The New Babies

Raoul and Mortimer, four weeks old

You may have noticed that the photo for this blog is of a pet rat.  He was the loveliest fellow and his name was Horatio.  Big H was a sweet, loving, smart, clean, loyal little guy and we dearly loved him.  His death from cancer was a sad time.


Life however, is pernicious.  It insists on flourishing no matter our devastation.  Today, to prove the point, our daughter purchased two baby boy ratties and we installed them in the rat mansion.  This is a retro-fitted bird cage that had been originally constructed for a parrot or a couple of cockatiels.  It is a hammered pewter beauty that now has four levels, a hammock, nesting boxes, food bins, water bottle, toys, bedding, perches, and a ladder.  There are numerous other activities and toys in the cupboard to rotate throughout the coming months.  They shouldn't find themselves getting bored.


The new lads entered carefully, noses in constant motion, and little bodies poised for action.  After some sniffing about, they found food, and took some to a nest box.  We had put the box they arrived in inside the cage as well so that there would be something familiar for them.

We watched them all evening as they became accustomed to their new digs, and as they began their orientation into our family.  At bed time I put my old socks that had been worn for a few hours in the cage with them so that my scent would accompany their dreams.  This will help with the bonding process and is well worth the sacrifice of some old footwear!


Eventually they will spend a lot of their time on my shoulders or in my lap.  Domestic fancy rats are amazing pets; clean like cats and they bond like dogs.  Their only flaw is their short lifespans.  

Japanese ink drawing of rats

One lad is charcoal grey with a dark tail and white tummy.  His name is Mortimer.  The other is a lovely champagne hooded rat with a pretty white splotch on his head.  His name is Raoul.  Don't ask why the names.  They just seemed to fit.

Chances are that these two will feature in future posts along with some photos once I get them off the camera and onto the computer.


This is going to be a grand adventure.  It is so good to have critters in the home again.

Welcome to our world Raoul and Mortimer.  May your days be long in the land.


Thank you Rachel.  It is so good to feel the joy of pets again.