Accidental Rat
Nov. 2nd, 2009 10:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nezukoI didn't mean to adopt another rat so soon after Sano's death. I really, really didn't. I knew I'd be taking in a couple of babies in a few weeks, because a friend of a friend sent me a desperate plea about how a female they'd just adopted turned out to be pregnant and had eleven babies. So I said I'd come help separate the sexes and adopt a couple of the boys when they were old enough to be weaned, which is the week of Thanksgiving.
But I didn't mean to adopt a SUPER GIANT ADULT MALE right now.
What I meant to do was go to Petco and buy some rat food. Momo and I went and looked at the fish and the reptiles (where I inspired two ball pythons to do some seriously erotic intertwining, which if you recall was a power I had when Momo and I visited the San Diego Zoo last spring.) Anyway then we went to look at the rats. Aww, how cute, young rats.
On the side of one cage was a sign saying they had an adult male for adoption (as opposed to purchase) and to please inquire. I resolved not to inquire. We went to the checkout and plunked down the new wheel for the baby rats' cage, and the sacks of food, and a couple of parrot toys that make awesome rat toys, and the little container of Rat Crack Brand yogurt treats (cheese flavor Yogies, but they really ought to just rename them because they are totally rat crack.)
The clerk took one look at me and knew I didn't need to inquire. In fact, she inquired for me. "You have four? Would you like to have one more? We have this really sweet curly coated male who needs a home." She'd said the fateful words: curly coat. My one weakness. (OK, I have many weaknesses, and actually she also used the "needs a home" phrase which is like Kryptonite to Superman: I am powerless against it.)
I agreed to meet him. Turns out he was surrendered by an owner who said she'd gotten him and a companion in February, but the companion died and she didn't like this one as much because he was not cuddly enough, and she decided she just didn't have time for him. He'd been at the store awaiting adoption for three weeks because no one thought he was cute because he is A. ENORMOUS, and B. curly coated and black.
She brought him out and I picked him up and he immediately settled down all cuddly under my ear and was obviously the friendliest, cuddliest, most squishily loving rat ever. His previous owner was INSANE. (Other evidence for her insanity and unfitness to be this rat's mom include the fact she was feeding him a diet of bird seed, and she sprayed him with perfume because she thought he smelled bad. Rats should never smell bad. They only do if they have a poor diet, don't get their cages cleaned often enough, or are ill. For the record, he smelled just fine.)
It was obvious within seconds that he was going to come home with me. The clerk waived the adoption fee, because she said it was clear he was going to the right home. She also agreed with me when I said curly coats were best, and had me repeat it for the other clerks to hear. I really can't believe there are people who think curly coat rats are ugly. Seriously. He's like a little teddy bear!
He looks amazingly like one of my previous rats, Wolfwood, a black curly coated adoptee who is no longer with me. This boy looks like Wolfwood only he's about twice Wolfwood's size. Did I mention he is GIGANTOR? He's over 500 grams on my kitchen scale (Zoro who is small for his age is 246 grams, Daigo is about 300) and I suspect he'd be heavier on the vet's more accurate electronic scale. I have named him Nicholas, as in Nicholas D. Wolfwood, for whom Wolfwood was also named.
Neither Momo not I can imagine how a rat could possibly be more affectionate and cuddly than Nicholas. Seriously. He's like a giant fuzzy ball of love. My hope is to get him to live in the cage with Zoro and Daigo. Zoro and Daigo seem less than enthusiastic about that idea, but I'm hoping to persuade them.
Anyway, he's sitting in my lap making the happy rat sound, bruxing and boggling, and occasionally licking my fingers. He's adorable, and I love him, and if ever it was obvious a rat belonged with me, this is it. Better photos soon, but my camera is lost so the iPhone camera is the best I can do right now.
But I didn't mean to adopt a SUPER GIANT ADULT MALE right now.
What I meant to do was go to Petco and buy some rat food. Momo and I went and looked at the fish and the reptiles (where I inspired two ball pythons to do some seriously erotic intertwining, which if you recall was a power I had when Momo and I visited the San Diego Zoo last spring.) Anyway then we went to look at the rats. Aww, how cute, young rats.
On the side of one cage was a sign saying they had an adult male for adoption (as opposed to purchase) and to please inquire. I resolved not to inquire. We went to the checkout and plunked down the new wheel for the baby rats' cage, and the sacks of food, and a couple of parrot toys that make awesome rat toys, and the little container of Rat Crack Brand yogurt treats (cheese flavor Yogies, but they really ought to just rename them because they are totally rat crack.)
The clerk took one look at me and knew I didn't need to inquire. In fact, she inquired for me. "You have four? Would you like to have one more? We have this really sweet curly coated male who needs a home." She'd said the fateful words: curly coat. My one weakness. (OK, I have many weaknesses, and actually she also used the "needs a home" phrase which is like Kryptonite to Superman: I am powerless against it.)
I agreed to meet him. Turns out he was surrendered by an owner who said she'd gotten him and a companion in February, but the companion died and she didn't like this one as much because he was not cuddly enough, and she decided she just didn't have time for him. He'd been at the store awaiting adoption for three weeks because no one thought he was cute because he is A. ENORMOUS, and B. curly coated and black.
She brought him out and I picked him up and he immediately settled down all cuddly under my ear and was obviously the friendliest, cuddliest, most squishily loving rat ever. His previous owner was INSANE. (Other evidence for her insanity and unfitness to be this rat's mom include the fact she was feeding him a diet of bird seed, and she sprayed him with perfume because she thought he smelled bad. Rats should never smell bad. They only do if they have a poor diet, don't get their cages cleaned often enough, or are ill. For the record, he smelled just fine.)
It was obvious within seconds that he was going to come home with me. The clerk waived the adoption fee, because she said it was clear he was going to the right home. She also agreed with me when I said curly coats were best, and had me repeat it for the other clerks to hear. I really can't believe there are people who think curly coat rats are ugly. Seriously. He's like a little teddy bear!
He looks amazingly like one of my previous rats, Wolfwood, a black curly coated adoptee who is no longer with me. This boy looks like Wolfwood only he's about twice Wolfwood's size. Did I mention he is GIGANTOR? He's over 500 grams on my kitchen scale (Zoro who is small for his age is 246 grams, Daigo is about 300) and I suspect he'd be heavier on the vet's more accurate electronic scale. I have named him Nicholas, as in Nicholas D. Wolfwood, for whom Wolfwood was also named.
Neither Momo not I can imagine how a rat could possibly be more affectionate and cuddly than Nicholas. Seriously. He's like a giant fuzzy ball of love. My hope is to get him to live in the cage with Zoro and Daigo. Zoro and Daigo seem less than enthusiastic about that idea, but I'm hoping to persuade them.
Anyway, he's sitting in my lap making the happy rat sound, bruxing and boggling, and occasionally licking my fingers. He's adorable, and I love him, and if ever it was obvious a rat belonged with me, this is it. Better photos soon, but my camera is lost so the iPhone camera is the best I can do right now.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-03 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-03 05:08 pm (UTC)This guy deserved a much better rat mommy than that D: I'm glad he found you!
no subject
Date: 2009-11-04 01:11 am (UTC)... also, wut, you made snakes go smexing at each other? What a weird superpower to have.