WE'RE IN HAVEN

School of Rats has been featured in the pets@home section of the October and November issue of Haven. Haven is a sister magazine of the EDGE, a Malaysian financial and investment paper. The interview was done before Tickle and Blacky pass away. Too bad they couldn't live to see their article being published in a magazine. They should know that they were the few famous rats in this world. Hopefully the article help in promoting keeping rats as pets.

Due to copyright reason, I cannot show the readable format of the article. However, the magazine is complimentary with The EDGE, or you can get it in any magazine stands for RM 4.90 per copy, or you can call up the EDGE Retail and Subscription Department at (03) 7721 8142/8151 for subscription enquiries. You can also visit www.theadgemalaysia.com for more details.

MICE AND RATS ARE NOT THE SAME

Finally, I went back and picked up the newly adopted pets from my sister. But turn out to be, those 'rats' that she was taking about are MICE!!!

It's a common misconception of the people here and this is not the first time that someone mistaken a mouse as a rat or vice versa. I even had an experience once that when I called up a local veterinarian for enquiries about the treatment for my rats, and this was what happened:

Me: Hello. I need some medication for my rat.

Vet: Rat? What kind of rat? The white ones?

Me: Yes. I have 2 white rats and 1 with brown hood.

Vet: Oh I see.. You mean MICE. -_-''

Me: No. They are rats, not mice.

Vet: They are the same..

Me: .... (this is where I went speechless)

In the Chinese language, both rat and mouse share a common name which is lao shu (老鼠), but one but know that they are very much different. The scientific name of fancy rat is Rattus Norvegicus whereas the scientific name for fancy mouse is Mus Musculus. They both fall under the Rodentia order, Myomorpha suborder, Muroidea superfamily, Muridae family and Murinae subfamily, but their genus and species are different. To make things easier, they are just very far related. One must understand, mice are rats' food in a way. They cannot be kept together. Click this link for more information about how mice are consider food for rats.

It might be difficult to describe their differences with words, with the pictures below, it should the clearer.

The size is the most obvious difference between a rat and a mouse. A full grown rat should be 9-11 inches long without the tail. Whereas an adult mouse is only 3-4 inches long excluding the tail.

A rat

A mouse

Rats have shorter head and robust body compared to mice. Their ears are smaller relative to the head and their tails are shorter than their body. Hence the illustrations of a rat and a mouse are usually easily distinguish.

So can you tell the difference between Remy and Despereauex?

Despereaux

Remy

NEW ARRIVAL

I just received a special call from my sister who works with animals and she told me that she just rescued two baby rats from the place she work. They were supposed to be the food for an eagle tomorrow, but I guess not anymore. I told Milo about it and she has been grinding her teeth since then. I'm going to pick them up this weekend. More updates about them coming soon.

CARING FOR A LONE RAT

One thing I hate of being in Malaysia is the fact that to look for a fancy rat here can really be a pain in the ass. After looking high and low, it still seem hopeless for me to find a high quality fancy rat. As you all know, Tickle passed away not long ago and Milo desperately needs a companion. Rats are highly sociable animals and they need companions, best of their own kind, in lives. When situation like this occur, when one of two rats died, normally you will need to get some new rats to accompany the lonely and grieving rat. Or else, conditions such as depression and autism. Some of the signs of these conditions include self mutilation by chewing her nails, plucking her own fur, or chewing on her own tail or she may be unresponsive and refuse to eat. It is a very bad idea to keep only one rat as rats that live alone often live shorter lives. Besides, it is unnatural to let a rat live but its own.

The National Fancy Rat Society of the UK stated that, a single rat is often happy, whenever you are playing with it. But when you are asleep, or out at work or school, or simply going shopping, the single rat can get bored and lonely. It has nothing to do whenever you are not around. Unless your rat is with you literally 24 hours a day, it is inevitable that it will be bored sometimes. Rats do not sleep throughout the night like us - they wake and sleep at intervals throughout the day and night. They are often particularly playful during the night, when most humans are asleep. Even if you were the rat's perfect human - never apart from it, and sleeping only for an hour or so at a time - you could not provide it with the same sort of companionship as another rat, simply because you are a very different species. You would not, for example, communicate with it, or (presumably!) groom it with your teeth the way another rat would.

However, I am now torn apart from making an important decision - whether to get Milo some young feeder rats as her companions or keep her along until I can find fancy rats to stay with her. The reason is obviously in Malaysia, the availability of high quality fancy rats is just too little. And after Tickle's incident, I'd really like to minimise the chance of raising an unhealthy rat and end up seeing him leaving the world early and painfully. In Malaysia, there are not much rat breeders who breed rats healthily for keeping purposes. Most breeders do not control in-breeding and do not do selective breeding as they are breeding only feeder rats. Hence the production of so many unhealthy rats. Bad genetics and bloodlines are being carried on generations after generations. I do not wish to risk the lives of my pets. Meanwhile, I am trying my very best to keep Milo company. She hasn't show any mutilation and has no sign no depression, she just look bored most of the time in her cage. I let her out of the cage most of the time and let her run around the room.

Milo's laying on her favourite spot

Below are some tips provided by CuriousRats.com of how to keep a rat alone.

If you do have a rat that is kept alone for one reason or another, you will have to take on some care considerations that you would not need to for a pair or group. One thing you will need to do is for a very close bond to him and have him with you a LOT. Carry him on your shoulder while you do house work and allow him several hours of supervised playtime in a rat-safe room. Hold him on your lap or let him explore while you watch TV or movies.

