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the
Rat
Report
The Rat Fan Club Monthly Newsletter
#135/August 2003
Ó 2003 The Rat Fan Club
857 Lindo Lane, Chico CA 95973
(530) 899-0605
[email protected]
ISSN 1069-2045
Editor: Debbie Ducommun
www.ratfanclub.org
Fighting the Covington Animal Ban by Nathalie Baldwin
How to Go From Rat to Rebel in 5 Days
On June 25, 2003 while reading an article in the Kentucky
Post, I discovered that in a matter of 5 days I was going to
somehow magically transform from a pretty average person to
an individual with a record of 35 misdemeanors.
In Covington, KY, a fairly small city where I live, the
powers that be decided, for the sake of safety given all of the
recent (local) problems with pit bulls, and because of the scary
(worldwide) reports about SARS and monkeypox, that they
should do something about it. Covington City Attorney Jay
Fossett found all the material he needed from a Michigan Bar
Association model ordinance: “No person shall own wild
animal(s) and/or exotic animal(s) within the jurisdictional
boundaries of the City. This prohibition does not apply to zoological parks, properly licensed transient animal exhibits, circuses, licensed veterinarians or licensed caregivers to wild
animals, or persons owning birds of prey in compliance with all
state and federal regulations.”
That didn’t seem too bad. That is, until I read their definition of “Wild Animal(s):” “[a]ny animal that is not a domesticated companion animal... Such animals include, but are not
limited to, ...rabbits ,... rats, mice, rodents...”
Unlike the Michigan bar model, Fossett omitted the definition of “Domesticated Companion Animal.” He also added, by
intention, prairie dogs and rats. Which means that by the time
he finished his selective pilfering of Michigan Bar’s cookie-cutter model, he was banning the ownership of every animal except cats, dogs, and possibly horses.
So there I had it: 5 counts of rabbits, plus 23 counts of
rats, plus 7 counts of mice at $250-$500 a pop! And I had 5
days to turn things around...or move because “disposing” of the
“illegal” animals was simply not an option!
Rat Lovers to the Rescue
Fortunately for me, some people were way ahead of me.
After reading the June 25th article, several ratkeeping individuals scattered all over the U.S.
wrote to the newspaper and to the Mayor and Commissioners regarding the ban. They wrote about the
greatness of rats as pets, of the misunderstandings
surrounding pet rats, about their legitimacy as domesticated animals, and in an attempt to gleam
some bit of understanding, even stooped so low as
to compare them to hamsters and gerbils (which
haven’t been domesticated for nearly as long!)
Unfortunately the letters on behalf of the rats
didn’t immediately work. In the Kentucky Post’s
follow-up article dated July 28th, Fossett was still
“looking into” mice, and the Mayor (Callery) said it
was not their intention to ban the cute and cuddly
“gerbils, hamsters and rabbits.” But what about the rats? Regardless of their decision, they decided they wouldn’t be enforcing the ban until August 1 so I at least had some time to break
through the stubbornness barrier.
I wrote my letters and sent them off but I needed more
help. I realized it took a lot of time to compile all of the needed
information and, more importantly, to make sense of a lot of it.
For example, in arguing my point that pet rats are indeed domesticated, I had to find some kind of evidence as to how long
they've been domesticated. I had to prove that they are not responsible for transmitting SARS or monkeypox.
I had to explain the difference between the big Gambian
pouched rats and our little Norways to people who knew of neither. And hardest of all, I had to find out what laws are in place
not only here in Covington but in our county (Kenton), and in
the state of Kentucky as well as any federal and related existing
laws (such as the Animal Welfare Act).
More Help
Very fortunately for me, the rat-keeping populace is as diverse as one could imagine. Paula Bailey-Stine did a lot of research and outlined a multitude of arguments. Lydia
Peirce-Dougherty spent a great deal of time helping on the legal
end, RFC member Kathy Tsai found the Kentucky “good and
bad animal” list, Bill Price provided tips on letter writing, Sue
Brown (in the UK) supplied a lot of domestication details, Jill
Dutkowski added a link to her web page and started a petition,
and the list goes on....
So the next logical step was to sort this conglomeration of
information to make it easy for people to write and then to
make it public—very public. So that’s what I did. I organized
and sorted and put it all up on my web page. And wow! What
a response! Not only did a lot of people write to the city officials from all over the globe but I received a lot of letters of
The Canale girls who lived with Eleanor and Tavis Canale in Rochester,
support as well, many of which were from people I’ve never
even heard of or from previously.
So what came of it? Although not final by any means, on
July 22, at the City Commissioners meeting, they had the “first
reading” of the revision of their revised ordinance. The definition of “Domesticated Companion Animal” that was previously
omitted will now be part of the ordinance (if approved at the
August 19th meeting). Once approved, the RatRaisins, Inc.
gang (including the rabbits and the recently adopted mice) at
my house will be in the clear.
