My love affair with rats ...a work in progress.

[jorats]

It all began in Jan 2001. Scott asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said two rats. He wasn't too happy with the idea so I didn't push for it, instead did a lot of research for a full year until my birthday rolled around in 2002. Finally hubby said yes!
We made our way to the pet store, I chose a black hooded and a fawn hooded.

Benny:

Russo:

These rats were everything I was looking for in a cages animal. I've had hamsters before and they certainly don't compare to rats. So off to the same pet store I go to pick out two more. One black berk and one beige berk:

Charlie Sox:

And Ira:

My one year of researching through personal websites and books certainly didn't prepare me for what the real world of rats really was all about. It wasn't until I became a member of PRC. (Pet Rats Canada) I wasn't into forums back then, I didn't really understand the whole concept of forums but Nicole, my sister told me to stick with it, that I would learn a great deal.
I found out that my 20gal tank was not a good home for my four boys. I found out that their hamster seed mix was not a good food for my four boys. I also found out that my boys required daily out time and human interactions. What fun!
And this is when I did my first Martin's purchase: a R690. I cringe now when I think about it... such a tiny cage for four rats but it seemed so big at the time. I was still so naive.

Not satisfied, I was hit hard with GGMR. In May of 2002, Nic and I take a trip to Barrie, ON. There's a store there, a horrible little store, had four rats in a very small tank. A dad and his three boys. They wouldn't sell me the dad so I took the three boys. And that's when Reef, Lou and Shai came home. Two blue dumbos and one blue dumbo rex.

Lou:

Shai and Reef:

And then I met the girls... but that's another story.

 

[ratamataz]

Aww, what a sweet story, its so cool to see your very first rats!

 

[SoA]

Oohh, I can't wait to hear the rest of the story!

 

[chicky82]

Lovely story Jorats great pics too. I guess no matter how hard we try to do our research first, we always look back and feel that we were naive with our first rats :lol:

 

[LA]

Wow what a wonderful story and pictures.

 

[Fidget]

That's a lovely story to share, and so nice to see pictures of your first little loved ones. Your little blue boys sure are heart-melters!
You've come so far in learning, and you've become a wonderful teacher and been a source of help & support for so many - ratties & their people.

And then I met the girls... but that's another story.

I hope you tell that one one day too - with pictures of course!

 

[lilspaz68]

The Birth of Jorats. What a wonderful story...looking forward to the next installment :bliss:

I think most of us went through a period where we just didn't know better, but once we were exposed to the correct information, we acted on it to improve out rat's lives. That is the sign of a good ratparent. :thumbup:

 

[KristyR]

Omigosh those blue boys are gorgeous!!!

Love your story!

 

[Nickelrat]

Wow, Jo!! This post brought me back in time! What a blast from the past!! :love1:

 

[mamarat]

That sure brings back memories, Jo. IT made me love rats. lol

 

[Moon]

It's so nice that you have pictures of your first rats, and I love that you are telling us their story.

 

[Notamuised]

Thanks for sharing your intro story Jo! You certainly have come a looooonnnggg way with your babies over the last 5 years :0

....and your hubby is right there with you through alot of it (as much as he likes to deny it), I've seen him on the road trips and run into him (by himself) at the vets.

In another thread titled "Things you secretly like"....Scott should be listed and admit to secretly being a rat lover.

:wink:

 

[jorats]

You're so right Lori, Scott has done so much for these little guys.

Ok the girls.

So I still had a lot of stupid in my head and I thought our pet store was such a good one cause they really seem to care, not the evil one but another one that was called Pets RRR Us.
Mike the owner told me he would love it if I were to breed my blue dumbos and sell them to him. Still quite naive, I thought it was a great idea. And with my brain full of stupid, hey, get an albino female and all the rats will be blue. :doh:

So that's when I found Prin.

Of course she needed a buddy: KoKo

At around the same time, Mike asked me if I would adopt their stud breeder because it was time to "retire" him and that would most likely mean snake food. I took Maxwell in.

