Lloyd, Tobi and Fritzi
A funny threesome
People love cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, dogs, lizards, horses, chickens, rabbits, birds and also: rats.
Lloyd, Tobi and Fritzi are two years old and spent their lives with a family with two children. The three "fellows" are not neutered and did not spread a pleasant smell in the living area. The children reacted to the smell of rats with coughing and so the family started looking for a new forever home for their three animal friends.
"Well, let's see..."
Anna, a long-time employee at Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf, got funny laugh lines around her eyes. In terms of care, she specializes in ferrets, chinchillas, foxes and now also rats.
For a few weeks now, the "male economy," as she affectionately calls the three new arrivals, has been living in the Anna's animal area. "The three have settled in well and are a breath of fresh air! They are also so pretty: Lloyd is a real rascal, he has red eyes and white fur. Fritzi has big ears, also has red eyes and a cream-white fur and Tobi is white-black. They are all fast as the wind and love fresh vegetables."
The social rats
Keeping rats in a cage individually makes the animals lonely. They can become depressed and sometimes mentally ill. So it was good that Lloyd, Tobi and Fritzi lived in a common, large cage.
Rats are socially benevolent not only to conspecifics, but also to humans. They belong to the highly intelligent creatures and become tame when man takes time for them. If the owner wants it, he will also be integrated into the rat pack. Rats like to cuddle and cuddle with the people who keep them at home.
Rats - suitable as pets for children
Lloyd, Tobi and Fritzi are extremely curious, lively and intelligent rats. The thing that may put people off is the long tail and the association with rats living in the sewers. For many, the idea of keeping one or more rats as a pet is low on the wish list. People associate the rodents with filth, garbage, epidemics, diseases.....
Trying to replace the negative thoughts with real images, the person learns that the rat looks different than a pet like a dog or cat, but also builds a social bond with the owner. Children want to pet, feel a soft fur and play with the animal - all this can be done with a rat.
Inconsiderately acquired rats in the shelter
Many imprudently acquired rats are waiting in the shelter for a new home. As always, before you buy animals, there are important considerations to make: the cost of keeping, possibility for species-appropriate husbandry, age, noise pollution, allergies, and so on. In the case of Lloyd, Tobi and Fritzi, the children of the family had a health reaction that no one could have foreseen.
At any time the three little friends of the children can also be visited, and, since rats, as already mentioned, are very intelligent animals, they will not forget their former, human playmates.
