A couple of years ago I decided to get a new pet. I already have three cats and a chinchilla, but for some reason I've always liked hamsters, guinea pigs, etc. I do not know why. I thought maybe that feeling would change once I became an adult, but apparently not. So, while I have Rocky, my chinchilla, I wanted something I'd never had before: a rat. Now I know what you must be thinking, "A rat--ewwww gross!!!" which is what I always thought myself in the past, so imagine my surprise when I absolutely fell in love with Daisy!
Daisy is my very first rat and I'm so glad I made the decision to get her. She's very calm and docile, and believe it or not, extremely lovable! I know, I know, you think I've fallen off my rocker, but she really is quite a friendly critter. There's nothing she likes more than to lay on my lap under a blanket and get her nose rubbed. She'll lay there for hours enjoying the attention--talking to me all the while.
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| Saying "hello" to Rocky |
Daisy is not only quite friendly towards me, but it seems as if she likes other furry critters too. One day last week when I took Rocky's cage outside to give it a good spraying down (he lives in a three story mansion that's almost as tall as I am), I decided to see how her and Rocky would get along (I usually let Rocky have free reign in the bathroom while I clean his cage). Well, she was friendly enough, but Rocky--well apparently he doesn't like other critters. I just happened to snap the picture above at the perfect moment because two seconds afterwards, Rocky bit Daisy on the nose. Poor Daisy--she ran into my arms as if to say, "Save me from that big, hairy beast!!".
Last night, I decided to take Daisy out of her cage, like I do most every night, while Scooter was in the bedroom (if she's in the house, she's stuck up my butt) just to see how they would react to each other. Well, I must say, that was a better show than what I was watching on TV! It seems Scooter was a wee bit curious at first, and Daisy being a friendly critter, just wanted to make friends:
Scooter was ok with that at first and was actually very well behaved: she didn't try to bite, scratch, or otherwise attack Daisy--just seemed curious was all.
Until.....Daisy decided to chase her around the bed. I haven't laughed that hard in quite some time! Every time Scooter would lay down and relax, here would come Daisy--trying to groom her and play with her, and up Scooter would jump and run away! I tried to get a few pics of the whole shenanigans but Scooter would jump up so fast every time Daisy came near her it was a bit difficult. But it was indeed good entertainment!
Now, while I dearly love Daisy (I never thought I'd say that about a rat), she is getting old. I've had her for a bit over two years and rats are only supposed to live 1-2 yrs at the most, so I'm afraid Daisy won't be with me very much longer. She's lost quite a bit of weight and mostly sleeps these days (even when out of her cage), so it was rather nice to see her show a bit of energy while she chased Scooter around the bed. I'm not sure if I'll get another rat or not after she's gone, but I wouldn't mind another one. By the way, if you're looking for a first pet for a child, I would highly recommend a rat over a hamster, gerbil, or guinea pig any day.
