Meet Twitch!
 

As you may know, I had 6 rats, and poor little guys do not live very long, 2 years is usually max. My oldest passed away about 2 weeks ago after a very long life of 2 years and 6 months.

Well, I said I would not get another because it is hard to only have them such a short time and then have them die, but they are so darned cute! So I couldn't help it.

Meet my new baby rat, Twitch! He is a dumbo hooded/variegated in a Mink color (which is a very dark gray, not black). He is very spastic now, as a baby. Extremely fast, so it is hard to get any kind of a steady shot of him. (By the way, I have some batteries etc coming for my Sony big SLR digital camera, maybe I will get some decent pictures? Let's cross fingers!)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...psjcqejnvf.jpg

What a cutie! With pets, I always take their deaths hard but I have come to realize that this pain is well worth it for the joy they give me when they are alive. In return, they get a good home with plenty of love. :)

I had several white hamsters but all of them were wild and furious. A hand inside the cage was the equivalent to a nasty bite. So, a few years later, when some died and others were offered to friends, I gave up:angry:.

I'm stronger than you. After Socks I'll never go through having and losing a rat again. Hamsters are evil little beasts, and have accounted for most of the bites I've taken from animals other than insects.

This little guy has not bitten once, and I have not really had any problem with rat bites. If they get their teeth on you, they really have a "soft mouth." I am sure a wild rat would be different. I mean, they would be scared. This little guy has been around people since birth, he is a Twitchy buy quiet little guy. When he gets a little bigger, I will get him out to play. My only real worry now is that they are very social, and I have only one, and frankly male rats are more smooshy and loving but they have a musky odor too. I do not want more than one.

What a cutie!

We had rats when I was a kid - and as an adult, I have enjoyed some friends' rats. They are much less likely to bite than other small critters kept as pets, and are smart and social - I think they are awesome pets, but yeah, their short life expectancy is tough - but then, no matter how long our beasties live, it's always tough when they die.

I had to search my conscience about this because I am positive that most people would chose to avoid rats as a pet if they knew how short their lives were. I figured, hey, have a few ratties and give them a wonderful life. Rats are heroes. They have saved so many people due to their "lab rat" identity. I figured coddling a few of them was the least I could do for them.

I work with dog rescue groups. We take in plenty of old dogs. People say they don't want to adopt an old dog that isn't going to last more than a few years. I ask them whether they refuse to make friends with older people.

I understand both sides of the young vs senior dog situation but I also think, sometimes, people just don't want an older dog so they might be using that as their excuse. Personally, we have rescued/adopted both pups and seniors and I'm always open to either.

The biggest advantage to taking in an older dog is that you know what you're getting as far as personality. You can see it! You also don't have to deal w/all that puppy phase. The oldest dog we adopted was our 6 year old Newfie (Mo) and for anyone who knows the giants...they know they don't live long. We only had him for about 4 years but those were wonderful years because he was an awesome boy. And, I would do it all over again.

Young or old...you really never know how long you're going to have. We adopted our Sevy at 4...a Black Russian Terrier...and w/in a few months he was diagnosed w/osteosarcoma. The breed usually has a 10-12 year life span but because of the cancer, he only lived to be about 5. We had to say our goodbyes before he'd even been w/us for one year. Our other Newf was purchased as a pup from a breeder and he beat all the odds by living to 14 but our other pup (shep/husky mix rescue) developed a heart tumor and was gone before she was 8. So, yea, you never really know how much time you'll have and it's always heartbreaking when you have to say your goodbyes...whether that time is 1 yr or 15 yrs. Regardless of the time frame...what they bring to your life during whatever time you have w/them is worth the heartbreak you'll feel when they are gone.


Twitchy is adorable! My neighbor had rats and they were great pets. Personally, I don't think I could get past the smell (same reason I've never had a ferret even though I love them)...but my neighbor's were really sweet little guys. Very smart too! When they would go out of town, I was the pet sitter and took care of the dogs, cats, birds, fish and rats. :biggrin:

Twitch is cute! I have had many small animals but never a rat. My husband wasn't raised with animals so we are doing pretty good havibg two dogs and two cats. Although, he would never do small animals or birds because of the smell and maintenance involved.

Animals are awesome, but the loss you feel when its time for them to make that journey to the rainbow bridge is horrible, especially when you find your "soul pet". I lost my first Ragdoll cat 6 years ago and I still miss him. We had to put our Great Dane down last November and my kids still constantly mention her. My mastiff is 9 and a half and his health is not as good as it once was, when his time comes it will crush all of us, he's just one of those animals who makes anyone who meets him fall in love.

