Well... there's no doubt about it, Radar is lonely.
He usually gets the run of the dining room and living room, but lately he's just been hanging around the big cage, staying near the rats on the other side. Each time I go near him, he runs to me, stands on his back legs and begs for attention. Each time he's locked in his cage, he goes nuts if anyone goes near the cage, he popcorns, jumps, runs and begs. When the other rats are out and goes near his cage, he desperately tries to "eat" his way out of the cage, not to attack, but to be with them.
I've been trying to see who I could pull out of one of the cages to be his "wife". I thought of sweet Flea. She's older, docile, calm and a loner. I thought, perfect match, they look alike.
Here's what I mean:
Radar:
And Flea
Put them on the couch tonight... but it was a no go. Flea was not interested, she became very anxious and worried. At her age, I knew it was touch and go with her. She's old and prefers calm rats around her.
Just then, I hear a huge commotion in the young cage. Of course, it's my Isabelle, being a real "pain" yet again. This time, she set her sights on Sophie and she's just running scared. So I take Isabelle out and plop her on the couch with Radar. She is younger, 16 months but she has a real "boss" like personality. Both of them are standoffish but not put off. They hang out for a while and then I plop them both in Radar's cage and I watch.
Radar starts to popcorn around like an excited kid at the candy store. He ventures near Isabelle for a quick smell but when she senses him, he popcorns away. When Isabelle settles down, he slowly approaches her and sticks his nose deep in her big dumbo ear. ?? Not sure what that meant but she had no problems with it. He would run back to the corner, excited but containing himself. Then when he no longer could, he would run back to her, to make sure she was still there.
I'm telling you... it was the sweetest thing in the world.
I put her back in the young cage for over night. But tomorrow, there will be another date. I will clean their love nest and if all goes as well as it did tonight... they will be "married".
:heart:
Here are a couple of pics taken tonight, during the cage date:
Mom... there's a girl in my cage!
For me? really for me?
Taking that sniff:
I like you!
Going for the ear...
Stay tuned!