Oreo (March 7, 2011 - November 8, 2013)

Last week, we said goodbye to our last rat from Mishka's litter.  Oreo was always a submissive rat, and she was as sweet as her name implies.  She had some of the softest fur we have felt on a rat, and she loved getting her ears rubbed.  She was pretty shy but always enjoyed getting individual attention.  Unfortunately, she developed multiple tumors, which eventually took over her body.  Even when sick, Oreo was always excited to get her food and seemed to enjoy life.  Sweet Oreo surprised us by outlasting all of her siblings, even Belle, who had shown very few health problems.  Oreo (aka. Ory) would often have a cute expression on her face that made me smile.  I loved her crooked ears and her joy for life.  It is always sad to say goodbye to a pet, but I think we felt Oreo's passing even more since she was the last of the litter to go.  She was a sweetie and she is missed.

Catching a ride in the rat snow mobile.

Peeking out to say hi.

Click here for more pics of Oreo.

Belle (March 7, 2011 - November 4, 2013)

Recently, we said goodbye to our rat, Belle.  She was one of our explorers and even in her old age, she loved to climb around and jump down from the table.  In her last days, we often found her in the rat hamper, wrapped up in the blanket.  She was always on the go, loved to build nests, and stash food.  She was a lot like Mishka (her mother) in looks and personality.  Some of Belle's nicknames were Belly, Belle Bottoms, and Bella-boo.  Since she was usually on the move, we don't have a ton of pictures of her.  Plus, it was often hard to tell the black rats apart from a distance, but here are a few good pics of Belle.

Exploring the pumpkin.

Ready to jump off the table!

Click here for more pics of Belle.

Emi (March 7, 2011 - July 26, 2013)

Back in July, we said good bye to one of my favorite rats, Emi.  She was the only dark hooded rat out of Mama's 12 babies.  When Emi was younger, she very submissive and shy, but as she grew up and got bigger, she became one of the more dominate rats of the group.  She was very playful and loved to chase my hand.  She was partial to me (Joy), but enjoyed spending time with Ben too.  She loved food and liked to chew things.  She did a bit of damage to Ben's jeans when he left a wrapper from a chocolate bar in his pocket.  She chewed right though his jeans to get the wrapper!  She was very mischievous, and would always check out new things.  She was a sweetie, and enjoyed getting her ears rubbed.  She is missed.

Young Emi peaking out of the cage.

Emi driving the Rat-mobile.

Hanging out with her sisters.

Enjoying some cuddle time with me.

Click here for more pics of Emi.

Mishka (Nov. 7, 2010 (?) - May 14, 2013)

Recently, we said good bye to our rat, Mishka (aka Mama).  Even though we took the time to pick out a name for her, we almost always referred to her and called her Mama.  Since we adopted her when she was an pregnant adult, we are not sure when she was born.  Our best guess is that she was 4-6 months old when we got her two years ago in March.  Soon after we brought her home, she gave birth to a litter of 12.  She was a very patience rat and a wonderful mother to all of the babies.  She always made sure there was enough for them to eat, even if it meant giving up her food to feed them.  I think in the end, this was part of the reason she was so skinny.  A few months ago, we separated her from her daughters and gave her her own space.  She seemed to enjoy the extra room and attention.  Mama was a very special rat.  She seemed to always have nesting on her mind and she loved to take care of her daughters.  She even went out of her way to groom us too.  Even though her daughters were bigger than her, she seemed to have a mother mentality all of her life.  It was really fun to get to know her and watch her mature.  We loved her and will miss her.  

Click here and here to see more pictures of Mama.

Buttercup (March 7, 2011 - May 12, 2013)

Recently, we said good bye to Buttercup (aka Butter).  Unfortunately, her tumor was getting bigger and it was starting to affect her joy of life.  Butter loved to be held and would run to you to give you kisses.  She loved her treats and was pretty chubby.  She wasn't as athletic as the other girls and would often get left behind when everyone else climbed up somewhere.  This never seemed to bother her though, she was content to just hang out on the floor with you.  She was such a sweetie, and she is missed.

Butter driving the Rat mobile.

Enjoying a treat on Ben's lap.

Posing on top of the pumpkin.

Click here for more pictures of Buttercup.

