# Our Dumbo boys. xx 8 weeks old.



## pip367622 (Feb 24, 2014)

Hi Everyone, 

Meet our 1st ever Rats, Dumbos 8 weeks so we have been told, at purchase. (had them 9 days) Best thing we ever did, they may be little, but such characters, the whole family besotted! Meet Shadow and P.P (Possum, or Part Possum aka Ice Age films) due to his climbing abilities. 

Pip xx


----------



## ratswithfoxandbear (Feb 12, 2014)

Incredibly cute! I love dumbos. I have two dumbo girls.


----------



## pip367622 (Feb 24, 2014)

We looked at many ratties, and then singled down to a few pairs in different shops, over a two week period, then these two boys claimed us!;D
xx Pip


----------



## fox (Feb 5, 2014)

D'aww, such cuties


----------



## MimiSkye (Feb 3, 2014)

so adorable, the lighter ones markings are so different and pretty!!


----------



## pip367622 (Feb 24, 2014)

*Updates on our Dumbo boys now 9 weeks.*
























Day 13 and so lovely! They love their cage lay out, which I adapt and change, make platforms, love their free roam time twice a day, in and out of the cage busily, as they please, when the room is rat proffed for safety, and have brought so much to our family, even in the short time we have had them, feel like they have always been with us. 

"The boys" come to the cage door, and wait for it to be opened, greet us most definitely make a different noise if we go to them, and brux and P.P paler one, beginning to boggle, we think!

They love nothing better than to walk along the large opened drop down cage door, when it's horizontal (use it as a platform) to get to us, go up sleeves, or across hands to arms, then snuggle, they have settled so well, the boys love their ratties (although of course I have slotted in as adoptive Mum!) - the only female in a houseful of males, 3 humans and 2 male Dumbos. New to this, but I have to add putting in the time prior to getting them, doing research, certainly helps! Wanted to do it properly and right, or not at all. Younger son suffers with asthma, but we did test for allergies for a while with different rats prior to set up, to make sure, but actually now son is happier, and calmer as we have the rats, his asthma and allergies seemed to have calmed down, both boys had wanted a pet for so long, but we just did not risk it, as pet hair, does sometimes trigger his chest more, but now at 8.5 years and 15 years, we felt the boys were old enough to own pets responsibly, and after checking sons symptoms were not triggered, we have not looked back, wish we had done this years ago! Pip x


----------



## pip367622 (Feb 24, 2014)

*Rats settled in so well, and are just wonderful! week 5 now...*

Updates, had our boys since 15th February, best thing we ever did, so good, so clean, come when called, and love to free roam, but always come back and sit on our laps, wash and groom us! Can you tell we are totally besotted from day 1! They are truly wonderful little Dumbo...well not so little, now 11 weeks or so old. Pip x


----------



## pip367622 (Feb 24, 2014)

*Dumbo updates....<3*

Just updating, sorry no laptop so difficult posting news vis phone. Our Dumbo boys we got on 15th February, are now 15 weeks old or so. They are totally family favourites, we were all besotted from day 1. Love them to pieces, all four of us. Such amazing characters and shoulders are their favourite place these days.Their daily free roaming now consists of hallway, landing, stairs and front room, they climb up legs to sit on our laps and bruxing and boggle, and they are just wonderful for the whole family. If you look at the first photos, you will see how their colours have changes, size changed, and erm certain appendages grown! Hehe nothing like a pair of furry balls on your shoulder, you go to stroke what you think is a head over your shoulder....wrong! ;-) Hope everyone is well and happy, and all good with your ratties.


----------



## LittleSparrow (Apr 14, 2014)

I love dumbos. Seeing all these dumbos on here, makes me wish we had one! Love the markings on your rattis in the last 2 pictures in your first post. Super unique.


----------



## pip367622 (Feb 24, 2014)

Thanks, unusual markings still there, but really faint now, when you look back, Possum looked like he had a toupee on, we likened his head pattination to the " leather trade mark" lol


----------



## pip367622 (Feb 24, 2014)

Just linked my posts together, for my records. Boys were 8 weeks old February now nearly 9 months old. 

Had to split our boys into different cages. :-(Hi there Everyone, Not been on here for a while as everything was going brilliantly, and our male Dumbo bought mid February at 7 weeks or so the shop reckoned. Love from day 1, the whole family besotted! Going from unhandled, shy and clearly new to the shop, once home, toilet trained themselves in four days, and within a few short weeks the most affectionate bundle together, always slept together in a pile and just adorable. Roll onto May, off and on sporadically since then Shadow the submissive rat decided to try and be boss, they started scuffing, which escalated at night to full blown horrible nips, scraps, and this week drew blood on necks, faces, ears, and I guess neither backing down, both wanting to dominate the other, we stepped in to stop every scuff we witnessed, blowing hard on faces, or water spray, audibly telling off, then they would both rush over as if to say sorry, licking us, and nuzzling hands, both rats never showing signs of aggression towards us, just each other, we then went away for a week, a friend came and house sat, and had rats in her youth, so happily handled them and free roamed them daily, but said at night the noises were awful! I said they had been scuffing but things had calmed down a bit, and no more nips to Shadows ears etc, but it escalated so quickly once back from holiday.:-( We came home to find Possum totally submissive to Shadow, so tables or should I say rats turned! but within days we had a puffed up body from rat Possum who mainly scuffed before at night, then constantly chased, hounded Shadow , even during daily free roam around the house Possum would attack and hound poor Shadow, then the day before yesterday I found a very distressed Shadow cowering in the toilet tray, had clearly been sleeping in there and as soon as he tried to get out Possum would fly at him, loud squeaks, so I quickly looked on ebay, found a huge cage locally, and rushed out, bought it, scrubbed it spotless and made it ready for Shadow yesterday. He then proceeded to happily brux, boggle and popcorn around the cage, popping in and out and looked happier than he had done in weeks. Separating them was not an easy decision but felt for Shadows safety it had to be done, although I am home during the day, and up with our youngest son at night most nights, so dealing with noisy scuffing rats in that mix really was no issue, but over the weeks, they even stopped sleeping together now when I think back, I tried various different cage lay outs, neutral spaces, balancing everything out, no ledges higher than others etc. Nothing worked, and both seem much happier, I free roamed them for an hour this morning, tried carefully to intro both but Possum just flew back at Shadow, puffy and trying to nip his rump so I free roamed them separately. Cages next to each other, but not sure what else to do. Friends who have had rats, say neutering males dies not always work, I am worried about saving up, and putting one or both through op, we would find money from somewhere, but for now splitting for safety. Both always loved and fussed regardless, and both very sweet with us human family.!  Apologies for super long thread, thoughts and comments and advice welcome. Thanks Pip​







Attached Thumbnails


----------

