ABOUT BETH'S RATS

I currently have two baige and white females named Jezebel and Azrielle. I got them when they were about 7 weeks old after ringing up every single pet store in the Yellow Pages and only five of them keeping rats, three of which the rats where 10 weeks or older. The two remaining where across the other side of the city (in Joondalup) which is a fair way to go for someone in the Fremantle area - like me!!! So the point is...umm...what was my point? oh yeah, my point is that rats aren't exactly common.

My last rat, Alfred, died a very happy, old and tired ratty.He was a black hooded and lived to nearly 4 years (most rats live 2-3 years!). When I first got Alfred, when he was about 6 weeks old, I decided to get a photo of my new little rattie. I took him outside with my brother to get a photo. I put Alfie on the grass where he sat very nicely for a pic...but then something scared him. He literally started jumping away and ran under a bush where no one could find him! After about half an hour of searching in our garden for him, I spotted white fur sticking out from beneath a pile of leaves, along with a little pink tail. We caught him, and tried to comfort him. After that, Alfred was a very tense and nervous rat, but soon he became very curious and friendly, and his favourite past-time appeared to be falling asleep down my shirt (which can become VERY ticklish!!!!!!!).There are some photos of Alfred in my "Photo Gallery" section.

The second pair of rats I had were baige hooded sisters named Lupine and Privet. I got these rats on 10th January, 1994. Both girls "monkey-barred" on the top of the cage, and also enjoyed nibbling on my dad's stubble:). Unfortunately, Privet developed mammary tumours, which had to be operated on to be removed. This happened several times, and when,towards the end of her natural life, she developed another one, along with her sister, we decided it would be best for the rats to have them "put to sleep".

The very first rat I had was Ratty, a male albino, who was caught and given to me to look after, when he was already an adult. Ratty was an expert "monkey-barrist" and acrobat, andenjoyed walking upside down across the top of his cage. Unfortunatley, Ratty developed a serious rattie illness, called mycoplasmosis. He died in December, 1993.