LOOK!
SOMEONE is bright-eyed, bushy ring-tailed and ready to….
[yawn]
And I’m suuuuuure she’s gonna get a move on riiiiight after this liiiiitle nap.
Perhaps a swig of Dr. P. will get her moving?
Yes. Moving. Riiiiiiiiight after another lil’ nap.
Still tie tie?
How about a Rats ‘n’ Racks photo op?
Yes, almost well-rested enough to take… on… the… honk-shuuuuu
Sure, a story together first. Couldn’t hurt.
Look! Finally made it outside!
Shame there’s no daylight left.
All photos and video of Bug the rattle by Necil Bug.
BONUS!
{ 158 comments }
Look at those cute little hands!
OmG – rat sized Dirty Wow Wow
Too sweet!
I want to dip him in chocolate, roll him in sprinkles and sell him on the pier.
STOPPPP!!! Ur killin meh frum da kewtneth!
Where, oh where do you find rat-sized teddy bears? I MUST KNOW.
Cutest rattie evah ! also, has SOME fur on tailio, gets extra pointsh.
Rattie + teddy bears = *poit* passes out.
Has discriminating tastes in English lit (IS English, it would seem.)
Awww, how super sweet.
Heh. I really don’t like rodentia (bad experiences), but this li’l guy has his day all worked out. I wouldn’t snuggle him, probably, but I would definately approve of the various naps, and especially the story-time!
I have to say, I’ve never been too big on the whole keep-a-disease-spreading-rodent-as-a-pet thing.. but.. these pictures (especially those of it sleeping with a teddybear) really made me tilt my head and go -aawww.
Way to overthrow my prejudice with the soft cuddly honk-shu’s and making me see rats as cute.
Never in a million years would I have thought I’d do that!
It’ll probably go a million more until next time!
I’m sooooo busy ! but now I can’t stop looking at those rattiehandsrattiefeets rattietonguerattiefingernailsrattieteddybears… Meeeeeg !!!! not fair !!!! we’re supposed to be kickstarting the economy !!!!! not melting every 4 hours in a puddle of goo !!!
Have to admit, I’ve never quite managed to think of rats as cute, but Oh My! This comes closest. If only it weren’t for that tail. BTW, is that a HUGE rat or where do you get the teeny-weeny Dr. Peppers?
Hed-splort alert! Ohhh, the tiny feets splayed in the air with absolute naptime abandon…can I have just one teeny soft kronsch, pls?
*hed ’splodes everwhar*
Does the ratty have TWO DIFFERENT TEDDY BEARS?? Awesome.
I concur, Szilvia…never thought I’d find a rat cute! I stand corrected. annnnnnnnnhhhhhhhhhh.
I’m definitely getting a rat when (if) my hamster dies!! I had two before, and they have such cute little personalities!!
It makes me miss my rat… I was a terrible rat parent because she didnt have a teddy bear! (Love the rat in the sunshine picture, with golden rays in the background!)
Awwww! All pets should be so spoiled.
gosh i love cuteoverload
zomg, i am definitely NOT a fan of rats, pets or otherwise, but my cold, dead unratty heart has been melted by these SUPERDUPAHELLACUTETASTIC photos. lovely!
adorable. i love her little bear collection.
I don’t sleep well at night, but during the day I take a two-hour nap an earthquake couldn’t wake me from. My wife delights in putting teddy bears into my arms and snapping photos of me during these naps.
Are you kidding me?? They make stuffed animals for rats? *kerplode*
things I lurve: adored pets; spoiled pets; pets who has teddy b’ars; sleepy pets. I’m not ordinarily a rat-fan but I can see how they CAN be lurvely petses. Kudos to her lawvingk pipple.
I LOVE the rat-sized teddy bears! I want some for my guinea pigs! These are the cutest photos EVER of a rat. I especially love photo #2 (snuggle teeny-tiny teddy bear, back feetsies up in the air)!
Edward, that’s hilarious!
Awww! I wish I could have a rat too! But I think my cat would like it for altogether different reasons… sigh.
I think this rat and I share the same genetic background. Lately I’ve been having the same problem getting out of bed. Must be this damn cold Canadian winter.
omg.
