Mini was my first experience with a natal rat. A woman had saved her from the snake bin, but couldn't keep her, and wanted to find her a home. I had never seen a natal, had no clue what they were like when I said yes I would take her in.
Then I researched and found the majority of natals are usually very aggressive to people and little fearless biting machines..more sigh. What have I let myself in for???
Then I met Mini, and fell in love. Mini was different, she had not read the Natal Handbook. The one that said they bite for no reason or bite when grasped, dislike any handling whatsoever, and especially NO bonding with humans. :P
Jorats and her son Matt were over for a visit, and at this point I hadn't picked her up yet. I guess he thought she was a mouse, so he just went and scooped her up!
She was sooo tiny this baby girl
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Then I started really holding her, she loved to climb all over me and sit cuddled up on my shoulder J
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I knew Mini was going to need friends and found an old mouse Daisy whose owner was bored of her and was dumping her at 2 years of age.
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Then we added in the Petals, Shasta and Peony
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Her Best Friend was Daisy, and she adored her. Daisy passed the day after this pic
She was a bit lost after Daisy, but new friends came in, and she was okay again
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I went through rescue mice a lot, as mice can often die unexpectedly and relatively young the poor things.
Mini actually did something that quite startled me, and made me give her the title of Honorary Rat. One day I forgot to close her cage up, came home that night to find the mice still inside but Mini nowhere to be found. I had Tanis coming to stay over that night, and she had 2 small dogs Charlie and Sparky. I was sooo worried about my girl, thinking like a mouse she would bolt and hide. I was sure she was lost and was really sad. I slept in the bedroom on a blowup mattress while my friend slept in the livingroom with her dogs. That night I woke up to a little munchkin nipping my nose! I was confused thinking, which of the rats got out and are coming visiting? No, it was Mini. She had crossed the livingroom with the perils of the dogs, went into the bedroom (where she had never been), climbed up on the air mattress to find ME!. She was thrilled to be in my hands and back safely in her cage.
Now THAT was something only a rat would do This was Mini's last family, who survive her, Latte and Shiro, both old or unwell.
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Poor Mini developed those wretched viral warts on her tail, and after this started aging fast. :(
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Still protecting the timid and vocal Shiro
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Loving her specially made cube
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My sweet old lady, you were a delight to know.
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