Kelso (Mar. 7, 2011 - Apr. 28, 2013)

Last week, we said good bye to one of our rats.  Kelso (aka Soso) was one of the two boys from Mama's litter.  We lost Fez, Kelso's brother, over a year ago, so Kelso had been our one lone boy rat for awhile.  Since he was by himself, we made sure to give him lots of extra attention.  He loved playing on the couch with us in the family room, and sleeping in his laundry basket.  He was a curious rat and enjoyed roaming around on the floor too.  As he got older, he would sit on our laps and let us scratch him behind his ears.  When we adopted Laney, Kelso was the first rat she met and we often let them interact together (with supervision, of course).  Kelso was never afraid of Laney, even though she could have easily hurt him.  Kelso loved snacks and would wait for his oatmeal (Ben's spoon) every morning.  He was a sweet boy, and we miss him.  

Soso enjoying a snack in the corner.

Hanging out with Laney.

Click here for more pictures of Kelso.

Maple (Mar. 7, 2011 - Feb. 24, 2013)

It's been over a month since we said good bye to our rat Maple.  She was one of the all brown (or agouti) rats that we decided to keep from Mama's litter.  She loved to explore and get into things.  She was very easy going, and didn't seem to prefer either Ben or me, but was perfectly content with whoever was holding her.  Maple loved food, and therefore was a little chubby.  We are not positive why she passed when she did, but she did so very quickly.  We are thankful that she did not have to suffer long.  We found her buried under the wood chips in the cage, almost like the rest of the rats gave her a little funeral service.  Maple was a good rat and she is missed.

A sweet pic of Maple smiling with one of her sisters.

Click here for more pictures of Maple.

Louisiana (March 7, 2011 - November 25, 2012)

Recently we said goodbye to one of seven girls, Louisiana. Louie was one of Mama's six daughters that we kept. She was one of a pair of blonde hoodies in the litter, so I (Ben) named her Louisiana after the shape of the stripe on her back. From the start, she gravitated towards me. (Rats, like dogs, or people for that matter, show preference for certain company.) She was an adventurer, bold and curious. She was one of the three girls on Team Explorer, with Maple and Belle. She was the one of the first to try something or to go somewhere. She was always a little rat and always was slim. I imagine that in a wild colony, she would have been one of the rats that ranged far and wide, scouting for food or shelter. She was a sweetie. We speculate that she either had a stroke or a spinal injury that greatly limited her physical abilities, but not her spirit. She eventually could not hold self up or feed herself. It was rough to see her decline physically, yet cling to life. I was glad to see her finally rest in peace. You were one of a kind and you will be missed, Louie.

Click here for more pictures of Louie.

Fez (March 7, 2011 - January 21, 2012)

Late last month, we said goodbye to one of our pet rats.  Fez was one of the two boys in our litter of twelve.  He was all black except for a large white streak on his belly.  He and his brother Kelso were kept separate from their sisters very early on.  Because of this, the two brothers were very close.  Fez was not very dominant, even though he was bigger than his brother.  His love of food and treats probably contributed a little bit to his size.  Fez loved spending time with us.  He and his brother always looked forward to their evening play time, when they would bounce around on the couch and play with us. Fez was very easy going and loved getting back scratches.  Although he was a little more reserved than Kelso, he loved being with you and was a very social rat. He loved attention and affection, more than the average rat.  One of our favorite memories of Fez highlights his love for affection.

One day I (Joy) was holding Kelso in my arms.  I was scratching his back, and Kelso was holding still (which is unusual for him).  Ben was watching from a distance and we saw Fez walk out of the cage and look up at me petting Kelso.  What we saw in Fez’s eyes/mannerisms could only be described as jealousy.  It was obvious he wanted to be petted.  Next thing we know, Fez jumped over to where I was sitting, and climbed up in my arms.  He then proceeded to climb over Kelso so that he was directly on top of him, strategically placed so that he would get petted instead of Kelso!

About a week before Christmas, Ben noticed that Fez had a small tumor under his arm.  Unfortunately, it grew rapidly, seeming to double in size every week.  We always say that rats get sweeter as they age.  Even in his young age, Fez was about as sweet as they come.  Maybe somehow he knew that his time with us would be short.

We love you Fezzy, and you are missed!

Click here for more pictures of Fez.

