I know... it's a rat, and many people may have an aversion to rats... but bare with me...
A couple of weeks a go now, we accidentally disturbed a rat pup whilst cleaning them out. The problem is once they have your scent on them, the likely hood is that the mother will abandon them, and so we enrolled Katie as surrogate rat mum!
The aim is to keep this little chap friendly to show off to school groups when they visit. He has already met a few people, and seems to be taking to his role well... I will of course keep you updated on his progress as he grows.
So yes... It's a rat... but, rats are fantastic creatures. One of my favourites! There is so much misunderstanding about rats so here are a few facts to try and convert some of you.
- Rats are very intelligent, and have great memories
- A group of rats is called a "mischief"
- Rats are social animals, and even care for their sick and injured
- Rats were a sign of good luck to the Romans
- Rats are very clean animals, and spend hours a day grooming
- Rats make a "laughing" call when tickled, at a level not heard by the human ear
- Rats have been trained to drag wires through walls in some places for electricians
I had two rats in the past and they were incredibly clever. I read they are as intelligent as dogs. And they sure did recognize when I called their names and a gesture was enough to make them go back to their cage. Incredible. I look at rats with completely different eyes now, once I had them as pets. Very beautiful, that little one :)
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