Photos

[meridian_rose]

I haven't posted any photos for a while so here's a few personal pics

Some last photos of Claudia






Remembering Claudia and Madison


Claudia 2012-2015. She and Madison came home on Saturday 13 October 2015. Madison died 22 February 2014. Claudia died 8 April 2015.

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Christmas/New Year – mostly Elliot and Mara, one Tycho (cat)


More Elliot (my nephew)


My "doggy nephew and niece, Benji and Mara"

Comments

[silk_dragon_zen]

Awww, these are adorable. I'm sorry for your recent loss of Claudia. Did you get any younger ratties to keep Claudia company after Madison passed away?

[meridian_rose]

Thank you :) (smile)
I didn't – or there would be photos of any other ratties! If Madison had been left I might have, because she was more sociable. Claudia however was less social, wanted less contact with humans and picked on Madison sometimes. Rats are supposed to take care of each other but seeing how Claudia treated Madison when Madison was ill I worried that Claudia would attack a young rat.
Also I wasn't sure how long Claudia would live and I wanted a male next, not to end up with another lone female later. Aside from our beloved Ella it's been my experience that male ratties are friendlier. I was very surprised how long Claudia lived. Most of the rats I've had only live 18 months to two years. She outlived even Louis, who was my previous longest lived rat – Louis outlived both his cagemate Skeet and the other male I got to replace Skeet!
I have thought about a guinea pig next but ratties are special companions! It's a pity they have such short lifespans :( (sad face)

[silk_dragon_zen]

Oh, it's terrible that Claudia treated Maddison that way! D: (dismay) Yeah, males generally tend to be gentler. However, two of my housemates' six male rats have been much too aggressive with the other rats — the newest ones in particular — so they (my housemates) had to get them (those two aggressive rats) castrated. But even then they didn't stop being aggressive with the newest rats and one of them has started biting my housemates pretty bad lately. So YMMV even with male ratties.

[meridian_rose]

Absolutely. I had a pair of dumbo husky males from a breeder – never again. They were unsociable and nearly unhandle-able. Connor started picking on Chase until I thought he might kill him. My sister took Connor, who became a tame rat! Chase became more easy to handle but was always skittish and never quite recovered.

The weird and sad thing was Chase died, not really unexpectedly given his poor overall health, but then Connor – in another house, eating different food, in seemingly good health – died within two days. As if there was an in-bred "off-switch".

On the other hand Louis, in his old age and too fragile for a further cagemate, had a soft toy to sleep with as a companion. He used to drag it to the food bowl and then to bed as if taking care of it :) (smile). So mileage definitely varies!