I totally girlie squealed!!!
looks a lot like my pet rats sara and mary, they where the sweetist lil girls eva… my dad was not so thirlled with them though
He has two stuffed animals? Is the second one a lambie? OMGponies!!!!!
Little darling.
It’s been a long cold lonely winter.
Makes me want to cuddle with the closest furry thing…. too cute for words.
The mini-Dr. Pepper was the best.
Rattie toes!!!!
I miss my ratties so much.
Best pets ever for people with little homes.
Rizz sez “Some people are so touchy!”
I am in love withthis rattie and OMG Bug is a perfect name! Little snuggle Bug! WANT!
Those nails are so teeny! Lovely pic’s. Although I have no idea where you’d find such a small Dr Pepper. Plus, do you really want a rodent hopped up on caffeine and corn syrup? Just wondering.
I especially like those cuddling pics. My cat tends to have a heavy head like that, even when she’s awake. She just can’t seem to keep her head up.
BTW, is the reader a male? Perhaps it’s the scale next to the pocket pet but they have big hands. He may still read Danielle Steele, but my guess is that’s a dewd.
My reactions to the pictures went something like this:
eeek! Rat!
Awwwww, teeny, tiny, teddy
eeek…wait, teeny Dr.P Huh?
Awwww, teddy and blankie
EEEEEK!!!
eeee, awww *confused*
EEEK!!!
EEEEEEEE! *Jumps out of way*
Video: awww, eeek, ehhhhh…kinda cute but eek!
Such confused feelings about cute rodents!
Gee, Bugmom, we wouldn’t be a little prejudiced concerning the name “Bug” would we?
One word: redonk. Please stop feeding the rattie warm milk and turkey!
That is one comfy lookin rattie! I wanna nap too. But I gotta work instead
I am agog over the precious little handses.
OMG, the sleeping picture makes me gonna faint from cuteness!
LOve this.
*sniff* Missin all my sweet ratties now…
Awww..the blissful sleep of the well-loved and utterly spoiled!
Oh my goodness, adorable!!! I feel like this little guy today–time for a nap. The teddy bears are really just too much!
As an owner of 4 ratty boys myself, I get fed up with people seeing them as the same as the wild, dirty “disease spreading” rats you find in the streets/sewers. This will hopefully show that fancy rats are completely different (very soppy) animals. They’re more intelligent than people think too, can train them to do anything really!
I have never seen such a sweet photo-op of a rat.
Such a happy little rat. So cute.
OMG this owner is clearly abusing her rattie, forcing him to take all these naps where the rat is clearly sleeping because he can’t stand the pain of living!! Augh!! *wildly flings puddin’ everywhere all over the walls*
Oops, the xtreme kee-yuteness made me have a fit and ’splode.
*wanders off, licking pudding off fingers*
i had no idea rats could be so snuggly… and the teddy bears?!? awesome.
Ratty Lover, aren’t they pretty much exactly the same as the wild dirty ones, except that they’re not wild or dirty? I mean, it’s not like there’s a big genetic difference, if there’s any at all.
Gorgeous photos of a very sweet rat.
Aww, I gotta admit that I find this little guy cute, especially since the ratty tail wasn’t visible in most of the pictures. Maybe someone could breed a rat with a cute, stubbular tail?
That looks like real Dr. Pepper in there. Is it?? I didn’t think those mini-bottles really opened.
I luvs the little toesies. All curled up and snuggled in blankets. So cute. Want to have.
How cute!
I wish I wasn’t allergic to rats, they are such great pets.
After reading about how intelligent and engaged rats are as pets, and then reading The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, and then meeting an American Blue rat, and then seeing these pictures, I have decided that I need to leave my no-rodentia-allowed apartment and buy a house, simply so that I may have rats. I think this is a sound basis for a financial decision.
Aww! What a sweet little rattie!
It makes me want to get one, provided I can find little teddy bears for him, and of course snorgle and snorf the belly..
Oooooh this really kicks my wanting-a-rat-for-a-pet-despite-what-my-hubby-says habit back into gear!! The little sleeping with teddy bear is one of the cutest ever on CO. I loves me someone who loves his pets, specially rats.
