# Mini my Honorary Rat – May 2010 to Jan. 3/12



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Mini was my first experience with a natal rat. A woman had saved her from the snake bin, but couldn’t keep her, and wanted to find her a home. I had never seen a natal, had no clue what they were like when I said yes I would take her in.

Then I researched…sigh. The majority of natals are usually very aggressive to people and little fearless biting machines…more sigh. What have I let myself in for??? 

Then I met Mini, and fell in love. Mini was different, she had not read the Natal Handbook. The one that said “bite for no reason”, “bite when grasped”, ‘dislike any handling whatsoever”, and especially “NO bonding with humans”. 

Jorat and her son Matt were over for a visit, and at this point I hadn’t picked her up yet…I guess he thought she was a mouse, so he just went and scooped her up! 

She was sooo tiny this baby girl










Then I started really holding her, she loved to climb all over me and sit cuddled up on my shoulder J

























I knew Mini was going to need friends and found an old mouse Daisy whose owner was “bored” of her and was dumping her at 2 years of age. 









Then we added in the Petals, Shasta and Peony 









Her Best Friend was Daisy, and she adored her…Daisy passed the day after this pic









She was a bit lost after Daisy, but new friends came in, and she was okay again










The grasping she cared less about LOL









I went through rescue mice a lot, as mice can often die unexpectedly and relatively young…poor things.

Mini actually did something that quite startled me, and made me give her the title of Honorary Rat. One day I forgot to close her cage up, came home that night to find the mice still inside but Mini nowhere to be found. I had a friend coming to stay over that night, and she had 2 small dogs. I was sooo worried about my girl, thinking like a mouse she would bolt and hide. I was sure she was lost and was really sad. I slept in the bedroom on a blowup mattress while my friend slept in the livingroom with her dogs. That night I woke up to a little munchkin nipping my nose…I was confused thinking, which of the rats got out and are coming visiting? No, it was Mini. She had crossed the livingroom with the perils of the dogs, went into the bedroom (where she’s never been), climbed up on the air mattress to find ME!. She was thrilled to be in my hands and back safely in her cage.  Now that was something only a rat would do 

This was Mini’s last family, who survive her, Latte and Shiro, both old or unwell…









Poor Mini developed those wretched viral warts on her tail, and after this started aging fast 









Still protecting the timid and vocal Shiro









Loving her specially made cube









My sweet old lady, you were a delight to know…


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## 1a1a (May 6, 2011)

Wowee, what an intriguing rodent, and lucky to have met you and found the freedom to show her true colours. RIP Mini


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## giggles_mcbug (Sep 10, 2011)

oh my gosh. What a beautiful girl.


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