And the Attorney, Commissioners, and Mayor? They’ll
never forget rats, I can tell you that! Commissioner Edmondson
made it a point to not only state that rats were not wild but that
they’ve been domesticated for a really, really long time and that
a lot of people have them as pets (he has the evidence to prove
it in the form of numerous letters from all over—even Switzerland, he said!)
Despite the insanity of it all, it has been a great experience! Rat people are really great. Those little furry rodent
hearts in those pets of ours extend way past their physical
boundaries and into the souls of the people who love them, of
that I am sure. It’s incredible if you think about it: Just one
small portion of the populace, the rat-loving folks around the
world, prevented not only a great deal of heartbreak, but the
mass-murder of a good number of beloved pets in the small city
of Covington, Kentucky.
And no, I don’t really consider myself average. No rat
person really is by any definition of the word!
For more details, see www.ratballs.com/CovBan.html (Be
sure to check the Updates before sending nasty letters!)
Java, The Therapy Rat by Wendy Jordan
two vets for disease. A third vet tested his temperament by
pulling his ears, making loud noises, and otherwise trying to
provoke him. When he didn’t make a move to bite, she certified him. Lastly, a panel of three hospital staff “interviewed”
Java to determine if he had a personality suited to working with
sick children. They saw in him a mellow, people-oriented rat,
and welcomed him onto the ward.
This is a story about Java, my most special rat.
Java distinguished himself early in his life as unusually
outgoing and adventurous. So, unlike our other rats, he had the
run of the house whenever we were home. He quickly discovered the pet door meant for our cats. He used it to make his
way to a favorite neighbor two doors down. Repeatedly, my
neighbor would have to call for me to come get him. Even
when we put a cinder block in front of the pet door, he muscled
it out of his way. A couple times when we couldn’t find him,
we simply left the back door open for whenever he was ready to
come home. During this period, I painted “Java Over the
Moon” which shows a joyous Java leaping into the night with a
big yellow moon behind him.
To learn more about Java, I consulted an animal communicator, Raphaela Pope. The first thing she told me was that, at
his core, Java was an explorer. I already knew that but it
helped to have it confirmed and also to validate the idea of
communicating with animals. The second thing was a question:
he wanted to know where the girls were. I had to relay that,
sadly, there would be no girls. He said he would try to get used
to that. I learned that Java wanted more greens in his diet
(which I gave him) and that he wanted a different cage. At the
time our rats were in a big, open cat cage. He asked for something with “rooms” so we switched to a ferret cage with levels.
To feed Java’s love for exploration, we took him everywhere. He traveled on my shoulder or in my purse. In the car
he rode behind my neck, against the headrest. We had many
adventures. Once in an elevator, from my shoulder, he gazed
eye to eye with a large iguana on someone else’s shoulder. One
night at Home Depot he met a dog that looked just like him,
brown and wiry, only a little bigger. At PetsMart he would ride
in my cart up and down the aisles. When I visited friends, he
wandered free in their houses, coming to me when I called.
In the fall of 1991, I made a presentation before the local
SPCA Board of Directors regarding their facilities for small animals. I brought Java as a prop. One board member, Craig
Smith, asked me afterwards if Java would like to be involved in
animal therapy. While I was at work, Java would go with Craig
and his group of golden retrievers to visit kids on a cancer
ward. Of course I said yes.
Getting an animal invited into a clean hospital to be with
sick people requires quite a bit of work. Java was checked by
The Rat Report
Java’s Career
Beginning September 1991, Java visited the hospital 9am–
3 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On my way to work, I
would leave him in his travel cage on my front porch. Craig or
one of his assistants picked him up an hour later on the way to
the hospital. In the afternoon, Craig returned Java to his cage
inside my house. When I came home from work, Java would
be sound asleep in his hammock.
Java started out doing animal visitation and he had a special following. Craig’s 11 golden retrievers brought a calming
presence into the lives of many children. But for some kids,
dogs were too large and forbidding whereas Java was just the
ticket. He could be held on a lap. When he explored human
nasal openings, ears and armpits, he did so with a small, unintimidating nose. Fingers felt completely safe when sharing food
with him. You could carry him around in a box or bag. If you
were bound to your bed and he visited you there, you could take
him under the covers. He was small enough to manage even if
you’d just had treatment and weren’t feeling well. Even 4- or
5-year-olds could handle Java on their bad days.
Other kids liked Java because he was fun. You could pass
him around and maybe have him stand on your head.
Craig and his dogs visited seniors on Mondays and
Wednesdays. Java went with them only once. It was immediately clear (and understandable) that, to a person who experienced the Depression, a two-pound brown rat does not look like
a pet. From then on, Java’s career was with children only.
One Tuesday, Java stayed home from work with a respiratory infection. The following Thursday, there appeared 24 “get
well soon” cards on my dining room table. His own little “rat
fan club” had put crayon to paper to make cards for Java. One
card told Java that he rocked. Another called Java his best
friend.
