I went back to the pet store after a music lesson to check the baby rats.  It was the same store that had the rats I had seen before I got Sadie (see Memorials) and I didn't expect much.  Turns out, all they had was one rat.  She is an hooded Agouti, very similar to Sadie was, with a strange physique that reminds me very much of a mouse; she has a suprisingly short tail and head.  She was even less socialized than Sadie, if that was possible, and it took me literally five minutes to catch her even in a tank cage with no obstacles.  I held her for a half an hour and let her run full speed over my hands trying to get back to her cage.  I put her up against my ear every now and then to listen for wheezing or hard breathing.  She didn't make a single peep.   I was impressed.  I checked her all over, and nothing appeared unhealthy at all.  I ended up buying her, and once I got her home, I showed her to Sadie.  Neither cared in the least that the other existed.  Interesting...  That was weird enough that I decided to try the same with Shine.  Same reaction.  ????  Then Streak, and she didn't react either.  Nervously, I put Gudie in their cage within a half an hour, and all they gave her was a good sniffing.  I was thrilled; it had taken me two months to introduce Twilight, and now here I was doing it all in a half hour!  She still remains a very spooky rat, but one that loves to cuddle once she knows you're not going to hurt her.
 

Back to Rat Introductions