A dumbo rat and a rex rat

by Judi on Oct 8, 2006

Em two months ago started working on talking me (and Bob) into a getting a rat. After a month, we worked up some “terms” to our agreement, and Em brought home her Dumbo rat, Otis, Labor Day weekend - she was about 3 months old. We thought Otis was a male…. but it turns out she’s really female. note: dumbo refers to the ears - they are larger and more on the side of the head, rather than more upright.

Because I love animals too, I started doing my own reading on rats, joined some rat groups and am learning more myself. One of the biggest things I was reading was how social rats are and they prefer living in communities of 2 or more.

It wasn’t hard to talk Bob into another rat, when it’s for the health of both of them. So last week, Em brought home a new cage (because we really felt the 20 gal aquarium was too small for one, let alone two)… and Pumpkin May a.k.a. FuzzButt. FuzzButt got her name from me, because she’s just a fuzzy little thing. We guess she was about 5-6 weeks old when we brought her home. Em said she thinks she’s a Rex and after looking at many pics, I’d agree. note: rex refers to a curly coat… and based on my own reading, I think a blue berkshire, which means solid color (in this case, a slate-blue color) with white belly, paws and tail tip.

After a 5 day quarrantine, Em introduced the two girlies. We fixed the cage, since it’s tall, we were able to put in a couple shelves and I made (quickly and terribly) a fleece hammock to hang. Both girls are now housed in the cage, and the aquarium has become a dig tank. Rats love to dig and tunnel. Em tore up several (and then several more) peices of paper towel and filled the aquarium about 1/3 of the way.. a peice of cage flooring works as a ladder. The girls are able to climb up and out of their cage-home and directly into the dig tank.

They are just too cute!

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