No, before you turn your nose up, rats are cute, fuzzy animals that show their humans a great deal of affection. Before I had my daughter, I used to breed them. My favourite was Gabriel, an albino male rat who used to ride on my shoulder wherever I went. Kept my neck warm on cold days!
When he wasn't on my neck, he used to sit under the dining table and gnaw the skirting board. He knew he wasn't allowed, but he did it anyway, just to get my attention!
When I knew he was in his last illness, I used to leave his cage door slightly open, so he could roam freely when I was at work (don't tell Howard, he thought Gabe was just good at escaping:)
One day I came home to find him cold and stiff - in the bottom of the females' cage! At least he died with a ratty smile! |