In January 1992, Java was promoted from animal visitation
to animal therapy. Instead of simply hanging out with kids in
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an unstructured way, he began to accompany them in 15-20
minute sessions with a social worker. When a child holds and
strokes an animal during therapy, he or she becomes more able
to open up. Java would sit quietly on children’s laps to help
them talk about their illness. As he was growing older, he
seemed to appreciate these quieter times over the hustle and
bustle of animal visitation.
Java enjoyed two more months of active, happy times. He attended the Sacramento Pet Expo, where as a rat ambassador he
met many children interested in touching a rat. Also, he attended The Rat Fan Club Halloween party where he saw some
of his favorite people like Ben Hubbell. He even got to live
with two little agouti girlfriends we tried to mate him with.
Alas, although it must have been the realization of a lifelong
dream to live with girls, he was already too sick to mate. How
I wished to have Java’s offspring to comfort me when Java died
not too long after.
After performing his autopsy, Debbie “The Rat Lady”
puzzled over finding three quarters of his heart turned black.
When we discussed what might have caused that, I remembered
something Craig once said: that Java seemed to take into his
own heart the pain and illness the children could not bear. I
know he would have if he could.
Time to Say Good-bye
At 23 months of age, Java started treatment for heart and
lung disease. Showing up to work one day with shaved patches
in his fur and needle marks in his thigh from an IV, he made
the children look at him differently—suddenly Java was, like
them, a medical patient.
At 24 months, Java stopped working at the hospital. It
was the decision of hospital staff not to take the chance that
Java might die while visiting the children. In his retirement,
Butterscotch wearing his Super Rat cape.
Butterscotch by Sarah Robinson
Butterscotch (my baby!) is a tan and white pig-of-thing!
Here are some stories about him:
One day, my mom and I were watching a movie and had
him on the bed. We had some popcorn (he loves popcorn!), so
he came over to the popcorn bowl and took a piece of popcorn.
He went and ate it, came back and grabbed some more, and left
to eat it. He did this about 4 or 5 times, then he just sat by the
bowl and ate! After a little while we found poops on the bed.
Bye-bye Butterscotch!
Another time, Butterscotch got stuck in his little house
(time to say good-bye to the old house and hello to a new
house). I found out that he had gotten too fat for the house, so
I grabbed the house (with him in it still, of course). I thought,
“Well, the house is thin plastic, maybe I can just cut him out.”
So, I went and got my mom, and she said we should cut him
out. I went to get something to cut him out with. I brought it
to my mom. I said, “Do not cut my baby!” We got him out
safe and sound!
The end of the (real) Butterscotch stories!
Playtime: A Lawn Adventure
If you’re going to be relaxing outdoors while the weather
is nice, why not bring your rats outside for a lawn adventure
too? Most cages have a removable bottom which you can take
off so you can set the cage down directly on the lawn. This
will give your rats the chance to explore the grass and dig in the
dirt.
Be sure to only put the cage in the shade, and to stay out-
side to supervise and protect your rats. If you leave them out
alone the sun could move, putting them at risk for heatstroke,
neighborhood dogs or cats could bother them, or they could escape. But if you are there to watch, they can have lots of fun.
Be sure to only put them on your lawn if it is free of pesticides
and herbicides, and take them outside only if it is below 90 degrees F.
Mail Chatter
where they “collect” animals. In the back of their truck they
had 7 dogs, several cats, ferrets and 2 hairless rats. Faith was
able to talk them into surrendering most of their animals including the hairless rats.
Faith mostly works with dogs but when she talked about
those rats I saw a glimmer in her eyes. She said she had never
seen such cute wrinkly creatures. All I know is the rats will be
VERY WELL taken care of until they find a suitable home...or
they can live the rest of their lives out at BEST FRIENDS. No
animal is ever put down unless they are in pain and cannot be
helped. It was a great experience going there and helping out.
In the meantime I have adopted two new babies from my
local shelter. They are brothers, Petey and Roger. I got Roger
Dear Fellow Rat Fans: On my vacation I went to an animal
sanctuary to volunteer a few days of my time. It’s a place
called BEST FRIENDS in Kanab, Utah. The scenery is breathtaking but the way they take care of homeless, formerly abused
and abandoned pets is absolutely wonderful. I worked with the
old dogs taking them for short walks and brushing them, also
the diabetic cats.
While I was there the director told me some people had
come in a small truck with a cover on the back of the truck.
They had planned on getting an animal or two. (You can adopt
most of the animals at Best Friends.) Anyway, the director,
Faith Maloney, told me these people suffer from a disease
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first. He was sooooo sociable and sweet. After adopting him I
would go back to the shelter and see his brother all by himself.
I couldn’t stand the thought of his brother being all by himself,
looking so lonely. So what’s one more? They are both doing
GREAT. I bought lots of fun and love for only $5 each.
Anyway, Deb, sign me up again for another year. I love the Rat
Report. It’s one thing I look forward to in my mailbox.