Prin was paired with Reef and out came 12 beautiful black and white babies. lol

By this time, I was participating more and more on PRC and slowly coming to realize all the atrocities that can befall rats at a pet store. I told Mike I couldn't do it and begged my family to help me out. And that's when mamarat and Nickelrat's love affair with rats began. mamarat took 4 boys, Sven being one of them and Nickelrat took 5 girls.

Out of the 12 babies, I kept 3, Niko, Lex and Sullivan.

Niko, a rex chocolate self

Lex, a chocolate self

Sully, a rex black hooded

And that would end my first generation of rats. More to come...

 

[RunzwithRatz]

Captivating tails! I cant wait to read more about your history with rats~!
Beautiful babies!
Talk about being nieve.....All I fed my first rat was pizza and had him on saw dust shavings! :doh:

 

[LA]

WOW, I can't wait for more.

 

[Fidget]

Riveting! Now I know how soap opera addicts feel waiting for the next installment. Gosh, is there any fur type you don't have covered yet? Yeah, I know there is but what a variety of beautiful babes already!

 

[jorats]

In June of 2003, I took a trip to North Bay and of course found myself in a pet store. I knew I shouldn't of, but I was still gaga over rats and there was none to be had other than pet stores. I hadn't found the wonderful world of rescues yet. But I enter this store and the sales clerk tells me they have blue and rex rats. I asked to see them. They were mostly pews some dumbo. I asked him where are the blues. He tells me the blues mean a solid colour and the rex means they have bigger ears. :roll: I couldn't stop laughing but I ended up going home with a beige variberk and a black dumbo variberk.
These babies started my second generation of rats and a long journey into extreme heartache.

Tripp:

Jersey:

It's around this time that Ira left me, he was 18 months. Charlie soon followed him. Reading back in my journals, I believe Ira had pt and Charlie had a heart attack. My three blues were not doing well, severe pneumonia. And this started my relationship with my vet... which pushed her head first into rattie health care. We've both learned so much from each other.

July 2003, took a trip into Barrie to buy big super pet ferret cages for my gang. At this point, I had 4 cages, 4 out time, intros was a foreign concept to me. :lol:
I get into Petsmart and there in the enclosure was the most beautiful older manrat I've ever seen. He looked to be over 4 months old. I asked the clerk why he was all alone. She said he came in when he was 4 weeks old with lots of little brothers, they all were bought and not him. I couldn't believe he was living by himself all this time. I watched him for a bit and noticed he drinks by cupping his paw into the water dish. I melted. I looked at my hubby, he had no expression on his face, he knew he was toast. I looked at Nicole, she was jumping up and down with a big smile on her face, I knew she would not be logical... so I turn to my brother in law, I knew he was the reasonable one in the group. So I ask him... what do you think? He says: "look how he drinks, how can you not take him home." That sealed the deal... and I brought home, my first aggressive rat. :roll:

But what a beauty, Oliver was a lilac rex mismarked bareback.

There were more to come in the second generation...

 

[Fidget]

Oh no, the part about the 1st losses :cry: You're skimming that, you forgot to mention the part about asking yourself about being ok with such short-lived critters even if the enjoyment of the time you have together is so beyond wonderful. That whole head-trip I think we must all have taken..

So now you are starting to get kids further afield than the local pet stores... I think Tripp has such a sweet face..

 

[jorats]

I think with Ira and Charlie, I hadn't really faced their death, I wasn't so sure what was going on and was beginning to think that was their lifespan. I still didn't know enough back then. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Also, at that time, I loved my rats but they were still my pets, not my soul pets, not until I started to spend all my time with them, watching their every move, learning their behaviou... which began with the second generation and my litter of babies becoming adults.

 

[RunzwithRatz]

you forgot to mention the part about asking yourself about being ok with such short-lived critters even if the enjoyment of the time you have together is so beyond wonderful. That whole head-trip I think we must all have taken..

Ah yes many many many times......But when you run a rescue, there is always another that has had a rough start needing you. Its what carries me thru and heals my aching heart after they go to the rainbow bridge.