# My rat family



## 5ratboys (Aug 23, 2007)

I adopted 5 rats last June (four brothers from someone whose newly adopted female surprised her with 12 babies and a boy that we bought from a pet store). They were all around 6-7 weeks old and we had them all neutered at about 8 weeks old. The boys were friendly (well, except for Fred, the pet store rat, who is a biter) but shy. This spring, two of the brothers became ill with what the vets figure was "hereditary ataxia" and there wasn't much we could do to stop the disease from progressing. I had them seen several times by a vet who does chiropractic medicine and she aligned them, I had them sleep on magnets, started them on organic foods and special PiMag water but they progressed to the point where their lives were not good and had to make the decision to euthanize them. So I was left with just the 3 rats boys. About a month later, a lady walked into the vet clinic with a rat who wasn't feeling well and said that she had 3 babies she needed to find homes for. I asked to see them and just fell in love... they are soooo cute. I had another cage made so that I could keep them separated from the boys for the 3 week recommended quarantine. After 3 weeks, we did the introductions singly to see how they would react to each other. It went WAY BETTER than I could have ever hoped. Within minutes they acted like they had known each other for a long time. We haven't had any squabbles and they all just love each other and make big "rat piles" in the cage.

Anyway, here are pictures of the rats. I have other pictures of their cage but I'll post those when I have time in the Home section. I've gone a little crazy over the last couple of weeks and made them a little compound just for them. 

The three babies are up first. They're about 14 weeks old. They are rex rats and they have curly/wavy coats and long curly whiskers. 

My favorite, Minerva. She's a siamese double rex dumbo (I think she's a double rex because her coat gets really thin and then gets plush like crushed velvet) and she is soooo cute. She's not as pretty as her sister but her personality makes up for it. She's very inquisitive as you can see by the second picture. I'm trying to clean the cage and she's climbing all over what I'm trying to clean.

















Hermione, a siamese rex dumbo and she's a pretty nice girl, too. 









Hagrid, a black rex dumbo who is getting to be quite a big boy. His coat is sooooo thick and curly. Excuse the dirty litter pan in the second picture... I hadn't gotten around to cleaning it yet.

















The older boys, two brothers and their friend. They're just over a year old and not as friendly as the babies. Well, one of them is downright mean. He'll bite us if we put our hands to close to him... AND draw blood!! 

Fred, the mean one. He's a pink-eyed white. As mean as he is to us, he is soooo nice to the other rats. The little ones push him around and he just ignores them. 









Sirius, the shy one. He's a black hooded. He is nice but he's shy. As you can see from his picture.









Severus, he's the funny one. He is a black berk (black with a white stripe on his belly) dumbo. He is plump and looks like an eight ball when he sits. He's cute and getting much friendlier now that the babies are here. 

















Here are some pictures of them together

Severus and Hermione









Sirius and Minerva (he is completely on top of her in the hammock)








Hagrid, Fred & Hermione








Fred with Hagrid in the background


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## Caity (Apr 1, 2008)

What a bunch of cuties. Hagrid is such a perfect name for a rex it seems. They're such frumpy looking things (I have one rex and one failed rex--curly whiskers, mostly smooth coat).

I love the pic of the rat-stack. Mine like to lay three high and boggle simultaneously, they look so ridiculous.


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## 5ratboys (Aug 23, 2007)

Caity said:


> What a bunch of cuties. Hagrid is such a perfect name for a rex it seems. They're such frumpy looking things (I have one rex and one failed rex--curly whiskers, mostly smooth coat).
> 
> I love the pic of the rat-stack. Mine like to lay three high and boggle simultaneously, they look so ridiculous.


I keep seeing this term "boggle" but I don't know what it means... can someone please enlighten me??? Please...


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## Caity (Apr 1, 2008)

Here is a good example.

The eyes vibrate when the rat is totally blissed out. It is sort of considered the next step up from the usual contented bruxing (grinding the teeth).


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## ratlover4everrr (Jan 31, 2008)

cuties =] they look a little beat up though =[


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## 5ratboys (Aug 23, 2007)

ratlover4everrr said:


> cuties =] they look a little beat up though =[


You're joking, right? Beat up????


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## phaidraft (Apr 9, 2008)

Oh, my goodness, they're adorable! 

I have a dumbo rex and I love the look of them.


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## phaidraft (Apr 9, 2008)

ratlover4everrr said:


> cuties =] they look a little beat up though =[


What are you talking about?


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## CaptainFlow (May 16, 2007)

phaidraft said:


> ratlover4everrr said:
> 
> 
> > cuties =] they look a little beat up though =[
> ...


'

Maybe the first time ratlover has seen rexes? Rexes can look a little... deficient of nutrients, or something, if you have no idea that there's coats other than standard. 

They certainly are all adorable, though! And Hagrid is one of the most appropriately named rats I have ever laid eyes on! Lucky you!


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## 5ratboys (Aug 23, 2007)

CaptainFlow said:


> phaidraft said:
> 
> 
> > ratlover4everrr said:
> ...


Thanks. I started to get worried that they did look ill or something. I looked over the pics and didn't think they looked scruffy. I think they're pretty adorable, too!!!


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## Raksha (Jun 15, 2008)

Your rats are sooo cute!!! I like the names, they are inspired by Harry Potter, right? I love these books.
Are Minerva and Hermione Siames or Himalayan? I think their coats looks white...


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## Susinko (Apr 29, 2008)

What beautiful rats! I LOVE Minerva and Hermione! I LOVE siamese rats. I have one myself! *points to avitar* All your rats look so happy and so beautiful!


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## Skitza (May 18, 2008)

VERY CUTE!! 
so lucky!


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## 5ratboys (Aug 23, 2007)

Raksha said:


> Your rats are sooo cute!!! I like the names, they are inspired by Harry Potter, right? I love these books.
> Are Minerva and Hermione Siames or Himalayan? I think their coats looks white...


Yep, inspired by Harry Potter. Fred, the mean one, was named first... the name just came to us and when we started trying to name the brothers, one of them was also white so we thought, "Hey, why not Fred's twin, George?" and it just went from there. 

I was told that Minerva and Hermione were Siamese but I'm not sure if they lady really knew. Minerva is white but Hermione has just a touch of a creamier look to her coat. Are Himalyans white and Siamese a darker color? 

I was also curious about Hagrid's coloring... he has a black coat with lots of gray mixed in. Is he still considered black? 

Thanks!


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