# Timothy and Remy, silver variegated/blazed babies



## CindrDoLLy (Oct 3, 2012)

These are my two new boys, Timothy and Remy. They were rescued from a feeder breeder here in Vegas. I feel guilty about it, but this place claimed to be a rattery that sells "high quality pets". I was pretty mortified to find all of the rats are being bred in feeder bins, and the babies are being sold far too young. 

Thankfully, Timothy and Remy are both very sweet despite getting a rough start. They're supposedly "silver" rats but I don't think they really are. Not sure what color they are, yet! They are younger than what is usually advised for adoption, but I just had to get them out of that place. I would have taken them all, including momma rat, if I could. I've been supplementing their diet with kitten milk replacer and rice baby cereal. They're both calm, inquisitive and love to lick!

Timothy is the more photogenic of the two simply because he'll actually hold still long enough for pictures. Here he is.



















Please excuse the rat turds in this next photo, despite all my efforts to keep their cage clean, they are little poopers.










Unfortunately Remy is harder to take pictures of because he won't sit still for even a second.


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## Dinoclor (Mar 2, 2013)

Awwwwwww! Rat babies are adorable little buggers. I didn't have the chance to have my own because we adopted three-month-olds.

REMEMBER REMEMBER REMEMBER

You must handle them A LOT. Handle them whenver you can. Have them near you on the couch. But don't sit on them. Play games with them. Feed them food from your hands. Since they are little babies how much you handle them shapes their personalities and the more you handle them the more friendly they are. You don't want skittish rats.


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## CindrDoLLy (Oct 3, 2012)

You couldn't be more right, Dinoclor! I've been taking them out as often as possible, anytime I'm at my laptop I let them roam around in my hoodie. Though they're still a little unsteady, they're gaining confidence quickly and responding more and more to my voice and love to nestle into hands and lick. I think they're going to be great little boys.


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## Dinoclor (Mar 2, 2013)

CindrDoLLy said:


> You couldn't be more right, Dinoclor! I've been taking them out as often as possible, anytime I'm at my laptop I let them roam around in my hoodie. Though they're still a little unsteady, they're gaining confidence quickly and responding more and more to my voice and love to nestle into hands and lick. I think they're going to be great little boys.


Awww. :3
Post more pictures as they grow. I think they'll be really cute!


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## Dinoclor (Mar 2, 2013)

I just want to add something. With babies, you basically have to be their rat-momma, there and touching them a lot of the time. They are too young to grip a shoulder, so you could use a bonding pouch, but try to have them with you a lot. You see, the reason unhandled rats become skittish is that if they aren't handled enough they become _epigenetically_ skittish and it's very hard to change their behaviour because it's epigenetic. But, if through babyhood, they are handled a ton by people and taken care of by a rat momma, they become very friendly. But, for you, there is no rat-momma, so you have to do that yourself. Because skittishness in rats isn't something that can easily be fixed later.


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## evander (Jun 30, 2013)

They are really.really cute!!! I love the first picture!!


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

HOW ADORABLE!!! I agree, they don't look silver. I'd go with mink, more likely. 
They are super cute! Extra protein will help, but otherwise they look old enough to be on their own so just love them to bits and you'll be good!


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## rainbowrats (Jul 25, 2013)

How adorable! They look really lively.


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## kyzer (Apr 28, 2013)

They are just the cutest little things!


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## cassieb (Aug 6, 2013)

when whiskey was just a little baby i had a bonding pouch for him. whenever i was just relaxing i would place him and his brother in it. not only did it make him trust me, it made me have an amazing bond with them that i havent had with any of my other ratties.


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

They are super adorable!!!! 

Everyone here is giving great advice about bonding, so I'll just say, have fun!


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## tinania (Jul 30, 2013)

Oh my goodness too precious. Are you going to teach them tricks?


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## Actress (Aug 9, 2013)

Beautiful markings ^o^ how cute!!


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## Laylicorn (Aug 14, 2013)

They're adorable! I think you did a great thing by rescuing them, even if you did promote the breeder, you still saved two lives.


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## CindrDoLLy (Oct 3, 2012)

Thanks for the advice and the kind words, everyone! I'm happy to announce that after a two week quarantine period, I was able to very successfully integrate them in with my two older males, Poopy and Fluff. On top of handling them constantly, having them live with the two older males has been really beneficial for them so far. Fluff and Poopy are both extremely affectionate so the little ones have been taking lessons from them. I'm very happy, they seem pretty well acclimated to their new lifestyle and any skittishness they had has all bit disappeared. Even Remy, the shyer of the two, runs up my arm almost immediately whenever I open the cage. He's not shy anymore. I'm glad they're happy and enjoy human company, I was really worried they would already be screwed up from their previous living conditions.


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