My Rats - Digit & Brigette

[Taceas]

Well I thought I'd put some pics up of my pair of rats. =)

I had rats a few years ago, but they started going berserk and killing each other and the babies, so I decided enough was enough. But since most of my corns are getting up there in size, I thought it'd be a good idea to keep a small amount of fresh rats around for a higher nutritional meal for my adult snakes.

I got Digit from Tammy Jenkin's feeder bin. She came over to pick up some extra mice I had. She had stopped off at another area friend and picked up her extras, which included rats in the box. So as Tammy was dumping in my mice, I spotted Digit. He had a small tan spot on his rump and was sweet as can be when I picked him up. I blinked at her, and I got Digit. ;)

Small and helpless, but he did have his eyes open and had just started getting teeth. But I fed him baby formula for a couple of weeks while he started eating the solid lab blocks, and he grew up nicely. The older he gets, the more sealpoint he's exhibiting. Supposedly his mother was a Siamese rat. So we'll see how it goes on down the road.

He got his name due to the anomaly on his left front foot, a couple of his toes are malformed and/or missing bones. But aside from the odd way he walks with it, it doesn't slow him down much.

http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/Rodents/Rats/Digit2.jpg

A few weeks ago, I got him a girlfriend, Brigette..and she looks to be in the early stages of pregnancy. Lots of nest-building, obessive cleaning, and filling out in the middle.

So here are pics of Digit and Brigette:

http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/Rodents/Rats/BrigitteandDigit.jpg

http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/Rodents/Rats/Digit1.jpg

http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/Rodents/Rats/Brigitte.jpg

http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/Rodents/Rats/Digit3.jpg

:crazy02:

[JM :o)]

good looking rats! But your going to be too attatched to feed out the pups! Be carefull!

Digit looks like he will be a nice seal point. Seal point seems to be a simple recessive trait~ but the points don't come through until the rat is an adult. I love the seal point look and held back a lot of white/cream babies for future breeders~ Looks like most are bringing thier points in nicely!

[Khaman]

Cute food. My wife keeps twelve pet rats that I am not allowed to breed for food though they do provide me with entertainment with their ratty antics.

[Tammy Jenkins]

Yep, you know me too well girl. One of those blinks from you and I turn to putty. *lol* His colors are turning out nicely, quite a change from the last time I saw him. And you have picked such a lovely girlfriend for him. Hope they give ya some nice, fat babies.

JM...going to be to attached? She was already that from the word go. As soon as she picked him up from out of the box she had him nuzzled up to her cheek. Now how could I say no to that. :shrugs:

[Shep151]

The male "pet" rat I have is a seal point! This was a great surprise to me, because I'd never seen one before him, and he started off cream/white! (I did think something was off due to his red eyes ;)
:-offtopic Good to see cute food finally made its way to the main board!

[Jynx]

You guys are gonna hate me for this: maybe its just me, but all I see is lunch and dinner. Don't get me wrong, I love ALL animals, and have had countless pet rats, mice, chinchillas, gerbils...too many to remember. But now all I see is food.

[TripleMoonsExotic]

That is a lovely blue hood you have there (the female)! The seal point is a looker too.

I currently mainly breed blues and seal points. I get the occasional oddball hear and there. I'll have to take pics of the rat kiddies when I get home! :) My boyfriend was totally disgusted when he moved in and saw the rats...now he enjoys hand feeding them cheerios!

[Jessicat]

Rodent wise nothing beats a rat on your shoulder :)

[arandani]

Love the blue!

Makes me want to cry, my pet (couldn't feed her to my snakes :P) died a few years ago, she was a creame hood...

[mrweaw]

I have 10 rats now and wish they would get to producing! My snakes love rat pups.

I ended up with my first seal point this year when I started my new colony, she is very pretty. Now I will have to look for cream babies before I feed. How hard is it to distinguish them from albino as pups?

[Guenhwyvar]

Ok, would someone care to explain what a seal point is? :) Thanks!

[arandani]

just think of a siamese cat...that is a seal point. It has blue/brown on legs, tail, ears, nose..anywhere were there is less body heat on an animal. ;)

[Taceas]

Digit came to me looking like a more yellow version of an albino, so I guess that would qualify as "cream" colored. He also had a darker cream stripe down his lower back above his tail that you had to look for to notice.

I've kept back the best natured daughter from the first litter that had the same cream color and stripe to see if she'll develop the seal-point. So far, nothing yet.

While I don't have any "pet" rats, I do love and cuddle on Digit and Gidget (his daughter) quite a bit. Brigette gave birth late Saturday to 11 pups, so she's even more pissy and untrustworthy and doesn't get handled as I would like. I just don't trust her, and neither do my fingers. ;)

[HeatherP]

Very pretty himmy :) I love himalayans. Their points come in at differant times so it can be hard to tell from an early age. I have had some start out with clear points as soon as the fur came in and some took a few months to come in. Siamese are a bit easier to spot, they fade from cream to a light brownish colored rump (or blues etc) and look more like a siamese cat in marking.

I love your hooded blue, she is lovely, I'd like to get some blues but I think I will stick to himmys, siamese and minks, I get confused with all the blue colors.. american, english, russian, powered etc :shrugs:

Top ears are sweet, but aahhhh DUMBOS!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/MDBandit/nietpester.jpg