Rats!

Ben asked us for his own pet a couple years ago and we said, “Maybe, when you’re 6, you can have a pet rat.” He, of course, remembers this conversation with amazing accuracy. So, as we approached his 6th birthday this month I did some research and we set out to add two new critters to our family.

First, we got my old rat cage down from the attic. (Yes, I have had a rat before. They’re actually pretty awesome pets if you can get over their creepy tails and the fact that they’re, well, rats).

Ben cleaned it up and got it all ready for his new friends.

Ben’s birthday gift this year was “rat stuff” so we filled up the cage and tried to make it homey and fun!

We will definitely be keeping the cage somewhere high and away from Captain Mischeif!

On Thursday we went to the pet store and pick out the little guys (girls, actually). Ben named them Hammy & Sophia.  They’re about 8-10 weeks old and cute as can be.

It is really, really hard to get good pictures of rats, as you can imagine.

They don’t exactly sit still and smile for the camera.

This is Hammy. She is almost all white, but she has some dark spots on her back and forehead.

This is Sophia. She is a greyish brown with a white belly and a white spot on her back.

I was a little nervous the first couple of days we were home because Hammy set up camp on the top floor while Sophia staked her claim on the little rat igloo downstairs. They didn’t seem to be interacting much at all. This morning, though, they were snuggled together in the igloo and they seem to have become friends. (Cue the James Taylor music.)

Hammy…. where are you?!

Here I am!

The little gals are currently terrified of us and stay bunked down in their igloo during the day, but we’re looking forward to getting to know them once they get a little more comfortable.