Play with your rat on his level. By petting him, you can imitate social grooming. Most rats really enjoy petting, and being touched is essential to a rat, especially if he doesn't have contact with other rats. You can play with him by tickling his sides and stomach. Your rat may play back by pouncing your hand or giving you a playful nip (not a bite, but a nip, like a kitten would). If you can sit cross-legged, he can curl up and sleep on your lap, feeling your warmth, or on your shoulder or the back of your neck.

Provide lot's of toys to keep him interested and busy when you are asleep or at work or school. Wooden bird toys and bells that can hang in the cage are fun and inexpensive. There are also some "rat toys" on the market such as Bordom Busters. You may want to consider getting a wheel. Young rats and females often enjoy running. Get one with a solid running surface and at least one side enclosed, if possible, for safety and privacy. Also provide boxes and tubes and other things to hide in. A hammock, bed (like a ferret bed), or blanket of some sort will also provide some comfort and security. On cold nights or if he gets sick, you may want to put a hot water bottle or heating pad (on low and with a folded towel on it) under part of the cage. Also, keep the cage in a room where there is human activity and traffic. Rats like to feel like they're part of the action.

Your rat may be able to have a playmate sometimes, whether it is another rat or a guinea pig or rabbit. Be very cautious about having your rat with another animal and always supervise. Rats, especially singly kept ones, can be territorial, so allow them to interact with other animals ONLY on neutral ground outside their cage.

Remember, that without a cagemate, your rat will bond to only you and/or another person they get to interact with. If you go on vacation, he could become lonely or depressed, so you may have to try to make arrangements to bring him along or have a friend who he knows and trusts and who can give him lots of attention petsit for you.

DEAR TICKLE

Dear Tickle,

I knew you since you were a baby. I still remember the first day I got you home, you were so frighten. Before this you were living together with your brothers and sisters, but there were only you and one of your brother left in the cage when I bought you from the pet store. You were a feeder rat back then. You didn’t like me touching you and always hide yourself from me. It was such a miracle moment to me the first time you took the piece of kua chi from my hand. I spend most of the time worrying about you. You were always the delicate one to me. Your home, your food and your sister were all specially picked for you. I only sung to you so that you could sleep soundly. I am the one who named you Tickle, because you like to run over you daddy and me and tickle us.

A week after getting you, we went to look for a sister for you, and that’s how we got Milo home. I still remember the first time you met Milo. She was so much tinier than you and you just didn’t care much. You jumped on her and started tickling her. After a short wrestling session, you two became good friends. You used to hug her to sleep and gave her your food and always protecting her. Milo grew up strong and active, and turned out to be Milo was the one keep giving us the headache, and you, as always, being nice and always contented at what you had.

I miss seeing you guys chasing at each other around and around the cage. You look so healthy and happy back then. You and Milo are two smart rats. You remember me teaching you your names, how to stand, and you will always know what it means when I open a plastic bag - **that’s our secret**. I always feel guilty for not being able to let you two out from the cage that often because I’m afraid that you two might bite holes on your daddy’s clothes. You must have been very angry at me huh. Although I did not fulfil my promise of bring you guy out for shopping, I hope you enjoy our trip to Taiping together, and I hope you are happy for meeting so many people in your live. To be honest, I am very pound of you and your sister. You two have changed so many people’s thinking and make them fall in love with rats.

I am sorry for not being able to take good care of you and protect you at all times. I shouldn’t have left you at the living room those days and let you inhale second hand smoke or attacked by cats. I am so sorry that I did not give you a bigger cage for you to run around, and I am sorry for not providing you the best quality food and health care so that you can live long and healthy.

I couldn’t do much at the final days when your health deteriorate. I can only hug you in my arms and hope that it will make you feel better. And you never disappoint me and always show me that you were okay by grinding your teeth. You were always there for me, happy and sad times, but I wasn’t there for you when you really needed me. I even made you promised that you can never leave me when I’m not around, but I guess you hung on there for too long.

I just wish you could stay longer. There are still so many things I wanna tell you. I can no longer call Tickle & Milo anymore. Can no longer say good night to you and see you first thing in the morning. You rest in peace baby Tickle. Mommy will take good care of Milo and promise to protect her like you do. I love you Tickle. Milo loves you. Daddy loves you too. Good night forever. We miss you. I'd give anything for you to come back. I cannot stop crying now, but don’t worry.. I will stop when the time comes.

Love you forever and ever,
Mommy

SHOW THEM YOUR LOVE

Ask any rat keeper in this world and they will tell you the same thing - rats are the sweetest creature ever. Rats are loyal and affectionate. They will always notice your every single movement and hoping that you'd come over and check on them. For us, we have so many things in our lives to care about and we have things that will keep us entertained, schools, work, friends, family, movies, shopping mall, etc...; but for the rats, they only have one thing in their life to look forward for, which is us. So it is our responsibility as an owner to ensure that they receive the deserving attention from you. Show them that you love them too by petting, rubbing, massaging, scratching, kissing, cuddling, grooming, fondling, tickling them. These are some healthier ways to make your rats feel happy beside giving them treats. But bear in mind that, all rats are individuals and what one rat likes may not be what another rat likes. My Milo loves me scratching her back and would stay still for hours for me to scratch and eventually fall asleep. Tickle however loves petting and cuddling. She'd let me hug her in my arms and pet her for hours and if I've pet her long enough, she'd grind her teeth and slowly falls asleep.

RIP Blacky

Our extraordinarily smart Blacky passed away yesterday (5th August 2009) on a rainy day. He was the smartest rat. He knew his name without us teaching him and he liked to walk with his hide legs all the time. He has a pair of huge ears and very good in escaping. We will always remember you Blacky. Love you so much. Rest in peace. I believe that you are in good hands now.