Mr. Scout (Oct 1, 2008 – March 2, 2011)

- The little brother of Boone and Smoky
- Friend and companion to all
- Peacemaker
- Content and confident
- Veggie lover
- Neat freak
- Soft and clean
- Polite and gentle
- Water rat
- Hamper napper
- Oatmeal lover
- Spoiled old rat

This week we said goodbye to our last boy rat, Scout. He had been the lone rat in our home for the last 4 months, and we had enjoyed spoiling him with oatmeal for breakfast and lots of hamper time. Since he was the littlest of the three boys that we had, his personality was often overshadowed by his bigger brothers, but he always had a sweet and gentle disposition. He loved playing and snuggling with his brothers, but also enjoyed some quiet hammock time on his own. He tried to stay out of fights, but he could stand up to the other bigger boys, if necessary. He loved investigating new things and was very intelligent. He always watched what he ate and preferred vegetables over junk food. We believe that contributed to his longer life. He was also very neat and clean. His fur coat was very soft and well groomed, and he often took care of grooming his brothers as well. After his brothers passed away, Scout started to get into a regular routine. He would wake up in the morning and beg to come out of the cage. He might snuggle under a blanket for a little bit, but then he would head to his favorite place to sleep, the rat hamper. He knew the sound of an almost empty bowl, and would come running over to us as we finished our meals. He especially loved the end of Ben’s oatmeal in the morning, and he looked forward to it every morning. He was a sweet old rat and he is missed.

Boone (Oct 1, 2008 – Nov 8, 2010)

- The big brother of Scout and Smoky
- Treat Lover
- Cheerio Stasher
- Chubby bunny
- Silly Squeaker
- Precious Cuddler
- Pony tail Wrestler
- Funny Grunter
- Nap-time Snuggler
- Contented Waddler
- Dashingly Handsome
- Boldly Curious
- 2 lbs. of Love

Last week, we said good bye to our precious Boone. We knew Boone was getting older and weaker, but thought he might live a few more months, so his passing was sort of sudden and unexpected. Boone was one of the sweetest rats we have had so far. From the start, he was special to us. He was a slightly different shade of gray than all of the other rats. His nose was more rounded. He was warm, trusting, and friendly. He was less afraid and tamer than most baby rats. He was less athletic, but he knew he could get wherever he wanted with just a look at us. Boone would beg to be picked up and would flop into your hand. Boone fully committed to being pampered and loved.

We gave Boone food and Boone loved food, thus, he loved us wholeheartedly. In consequence, he also became quite round. He was our most vocal rat. He squeaked all the time and made sure to let you know if he didn’t like something. He even made himself squeak at times when he was grooming. He was a great brother for Scout, and he was Smoky's nap time buddy, but most of all, Boone was a people person. During free-time in the morning, he would find a spot and wait for Ben to walk by. Sometimes he would wait on the arm of the sofa or by the gate leading to the hallway. When he would see us, he would run over and stand up to be picked up. Rats are very expressive in how they move: a cautious rat creeps on tip-toe; a happy or playful rat bounces, very much like a bunny; and a contented rat has a kind of waddle. Boone was definitely a waddler.

Boone had a special place in his heart for Ben. He would run to see Ben and he would just want to sit on Ben’s lap or lean contently against his leg. If there was something of Ben’s in the room, Boone took an immediate interest in it. He loved to sit in Ben’s suitcase, duffel bag, or on his computer case when they were in the family room. When he wanted to relax, he would go sit with Ben. If he wanted to play or get a neck rub, he would go to Joy. He was one of our favorite rats, and we are thankful that we got to know him. He was sweet, gentle, trusting, eager, funny, and friendly. He had a huge personality, and he is greatly missed.

Smoky Bear (Sept 26, 2008 - Sept 2, 2010)

- The “middle” brother of Boone and Scout
- Mister Stealth
- Obedient but stubborn
- Bowl licker
- Sweet kisser
- Neck bitter
- Shadow lurker
- Introverted Loner
- A Mama’s boy
- Hamper napper
- Boone’s favorite cuddler
- Lover of neck scratches
- Ear puller
- Hammock Lover

Yesterday, we said goodbye to Smoky. He was in our lives for only a short time, but memories of him will last in our hearts for years to come. One of our favorite memories of Smoky is when we would give the rats a bowl after we had finished eating in it. Where ever Smoky was, he would rush over to the bowl to lick up the deliciousness of whatever was left. It didn’t matter if he was in one of the top hammocks in the big cage, he would make a diving leap from the hammock to reach the bowl as quickly as possible. He especially loved the leftover milk in our morning cereal bowls. Smoky was sort of shy and loved to hide in the shadows. He would often seem to appear out of nowhere and then just as quickly disappear again. We were always telling Smoky, “You are a bought rat. We bought you and you are our rat. You are not a wild rat.” He seemed to believe he was a wild rat needing to hide from plain sight. As he got older, he became more sociable and would let Joy hold him and scratch his neck and back for extended periods of time. He thought Joy was his person and would even give her kisses. He would also try to keep the other two rats from jumping up on her lap. He loved sleeping and hiding in the blanket hamper under their cage. If you couldn’t find Smoky, the hamper was the first place to look. It was precious to unfold the blanket and see him all comfy and snuggly. He was a great rat and he is already missed.