And domestic pets have been bred in captivity for far more generations than most domestic pets, therefore their “disease spreading” is greatly reduced. A great place to try and get one is your local zoo. They have bred them for thousands of generations, you know they are healthy b/c they are being bred to feed the other animals, and they are prolly very tame. Not all zoos may be interested, but it doesn’t hurt to ask and you save a life. (at the cost of costing someone else his dinner, lol!)
This is the first time in my life I’ve thought at rat was cute. It was the feet that did it.
All that serenity must be due to being a Brit Rat.
If you having a bad day this little guy/girl will brighten your day.
Is anyone else thinking Remy from Ratatouille?
Awww…she reminds me of my late rattie, Knick-knack.
Cephi, they’re not different enough to warrant being a different subspecies, but picture a domesticated cat, bred via generations of domesticated cats, versus a feral cat, bred via generations of feral cats. There are physiological and temperamental differences that can’t be solely attributed to environment. In other words, if you took a baby wild rat and raised it, it would still have a different temperament than a domesticated rat.
The teddy bears! That just absolutely slays me!
Aw… now I’m missing all the rats I’ve had, too! They make such good pets.
Even if the choice of animal is not your thing, you gotta admit that this pet and this human love each other very, very much. Love makes lots of potentially ugly things quite adorable.
Thanks, Skip (9:44 a.m.). Now in my head I am hearing Willie Nelson sing something about “…missing all the rats I’ve had…” Could Theo or NTMTOM or one of the other uber-talented folks on this site fill in the rest of the ‘lyrics’?
Squeeee – I must squish her, snorgle her belleh and nom her earsies!
Cephi – You are right, genetically there the same, but pet rats have been domesticated over the generations starting in the early 19th century. Wild rats are not social, are generally just brown in color, are more slender and have more rigid ears and a different stance. Basically we bred out of them the need to be agile, alert, fearful and prepared for battle. We’ve turned them into pudgy, adorable, snuggle bugs. Just the way we like them!
Well, 19petals, thanks to you, I learned ANOTHER new thing on CO. Gosh I love this site!
Ok, this is just the best rat post ever!!!
The photos w/ the rat sleeping w/ the teddy are just too cute for words! And the adorable video as well! OMG I want one!
I’m not a huge rat fan either but those pix are AMAZING! I know ratties can be very sweet but we adopted 2 sister rats who were vicious and bit, so they had each other and a huge rat palace but we didn’t touch them much. I’ve heard so many stories about how smart and sweet they are though, and these pictures just warmed my heart. SERIOUSLY CUTEOVERLOAD!!! Maybe if you get them as babies from a reputable breeder who has handled them they turn out to be people-friendly?? All my hamsters, mice, and my mom’s class pet, a gerbil who we took home, nevermind our 4 house rabbits and the guinea pigs we fostered never bit like that.
Our last hamster Marvin who passed away a year ago had a stroke, and we found him paralyzed from the waist down. I (stupidly) tried to pick him up and he bit. He was in pain, and we took him to the vet who diagnosed the seizure & said he was hurting badly. We had him put to sleep and he held onto my finger w/his wee front paw as he crossed the rainbow bridge.
Marvin (like his predecessor Hammie) was with us for over 3 years. The only time he bit was that one time when he was dying.
We just got a new ham ham and we’re slowly socializing him since he is a young pet-store hamster. He is very chill and sweet, and uber-smart. As soon as I bend down to the cage to talk to him (even though he’s my son’s hamster (ALL MINE heh heh)he runs over to the door and sticks his nose out. He cocks his head to one side and stays there till I stop talking to him. He’s ADORABLE. He is addicted to his ball and I have to pull him out of it kicking and screaming LOL (not literally). Speaking of which, one of his brothers at the pet store was the first one the worker took out of the cage for us to see….and he SCREAMED his little head off! He kept screaming till he put him back in the cage. I didn’t know a hamster could do that??!! He said the babies scream a lot and are more vocal when they’re young. The second one peed all over when he got picked up and looked just plain terrified, and the 3rd (our long-haired w/butt tufts hamster we Toughy Butt Fluffy) just kind of walked around, “doo-de-doo” and we knew he was our ham!
I LOVE “pocket pets” aka little rodents. People don’t realize how much heart they have. I wish more people treated them like you obviously do yours, and that they got the same quality of care (including veterinary) and love that the bigger pets get. They are truly able to love their owners, just as your pictures show you and your very content rattie. The size of a pet’s body doesn’t determine the size of their heart.