Carrie Orr, Coon Rapids, MN
I had her image tattooed on my left arm. Every morning I see
her in the mirror. She will be missed.
My rats’ vet is Dr. Bob Dean in Santa Ynez, CA. Dr.
Dean took care of Sugar and I can say he was knowledgeable
about rats and he and his entire staff were so good to her, very
kind, very gentle. Dr. Dean has been practicing here in Santa
Ynez Valley for 2 years. I recommend him highly.
Irene Miller, Solvang, CA
Dear Fellow Rat Fans: Here’s a story that I was told by a
woman who works in a magnet shop at Caesar’s Palace in Las
Vegas. Her neighbor rescued a very large, white female rat that
she found half dead outside her house. The rat and her dog, a
boxer, became close friends. Every night, Susie the rat goes to
sleep on top of the dog. In addition, the rat tries her hardest to
get outside through the dog door! Susie likes to pal around with
the boxer as well as to play outside in the yard. So she tries her
utmost to get out through the dog door like her friend, the boxer, does. So far, she hasn’t succeeded (which the neighbor who
told me the story is very happy about since she’s afraid of the
rat!)
Linda Haws, Fremont, CA
Dear Fellow Rat Fans: I wanted to tell everyone about the
great experiences I’ve had with Martins Cages. Their cages are
great, and so is their customer service! If you want details, let
me know, but here’ the short version: I ordered cages and a
tube from their website at www.martinscages.com. The cages
were awesome, but the tube smelled weird. This item is not
generally returnable but they offered apologies and allowed me
to return it. I’m impressed! If you’re looking for a cage,
check it out.
Amy E Shoaf, member since 10/01, Eugene, OR
Hi Debbie: I have a new treat of the month for you. My rats
go gaga over lychees. They are in season right now and available in Chinatowns of bigger cities. They (the rats) dive for
peeled and pitted lychees—teeth first—into their food dish. I
peel the lychees because I don’t know what touched them. The
pits are soft and nutty and I’m not sure if they are harmful or
not so, I don’t take a risk there and remove the pits. They love
lychees next to papaya, watermelon and mango. I also feed
them blueberries, raspberries, apricots (no pits either), peaches
(pitted) and greens. Of course, banana is also a big hit still.
Astrid Molzow-Gunther, San Francisco, CA
Dear Debbie & Fellow Rat Fans: We have 2 dumbo, neutered
males. They are brothers, but one is much larger. They are
Sleepy and Snoopy. Snoopy is always ready to eat, his brother,
Sleepy, is an odd-eye. They are both a pinkish-beige and white.
We know their great grandfather, Dexter, and their father, Colin.
They have quite a family tree. They are past 1 ½ year old. We
are doctoring Sleepy, also using the nebulizer 2 times a day.
They are under the care of Dr. Maybly of the Arbor Animal
Hospital. He’s a great vet.
Debbie, I don’t know how you keep up with your many
ratties, but then you are not 83 years old as I am. We also have
a few possum we feed every night, and we are always looking
out the patio window to see them eating during the night.
We enjoy all your Rat Lady’s Corners.
June and Jim Pollaro, Fountain Valley, CA
Dear Fellow Rat Fans: We are thrilled to be new members. I
(Laura) had 3 rats in college and I didn’t realize how much I
missed them until my daughter, Tacoa, got her first rat. Saphire
Jayde Allen is a tiny tyrant in our house! The living room is
HERS and all people are welcome. The cats and dogs are allowed in depending on her mood. If not, they are soundly
cleared out and she poses at the door, fur raised, as if so say,
“and stay out!” She has taken over my huband’s recliner and
keeps her favorite treats in her “blankie” there. Her cage is always open but she mostly just goes in there to drink or stash
Dear Fellow Rat Fans: I was 46 years old when I got my first
rat, Sugar. She died on Feb. 1 (2 days before our 3 rd anniversary) and I said no more pets. But by Feb. 7 I got myself 2 boys,
Pooh Bear and Poot. Sugar will always be remembered because
Darleen Branch of Austin, TX, wrote, “I had some custom sculptures made of my rats Hebie, Nala,
and Pooh Bear from the website www.c-n-craftsco.uk in England. I think the artist did a great job.
In the picture on the right you can see Pooh Bear with his sculpture. The three sculptures with
shipping cost $182.46.”
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treats away from the poodle. She loves our two baby guinea
pigs (we think she is teaching them to be rats!) but our oldest
pig she refuses to let into he living room. She and our miniature poodle tease and torment each other like siblings.
Saphie is also our rat ambassador. At slumber parties I
have to put her up so she can rest, she’s that popular! The next
morning I always hear at least one girl asking, “Mama, can I get
a rat?”
Saphire will be 2 years old this month (March). We would
like to get two new baby rats in the near future from a breeder.
Both Saphire and our dearly departed Ruby were both pet store
feeder rats. Ruby was a rescued returned rat.
My 9-year-old daughter would like a rat-loving pen pal if
anyone is interested. We look forward to reading about other
rats in the newsletter.
