Have your rats ever caused you to feel humbled?

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ViciousCurse

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2019
Messages
80
Location
Minnesota, USA
I've had this question rolling around in my head for some time. I just wanted some input from everyone else. I love having conversations about our experiences with rats. While I love asking and answering questions about rat health or rat behavior, I do love these general chit-chatty things about our fur-babies. I love to have a conversation about them with no real purpose other than sharing our experiences.
(Sad moments for me ensue, so warning)

As for me, the things that humbled me the most when caring for pet rats....
1. Gideon choosing me for safety rather than any other place. I don't now why this has humbled me, but when Gideon got scared of something, he'd run to me rather than under or behind anything. He'd always try to crawl into my hands.
2. Gideon trusting me enough to always fall asleep on me. My absolute favorite and memorable moments with my heart rat is when he'd fall fast asleep on my chest while I watched TV. Even when I leaned down to kiss his head, he wouldn't stir.
3. On Gideon's deathbed, all he wanted to do was cuddle up to my neck and sit on my shoulder, despite him slowly losing control of his body. My biggest regret is being extremely superficial and not allowing him to do so because he couldn't control his bowel movements and I didn't want poo on my neck or chin. My regret with him is not being there when he took his last breath.
4. When Amun and Gideon died, Maddox came to me for comfort. I had successfully introduced and integrated Grumpy, Ni, and Lil Chu as babies by the time Amun and Gideon passed away. Instead of laying with them, Maddox wanted me to comfort him. Previously, this rat had been tolerant and accepting of me, but he never sought out of my affection. I'm sure he appreciated the love I did give him.
5. When Grumpy finally chose that he wanted me. Following Gideon's death, Grumpy decided I needed his companionship. This rat had bitten me and been generally apathetic to me previously, but now he gives kisses and cuddles constantly.
6. When the previously mean or reclusive rat walks up to your hand and licks your hands. Those are my favorite moments, when shy babies, shy adults, or just generally hormonal rats decide to give love out of the blue.
 
When I got my first rat, food, I was terrified of rats. I thought all rats bit you, and were mean. She put her little front feet up on the side of her plastic cage, and gave me this longing look. Like she wanted my affection. I nervously put my hand in her cage, and she sniffed me, then curled up in my hand and waited to see what I would do. I promptly yanked my hand out, unsure of what just happened, and proceeded to put it back in. Again, she gave my hand a sniff, then crawled in it and cuddled up to my fingers. I felt bad for misjudging her, and carefully brought her out to cuddle on my chest. I fell in love from there.
My sister in law, who had rats as a teenager, told me I needed to get her a friend, so we immediately went out and got Thursday, a little gray and white hooded girl. I was not familiar with rats, and therefore did not know about how delicate their respiratory system is. We lost food, and immediately got pepper as a friend for Thursday, who we weren't entirely sure was a girl. It wasn't until we got pepper, that I realized how prominent boy rat's jewels were! Shortly after, we lost Thursday, I decided to give pepper about two weeks, to make sure he wasn't also going to get sick (at this time, I still didn't know what was causing the issues), and research what was causing them to get sick and how to fix it. About two weeks later, I got macaroni, with the foolish intentions to breed. Needless to say, that didn't go how I planned and I learned the hard way that I didn't want to have a ton of babies, and I couldn't let them go, since I would fall in love with them all. Well, after losing pepper, my heart rat, in such a horrible, gut wrenching way, I have come to the conclusion that I WILL continue to be a rat home, I'll just make sure I RESCUE the more unfortunate ones that need our help. Out of this, I now have skittle (was a VERY bitey and not nice boy), and Eva (was left at petco for who knows what reason) and am so in love with both of them. And my four other rats, Macaroni, Créme, Brother, and Taco.
Rats are such kind, intelligent, empathetic little creatures. They are so misunderstood.
 
Having rats caused me to realize and understand that all animals are sentient beings. They learn, they love, they live just like we do. They are amazing animals and I am not superior to them. They own their life like I own mine. I'm here to care for the rescues, to give them a better life, not to entertain me although, just their very being entertains me.
 
I meant to reply to this earlier and then, subsequently kept forgetting. I currently have Grumpy on my shoulder, who keeps climbing up and down my arm, making me type like an old man who's never touched a computer before, so bear with me! I think he's trying to get me to hold him like a baby.

It just constantly amazes me how rats are so kind and forgiving. I screw up with my bird, he's mad at me for a month. I screw up with them and few minutes later, they're back to popcorning and kissing me on the face. They are very much the dogs of the small animal world! It also amazes me how rats know you're referring to them, even if you call them a completely new nickname. I can call Grumpy just about anything and he'll scamper over. I honestly don't know what compels me to keep animals, aside from taking them from bad situations. I don't want to be entertained, just... loved. My bird and rats do this fantastically. I get more kisses from Grumpy than I do from my dog. It may also just because I dislike most people and, like a true introvert, prefer the company of a kissing rat and squeaky bird way more than people.

The first thing my grandpa said, upon seeing my first ever rats (bless my original trio), was "They have BIG BALLS!" I went to a breeder first and decided on males, because every site I ever read, about rats, said stuff about female rats, and I wanted to try male rats because no one talked about them. I was the kid to get weird animals as a child and my grandparents never really approved, but tolerated my selections. Even my grandpa got comfortable saying hello to my rats. I think he just got used to seeing Gideon constantly on my shoulder.


Also, kinda gross side note. When I kiss Grumpy's head (which he 100% allows and loves), he reaches up and licks my lips back. Does anyone else get this? I'm sure people will say I'm not sanitary by letting him kiss me like that, but... Eh. I don't let Grumpy lick the inside of my mouth and it's not like I wipe it off and then rub my eyes or nose.


What made you guys decide on getting rats? I started off with hamsters and gerbils and always heard people go "ew, at least they aren't rats. gerbils freak me out because they look like rats, minus the bald tail." I didn't question it until I was about eighteen or nineteen and then, being the rebellious young adult I am, looked into rats as pets. Instantly fell in love and decided to get a couple six months later. Was the hooked the instant I saw Gideon, Amun, and Maddox and took them home. Have stayed hooked through Grumpy's kisses and Ni-Ni's cuddles. Will probably continue to stay hooked through Arthur's special kissing and Luci's fuzziness (Luci is a very fuzzy rex. He's not the typical curly-haired boy with a bad hair day, his hair just goes everywhere). And then I'm sure after Arthur and Luci, I'll have more rats to keep me hooked, even if my grandma doesn't want them anymore.
 
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