Sorry for the huge post, I hold your picture responsible for my rambling
I’m fairly sure rats aren’t any more or less likely to have diseases than any other animal? Diseases that can spread to humans, I mean.
Annnnyway. AWW, a rat. Now I want to play with my two girl rats. Well, one girl and one hermaphrodite.
Who knew there were such tiny teddy bears and Dr. Pepper bottles?!? OMG, that is just plain adorable. These pics show a seriously contented pet.
BServ: well said indeed.
I just forgot to say, my two rats are SO much nicer and more civilized than any of my four gerbals. All those little jerks did was bite each other and me.
Plague or no plague I’d have to snuggie with the little rattie baby and his itty bitty teddy
That little rat paw wrapped around the stuffed animal kills me.
To everybody who wants a rattie-sized teddy bear, I had a very similar one for my foster kittehs, who were all “meh, boring!”. You might want to check the kitteh toy section (it dangled from an elastic cord, btw and might have been from Walmart…).
Meanwhile, they are adorable!!
Her pictures are gorgeous, but keeping rats on their own just makes me too sad to appreciate them. Once you’ve seen rats sleep in a big cuddly heap you’ll never be convinced that a lone rat can be truly happy.
There’s a photographer at photo dot net that takes the sweetest rat pictures, her name is ellen van deelan http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=545092
Such a happy, lucky little rat girl. Would take her home in a split second. Adorable Bug. Miss my little rat girls. Gone on to rat heaven. Bug is lucky to have such a good “mommy”.
So cute!
For teeny tiny teddy bears I would check Build-A-Bear, I know they sell teddies for your teddy, so why not a teddy for your sweet little ratty baby?
No, there’s not much difference, not really any more than between domestic cats and feral cats, or domestic dogs and wild dogs. Who are quite capable of carrying diseases themselves, sadly; there’s a reason rabies is such a danger.
On less of a nuffnote, EEE RATTY TEDDY.
Omgsh thank you so much for posting my photos!
All these comments have actually made me squirm in delight.
ratlover- I realise keeping rats on their own can seem cruel, but I spend most of my time with Bug and she is very contented and happy (you can tell, you reallyreally can). She gets so much attention from me, I don’t think she ever feels alone. I wouldn’t advice having a lone rat if you weren’t going to spend so much time with it though, ofcourse.
The teddies came from various toy and collector shops and I have just had them around the house since before Bug was here. I have about 5!
These are very sweet pictures. I like rats, in part because they seem more interested in human contact and petting than other rodents–I’ve seen hilarious NOVA videos of rats running up to a researcher to be tickled, and heard pitch-shifted recordings of the little laughter-like sounds they make (inaudibly to the naked ear) in response. I had a mouse and a gerbil as a child, but neither seemed to want to be touched much–the gerbil was a sociopathic, vicious biter who drew blood from a number of people, and the mouse just seemed terrified whenever I picked her up. But rats seem to like it.
Another “teeny teddy bear” suggestion: Craft stores often have sections for model houses, with all sorts of miniatures put in them (little furniture, etc). Odds are some might have mini toys like teddy bears.
very cute
that is the most precious thing i have seen!
It’s the one clenched back foot that does it for me. Also, I want those teddy bears.
Is the rattie having and “X-Files” moment in that last picture? Whats with the lights from the sky?
What a nice life the Bug seems to have…People really love him.
OMG. I’m falling apart with rat happiness. I just love rats. I have three of my own and they are every bit as wonderful as these photos show. Rats Rule!
Wild and domesticated rats are both basically Rattus norvegicus. But domestication makes a huge difference. They are NOT disease-ridden. There’s essentially no disease they can give you. They live short (~2 years) lives, but they have the most wonderful senses of humor, are incredibly affectionate, and love to snuggle. You could absolutely NOT find a sweeter creature to share this planet with. I’ve rescued 25 from shelters and I can’t imagine not having 4-5 around.
I’ve met many more friendly rats than people. Also many more diseased people than rats. Go fig.
I just wish they lived longer…..
Oh so true, Shannon!
