Siwain
Active Member
It's been a few years since I was active in the rat owner's world; ever since my four boys passed away. I'm back now though and I think I'll start my comeback by presenting my sweet boys to you: they deserve the mention very much. They deserve to never be forgotten.
I'll start with Boris, my first ever rat. I got him in a petstore - I bought him purely on impulse as it was the first time I'd see a hooded rat in a petshop. Actually, it was the first time I'd ever seen a fancy rat at all and I had no idea rats were even kept as pets! So I fell head over heels in love with that perfect little blue hooded buck and after a lot of horribly misleading information given in the store, I brought him home in a hamster cage, thinking he'd live for a good eight years. :emb:
Thankfully, I had the good sense to search online for information on rats and I very soon figured out that my cage was shockingly small and that Boris' lifespan was shockingly much shorter than I had initially been told. My ex's dad ended up building me a considerably larger cage to which Boris soon moved into. I also went on a quest to find a ratty friend for him and I ended up bringing home two small bucks from a local breeder. Unfortunately, Boris didn't like boys at all and he became agressive. I figured the problem lied on incompatibility with the two young ones and got yet another baby male, hoping he'd accept this one instead but to no avail. So I got him neutered as a last resort and thankfully, it solved the problem: he became docile as a lamb and I managed to move the newcomer into Boris' cage. The four of them never lived together however, as the brothers were never accepting of Boris.
Boris died before he reached two years old from a chronic upper respiratory infection. He started showing signs of sickness shortly after I bought him and despite several intensive courses with antibiotics, we never managed to get rid of it. Losing him was terrible. He was the funniest, sweetest rat I had ever met. He was small and light and active like a girl; he loved playing catch with me and licking my fingers. We were best friends. I would go to him when I was feeling down and he would grab my hand between his tiny paws and lick my fingers thoroughly and I just know he did it to try and console me. :sad3:
Here he is just days after he arrived, in his tiny hamster cage. He was such a wonderfully curious boy!
...And in his second cage, still before I got him neutered.
On my shoulder during one afternoon. He was such a sweetheart!
The brothers were named Emil and Oliver and were as different from each other as possible! Emil was such a mischeavous little guy, bouncy and playful and very sweet. He was an explorer and remained playful and curious most of his life. Oliver on the other hand was a careful little guy. He took his time trying out new stuff and he would always run back to the cage at the slightest weird noise. He was very sweet and calm and really only showed his true self with Emil. Neither of them had ever any problems with respiratory infections, however they did get mites when they were just a few months old, as did Boris. Both of them died when they were around two and a half years old and they had both become very old and tired. I lost Oliver first. Emil grieved his brother's loss until he passed away as well. He became depressed and secluded even though he wasn't alone and his health plumeted. He died around two months later.
Oliver, not quite finding the courage to leave the cage.
Emil, trying to decide on a book to read! :lol:
Playing! They were sooo adorable together!
Chuck was my youngest boy. He came to keep Boris company. He was the biggest of the four, so huge that he sometimes looked almost twice the size of Boris! His personality was a huge constrast to his size, funnily enough. He was such a scaredy-rat; afraid to leave the cage, hating being picked up and he used to hate free range time! He was only ever happy in his cage, snuggling to one of his friends. When Boris passed away I tried to introduce him to Emil and Oliver with little success until I got him neutered. He lived happily with the brothers ever since, until they passed away and he became an only rat. Only after he became old he would start letting me pick him up and bring him out and he'd enjoy lying in my lap and getting his ears scritched. Chuck started showing problems walking when he was around a year old. His walk reminded me somewhat of a frog's. I took him to the vet but they were unable to find the reason for his funny walk. He never showed any health issues beside that but as he started to get old, his mobility would diminish drastically until he was completely paralised on his hind legs. He died when he was around two and a half years as well and after losing him, I decided that I needed to take a hiatus from being a rat owner.
Baby Chuck. He was the most adorable little thing!
