I have owned pet rats for over 10 years and have had 15 rats in that time. I currently have two rats, Frodo and Bilbo, who are nearing the end of their lives. Every rat has a unique personality. Let me introduce you to Frodo and Bilbo.
Frodo is in many ways the best rat I’ve ever had. He is, for a rat, extremely outgoing, bold, friendly and mischievious. When he hears me approach their cage he usually runs to the top level and presses his face into the corner nearest me, his way of asking to come out. When I open the cage he will usually jump into my hand. He loves to be stroked firmly along his back, and for me to squeeze his head in my hand. Very unusually for a rat, he allows and often seems to enjoy being turned on his back and having his stomach rubbed. He likes to lick your hand while you pet him. He is naturally curious and will readily explore new places and new objects. He’s on the high end of the rat extrovert spectrum. He likes to ride along with me while I walk around the house, sitting on my arm or riding in the pocket or hood of my sweatshirt.
Bilbo is more timid than Frodo. He has a more typical rat personality, and is more cautious of new things. When I take both of them to a new environment, usually Frodo will be off exploring while Bilbo stays right next to me. But he is very sweet when he is comfortable. He likes to be carried around, as long as we don’t venture out into unfamiliar areas. He’s more likely than Frodo to get nervous and dive into my pocket when being carried. His favorite way to be petted is for me to rub a ridge along the top of his head and simultaneously rub his cheek. He often will start bruxing when I do that. (Bruxing is a behavior some rats do where they grind and chatter their teeth; it usually indicates pleasure, like purring in cats.)
I love my rats. They have been my friends and companions for years. But the sad fact about having pet rats is they only live about 2-3 years. Frodo and Bilbo are about 32 months old, so are quite elderly. Bilbo in particular is showing signs that he’s near the end of his life. He is getting quite lethargic and is starting to turn away food, even previous favorite treats. His weight has declined from about 555 grams to 475 in the last 4 weeks, which is a very bad sign. He has always been robust and by far the larger of the two, but now he weighs less than Frodo and is looking gaunt. I’ve put him on the “you can have whatever you want” diet, but it doesn’t seem to have slowed his weight loss. He’s also showing some signs of confusion, startling or showing fear for no reason. When he gets too weak, or otherwise stops having a decent quality of life, I will have to make the decision to have him euthanized. Based on my previous experience, I expect that will be within the next few weeks. For now he still seems to be content much of the time, and he still bruxes when I scratch his head.
Frodo is slowing down too but still seems healthy and pretty lively. In recent weeks when I play with them on the couch, he’s started coming over to me and nuzzling into my hip while I scratch him, for many minutes at a time. Younger rats, even friendly ones like Frodo, generally have too much energy to sit and be petted for very long. Older rats are more cuddly and Frodo is a real teddy bear these days. He still like to explore and play, but he’s a lot slower than he was even a couple of months ago.
It’s hard facing the inevitable. I tell myself that when Bilbo dies I’ll still have Frodo, but Frodo probably won’t live more than another few months at most. A rat owner has to learn to deal with death since it happens a lot more often than with dogs or cats, but these two guys are really special rats and it’s going to be hard to lose them.
Here are a some videos of Bilbo and Frodo.