rosie here.

    Gus-Gus:

    July 2013 (estimated)-May 9, 2015
    Gus-Gus was a dove(maybe) dumbo rex. He was also neutered and was a very calm loving rat! He was my go to snuggler and loved to curl up on the couch with me. He got along great with everyone and never caused any trouble- he truly was the perfect rat. He wa a giant fluffy lovebug! He died suddenly just a week after Oliver and it was the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever gone through. I would do anything to have held him for just a little longer- I never got to say goodbye. See more pictures of Gus-Gus here.

    Oliver: 

    October 13, 2012- May 1, 2015

    Oliver was a gray “baldie” vareigated dumbo rex. Baldie refers to the placement of the blob of white on the top of his head that resembles a human bald spot. He was my first boy- He was mis-sexed so I thought I got a female but nope!! Definitely one of the cutest rats I’ve ever had!! He was neutered so he could live happily with the girls! He was one of the craziest rats I ever owned- definitely not a relaxed lazy male! He loved to run and climb on everything and doesn’t enjoy sitting still or being held and he was always in trouble. But he was super affectionate and loved attention. He was a riot to watch and play with. He died after a long battle with a tumor and respiratory issues. I will never be able to replace him and the hole he left in my life. See more pictures of Oliver here.

    Lionel:

    December 2012 (estimated)-November 28, 2014
    Lionel was an American Blue standard eared male. His color was absolutely gorgeous and he was bred at a feeder breeder because he was pretty but he turned out to be a genetic nightmare. I’m not sure exactly what was wrong with him, but he had some deformities that limited his mobility and bladder control. His hips weren’t very functional so he sort of slipped around when he walked. He also had chronic hair loss problems, cataracts, deformed toes, and a weird tongue flicking behavior. What he lacked in classic good looks, he made up for in personality. He loved to give kisses and snuggle- he was a very laid back and patient rat. He loved the new rats and always acted as the nanny rat for the babies. He also had a habit of pooping everywhere so his official nickname was “Poop Gun” :P His condition unfortunately continued to deteriorate and it eventually became obvious that his issues were causing him discomfort and his quality of life just wasn’t there anymore so I made the difficult decision to euthanize him. His death was a huge loss and no rat will be able to fill the void he left here. See more pictures of Lionel here.

    Scout:

    January 14 (estimated)- February 24, 2014
    Scout was a black standard eared blazed mis-marked berkshire rat. Unfortunately I only had her for a few days before she had a seizure and died. She was very loving and people-oriented, despite having not been well socialized. I think she would have been an amazing rat and I am so sorry that I lost her before I got to know her and I would do anything to have her back.

    Remi:

    May 12, 2012-February 17, 2014
    Remi was a standard- eared variegated (spots) rat with a blaze on her face. She had a fantastic personality- she was the perfect combination of sweet and calm but also playful. I am usually so partial to dumbos but I think Remi was just the prettiest little thing! She loved to play tug of war with string, twistie-ties, pipecleaners etc (she was like a kitten!). She unfortunately developed a large abscess in her groin that- despite extensive veterinary care- overtook her urinary system and she had to be put to sleep. She left me too quickly and will be sorely missed. See more pictures of Remi here.

    Marley:

    February 27, 2012- September 26, 2013
    Marley was black blazed rex dumbo from Ember of Passion Rattery. She was a retired breeder who had two beautiful litters before she came to live with me. She was a sweet little girl who was very shy. She was the best rex I’ve owned and her fur, whiskers, and markings were just perfect! She died unexpectedly of unknown causes- probably complications of a respiratory infection that she had struggled with since I got her. See more pictures of Marley here.

