# New Here, These Are My Babies



## trentrules (Aug 2, 2009)

Hello, I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm new here, but have had rats for a few years now. My very first rat was actually found at a florist shop. I'm figuring someone just let him loose. It was February and I live in NY. He'd been seen in the shop and around the property for weeks before he was caught. He was a beautiful and big siamese. He became everything to me and brought me into the world of rats. Even though he's been gone quite a while now, I tend to talk about him a lot, so you will hear about him. I even got a tattoo of him. 

Anyway, I'm 27, have done a lot of research on rats, fostered for a rescue, and currently have eleven. Okay, enough about me and on to what everyone really wants. Here are my kids, starting with the girls.

First, this is Lenore. I had put a girl in a cage that she was just a tiny bit too small for and she got out while the boys were playing. Lenore is one of the results of this mistake. Lenore is a sweetheart, but very independent and loves to play. Also, don't worry, she is on a little bit of a diet.










Next is Annabelle Lee, sister to Lenore. Annabelle Lee is also very independent. She's a very tiny girl and was already an adult when I took this picture, so you get an idea. She's very cage aggressive, but good when she's out.










Rane is their mom and a complete sweety. She loves everyone and is very special to me. She lost her eye while playing with one of her daughters. They ended up kicking her in the eye and one of their claws punctured it. I got her from petSmart. She is also on a diet.










Drusilla also came from petSmart and is also sweet. She likes to play by hiding somewhere and nipping the butts of any rat who comes by her hiding place. 










Morticia was kind of a birthday present. My mom also has rats and this little girl was one of hers. She was always picking on and bullying her very timid cagemate. She also ocasionally bites. I'd been in love with her since my mom picked her up and I have a soft spot for biters, since my first rat was exceptionally mean. Anyway, my mother got a new friend for her other girl and gave me Morticia for my birthday. She gets along wonderfully with my other girls, with only the occasional little fight.










Finally, there's Breanna. She's a rescued lab rat and is currently living with my easily scared and traumatised little boy, Rupert. Breanna is still afraid of people, especially men, but is coming around pretty well. I have not gotten a picture of her yet, but will post one within the next day or two. 

Now, the boys. This is Rupert. He came from a feeder bin and is afraid of everything, including other male rats. So that he wouldn't have to continue to be alone, I got Breanna spayed and introduced them. They hit it off immediately and are nearly inseparable.










Boris Karloff was one of the boys from Rane. He's not overly affectionate most of the time. When he wants attention though, he makes sure it's known and will cuddle in closely. Boris gets along with his brothers, but is violently unaccepting of any other males.










Ben is fearless and loves to go everywhere. He's very affectionate and even friendly toward strange rats. He's just a big love most of the time. However, he doesn't take to being bullied and when he gets into a fight, fur flies and wounds tend to be nasty.










Last, but not least are Angus and Duncan. I got them from a breeder. Both are very affectionate and bold. Angus is the siamese, (although he looks more himalayan in the picture, he is a seal point siamese). He's more adventurous and a little more dominant than Duncan. Duncan is known as Dunkey the Monkey and is just a playful baby. He's a patchwork hairless.










That's everyone, rat wise, I also have cats, a mouse, a fish, and a dog. I intend to be on here often, so I'm sure you'll get to know all of us.


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Welcome to the forum 

*steals Angus*

It seems like aggression runs in Rane's offspring!


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## Corpseflower (Jun 12, 2009)

They're all very gorgeous.


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## trentrules (Aug 2, 2009)

Yeah, it's not surprising though. Their father, (my beloved big white rat, who died Friday night :'( ) was overly dominant and although VERY affectinate with people, could be a bully. They get it from him. 

OMG!!! Give me back Angus!


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## maddy (Jul 27, 2009)

is your siamese rat got red eyes?
thanks for describing them all rather than just posting picks..its made a real difference to me as i cant see and have a bit more of a picture now...
hi there little rattys!
r u not scared that your cats will kill one of your babies if they manage to escape?
how did u manage to catch the rat that had been out for weeks?
i cant believe that someone would do that


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## trentrules (Aug 2, 2009)

Yeah, Angus has truly red eyes, not pink, closer to a ruby color. My first boy was also a siamese and had those same kind of red eyes.

As far as the cats go, I used to be worried about that and thought I could only have one or the other. As a matter of fact, I'd always wanted rats while growing up and thought I wouldn't ever have any, because I love my cats too much and couldn't imagine being without one.