IMO rats generally make better pets than hamsters, especially if we’re talking about pets for young children. Don’t get me wrong, I like hamsters too and they can be very sweet — but they are more prone to biting. I’m not saying that all hamsters are little nippers, but just comparing your average hamster to your average fancy rat…rats are more sociable. I’ve never been bitten by a rat, ever.
I just thought I’d throw that out there because I hate what a nasty rep ratties get compared to hammies. Hamsters are cute and fluffy and lovable, but rats are yucky disease-carrying filth. Nope, uh uh.
(I hope I don’t start a hamster v. rat flamewar! I like hamsters too, honest! They really ARE cute. But rats are just as cute, IMO.)
*GASP!* SQUEEE! RATTIE LOOOOOOOOOVE!
Whew. OK, now that I’ve recovered…I’ve never seen ratties cuddle with tiny stuffed animals before!
This looks sooo much like my little Susanna (to be fair, all hoodies pretty much look alike), and it’s making me reeeeeeally want to have rats again. *sigh*
I squealed. I squealed a lot. Really, really loudly.
Bless you for being such a loving pet owner. The pics are totally sweet and all, but that tailio is a deal breaker for me. Oy. I couldn’t figure out what the heck it was in that clip. At first I thought it was a snake or piece of wood. As I finally realized it was his tail, oh sweet Jeezus! No, no, no.
Domesticated rats have been bred for tameness and are just as sweet, clean, and affectionate a pet as you could ask for. They groom themselves constantly, and their fur is soft and smells lovely. I’ve been sniffin’ and snugglin’ ratties for 10+ years now, and I haven’t got the plague yet thank you.
Also, I think their tails are quite elegant and beautiful, and it’s amazing to see how they use their tails for balance. Gah, this is a really adorable set of pictures!
Very sweet. Reminded me of this photo of a rat and its bunny: http://www.redbubble.com/people/ellen/art/1975368-4-me-and-my-bunny
Edward, maybe the nap is killing the need to sleep at night a bit? Don’t think of it as not sleeping at night making you need a nap… think of it the other way around. Try and eliminate the nap to see if night sleeping improves. Might be tough for a week or two but maybe it’ll work?
To be on topic these are gorgeous photos!
Necil Bug, Is the little Rattie Bug a Dumbo Rat?? I’ve heard they are soooo lazy and love nothing more than to snuggle with you. Great photos! You are a most excellent rattie mom. Very lucky little rat.
Necil Bug, Is the little Rattie a Dumbo Rat?? I’ve heard they are sooo lazy and love to snuggle. Excellent photos. . .You are a wonderful rattie mom!
OK Didn’t mean to post it twice. Didn’t think it got on there the first time. Sorry. But Bug the Rat does deserve lots of comment.
Cephi they are actually a different species from the wild rats, the pet rats or Fancy rats are Rattus Norvegicus, and wild rats are Rattus Rattus.
Awesome pictures I love ratties they are so loving and attentive, and they know when your sad and always try to cheer you up and never far away to give you hugs, My cheyenne always loved giving me hugs and rubbing her face along mine to make me smile, she was wonderful. I still have 2 boys and they are gorgeous too and soo spoiled LOL, my oldest rat was 4 years 4 month. Love them.
Wild dirty rats are out in the wild, eatin’ garbage full o’ germs. Domestic rats have never been out in the garbage pickin’ up germs, so they are not icky. Unfortunately, most ppl see them as “disease carrying rodents” and are grossed out by them. I was once investigated by the SRS (child welfare) for owning a rat and having a 2 yr old (someone called them and said I had a rat that was allowed to be in the same room with the baby). They didn’t find anything else wrong, but insisted on weekly visits until I told them the rat had died. He was a very cool, very smart guy. I miss him.
Yay for loverly sweet ratties!
Awh this was very cute. Saddest thing about owning rats is their brief dot of a lifespan (2-3 years average). They make such good pets, its always heartbreaking to see them go. I’ve had many as pets throughout the years, and heir brief wink in time has always been filled with lots of snuggles and treats. <3
The teddy bears got me. Too cute.
OMG – beyond adorable
Ratties can take forever to fully wake up, which is why people owned by rats learn that having open eyes does not mean ‘awake’ and paddling feet do not equal “paying attention to edge of bureau.”