Laura & Tacoa Phillips
3514 Seneca Ave, Aiken, SC 29801
recall hearing the name of the movie mentioned. The boys will
of course look at bit different as they are being used with computer overlays to make them look more fierce I think. I don’t
know how they could make Sir Henry look fierce. He has the
face of a Star Wars Ewok character. He looks rather like a little
calico bear! He’s a rex and has the softest fur I think I’ve ever
felt on a rat. He feels like he’s been rinsed in Downey fabric
softener.
Anyway sorry to blather on but noticed the little blurb in
the newsletter about another member getting her Willard Boys.
I think most of the group who were rescued were real sweethearts. They seemed to have been cared for and kept clean by
the trainers, or at least these three were anyway.
Karen Grant, Simi Valley, CA
I’m a Little Rattie
by Jana Corbett
(sing to the tune of I’m a Little Tea Pot)
Dear Debbie & Fans: I thought you’d like to know that the
Willard Rescue boys that I adopted are doing very well. I received three, and although I could only house the two agouti
gents, Rascal Pete and Sir Henry, together because Black Jack
still wanted to fight even after being neutered, all three are very
people loving.
Rascal Pete and Sir Henry were even called for a photo
shoot by Grove Pashley for a new movie that is coming up. The
art director for the movie was there and needed the little fellas
to pose. Surprisingly Rascal and Henry did very well. I don’t
I’m a little Rattie
Short and stout,
Here are my eyeballs,
Here is my snout.
When I get all worked up
Hear me shout!
Pick me up,
And twirl me about!
(Slow, slow, not too quick, for quite surely I might get sick!)
Dear Debbie
both Cheryl’s and my diabetic rats have gone to the Rainbow
Bridge but the friendship continues! Maybe one day we’ll meet
up. Meanwhile Cheryl has sent me pictures of her rats and her
raccoons, of which I am very jealous! (We don’t have pet raccoons, as far as I know, in England.)
Our current three boys, Capstan, Tivoli and Risor (the latter two named after favourite holiday spots of ours in Denmark
and Norway) are doing well. Capstan went to the vet this week
as he is making a slight noise when breathing; the vet put him
on Baytril (as I expected) but mentioned that now we have to
wear gloves when handling the Baytril (we never used to have
to do this) as apparently it can be harmful to humans. Have you
heard about this? Capstan is already starting to look better after
starting on Baytril, and I haven’t grown 3 heads, so presumably
the Baytril isn’t as damaging to humans as the vet suggested!
I was embarrassed to discover that Capstan now weighs
FOUR TIMES as much as he did on a previous visit. Well, he
was only a baby then. And he does love to eat!
Did I ever tell you that we had two tiny sugar rats on top
of our wedding cake when we got married three years ago? The
rats in question—Sparky and Pixel—have gone to the Rainbow
Bridge now but it’s a lovely way to remember them, if a bit eccentric! Best wishes from Nick and myself and thank you for a
very enjoyable newsletter.
Fiona Palmer, London, England
Dear Deb: On March 12, 2002, Sandy (1 year 4 months) was
having sudden breathing problems. She had been gasping for
air and foaming at the mouth. When I brought her to the emergency clinic they put her on oxygen therapy immediately. Her
temperature was 96 degrees and her coloring was blue. They
gave her 1 mg of Azium and 5 mg of Baytril. The doctor confirmed his decision to give these medications with my vet Dr.
Saver over the phone. The emergency doctor thought she was in
real bad shape.
The emergency doctor then asked me this question, “The
question is, do you want a rat or do you want this rat?” I was
appalled as I was thinking, “You obviously don’t know who I
am.” I spoke to you the next day and you suggested we give her
enalapril because her symptoms may be related to a heart condition. We continued Sandy on enalapril once a day along with
Baytril twice a day for a week. Sandy made a 100% recovery
after just one week of treatment. Deb, I thought you might
want to know for future reference.
Gina Catalano, W. Hempstead, NY
Dear Gina: Thanks for the story. I’m sorry it took me so long
to get it in the newsletter. Azium is a brand name for dexamethasone. Since she was fine off of the enalapril after a week I
would guess her problem was acute lung inflammation and not
heart disease as we feared. I’m glad she recovered!
Dear Fiona: I’m glad you gained a new friend through the
newsletter. Baby rats do grow very quickly and it wouldn’t be
surprising for one, especially a boy, to quadruple in size. I
saved a weight chart from one of my lab girls who was born
Dear Debbie: Thank you for running such an excellent and informative club. I now have a Canadian “penfriend” whom I met
(by email) when I wrote to you about rats with diabetes. Sadly
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Tater and Moki, who lived with Eve Brockmann in San
Fancisco, CA, hanging out in their Super Pet house.
Feb. 9, 1994. On March 8, at 4 weeks, she weighed 79 grams.
Six days later she weighed 120 grams! At 10 weeks of age she
weighed 208 grams, a little over 2 ½ times as much as she had
6 weeks earlier.