Katrina, we apparently have more than our taste in orchids in commom, we currently have a 5 month old Newf puppy. I forgot about all the nipping and jumping involved with a pup, I am happy we have an older dog so I can look and see what all my hard work will produce (hopefully) in the end.

Again, congrats on Twitch! Enjoy him and love him no matter if its 2 months or 2 years because all our pets are worth the heartbreak in the end. Their love is so pure and worth it.

Well a lot of the smell of small animal cages is a matter of keeping the cage clean. I do think male rats smell, but so do ferrets and some other animals like dogs. They have musk glands or whatever you call them.

Awwwww Newfie pup!!! I so envy the cuteness and love bundle you have right now. We are empty-dog-nesters right now (we lost Huey Christmas weekend) and I truly am a tad bit jealous. I'd even love to be dealing w/the puppy antics.

BTW - Mastiff is the strongest contender for our next furry kid. I've always wanted one and I figure I better do it before I'm too old to handle a giant like that. We have also talked about the Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, and Giant Schnauzer...but I'm very partial to the drooly, big headed, lugs. :biggrin: Even better...I'll just get all 4! Why not...we had 2 newfs and a shep/husky mix along w/ 4 cats at once...why not 4 big dogs and 2 cats? Well, other than the expense. HA! Well, that and the fact that we'd need to get another king sized bed just for the kids. LOL!

Sorry for the highjack Optimist. Nikki - create a thread and post pics of the pup as I'd love to see him. I truuuuuuuuuly would!

If you like 'em big, consider an Anatolian Shepherd. The other breeds you mentioned are all great dogs, but the odds of one making it into double digits in age is pretty remote. Anatolians routinely live 12-14 years. My boy is 8 and still bounces when he runs.

A friend of ours had an Anatolian quite a few years ago and he was an awesome dog. Awesome! After having the hairy beasties that require heavy, regular grooming...I would like our next to be light maintenance and the Anatolian fits that bill. From what I remember anyway. I loved them but I'm looking for "wash and wear" w/our next one (or 4). ;) Thanks for the reminder of another great breed.

I will definitely create a thread on Lola. My condolences in regards to Huey.

If a Mastiff is your strongest contender for your next dog, I highly suggest you go for it. My husband and I like many other breeds, but we can't ever see ourselves being without a Mastiff. Our four year old always says, "Duke is my best buddy. I love Duke". They are just great dogs, a breeder text me last weekend letting me know she had 3 Mastiff puppies left, if I didn't currently have a puppy and 3 kids under 6 we would have definitely bought one.

Anatolians are very low maintenance most of the year, but right now I could stuff a mattress with what's coming off of him!

Optimist: Well a lot of the smell of small animal cages is a matter of keeping the cage clean. I do think male rats smell, but so do ferrets and some other animals like dogs. They have musk glands or whatever you call them.

I agree. We have the two guinea pigs currently, both male, and I need to keep after the cleaning duties so that everything stays fresh. With the two dogs (Eskimo and Maltese-Poodle), birds and guinea pigs, though, I am sure our house does smell a bit like animal, even with the plants' efforts to help. :|

Thank you for the condolences. Yea, Mastiff is top of the list, for me anyway. Hubby is very partial to the northern dogs but unless he's willing to take on all the grooming (which he isn't!)...he is not going to get another northern/heavy-coated, furry kid. I've met/known several Mastiffs and loved every one of them and I've always loved the breed. Drooling and all! Those big lug faces...what's not to love?! :biggrin:

That's the way our shep/husky mix was. Well, she shed a lot all year (like a lab) but in the early summer her coat would "blow out" and the amount of hair that came out of her always made me wonder how she wasn't bald. To look at her, it didn't seem like she had enough hair to shed like she did because she looked smooth but she had the double coat and she would shed out in puff balls. Literally, I would pluck her daily and I would get enough out of her to make another dog - every day. Amazing. I don't remember the shedding w/our friend's Anatolian so I'm glad you mentioned it.

Congrats on the new addition. I'm sure with age he will calm down.

All 4 of mine are short hair. I'm not sure I could deal with long hair as much as some of mine shed. I look at it as I am helping the birds. They do love to use it as nesting material.

After my girls had passed, they were my basset sisters. I wanted to try a large dog, and so I got Marlo my bull mastiff, but she is quiet small for the breed. I would love to try a Great Dane, an Irish Wolfhound a Mastiff, oh way to many to list. but one on my upper list is a Neapolitan Mastiff, so cool. But I think they are ruining them making them so wrinkly and cumbersome.