And yes, Dr. Pepper is a rat elixer
I could never sneak a teddy under my rattie girls’ arms while they were sleeping! The moment I breathe too loud they pop up to the top of their cage to get let out
Aw so cute! That picture of Bug with the white bear… she actually has her arm around it! Lookit the little paw!
The video’s cute too. And, hey, is that “Charlie and Lola” playing in the background?
love photo story serie … so expressive loving teddybear hugging little darling … and I thought I would never come to say that about a rat…
Loved the gentle rat petting. What a nice rodent ownder. They are smart, friendly and cuddly. They greet you when you come home. Nothing dirty about them if their little abodes are kept clean.
I’m not a huge rodent fan, but by gawdly, that’s pretty freaking adorable. Wake up, little feller, I need my hand back!
Oh lawd, I want a rat so bad. Ickle tiny handsss <33
Totally adorable! Reminds me a bit of our little rat. The one snuggling the teddy bear just kills me!
Rats are absolutely adorable no matter what anyone says, and THIS proves it without question.
This is the cutest thing I have seen in a very long time. She’s so happy in the first pic!!! and then so sleeeppyyyy :3
*watches the video*
I WANT A RAT.
I don’t care if I have a hamster already.
I.WANT.A.RAT!!!
There is a difference, Cephi, but you’re right that it’s not that big. Fancy rats are domesticated and generally tame, wild rats aren’t. There are different color varieties of each kind. Bug here is a hooded rat, which you will never see in a sewer. The common analogy is that it’s similar to the difference between a dog and a wolf. They are the same species and can breed together, but they have evolved on slightly different paths. You can’t generalize a domestic rat as “dirty” or “disease-spreading.” That’s like saying that all dogs are disease-spreading because you once met one with rabies. It’s possible for them to carry salmonella, but it’s rare.
Sorry for getting preachy, I just love these little guys! Bug is precious. My old rat used to sleep on me all the time. I feel like a horrible rat-mommy for not providing an adequate supply of teddy bears and Dr. Pepper! I’ll make up for it by reading my boys a bedtime story.
Too cute. what, is she narcoleptic or something? :p I love sweet lil ratties…
OMG! I love the teeeny tiny teddy bears and the Dr. Pepper!
OMG! I love the teeeny tiny teddy bears and the Dr. Pepper! So cute!
If I’m not mistaken, little Bug’s Dr Pepper bottle is one of the tiny ones candy stores sell – they come filled with Dr Pepper Jelly Bellies.
And now, with that out of the way … awwwwww!! This is the cutest rat I’ve ever seen! I liked the bonus video as well – the little eye opening briefly at the end undid me.
The photos with the teddy bear hugs are the cutest thing I have seen in a long time (well, at least a day or so, LOL!). Almost killed me.
Wow; absolutely fantastic photographs .. congarats on your amazing talent. As a 10 year owner, and current owner of 13 rats, I’m very familiar with how difficult it is to photograph the weeney munchkins.
A few facts for those reading the comments. The domestic rat is Rattus Norwegicus; that is the same species as the wild brown rat. The brown wild rat in fact carries very few diseases, and it’s not his fault he carries them. Wild rats, if raised from babies, make just as good pets as domestic rats.
The pics are gorgeous
I can’t stop looking at them lol.
He looks just like my baby Wesley did, RIP hunny x
What a well behaved little girl. My rats would have shredded the bears, clothes, sheets, and any thing they could have gotten their “hands” on. I loved them dearly but your clothes were fair game and destined for the rag bag (or rat rag bag) if you wore good ones when playing with them.
Lovely photography and some very sweet shots.
Holy flying baby poop! This is the cutest thing I have ever seen.
1st picture: “Excuse me. Do you happen to have any Grey Poupon?”
Cephi, that’s kind of like saying dogs are no different from canine cousins or cats are no different from desert wildcats.
Fancy rats have been “domesticated” which means bred for sociability, intelligence, and looks.
That’s why you’re unlikely to see a cute little cow-colored black and white rat like this one in the wild, unless a pet rat has gotten free and bred with the wild population.
They’ve only been really domesticated in the 19th century, so breeds are nowhere near the same level as say, dogs. But they are a domesticated animal.
The last two animals to be found carrying Yersinia pestis (the plague bacteria) in the US were a dog (Texas) and a squirrel (Colorado). Are people going to condemn all dogs and squirrels too?