    Lucy:

    December 2010 (estimated)- May 29, 2013
    Lucy was a dumbo gray masked rat that I got from Petco when I was still in school in Colorado (Although it’s better to get them from rescues or breeders!). She was probably my favorite rat that I’ve ever owned. She was extremely outgoing and loved to follow you around and cuddle. She was a big attention hog and knew lots of tricks. She had a mammary tumor but my cousin (who is a vet) offered to remove it for free so she got better and back to her usual antics!! She was a big ovegroomer and liked to barber (overgroom to the point where they create bald patches) herself. She had a bald tummy and front legs- crazy girl!! She had advanced hind end degeneration and slowly lost her mobility in her hind and front feet. She also had a mouth infection from improper tooth growth and she had to be put to sleep. She was a funny girl full of personality and she will be forever missed.

    Ellie:

    October 8, 2011 (known)- April 13, 2013
    Ellie was a black berkshire (white belly) dumbo. She was pretty chilled out and even let me hold her on her back- sometimes she slept on her back with all four paws in the air. She was super ticklish and hopped and ran around when you tickled her back. She did not always like new rats so she gave me trouble with introductions but she was a big sweetie in the end. Unfortunately, she developed a pituitary tumor and her condition went downhill quickly and she had to be put to sleep. Her life was too short and she will be sorely missed.

    Piper:

    unknown- 2010/2011- November 22, 2012
    Piper was a blue (dark gray) berkshire rex (curly fur) dumbo. I rescued her from gRATitude rat rescue- she had gone through a surgery to have two mammary tumors removed and a few rounds of antibiotics for upper respiratory infections (a common illness in rats). She was all better but had some lung damage left over that made her sound very wheezy when she breathed. She sounded like she was grunting so we called her the little piggie. She was very laid back and loves to give and receive kisses. She was the least trained of my rats and gets herself into lots of trouble- she even fell in the toilet sometimes when she got too adventurous! Because of all of her medical conditions, I knew she would not live long- but I wanted to give her a home with other rats and lots of attention. I had her put to sleep after 4 months of living with me because her breathing had become extremely labored and she lost a ton of weight and just seemed miserable. She was a reminder to me that it is so important to always treat URIs as early as possible. I know they are a frustrating and never-ending battle but no one should have had to suffer like she did. I thank Laurie at gRATitude rat rescue for giving her a second chance at life- I was glad I could give her a peaceful and happy end <3

    Bailey:


    DOB: January 2011 (estimate)
    Bailey was a pearl merle rex dumbo rat :) She was very sweet and a little shy and always very chunky <3 She died of complications from a respiratory infection in April 2012. I miss her so much!

     Olivia: 

    DOB: unknown, bought as adult
    Olivia was a black hooded standard-eared rat. She was from PetCo so unfortunately she was always a little sickly but she was also much calmer than all of my other rats. She was great at tricks and loved to snuggle in my sweatshirt hood and get pets. She fought a long battle with URIs but in the end, the antibiotics weren’t working and she passed away. Definitely the last time I’ll buy a rat from PetCo or Petsmart she deserved a less painful life.

    Mia & Lola 

    Mia was a black berkshire standard-eared rat and Lola was a burmese self dumbo. Mia was extremely skittish and despite my attempts to socialize her, she was very anxious and bit often. She also started to attack my other rats so I rehomed her to another rat owner who had one other passive rat and did not handle them as much. Last I heard she was doing very well there but I am not sure if she is still alive. Lola was not the most well-behaved but she was very sweet and oh so pretty. She was my roommate’s rat and she passed away recently in NJ while my roommate was home for break.

    Molly:

    Molly was one of my first rats but my roommate quickly fell in love with her and I never bonded with her as much. She loved to lick the inside of your lip which was weird-feeling and chew clothes :P She died almost a year ago when I had already left Colorado (Molly, Pip, and Lola stayed behind with my roommates and I took Lucy, Bailey, and Olivia). We are not sure what she (or Pip) died of but they are definitely missed.

    Pip & Squeak:

     Pip and Squeak were my first ratties :) Pip was a cinnamon standard-eared rat and Squeak was a cream hooded standard-eared rat. Squeak died a week after I got her- I’m not sure why. Pip lived for much longer and died with Molly, also of unknown causes. Pip was a very good girl and knew her name and lots of tricks. She was very adventurous and loved to climb and jump on everything.