I haven’t heard of any warnings that Baytril would be dangerous to touch. I know if it is taken orally in humans it causes
hallucinations, which is why it is a veterinary drug only. I’m
assuming you are using tablets and grinding them up? I always
use the 10% oral liquid as it is so much easier to use.
The rats on your wedding cake sound wonderful!
Hi Debbie: I read an article a couple of weeks ago about a
product called Stainsafe. This product is applied to furniture to
prevent stains from spills, pets, etc. The woman in the article
had a parrot and after having her couch treated, the bird suddenly developed a lung and breathing problem and died. The
vet blamed the product and suggested that it was unsafe for use
in homes where birds or small animals live. I didn’t know if this
was something that warranted further investigation or a warning
on the web site or newsletter, but wanted to pass it on to you.
Kelly Goodman, Fresno, CA
blank papers to do their collecting. I just wanted to thank you
for opening my eyes to the thought of expanding beyond the
Dear Kelly: Thanks for the info. Birds are extremely sensitive
to airborne toxins and can even die if a Teflon pan is allowed to
overheat. I doubt that small mammals would be equally sensitive to the Stainsafe product, but it is worth a warning.
cage. We are all thankful to have met you and appreciate all
the knowledge you gave to us. Perhaps we will meet again and
I will be able to tell you more inspiring ways you have touched
our lives. Thanks from us and our 18 happy rats!
Mickey & Mike Solari, Rohnert Park, CA
Hello Debbie: My son Mike and I had the pleasure of meeting
you at the Elk Grove gathering in June. I bought your book and
tape where you appeared on the South Korean TV show and
have enjoyed both! After seeing your rats wandering around
your house I was so thrilled. I wanted the same for our rats so
we made a ramp from the cage to the counter and now all of
our rats have full access to the kitchen counter. I truly love having them sitting on the windowsill talking to me. They are so
happy! They run around and play and I just know they are as
happy as they make me. The only down side was when they
pulled important papers from the counter into the cage. But we
fixed that by moving the important papers and giving them
Dear Mickey & Mike: I’m glad you enjoyed the videotape
and it inspired you to give more freedom to you rats. Ironically, I don’t usually give my rats free run of the house. The
South Korean film crew asked me to put the rats on the floor
for the filming. But when my rats are out for playtime in the
evening, although most of them are happy to stay on the couch
with me, I’ve had some over the years who jumped down to the
floor to wander. We block the doors to confine them to the living room and supervise them while they’re out.
Healthy & Happy: Three Cases of Choking
Because of the anatomy of the rat’s throat, in most cases,
when food gets caught in the throat, it causes discomfort and
gagging, but doesn’t restrict the airflow. However, true choking
that interferes with breathing can occur. Here are three cases
where the owner was able to remove the offending food.
mouth started turning blue. I checked for an obstruction in her
mouth.
I continued the maneuver until surprise! Some matter came
out of her mouth. I put my fingers in and kept getting it
out...mushy bread. She was breathing and quickly turned back
into a healthy hairless-pink!
I put her back in her clean cage with her sisters and in true
rattie syle...she started eating!
A month later there was another incident. One of my male
black berkshires, Blackfoot, was out in the rat room playing and
eating with his 6 brothers. I checked on them every 5 minutes
or so. Blackfoot didn’t look well. He seemed to be gagging! Oh
no...not again. This time I was ready.
I checked his mouth. It was full of orange matter (a curly
vegetable noodle). I cleaned out his mouth. He is big so I tried
the swing method. It didn’t seem to help so I did exactly what I
had done with Piglet. It was much more difficult. I kept it up
until he was breathing normally! Blackfoot still looked terrible.
Dear Deb: Thank you for all you have done in educatinng us about our pet rats.
Last month I was cleaning out my 3 hairless girls’ cage. I
put them into a small cage as usual until their cage was dry.
They seemed unusually tense so I gave them a treat, a bit of
fresh bread hoping this would relax them.
I left the room and came back a few minutes later...only to
find my tiny beloved Piglet (who has a head tilt) was on her
side dying! I panicked and my mother suggested she may be
choking! So I got out your Rat Health Care booklet...page
13...choking! I quickly applied what I read. I found the ribs and
attempted the rattie Hiemlich maneuver. It didn’t work. Piglet’s
The Rat Report
6
#135/August 2003
Shock maybe? He looked like he would die soon.
It was late at night and as he was breathing fine and there
was nothing more I could do, I went to bed. I woke up the next
morning with heartache as I entered the rat room. I looked in
Blackfoot’s cage. There he was! Eating of course. He looked at
me as if to say, “Thanks, Mom!”
Julie Ascolese, Mesa, AZ
breathing. I didn’t know how much damage I may have done
when trying to save him. I called Debbie for advice and she
said she thought he might be okay.
The next morning he was completely normal. Not even
any of the wheezing he had before I started his treatment.