I wish that rats were more disease ridden and nasty than they are – then they wouldn’t die by the billions in laboratories. The fact that they are so sweet, calm and clean makes them so perfect for the most horrendous experimentation.
Rats are sweet, intelligent and compassionate creatures who form bonds with their humans and their cagemates. They will even grieve tremendously when they face the loss of a rat buddy. They are a good example as well as a great companion.
Bug is a little girlie, and her rat parent is a mum.
All small animals, that we keep as companions, have wild counterparts of the same species.
There are still wild Guinea Pigs in South America, wild hamsters in Syria, wild gerbils in Mongolia, and wild ferrets and rabbits in a lot of places.
These animals have been taken from the wild and domesticated for our purposes, primarily for experimentation. At the same time, they have been recognized as being good companions and are marketed as such.
Rats have been domesticated for almost 200 years.
Do people really believe that those billions of rats in laboratories are wild?
Ridiculous.
Awwwwwwwww. Squeeeeeeee.
Iddy biddy Bug. Bless her lil paws.
My buck vermin send her gentle scritches.
Those are amazing photos! Such cute ratties!!
Wow, I didn’t know so many people weren’t rat fans. I thought cute-lovers weren’t discriminatory…
This rat reminds me of the mouse in the Green Mile book and motion picture with Tom Hanks. Very cute!!!
OMG I can’t handle it! It is too cute. I have essploded! *pop*
Aww, too sweet! Especially where he’s sleeping with a teddy bear!
never knew rats could be so cute, so calm, so inviting looking. Makes me want a rat..
laaa! so unbearably cute!
This has got to be the cutest little rat ever! He’s a very lucky guy to have such a great parent!
I love the scritch scritch on the noggin by the owner like this is a mini doggie. This rattus prolly thinks he is a dog. Certanly is loved. Good stuff.
The rational side of my brain says there’s no way those tiny rat accessories and perfect poses can be real. The cute-loving side of my brain doesn’t care. I want to believe!
I love the pictures with it holding a tiny teddy bear!
jackie31337 – they are very real I promise
Rats do not spread diseases, it was the fleas on the shipboard rats that spread the plague. Rats are intelligent and much friendlier to humans than hamsters or gerbils.(imhop)
ADORABLE! i cannot believe this. the photo of him sleeping….ahhhhh. i’m in love.
OMG I cannot get over how utterly adorable this is T^T It makes me miss my girls so much…
Gorgeous creature! Fantastic photography!
I agree with Ratty Lover.
Big differences in the conditions in which they are bred and raised.
Cephi: Google, Wikipedia…pet rat. Its like the difference between a stray dog, ferral cat or pack of wolves…to your average house pet. Fancy/pet rat ancestors came from the wild, yes..as all pet animal ancestors did. And human…
I love that cuteoverload includes links to the flikr, and other such sites, so we can see many more beautiful (rat)photos from sender-inners!! These are sweet!!!
Well there is a genetic difference. Wild rats are Rattus rattus and domestictaed rats are Rattus norvegius. Glad to see as a rat owner for over 20 years this wonderful rat is changing people’s perceptions of “dirty” rats. Your pet bird probably carries more harmful zoonotic diseases than rats.
Well there is a genetic difference. Wild rats are Rattus rattus and domestictaed rats are Rattus norvegius. Glad to see as a rat owner for over 20 years this wonderful rat is changing people’s perceptions of “dirty” rats. Your pet bird probably carries more harmful zoonotic diseases than rats.
I really don’t think you are supposed to give your rat carbonated beverages. It’s been several years since I’ve had a pet rat but I seem to remember something about them not being able to burp and that carbonated drink can kill them! Please check this out before you give her any more!!
She’s a beautiful rat!
I <3 ratties
Best. Pets. Ever.
what kind of rat is this exactly?
and where can i get some miniature dr peppers? does anybody know?
Oh, how I miss my rat-tea-kins. They were the sweetest ever, much like this whiskery bit o’ goodness appears to be.
I wish they lived waaaaay longer.
Necilbug posted sad news on her Flickr site – Bug has passed away.
On a happier note, she now has two adorable baby rats, named Duck and Worm.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/necilbug/
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