Remaining rat

In September last year I blogged briefly about the addition to our menagerie - two rats who became known as Malcolm and Reese. Sadly Malcolm developed pneumonia a couple of months back and failed to respond to anti-biotics. In hindsight we realised he had never had good respiratory health.

However Reese remains and we decided that as a bereaved rat he needed more human companionship. Each night he spends a few hours down in our main living area. He has just turned up at my feet and is climbing up to sit just under my nose on top of a tall narrow bookcase but under the kitchen bench - his safe place. He'd come across the floor from a descent down the Xmas tree - his first encounter with real trees and a great adventure. Now he's perched on my History of Petone grooming himself.

The dogs give him a wide berth due to both being bitten on the nose, attack being the best form of defence. The cats are relegated to other living spaces.

Here's a short film of him being handled by Sam. Never thought I'd like a rat this much.