random rat post

[ratcreature]

It occurred to me that it has been a while since I inflicted (frequently blurry) pet photos on you... So here's a couple of photos of Krümel, Ignatz and Emil, so that you can see how much the latter in particular have grown.

First this has been taken a few weeks ago, showing all three:


One of Ignatz looking very cute:


And more Ignatz:




Emil can be cute too:


One of Emil that is definitely under the "it can't possibly be comfortable to sleep this way" heading, but he really slept squeezed into this weird contortionist position without any need:


And finally one of Krümel looking like a mean, bad-ass rat:


Of course he's actually very nice-- well unless you are a vet. A while ago, when he needed antibiotics injections (and was still smaller and lighter) it took the vet, and an assistant with a towel and leather gloves to contain one pissed off and struggling and biting rat (I couldn't hold him the way he was squeaking and kicking and trying to get free, so I left it to the professionals), though as soon as it was over he ran up to me to snuggle and hide for a bit. I guess it pays off to let the vet traumatize your pet, instead of doing the deed yourself. Though actually he's been the first of my rats who didn't just let me hold him still for an injection with at most a token protest. He really fought as if the vet was out to kill him. And actually one time he broke free with the needle still sticking to his side and I was afraid he'd injure himself (after which the towel and leather gloves came in, iirc).

Still, he's actually very cuddly, and I like that he's grown up into a fairly large, solid rat, currently weighing just under 600g. For comparison, my rat Ben weighed at his best 480g, and now he's unfortunately getting thin and frail with age (being just a week shy of his second birthday) and weighs even 100g less, if he hasn't lost more since I last checked, so it is a very nice feeling to have a heavy rat sitting on me, who's really solid when I cuddle him (though he isn't fat or anything).

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Aw Emil.

Krümel weighs as much as my cats ...

[derryderrydown.livejournal.com]

Oh, they're gorgeous! And that really is an amazing cage setup.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

*ggg* well, I was going to see if they'd be edible, but I fear they'd be the one eating my horrors. WTF, vet, why?

[derryderrydown.livejournal.com]

Because he's kind of a walking skeleton. It was horrifying when he had to have his side shaved for an operation - there were these ribs jutting out. I could have played xylophone on the wee beastie.

I mean, he's thrivingly healthy - completely worm- and flea-free. And he has about a can and a half of food a day, plus whatever local wildlife he slaughters. Bouncy, energetic, all the rest of it. He's just really, really thin.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Yet he weighs 6 kilo? (12xKrümel)

[derryderrydown.livejournal.com]

Yep - he's just over fourteen pounds. I have no idea how come he's so heavy when he's so skinny.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Secretly, he's Wolverine???

[derryderrydown.livejournal.com]

...that would explain so much.

I've always thought he was Impulse (orange eyes, incapable of thought, freaky-fast metabolism and runs far too fast) but Wolverine would explain a lot, too.

[ratcreature]

A friend of mine in school had a huge cat that weighed something like 12kg or so, and she wasn't fat, just very large, really more dog-sized. She didn't hunt mice, but rabbits when she was outside too.

And yeah, I think they are very satisfied with their cage, so I'm happy to have invested in it.

[ratcreature]

Wow, you must have bonsai cats. :)

(kittens)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

*snort* I wish *imagines the peace ... could even pet them then*

[cereta.livejournal.com]

Awww!

[ratcreature]

The power of the small and furry. :) They use it to great effect when they notice me eating something that smells like they'd like it too. (Though they don't quite manage to pull off the "pathetic and starved" look many dogs can adopt to convince you that they haven't been fed *ever*.)