Rats!

As many of you know, Katie has pet rats.  She adopted first Red and Seito in June of 2008. Red passed in May of 2010, and Seito lived until December of 2010. This was in itself amazing because rats don't  like to live alone.
                                           

Seito (do I really want to come out?)

Red (home sweet home) and yes, he really had pink eyes.

For a while, she went ratless.  During the summer between college years, she missed her small furries, and decided to return to a family favourite - a hamster.  So Rous joined our family (Rodent of Unusual Size- The Princess Bride).  He looked like a little ball of dryer lint:

Fast forward to Christmas of 2011. Katie had planned to take Rous to college with her, but there were issues with her roomate, so Rous became sort of the house hamster. When Katie came home, she would be moving back into a new residence building - a town house - and decided it was rat time again. We returned to our favourite rat rescue, Hooded Rodent Rescue (http://www.freewebs.com/hoodrat-rodent-rescue/) and Lindy had 4 siblings that she thought would be good friends for Katie.  After much family discussion of famous pairs of men, she met Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom (from the 1968 "The Producers).  Katie soon found herself finished with her time at Fanshawe and back home. Because her room gets cold in the winter, she decided that the boys would "winter" upstairs in the living room. They get lots of sunlight, warmth, and most important, attention. Leo especially has decided that he is a diurnal rat, and prefers to spent the morning awake chatting with me while I sew. Max will come and go. Mid afternoon is sleep, evening is more play time, now in the family room in the small playpen and crawling around on the four of us.  Then back to their cage, some playtime together, then they usually quiet down until we get up the next morning.  Their favourite foods are anything with grains such as bread crusts, pizza crusts, cheerios and dog cookies. They also love any vegetable, and if nothing else is around - cheese.  Pooka does well with them, however, he will often run from them.  They check out their environment with their mouths since their eyesight is poor, so the often will taste something to see if it's food. The "something" will be a fingertip or Pooka's ear flaps.  They have never bitten, just put their teeth on you, or lick you, before deciding that you taste yucky.

Yesterday, we had the boys out on the kitchen floor, and I got out my camera.  

Here, for your viewing pleasure, are the results:

Peek - a - boo (Max)

Max takes a minute to wash his face.

Leo is looking around, Max is still inside the slipper.

Leo is just coming out, Pooka's feet can be seen in the background.

Pooka saying "HI!"

Guess how many rats?  (Max's face and Leo's end)

Leo

Max

Oooohhhh.  What's in here?  (Max in white and Leo is tan)

Max's version of peek - a - boo.

dirt??  Can I eat it?

You can't find me.