silentmagician
Junior Member
When we first got Karel, I wasn't sure if we'd be able to keep him. He was a "reject" from a breeder due to temperament, and he just kind of came along when we picked up his buddy, Distel. My boyfriend picked the name "Karel de Grote," which is what the Dutch called Charlemagne. The name turned out to fit him well. He was high strung, poorly socialized, a biter, and general jerk to Distel. I'd had rats as a kid, but Karel was by far the most stubborn and challenging rat I'd met. He has also been one of the most rewarding.
After lots of patience and training (and the use of an oven mitt), Karel grew to become a dear member of the family. He learned to stop stealing Distel's treats and would come ask me for his share instead. He learned to tolerate being held without throwing a fit (provided we didn't hold him for too long, he was very busy and always running around and exploring and trying to jump on the shadows on the wall). He eventually learned that if he came and sat on my lap, he got scratched under the chin and that wasn't such a bad thing. Even better, I was the bringer of his favorite thing ever, lab blocks; every night he come running with the sound of the container being opened and got down to the serious business of collecting and stashing blocks.
His other favorite thing was his playtime game, "Chew the showermat without getting caught." It went like this: he knew he'd get in trouble if we caught him in the shower, so he'd sneak over when we weren't looking, carefully stretching down towards the shower mat from the edge of the shower floor without "technically" being in the shower. I'd notice him and yell "Karel!" at which point he hastily chomped the matt before backing up and pretending he wasn't up to anything. I wouldn't buy his innocent look so I'd scoop him up and give him a lecture, after which he'd give me a couple sloppy licks from the corner of his mouth as if to say, "yeah, yeah, you caught me," and then wriggle away to start the game again. We got to know him as a strong-willed and mischevious, but also very intelligent, adventursome, and loyal, rat.
I also learned all kinds of things about treating rat injuries since he managed to injure himself more than all the other rats I've ever had put together--his nickname was scarface after he ended up with a mysterious gash along his mouth! By the end, we had built a strong bond of mutual respect and affection I never expected at the beginning of our relationship, and even better was the close friendship he developed with Distel. Despite his strong and unfailing will, we lost Karel about a week ago after a long month and a half battling respiratory problems; we are guessing he was about 1 year 9 months old. The photo I've attached is one of the first taken of him--we would often find him all curled up in some strange yet adorable position alongside Distel.
After lots of patience and training (and the use of an oven mitt), Karel grew to become a dear member of the family. He learned to stop stealing Distel's treats and would come ask me for his share instead. He learned to tolerate being held without throwing a fit (provided we didn't hold him for too long, he was very busy and always running around and exploring and trying to jump on the shadows on the wall). He eventually learned that if he came and sat on my lap, he got scratched under the chin and that wasn't such a bad thing. Even better, I was the bringer of his favorite thing ever, lab blocks; every night he come running with the sound of the container being opened and got down to the serious business of collecting and stashing blocks.
His other favorite thing was his playtime game, "Chew the showermat without getting caught." It went like this: he knew he'd get in trouble if we caught him in the shower, so he'd sneak over when we weren't looking, carefully stretching down towards the shower mat from the edge of the shower floor without "technically" being in the shower. I'd notice him and yell "Karel!" at which point he hastily chomped the matt before backing up and pretending he wasn't up to anything. I wouldn't buy his innocent look so I'd scoop him up and give him a lecture, after which he'd give me a couple sloppy licks from the corner of his mouth as if to say, "yeah, yeah, you caught me," and then wriggle away to start the game again. We got to know him as a strong-willed and mischevious, but also very intelligent, adventursome, and loyal, rat.
I also learned all kinds of things about treating rat injuries since he managed to injure himself more than all the other rats I've ever had put together--his nickname was scarface after he ended up with a mysterious gash along his mouth! By the end, we had built a strong bond of mutual respect and affection I never expected at the beginning of our relationship, and even better was the close friendship he developed with Distel. Despite his strong and unfailing will, we lost Karel about a week ago after a long month and a half battling respiratory problems; we are guessing he was about 1 year 9 months old. The photo I've attached is one of the first taken of him--we would often find him all curled up in some strange yet adorable position alongside Distel.
