This weeks spotlight is on one of the newer members of our homestead household. She is not your typical kind of livestock! Okay, she isn’t livestock at all. She was a gift. Yes, a gift. Who gives the gift of a rat? My hubby! Why you might ask, well I will tell you……
You see years ago, when the oldest country kid was an only country kid, we had two rats, Finnagin and Lucky. They were the sweetest two guys you could ever meet. Now don’t get me wrong, when the oldest country kid first began begging for a rat, I was like, no, no, no, and no. Creepy things, rats. Naked tails, ick. But of course we got rats and after handling them a bit, I was hooked.
Rats are so smart and sweet, well at least our guys were. They were like dogs that didn’t bark! Okay, they were really, really small dogs. *wink* They would eat popsicles and run along the top of the couch. They loved to cuddle in your sleeve or hair. They truly enjoyed human company. We had a wonderful time with our guys till cancer took Lucky and age finally claimed Finnagin.
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| Sweet old Finnagin playing Zuh Zuh pets with the oldest country kid and our cats. |
At the begining of the year, we were at the zoo and they had a rat as one of their animal ambassadors. The littlest country kid was smitten, and of course I started remembering the good old days. We talked about Finnagin and Lucky on the ride home, remembering the good times. Well I guess my hubby could tell just how much those darn rats had meant to me because on Mother’s Day, he told me he had a Mother’s Day gift for me, but he couldn’t pick it up till after the weekend.
Monday rolled around and he came home and handed me one of those animal boxes you get from the pet store and I just looked at him dumbfounded. You got me another mouth to feed?!?!? Inside was the tiniest baby rat girl. I don’t know if he got me this little thing because he knows how much I love rats or if he was trying to soften the blow of my Alpha hen passing, but either way, other then the fact she likes to lick the inside of Heidi the Homestead Hound’s nose, she is pretty cool. Slightly crazy, but pretty cool.
Of course, if you are a homestead rat, you have to live in a barn, right? The littlest country kid (grudgingly, there was some bartering that took place) let Ratty Rat use his toy cattle barn for her new home. Of course it is no longer a cattle barn, but the Rattle Barn! Get it? Did you groan? LOL
She is still young, slightly nuts, but she wouldn’t fit in here if she were normal. I am wondering if her behavior is that she is young, or maybe she really is nuts, or maybe it is because she is a female. I mean I’m slightly nuts too! Yup, I think she fits in just fine.
We went through the rat stage when my girl were young. They weren't as cute as yours and I never cared much for them! But this girl is really a cutie! Dona
She is cute, but still young and hyper. Hoping she calms a little with age.
We too went through the rat phase when the kids were younger but my hubby convinced them to get hairless rats. So ugly they were cute, Fuzzy Anne and Charlie. I too found that I preferred a rat pet over a hamster or gerbils any day. Miss those little guys. Thanks for reminding me of the good memories.
I don't do hairless LOL I have a hard time with naked critters LOL
She is so cute!! Hope you and all your farm animals have a lovely week 🙂
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
Hope your week is delightful!
All the rats in our house are used as food for my sons snake. This is definitely a different way to see them! 🙂 Thank you so much for linking at #overthemoon! I look forward to seeing what you share every week. Please come back for #WonderfulWednesday or #ThursdayFavoriteThings. Don't forget to comment your link #'s so I can be sure to visit and you get a chance to be featured! Pinned and shared.
*gasp* snack food!?!?! LOL
She is cute. I had a hamster as a child. Now I would like a guinea pig!
We have one of those too!