Super Sweet Scurvy!

Scurvy is doing great! His abscess has come back twice since the first time that I drained and cleaned it, but it's been awhile since the last time, so I'm hoping that it might finally be gone for good. He's got a wonderful personality, and is very much an attention-rat. I think this is partly because he's a solo rat and doesn't have a cagemate to be his friend, and partly because he's just a darling. My last rat before Justin and Jenner, Elvis "Deckie" Costello, was the same way. If you get near the cage, he starts getting up on his hind legs near the cage bars trying to get your attention so you'll pick him up and cuddle him! He loves to snuggle, and to lick. Rats lick like dogs, not because they want the salt on your body like some people think, but because it's a gesture of affection.

Just the other night, I was playing with him on the couch, and my nephew came by with a cookie. I suggested that he should let Scurvy have a bite. He held the cookie out to the little guy, and instead of taking just a nibble like we expected, Scurvy yanked the whole cookie out of the kid's hand and ran off with it! Later that night when I was about to go to bed, I saw him begging in his cage to get picked up, and I had to give in. I took him upstairs, and let him run around on my bed while I lay there with my laptop. Only it turned out that Scurvy didn't like the laptop getting more attention from me than he did! He would crawl on the keyboard and nudge my hands until I'd pat him. Finally I just gave in altogether, laid one hand flat on the mattress palm up, and Scurvy laid his head and front paws on it like a pillow. Then I stroked him with my other hand, and he licked/kissed the hand under him while I did. Awwww.

Only after I put him back in his cage did I discover that he had pooped a whole bunch behind the laptop, conveniently right where I couldn't see it!

Jenner is aware that there's another rat besides himself and Justin around, and he's not happy. If I hold Scurvy and then I hold Jenner later, Jenner will smell him on my clothes and either pee on them (to mark over Scurvy's scent and assert his dominance) or just plain chew them. He's made holes in several pairs of shorts and shirts of mine now. Such a jealous little guy! Justin isn't the dominant rat, so he doesn't care who or what he smells on me, but I'm still not going to let Scurvy near him either, just in case. Introducing male rats as adults just isn't a good idea most of the time.

Neither care when they smell mice on me, though, I found out. Yup, I got new mice too! Jabez (chinchilla brindle), Joram (white with gray spots), and Tiras (black and white). They're just darling, if rather smelly; unlike male rats, male mice emit a powerful musk. Dad says he would never have allowed them into the house if he'd remembered (we had a pair awhile back) but I don't really mind so much. I've only had them a week, so I still haven't managed photos yet...they're too fast for me! I have some here on the webcam of Scurvy, though!
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