[jamesReid]

Hi Guys N Gals.. And Rats of all ages...

Me and my fiance Tonya, just wanted to introduce you all to Hector the Rat!!! After we tried saving the little mice we caught and they died... We think from poision.. thats another emotional story ( see my other posts) Tonya's mom bought her Hector. Oh my he is too sweet!!! He lives with Tonya, but she brought him over to my place tonight and I held him for the first time.. Tonya has not even held him yet.. she was trying to take it slow.. which is good.. but he took right too me. We put him on the bed and he explored and played.. he is all tuckered out now and ready to sleep. Here is a picture of little Hector.. May he have a long and great Rat life...


Jimmie

 

[tinypixiexoxo]

HEY congrats!!! So happy to hear you have a new pal to give love and attention to. Too bad about the mice (or were they rats?), but you seem like a responsible owner.

Use this forum for all kinds of questions- there are some really nice and helpful people.

xoxo

 

[Vladina]

Awww, he is beautiful! I love that picture of him...he is looking right up at you with a big loving smile on his face.
Rats are so loving, as I am sure you are discovering. That is wonderful! He really is such a sweet looking boy! Does Tonya have plans to get him a buddy? Rats are very social and they can literally get depressed and lethargic if kept alone. I wish Hector a long and happy life! What a cutie pie! I love his name too. :yes:

 

[breyer08]

Aww, he is so precious! :heart: If you can, I'd try to go back to the place where you got him from, and get another one of his male companions to keep him company. Like Vladina said, rats are incredibly social animals and they always do much better if they have at least one other rat to live with.

 

[Vladina]

Yes, as Breyer said, if you can find out exactly where and what group of rats Hector came from, it is very likely that he was in a litter of rats who are siblings and having one of his brothers come along with him would be wonderful and comforting for both Hector and his brother, but also since they are from the same litter, they have already bonded and know each other. :thumbsup:

 

[Storyseeker]

Guh. So stinkin' adorable. I keep thinking of PEWing it for one of my future rats. I've avoided them and other light eyed rats because my children haven't warmed up to pink eyed rodents yet, but that seems to be changing.

I've heard so many stories of conflict involving parents of rat owners being disgusted about their child's passtime, my own parents included though I'm middle aged. It makes me smile to think that Tonya's mom would respect ya'lls feelings so much she would do this for her.

 

[Vladina]

Agreed, that is so cool of Tonya's mom to recognize that. My husband and I are in our 40's, never had kids, except for our favorite type of child and that is rodentia. LOVE EM all. We have always been perfectly fulfilled having fuzzy babies. Imagine my relatives asking, "So..when are you going to quit with the gerbils and rats and have real kids?" :lol: We say, "These furry cuties ARE our kids!" :yes:

 

[jamesReid]

Thanks for the nice comments... Tonya and I are MIDDLE aged too.. i will be 40 this january.. and Tonya just turned 39 this month.. I cant wait for a couple weeks to go by when I get some money.. I am going to buy Hector a friend.. and get 2 of my own little fuzzy animals..


Jimmie

 

[jamesReid]

Hey Vladina...

I see aqt the end of each post is your signature of Wolfgang, Klausse, Mick and Keith.. and you say you will see them at the bridge. Have they passed to the next world? And do you have pictures of them? I am almost 40 years old.. I have always loved animals. Cats, dogs.. Tonya had had snakes.. But i am amazed at how I fell in love with these little creatures... I love rats and mice...

Anyway.. gota run.. Hector wants some play time.. lol..


Jimmie

 

[jamesReid]

And To Storyseeker...

Those pictures in your signature.. those all your little ones? And what happened to little Windham if I may ask.. If this is too personal I am sorry you dont have to tell.

Bye for now..


Jimmie

 

[Storyseeker]

Hi James,

Hahaha, we're all knocking at the door of our second childhood aren't we?

Yeah, those are all my rat boys. No, I don't mind talking about him, thank you for asking. Windham was one of my first three rats. He came with his litter mates Jeffrey and Tucker. A shy little porker of a guy. When he was about 9 months old or so, he started in with paralysis in a front paw that spread down the same side of his body. At the time I thought it was a progressive spinal injury from a fall, which it may very well be. But he also had a few of what in retrospect could have been signs of pituitary tumor. We elected not to get him x-rayed so we can't be sure. He didn't respond to aggressive steroid and AB treatments. When he got to the point where he was losing weight and couldn't grasp his food, and we could tell he was losing quality of life, we took him in so he could be euthanized. My poor little man.

I didn't expect for it to touch me as deeply as it did, as I can be pretty stoic, but I bawled when he left us. A good little life who educated me with a thing or two. He's got his own little corner in our back yard. I tell the children he's out there climbing trees and digging invisible tunnels.

 

[Vladina]

Hi Jimmie,
In answer to your question, I just re-posted on the original post I left last September called "Klausse and Wolfgang Have Left Us." and it should be right in the main rat forum again so you can take a look at the photos and story? Let me know if you can view it or not?

 

[Vladina]

Hi Jimmie,
I had to find one of your old posts so I could add a new post to it to ask how you have been doing with all your ratties! It has been ages since we heard any updates from you on the forum. How is Hector and all your other furry kiddos? Hope they are doing well!

 

[littlemousey]

Dawwww!!!! So cute!!! You two must have a special bond for your new rat to trust you so immediately!!!!

Lots of pictures please!!!!

Laura x

 

[Vladina]

Hi Mousey,

Sorry, Jimmie introduced Hector on the forum about a year ago and he also adopted some other ratties and I hadn't heard an update on how Hector and his other rats were doing so I used the thread to ask how his ratty kids have been, but the original post is old, sorry!

 

[Storyseeker]

I miss James.

 

[Talamos]

So do I.. wonder where he's been? Did he announce a leave or just disappear?

 

[Vladina]

Just disappeared.

If you are out there James, let us know how it's going?

 

[jamesReid]

Hi guys.. Im so sorry.. But Im here.. and I will honestly be more active on the pages.. Life has me down.. but things are looking up.. I will post more.. my rat family is huge.. and great.. but I lost one about a month ago.. I cant believe how attached I am to these little furry animals. When Greyson passed I was so upset... but thats for another post.. I just wanna say.. im here.. and I intend on staying..

Love ya all..


Jimmie

 

[Vladina]

Jimmie,
So glad you are still around.

I am sorry about Greyson passing away.

I am sure we will hear more from you down the road when you have a few minutes to update us. Talk to you soon.