Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / April 2004

That's so wonderful, your description of Otis finding so much comfort
with you after losing his brother and how Stevie found someone like
you to help him through his disability.

With our fuzzies, Noli, the low guy, is still a bit skittish, but he's
just recently started coming around to being a rather kissy/grooming
rat, like my old buddy, Cinnamon (I just love licky rats!).  The
now-Alpha guy, Cocoa, was previously rather skittish/flinchy also when
Cinnamon was still around, who was the Alpha then and Cocoa the
under-rat.  Now Cocoa has become the main cuddlebug since attaining
his Alpha status ... and turning into a big old squishy fluff (hard to
believe it's the same little guy that reminded us of a mouse, almost,
with his coloring and hyper-ness when we first got him, charming us
with his efforts to get to us through the side of the aquarium at the
store).  

The Alpha II (not really Beta, I would say, but just an Alpha in
waiting), Momo, is likely going to be just as, if not more, cuddly
when he reaches his senior years too, I'm pretty sure (he's also
about the most intelligent rat I've ever met, a brilliant strategist
at finding his way to getting what he wants and where he wants
to go, which also makes me rather partial to him, in addition to his
major attachment to us).

I think it's interesting how with some change in their dominance/
position in the heirarchy (i.e., Cocoa going from being lowest on the
totem pole to now the top), there's also been a change in this aspect.
Though that is partly affected by Cocoa's getting older, I do feel
that it's largely related to an increasing sense of self-esteem that
he's acquired with that change now, too.

<snip> And he never hesitated to show me he appreciated it by grooming me or
cuddling into my neck.

Isn't it the best feeling when you are sitting there relaxing, watching tv
or whatever, with a rat snuggling into your neck :o)

Tracey