Guess I sucked the wheeze right out of him! I learned several
valuable lessons from this incident and thought I would share
them with my fellow rat lovers. First and foremost, DON’T
PANIC! It is hard not to when your rat is turning blue, but I
feel like if I would have kept my head a bit better, I may not
have caused as much damage in trying to help him. Next, don’t
use peanut butter without using flour or some other medium to
make it more solid and less sticky.
Third, make sure you have an emergency kit at hand. I
have all my veterinary supplies in a huge Rubbermaid tub.
That is fine when I have time to dig through it, but not when
time is of the essence. Also, make sure if you need reading
glasses to have a spare pair or a magnifying glass with your
emergency supplies. I couldn’t find my glasses and had a heck
of a time reading the labels when I was in such a panic. Well,
I’m glad to report that Kevin recovered beautifully from the ordeal but...I know I will never forget it!! Thank you Debbie for
all your help and advice. You are a real life saver and we all
appreciate you so much!!
Darla Miller, Lincoln, CA
Peanut Butter A Killer?
We have 2 rats, Sevin and Kevin. They have been pretty
healthy all their lives; a few bouts with mycoplasma symptoms
but not much else. One morning I noticed Kevin was making
some noise breathing. I decided I better start him on some
medication. All I had was some Baytril tablets. I usually use
peanut butter as my delivery system.
I normally treat with Tylan injectable orally. The Tylan
kind of solidifies the peanut butter making it hard and flaky instead of sticky. Well, when using the Baytril the peanut butter
was sticky. I thought Kevin would lick it off of my finger.
Well, I was wrong! He grabbed the blob and began to choke on
it. It was stuck in his throat and he fell over and began to turn
blue. I got a syringe with water and tried to get it down his
throat. No luck. I tried to use the syringe to suck the peanut
butter out but still nothing.
Finally, I put my mouth over his mouth and nose and began to suck. Then peanut butter and blood started to come out
of his nose. It was just a nightmare. He then was able to
breath but was still in bad shape. I gave him an injection of
dexamethazone and one of aminophylline. I was desperate. He
spent the rest of the day hunched and fluffed with labored
Rat Lady’s note: Because of Darla’s experience I have
added her sucking technique to the 9th edition of my Rat
Health Care booklet as a way to get something out of a rat’s
throat. However, I added the warning to only suck on the rat’s
mouth, and not on his nose!
Rat Lady’s Corner
business can grow even more. If you are interested, Karen’s
phone number is (201) 227-1272.
We had a rat get-together and swap meet on June 29 at the
Rattie Ratz Rescue Rattery in Mountain View, CA. The next
get-together is planned for August 23, probably in Elk Grove,
CA. Check the website for details.
We gained 9 new members in July and membership is currently at 495.
The new 9th edition update of my Rat Health Care booklet
is now available. It is the same size and price as the 8th edition,
but I have added 3 pages of flowcharts with suggested treatment protocols for rats with sneezing, wheezing, labored breathing, or lethargy, which I hope will be quite helpful for rat
owners and veterinarians alike. To make room for this new information I took out my homemade diet and the section on doing an autopsy, which are now available on the website. I have
also tried to make the booklet more helpful by expanding the
First Aid section by adding respiratory distress, and adding
more subheadings all through the booklet to make it easier to
find topics.
Don’t forget that the newsletter is now available online
with color pictures! The URL for the July issue was
www.ratfanclub.org/22w9bc45pp.html and the URL for this issue is www.ratfanclub.org/pse840timd.html. This is the last
issue that you will be able to get both on paper and online. If
you would like to continue to get the online version, please let
me know!
Karen Yang, the RFC member who bought the Rat-alog
from me 3 years ago, has put it up for sale again. It has grown
to be too much work for one person full-time, but not quite big
enough for her to hire an employee. The new owner should
have someone who can help them send orders out, or be willing
to invest enough money to hire an employee for a while so the
The Rat Report
Playtime Update
Last month I told you about some cute cat toys shaped like
rats that I saw in the Drs. Foster & Smith catalog. I ordered
some for myself and when they arrived I saw that the manufactures’ websites are listed on the packages. You can see the
balls, also available in pet shops, at www.petmate.com. The
suggested retail price for a package of 2 is $2.49.
The rat wearing the boxer shorts can also be found at some
pet shops and discount stores and can be seen—and ordered—
at www.store.yahoo.com/fatcatinc/chbnechfatmi.html The rats
come in 3 designs and you can get a package of 6 (2 of each
design which is great, you can get one for your rats to play with
and one for you to keep!) for $17.95 plus $6.95 shipping. The
website is great because the pictures of the toys turn back to
front and back again so they look animated. They are very
funny and I’m adding the site to my favorites so I can look at
them whenever I need a laugh.
The other stuffed rat can be seen at www.story.yahoo.com/
eecattoys.html These rats come in a package of 3, one brown,
one gray and one pink, for $13.95 plus shipping.