Aubrey Hess (Sept 24, 2006 – March 25, 2009)

- Sister to Anna and Ashley (both deceased)
- “Grandma” to our boy rats
- The only female rat the boys will ever chase after (hopefully)
- Introverted
- A True Rat’s Rat
- Camera Shy
- Explorer
- Hard Sleeper
- Particular Eater
- Couch remodeler
- Chatter Box Talker
- Hamper Napper
- Yogurt Dip Lover
- Survivor
- Sweet old rat

Aubrey was a unique rat. As a young rat, she wasn’t the smartest, and we had a lot of laughs at her expense. We will always remember her trying to jump over the flashing and banging her head on it over and over again. Another fun memory was when she was trying find her way into the new cage... she circled around a couple of times before I finally had to show her the door. She was a rat’s rat, and by that I mean she really didn’t want much to do with us. She was content to explore on her own and never really wanted to sit still or be held. She did like being with rats though. She took care of and loved Ashley and adored Anna while they were alive. The funny thing is that as Aubrey got older she turned sweeter. I guess that shows there is always hope for anyone’s personality to change. With age, she became more loving to us and enjoyed sitting with us. Maybe she just realized she needed us more. She would even talk to us like we could understand what she wanted, and it was always fun to try to guess. She loved sharing breakfast with us in the mornings and would eagerly wait by the cage door so she could share Ben’s oatmeal. She was a sweet old rat and we will miss her.

Ashley Hess (Sept 24, 2006 – October 14, 2008)

-A loving sister to Anna (deceased) and Aubrey.
-A people-rat. She loved being with people.
-Lover of treats! She would go crazy over any treat (even every day cheerios)!
-Sink drinker
-Timid explorer.
-Serious Sleeper
-Beautiful and photogenic.
-Super cute
-Content cuddler
-Soft Belly
-Obedient and Outgoing
-Sweet Kisser
-Lip Monster
-Tissue box remodeler


Yesterday, we said good bye to one of our sweetest rats. Ashley was the perfect rat. She was sweet from the start. Since she wasn’t as active or athletic in play, we assumed she was the submissive rat. We were wrong; she was always the head rat. She loved to explore and play, but would also be content just sitting and cuddling with you. From the beginning, she was interested in being with us. Forgetting that she was a rat, she decided that her humans were what interested her. To be held, to be carried around in your hand, to eat with you, to sit with you, to the very end, she wanted to be with you, to be held. She loved us and would always come running to you when we called her. When let loose in a room, she would not just go to the nooks and crannies, she would want to see what you were doing, she wanted to be with you. She was never panicked, never worried, never confused. She always seemed to know what was going on. She was always ready to meet a new person or even to grab a dog’s nose. She was always full of love and she always brought a smile to our faces. She preserved through her cancer and taught us to enjoy life every day, not matter what your circumstances may be. She will always be remembered for her sweet face, her loving personality and her joyful spirit. She was loved deeply and is missed even more.

Anna Hess (Jan. 14, 2005 - Aug. 17, 2007)

- our first hooded rat

- a loving and loved sister to Tara, Ashley and Aubrey

- content and persevering

- a shy sweetie

- submissive follower

- smart and willing to learn

- grasping cheerio-lover

- foam stick and q-tip chaser

- groomer of others

- lover of hammocks and sleeves

- master treat stealer and stasher

- interior decorator

- snuggly cuddler

- Aubrey’s teacher and heroine

Last Friday, we said good bye our oldest rat, Anna. Anna was Tara’s sister and out lived Tara by nine months. Anna was a motherly rat who always took care of others; she would even groom us! She always had a cheerful spirit and enjoyed being petted while eating cheerios. She will be remembered for her loving and sweet personality and she is deeply missed.

Tara Hess (Jan 14, 2005 - Nov 1, 2006)

- a loving and loved sister

- bold adventurer and explorer

- curious

- persevering

- stoic

- smart and willing to learn

- honestly affectionate

- grasping cheerio-lover

- full of energy

- dominant leader

- enthusiastic

- always on the go

- fun-loving

- snuggly cuddler

Yesterday we said good bye to a loved pet. Tara lived a happy life, full of fun and adventure. She was always a cheerful rat, ready to explore and always ready for her next treat. Rats have a short lifetime, but in that time they touch your hearts so deeply. Tara taught us to enjoy the life you have been given, right down to the last moment, no matter what your circumstances are. She will always be remembered and she will be missed.