With Boris in their new Ferret Nation. Notice the size difference!
In his tube. He loved the tube!
I'll start with Boris, my first ever rat. I got him in a petstore - I bought him purely on impulse as it was the first time I'd see a hooded rat in a petshop. Actually, it was the first time I'd ever seen a fancy rat at all and I had no idea rats were even kept as pets! So I fell head over heels in love with that perfect little blue hooded buck and after a lot of horribly misleading information given in the store, I brought him home in a hamster cage, thinking he'd live for a good eight years. :emb:
Thankfully, I had the good sense to search online for information on rats and I very soon figured out that my cage was shockingly small and that Boris' lifespan was shockingly much shorter than I had initially been told. My ex's dad ended up building me a considerably larger cage to which Boris soon moved into. I also went on a quest to find a ratty friend for him and I ended up bringing home two small bucks from a local breeder. Unfortunately, Boris didn't like boys at all and he became agressive. I figured the problem lied on incompatibility with the two young ones and got yet another baby male, hoping he'd accept this one instead but to no avail. So I got him neutered as a last resort and thankfully, it solved the problem: he became docile as a lamb and I managed to move the newcomer into Boris' cage. The four of them never lived together however, as the brothers were never accepting of Boris.
Boris died before he reached two years old from a chronic upper respiratory infection. He started showing signs of sickness shortly after I bought him and despite several intensive courses with antibiotics, we never managed to get rid of it. Losing him was terrible. He was the funniest, sweetest rat I had ever met. He was small and light and active like a girl; he loved playing catch with me and licking my fingers. We were best friends. I would go to him when I was feeling down and he would grab my hand between his tiny paws and lick my fingers thoroughly and I just know he did it to try and console me. :sad3:
Here he is just days after he arrived, in his tiny hamster cage. He was such a wonderfully curious boy!
...And in his second cage, still before I got him neutered.
On my shoulder during one afternoon. He was such a sweetheart!
The brothers were named Emil and Oliver and were as different from each other as possible! Emil was such a mischeavous little guy, bouncy and playful and very sweet. He was an explorer and remained playful and curious most of his life. Oliver on the other hand was a careful little guy. He took his time trying out new stuff and he would always run back to the cage at the slightest weird noise. He was very sweet and calm and really only showed his true self with Emil. Neither of them had ever any problems with respiratory infections, however they did get mites when they were just a few months old, as did Boris. Both of them died when they were around two and a half years old and they had both become very old and tired. I lost Oliver first. Emil grieved his brother's loss until he passed away as well. He became depressed and secluded even though he wasn't alone and his health plumeted. He died around two months later.
Oliver, not quite finding the courage to leave the cage.
Emil, trying to decide on a book to read! :lol:
Playing! They were sooo adorable together!
Chuck was my youngest boy. He came to keep Boris company. He was the biggest of the four, so huge that he sometimes looked almost twice the size of Boris! His personality was a huge constrast to his size, funnily enough. He was such a scaredy-rat; afraid to leave the cage, hating being picked up and he used to hate free range time! He was only ever happy in his cage, snuggling to one of his friends. When Boris passed away I tried to introduce him to Emil and Oliver with little success until I got him neutered. He lived happily with the brothers ever since, until they passed away and he became an only rat. Only after he became old he would start letting me pick him up and bring him out and he'd enjoy lying in my lap and getting his ears scritched. Chuck started showing problems walking when he was around a year old. His walk reminded me somewhat of a frog's. I took him to the vet but they were unable to find the reason for his funny walk. He never showed any health issues beside that but as he started to get old, his mobility would diminish drastically until he was completely paralised on his hind legs. He died when he was around two and a half years as well and after losing him, I decided that I needed to take a hiatus from being a rat owner.
Baby Chuck. He was the most adorable little thing!
With Boris in their new Ferret Nation. Notice the size difference!
In his tube. He loved the tube!