Personal Update
In July I lost one rat and adopted 2 new babies! On July
7
#135/August 2003
13th Powder developed labored breathing in addition to her pituitary tumor symptoms and I started her on aminophylline which
helped some. Then on the 15th she didn’t seem to feel well and
I decided to euthanize her. She did have a pituitary tumor, as
well as a large ovarian cyst and some kidney degeneration. Her
lungs were red with some emphysema and her heart showed
some hypertrophic changes.
I don’t know how old Powder was when I rescued her
from a shelter in September, but she had a mammary tumor at
the time so she was probably at least 18-24 months old. That
would mean she lived 28-34 months. That’s not bad when she
developed symptoms of a pituitary tumor only 10 days after I
brought her home. Usually, treatment with an antibiotic and
prednisone can stave off a pituitary tumor for a few weeks, but
it worked for 10 months in Powder’s case. I was glad as she
was a very sweet rat. When she died, I moved her roommate,
Opal, in with Mickey and Ruckus.
places so far. I hope to teach them tricks to perform in public.
It took about a month but I was finally able to introduce
Brisby, the girl I got June 2nd, to Gonzo, whose roommate Moe
died last month. Gonzo is a pretty aggressive rat, so it took
some time for him to accept his new girlfriend, but now they
get along fine.
Mickey’s legs had been getting more and more paralyzed
over the last month, despite the B vitamins and Nux vomica I
was giving him. (I’m not sure that Nux vomica is a suitable
treatment for paralysis anyway. It is mainly meant to treat nausea, and Dr. Dohner said that it may contain small amounts of
strychnine, so I have stopped using it.) When he started getting
weaker I also started him on the enalapril and atenolol for heart
failure and that seemed to help.
But just the other day I realized that Mickey must have a
pituitary tumor, as he now has trouble eating solid food. I am
very sad to think that I will probably lose him in a few weeks.
He has been one of my favorites and I hate to lose him. He is
just over 2 years old. He was one of my best trick performers,
always willing to do his jump and tightrope walk in public. I
will always remember how he did his jump on The John Walsh
Show. I have been letting him spend a lot of time on the couch
these days.
I have started Agatha, one of the 2 girls I rescued last
month, on enalapril and atenolol too, as well as aminophylline
and amoxicillin for her respiratory problems and she is doing
pretty well. A couple of times I took her out of her cage when
New Babies
The day after I lost Powder, I got a call from member
Donna Kihara in Elk Grove, CA. She had found a dark-skinned
hairless baby boy in a PetsMart and wondered if I wanted him.
Although I still had 20 rats, after thinking about it a while I decided I did. Donna agreed to drive up that Sunday to bring him
to me. I called Linda Bradley in San Jose, who breeds rats, to
see what babies she had so I could get the new hairless boy a
roommate. Linda had some 8-week-old Russian blue boys she
The Rat Fan Club
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said she would bring, and it turned into a rat party with Barbara
Henderson and Diane Fitzgerald also coming from Sacramento,
and Lee Standlee coming from Oroville.
The hairless boy was adorable with white socks on his feet
and black fuzz on his face. In the few days Donna had had him
she decided his name should be Vinnie Balderino, and I agreed
that the name seemed to fit him.
Linda’s Russian blue boys were beautiful, a very dark
steel gray, like a Russian blue cat only more glossy. I picked
out one who seemed really friendly and the rest of my visitors
decided that he should be named Mario, which seemed to fit
him. So Vinnie and Mario came to live with me.
Vinnie was very outgoing to start with, eagerly going to
anyone who held his hand out to him. He continues to be outgoing in public, but at home he is a little shy, a little reluctant
to come out of his cage. Mario is the first one to come to the
door of the cage when I open it, but he is very shy out in public. But I’ve only had them a week and only taken them a few
The Rat Report
she seemed agitated because I was afraid she might be in respiratory distress, so now she has learned how to manipulate me
and she chews at the bars when she wants out. Frequently I
have been letting her spend time on the couch with Mickey.
While Two Tone was on doxycycline last month he
started wheezing again so I have switched him to Baytril and
he is doing better again. I plan on leaving him on the Baytril
long term. I now have Opal and Cupid, one of the 7 boys I
adopted in April 2002, both on long-term doxy for chronic
wheezing.
My Summer Resort
In addition to my own 22 rats, I will be ratsitting a rat for
Chico member Brett Reeves for 2 weeks this month. I will also
be boarding a 3 ½-year-old rat named Templeton for Chris, another Chico rat owner, who will be in Spain for a month. Templeton, who has paraplegia and a funny little lump on his nose,
is a real sweetie who loves to be petted. I’m looking forward
to having him.
8
#135/August 2003
Bonus On-line Picture Page
Here are two more pictures Darleen Branch sent of
her rats with the sculptures she had made of them.
Hebie with his sculpture. Darleen said the artist had a bit
of trouble with Hebie’s color. It looks like Hebie is a
silver fawn.
Nala with his sculpture.