February 8, 2022 by Shelly

Bob and Tuxedo were the sweetest little rats. They were my sons pets and he chose them after doing research and saving money. At first, honestly I thought rats were gross but I held one at the breeder when we went to pick out the little guys and they stole my heart. Tuxedo like shoulder rides and he would come when he was called. He loved exploring the house and learned to walk on his hind legs. Bob LOVED treats and because of his intense love for cheerios and Timothy biscuits, he would do anything for one. He trained and trained doing tricks like picking up coins and fetching a tiny tennis ball. He knew the fastest route to the pantry when it was playtime and he loved to snuggle. He’d sit in my sons lap and my son would talk to him and he’d just watch and listen and hang out. He didn’t like shoulder rides because he was a little chunky (he was a pound when he got sick) but he liked being snuggled in my arms. They both showed me how sweet and loving and smart rats are and what wonderful pets they are. They never once were aggressive toward us or anyone else. So sweet. In the morning they’d run up to the cage when I came out and said “hello guys!” For their cuddles and morning people food. Bob got sick suddenly after Christmas and died four days later from stomach cancer. Tuxedo was already grappling with a tiny little abscess and was doing ok but the loss of sweet Bob was too much for him and he died a few weeks later. So sad. There’s definitely an empty space in our hearts and in the family room where the cage was. These boys definitely crawled into our hearts.