It's actually not as difficult as I'd expected to keep both cats and rats, especially since my big cat is quite the hunter. I have had some close calls in the past, but have learned ways to keep everyone safe and happy. My other boys are still kittens and are being raised alongside the rats, so they'll be less likely to see them as prey. The only one I have to be really careful about with the cats, is my mouse.

My grandmother actually works at the florist shop where he'd been seen and she's also an animal lover. Her boss was tired of a rat getting into things and was talking putting down poison. This upset my grandmother and she set to work trying to find him. He wasn't the least bit afraid of people and she was just able to catch him. He was unusual and would be quite friendly one minute and be trying to take your finger off the next. To be honest, he was everything that could make a person afraid of rats. He was unpredictable and never showed any sign of aggression toward people or animals, until he'd suddenly attack. There was a lot to him though and he was amazing in everything he was and everything he did. He gave me more respect and admiration for rats than I'd ever had before. 

Sadly, it's not even unusual around here. I have a friend who tried to talk her neighbors out of doing the exact same thing to their rat. She told them she knew someone who liked rats and might take it. The "people" (I use that word loosely), didn't want to argue and said they'd wait to find out if she could get it a home. The same day, she contacted me to see if I'd take it. I said okay, but by the time she got back to them, it was too late. They'd already dumped it somewhere. 
There was a cat living here for a while for the same reason. His people moved and just left him behind.


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## toby (May 11, 2009)

welcome to the forum. love the pics.


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## maddy (Jul 27, 2009)

arrrg, that makes me so angry that people could do that to a defenceless animal!!
god bless u for taking them in though


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## teresaisaacs (Jul 31, 2009)

beautiful ratties... my girl violet (on my siggy) looks just like your angus xxx


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## trentrules (Aug 2, 2009)

Oh Maddy, to make it nicer for you, Rane, Lenore, Annabelle Lee, Ben, and Boris, are all black berkshires. Rane's also a dumbo. Drusilla is white with a black cap and a blaze in the form of a lightning bolt on her head. Morticia is a true hairless and Breanna is an albino. Rupert is a black hooded, Duncan is a black hooded patchwork and, as I mentioned, Angus is a siamese.


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## maddy (Jul 27, 2009)

sounds like they keep u on your toes

bet u wouldn't have them any other way though


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## nikki_malicious (Jun 24, 2009)

trentrules said:


> Yeah, Angus has truly red eyes, not pink, closer to a ruby color. My first boy was also a siamese and had those same kind of red eyes.


i have a siamese and his eyes are also that deep red color. if he werent such a little *******, he'd be beautiful, but i have several scars from him


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

nikki_malicious said:


> i have a siamese and his eyes are also that deep red color. if he werent such a little *******, he'd be beautiful, but i have several scars from him


He's aggressive? Perhaps make a thread about the situation in the behaviour section.


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## trentrules (Aug 2, 2009)

lol I don't know if it's true or not, but I've heard they're prone to unpredictable behavior due to being considered rare for a while, people who had them were breeding them without any consideration to temperament. They're my favorite rats, but I know my first rat was a siamese and he could go from total sweetheart to killer in a second, without warning. He attacked my dog, one of my cats, other rats, me, my mother when she came to visit, etc. He was my pride and joy and I truly adored him, but I'm certainly not going to deny what he truly was like and that rat was nasty.

Also, yeah a couple of my babies are a little aggressive, and all of them keep me guessing, but it's what gives them so much character and you're right, I wouldn't want them any other way.


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## nikki_malicious (Jun 24, 2009)

eh he was like that when i got him. thats why my friend gave him to me. she needed a more dociale friend for her older buddy and he was attacking him. then he started attacking my rats so now i have to keep him isolated all the time. we try to introduce him with the others as often as we can. but he always gets aggressive with every one else. i think hes actually happy by himself


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## trentrules (Aug 2, 2009)

The aggressive one I was talking about, tried to kill one we introduced him to. He actually broke his leg and literally tried to kill him. He even tried to break into the other cage.

Also, as promised, here's a pic of my little lab rescue, Breanna.


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## nikki_malicious (Jun 24, 2009)

yeah meezy has tried to kill some of my others. every time i get him in a cage with some one else, it gets messy. thats why hes by himself now


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

nikki_malicious said:


> eh he was like that when i got him. thats why my friend gave him to me. she needed a more dociale friend for her older buddy and he was attacking him. then he started attacking my rats so now i have to keep him isolated all the time. we try to introduce him with the others as often as we can. but he always gets aggressive with every one else. i think hes actually happy by himself


How old is he and do you know at what age the aggression began? Is he neutered?


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