# Tuffy



## luvabunny

This is Tuffy. I got him from a pet store where he was destined to be sold as snake food. When I got him, the sellers told me they didn't think he was old enough to live on his own. Well, they had no idea how many baby animals I've raised. I've never raised baby rats, but I would guess he was 2 weeks or less when I got him. I've had him for about 2 months now.

He was more of a bluish color when he was littler, but has gotten more dusty looking as he's grown up. I have no idea what color he would actually be called, or what coat pattern. Doesn't matter really, but it would be nice to see what you guys think.

He's currently living in a 10g tank with mesh lid, but I have a larger wire cage for when he gets just a little bigger. I had him in it for over an hour tonight, but I'm still not 100% sure he couldn't squeeze thru if he really wanted to.

I hold him for at least a little while every night. He's never bitten, and really seems to enjoy being squished up into a ball and petted. He especially likes his cheeks rubbed. Seems to almost put him into a trance. He doesn't really run around that much when he's out. My son says it's because holding still and getting petted is all he's used to. I guess he could be right.

He's a funny little critter and I've really enjoyed having him and getting to know his little quirks. I get peed on much less often, now that I've realized the shivering &/or the manic racing up and down my arm mean he's got to GO!

I can chatter at him, and most times he will chatter back. He does a funny foot stretching thing when I stroke his cheek. He used to jump onto the top mesh and hang on while I lifted him out, but he hasn't done that since he's gotten heavier.

I have read that rats do much better in pairs, but I'm afraid to get another very young one, and I just don't trust older ones. It's a fear issue on my part, but one I'm still working on with Tuffy. What do you guys think about adding a baby male? I certainly don't want a female or any babies, and getting Tuffy neutered is out of the question.

So, enough talking. Here's some pics


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## 1a1a

Good job helping him grow up. Rats are pretty cute when they space out like that, it's typically a response to being groomed by another rat, well done, he thinks you're one of his kind .

Getting him a friend some time is a good plan. Perhaps another male the same age? Or, when he's a smidge more grown up, 2 males a bit younger.


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## Rat Attack

He's a little cutie and good job on raising him. I also agree getting him a friend in the future would be best. I would get another male the same age and introduce them gradually over the period of a few days maybe even weeks.


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## Rat Daddy

As to potty training, it works best if your rat has an accessable potty when out of the cage too. A travel cage can double as a porta-potty. Also note, that a few minutes after waking up, just like human beings, rats need to pee. Our first pit stop from the cage is the travel cage.

As to the type of rat, I have a good guess what standard variety he's closest to, but it really doesn't matter. He looks very attractive and if he has a great personality he's perfect.


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## ghostis babies

he's a cutie  i'd get him a friend too. a young male while he's young too would probably be best i'd think.


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## luvabunny

Got Tuffy a friend this weekend, from the same store where Tuffy came from. 
This particular store keeps 2 or 3 feeders in a small container inside the store, and the rest out in a big barn, where no one but staff is allowed to go. I had my new rat all picked out from the container and was waiting to pay for it, when the guy ahead of me bought them all. Trying not to imagine their fate, I send the employee out to the barn to pick out a rat for me.

My specifications, 1 - it has to be male, 2 - it has to be young, 3 - I prefer any color besides a black hooded. So, he's bringing me these rats in one at a time for me to see. Duh!

First, he brings in a very pretty grey and white hooded. I was ready to take it home. Turns out to be female. He forgot to look.

Second, he brings me a solid black. Sorry, just not gonna happen. We talk more about colors. He says he has some solid tans. I said OK.

So, he brings me a brown rat. It's not tan, it's just brown. By now, I'm starting to feel bad about sending him back and forth so much, and the rat does seem to have a very sweet personality, so I say OK.

New baby rat never made a sound at the store. I held him for probably 10 minutes. The drive home was silence. Get the QT cage ready, put him in it, and he starts sneezing. Well, crap!

So, he's still in his QT cage, well away from Tuffy, and been dosed with VetRx a few times so far. He's sneezing less and feeling more adventurous already. I foresee a complete recovery. He's eating good and has a high energy level.

Since I just got him Sat afternoon and he was already stressed, I haven't taken any pics yet, but I will soon. I've been trying to talk myself out of it, but every time I see his face, the name Templeton comes to mind, so he may be stuck with it. Still very sweet and for whatever reason, I have absolutely no fear of this rat biting me. I hope when he's all better and I begin the introductions, things go well. I think I will really enjoy these two when I can get them together.


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## Rat Daddy

My local pet shop actually has a name for the sniffles that very young rats get when they leave the snake food bin. They are fine in the bin but by the time they hit the front door they are "sneezing". Mine waited until we got home less than a half hour later. They claim it's normal and told me not to worry, in a few days the little rat would be fine. And they were right in my case. I even saw it happen with a baby rat being handled by an employee. It was perfect in the tupperware but after being handled for about 10 minutes the sniffling started. I don't know the cause, but if that's what your rat has, it's very likely nothing to worry about. Still keep him warm and give him lots of attention.


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## mjp1036

I'm no expert but I have read about how bringing home a rat tends to make them sneeze a lot in the beginning just because of all the new smells. They say that the rat gets used to the smells after a while and stops sneezing as much. Maybe this could just be the case here? Either way I hope he gets better!


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## luvabunny

He's doing much better already. Held him in the sunshine for a bit yesterday. He and I both nearly fell asleep! Well, I'm pretty sure he was asleep and I was getting wayyy too close. It was a nice bonding time. Surprisingly, he seems to have absolutely no fear of people or hands.

Held him for a little while after work again tonight. He's full of a lot of energy, and has a nice, fat tummy. Sniffled once or twice, but no sneezing at all. He was ready to explore much more, but I don't want to stress him too much while he still may be vulnerable. I kept play time to a minimum.

Played with Tuffy for a while tonight too (don't worry, the rats are far apart, and I am washing my hands between. Actually made a point to play with Tuffy first, so no germs get spread). He has decided his very favorite place is on my right shoulder. He will run around on my hands making every effort to get there, then once there will stay apparently indefinitely. I've done the dishes, taken the trash out, checked the mail, gone out to the barn, and he never moves, well, except to stick his tickley, whiskery face against my neck and in my ear. I'd rather he stopped that. It almost paralyzes me with shivers!

I failed to mention that the entire reason I decided to go ahead and get another rat at this point is because I found another cage. Try as I might, I couldn't get Tuffy to come out of the original cage. It has 5/8 spacing on the bars, but then again, he wasn't coming out the wide open door either. Fri night I was going to put him into it for awhile - had almost decided to move him there - and he decided he wanted to explore it from the outside in. So I put him on the top expecting him to crawl around, and the little snot sneaks thru the bars, hangs upside down on the inside for a second and drops on in. He still wouldn't come out. For whatever reason, he really likes that cage.
Anyway, hitting some garage sales the next day, I found a cage the exact same size, but with smaller spacing between the bars. It even came with a feeder, water bottle, and a hay ball (do rats need hay)? There's room to make a shelf in it, and still hang a hammock, and have a wheel to run on. So I'm thinking with a new cage and all new stuff, now is the time to find a roomie. So now you have the whole story.

I'll try to take some pics soon. Like I said, I haven't wanted to stress him too much at first.
I don't think this shop would go to any trouble to try to name the sniffles the baby rats get. To them, they aren't pets, they are feeders, and if he were to die of it, I'm absolutely certain I wouldn't be refunded or offered a replacement. Their big sales are in reptiles, and reptiles have to eat. Any sold for pets are just lucky.


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